¹And there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said: “We have no share in David, Nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; Every man to his tents, O Israel!” ²So every man of Israel deserted David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah, from the Jordan as far as Jerusalem, remained loyal to their king. ³Now David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took the ten women, his concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in seclusion and supported them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up to the day of their death, living in widowhood. ⁴And the king said to Amasa, “Assemble the men of Judah for me within three days, and be present here yourself.” ⁵So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah. But he delayed longer than the set time which David had appointed him. ⁶And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he find for himself fortified cities, and escape us.” ⁷So Joab’s men, with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, went out after him. And they went out of Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ⁸When they were at the large stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came before them. Now Joab was dressed in battle armor; on it was a belt with a sword fastened in its sheath at his hips; and as he was going forward, it fell out. ⁹Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. ¹⁰But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹¹Meanwhile one of Joab’s men stood near Amasa, and said, “Whoever favors Joab and whoever is for David—follow Joab!” ¹²But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he moved Amasa from the highway to the field and threw a garment over him, when he saw that everyone who came upon him halted. ¹³When he was removed from the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. ¹⁴And he went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel and Beth Maachah and all the Berites. So they were gathered together and also went after Sheba. ¹⁵Then they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maachah; and they cast up a siege mound against the city, and it stood by the rampart. And all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down. ¹⁶Then a wise woman cried out from the city, “Hear, Hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come nearby, that I may speak with you.’ ” ¹⁷When he had come near to her, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your maidservant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” ¹⁸So she spoke, saying, “They used to talk in former times, saying, ‘They shall surely seek guidance at Abel,’ and so they would end disputes. ¹⁹I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the inheritance of the Lᴏʀᴅ?” ²⁰And Joab answered and said, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! ²¹That is not so. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, has raised his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city.” So the woman said to Joab, “Watch, his head will be thrown to you over the wall.” ²²Then the woman in her wisdom went to all the people. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. Then he blew a trumpet, and they withdrew from the city, every man to his tent. So Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem. ²³And Joab was over all the army of Israel; Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; ²⁴Adoram was in charge of revenue; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder; ²⁵Sheva was scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; ²⁶and Ira the Jairite was a chief minister under David.

¹This will be the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.” ²I have told you before, and foretell as if I were present the second time, and now being absent I write to those who have sinned before, and to all the rest, that if I come again I will not spare— ³since you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, who is not weak toward you, but mighty in you. ⁴For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you. ⁵Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. ⁶But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified. ⁷Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified. ⁸For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. ⁹For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. And this also we pray, that you may be made complete. ¹⁰Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction. ¹¹Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. ¹²Greet one another with a holy kiss. ¹³All the saints greet you. ¹⁴The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

