1. At that place there was a man named Sheba son of Bicri. Sheba was a worthless troublemaker from the tribe of Benjamin. He blew a trumpet to gather the people together and said, “We have no share in David. We have no part in the son of Jesse. Israel, let’s all go home.”
2. So all the Israelites left David and followed Sheba son of Bicri. But the people from Judah stayed with their king all the way from the Jordan River to Jerusalem.
3. David went back to his house in Jerusalem. He had left ten of his slave women to take care of the house. He put these women in a special house. Then he put guards around the house. They stayed in this house until they died. David took care of the women and gave them food, but he did not have sexual relations with them. They lived like widows until they died.
4. The king told Amasa, “Tell the people of Judah to meet with me in three days. You must be here, too.”
5. So Amasa called the people of Judah together, but he took longer than the king had told him.
6. David said to Abishai, “Sheba son of Bicri is more dangerous to us than Absalom was. So take my officers and chase Sheba. Hurry before he gets into cities with walls. If he gets into the well-protected cities, we will not be able to get him.”
7. So Joab took the Kerethites and Pelethites and the other soldiers with him and left Jerusalem to chase after Sheba son of Bicri.
8. When Joab and the army came to Big Rock at Gibeon, Amasa came out to meet them. Joab was wearing his uniform with a belt that held a knife. As he walked toward Amasa, the knife on the belt came out.
9. Joab asked Amasa, “How are you doing, brother?” Joab reached out with his right hand and grabbed Amasa by the beard to greet him with a kiss.