¹The word of the Lᴏʀᴅ came again to me, saying, ²“Now, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre, ³and say to Tyre, ‘You who are situated at the entrance of the sea, merchant of the peoples on many coastlands, thus says the Lᴏʀᴅ God: “O Tyre, you have said, ’ I am perfect in beauty.’ ⁴Your borders are in the midst of the seas. Your builders have perfected your beauty. ⁵They made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; They took a cedar from Lebanon to make you a mast. ⁶Of oaks from Bashan they made your oars; The company of Ashurites have inlaid your planks With ivory from the coasts of Cyprus. ⁷Fine embroidered linen from Egypt was what you spread for your sail; Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was what covered you. ⁸“Inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your oarsmen; Your wise men, O Tyre, were in you; They became your pilots. ⁹Elders of Gebal and its wise men Were in you to caulk your seams; All the ships of the sea And their oarsmen were in you To market your merchandise. ¹⁰“Those from Persia, Lydia, and Libya Were in your army as men of war; They hung shield and helmet in you; They gave splendor to you. ¹¹Men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around, And the men of Gammad were in your towers; They hung their shields on your walls all around; They made your beauty perfect. ¹²“Tarshish was your merchant because of your many luxury goods. They gave you silver, iron, tin, and lead for your goods. ¹³Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your traders. They bartered human lives and vessels of bronze for your merchandise. ¹⁴Those from the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses, steeds, and mules. ¹⁵The men of Dedan were your traders; many isles were the market of your hand. They brought you ivory tusks and ebony as payment. ¹⁶Syria was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made. They gave you for your wares emeralds, purple, embroidery, fine linen, corals, and rubies. ¹⁷Judah and the land of Israel were your traders. They traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, millet, honey, oil, and balm. ¹⁸Damascus was your merchant because of the abundance of goods you made, because of your many luxury items, with the wine of Helbon and with white wool. ¹⁹Dan and Javan paid for your wares, traversing back and forth. Wrought iron, cassia, and cane were among your merchandise. ²⁰Dedan was your merchant in saddlecloths for riding. ²¹Arabia and all the princes of Kedar were your regular merchants. They traded with you in lambs, rams, and goats. ²²The merchants of Sheba and Raamah were your merchants. They traded for your wares the choicest spices, all kinds of precious stones, and gold. ²³Haran, Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad were your merchants. ²⁴These were your merchants in choice items—in purple clothes, in embroidered garments, in chests of multicolored apparel, in sturdy woven cords, which were in your marketplace. ²⁵“The ships of Tarshish were carriers of your merchandise. You were filled and very glorious in the midst of the seas. ²⁶Your oarsmen brought you into many waters, But the east wind broke you in the midst of the seas. ²⁷“Your riches, wares, and merchandise, Your mariners and pilots, Your caulkers and merchandisers, All your men of war who are in you, And the entire company which is in your midst, Will fall into the midst of the seas on the day of your ruin. ²⁸The common-land will shake at the sound of the cry of your pilots. ²⁹“All who handle the oar, The mariners, All the pilots of the sea Will come down from their ships and stand on the shore. ³⁰They will make their voice heard because of you; They will cry bitterly and cast dust on their heads; They will roll about in ashes; ³¹They will shave themselves completely bald because of you, Gird themselves with sackcloth, And weep for you With bitterness of heart and bitter wailing. ³²In their wailing for you They will take up a lamentation, And lament for you: ‘What city is like Tyre, Destroyed in the midst of the sea? ³³‘When your wares went out by sea, You satisfied many people; You enriched the kings of the earth With your many luxury goods and your merchandise. ³⁴But you are broken by the seas in the depths of the waters; Your merchandise and the entire company will fall in your midst. ³⁵All the inhabitants of the isles will be astonished at you; Their kings will be greatly afraid, And their countenance will be troubled. ³⁶The merchants among the peoples will hiss at you; You will become a horror, and be no more forever.’ “ ‘ ”

¹To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘Do Not Destroy.’ A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. ²“When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. ³The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah ⁴‘I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn. ⁵Do not lift up your horn on high; Do not speak with a stiff neck.’ ” ⁶For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. ⁷But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. ⁸For in the hand of the Lᴏʀᴅ there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down. ⁹But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. ¹⁰‘All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.”

¹To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song. In Judah God is known; His name is great in Israel. ²In Salem also is His tabernacle, And His dwelling place in Zion. ³There He broke the arrows of the bow, The shield and sword of battle. Selah ⁴You are more glorious and excellent Than the mountains of prey. ⁵The stouthearted were plundered; They have sunk into their sleep; And none of the mighty men have found the use of their hands. ⁶At Your rebuke, O God of Jacob, Both the chariot and horse were cast into a dead sleep. ⁷You, Yourself, are to be feared; And who may stand in Your presence When once You are angry? ⁸You caused judgment to be heard from heaven; The earth feared and was still, ⁹When God arose to judgment, To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah ¹⁰Surely the wrath of man shall praise You; With the remainder of wrath You shall gird Yourself. ¹¹Make vows to the Lᴏʀᴅ your God, and pay them; Let all who are around Him bring presents to Him who ought to be feared. ¹²He shall cut off the spirit of princes; He is awesome to the kings of the earth.