20:1 在那裡恰巧有一個匪徒，名叫示巴，是便雅憫人比基利的兒子。他吹角，說：「我們與大衛無分，與耶西的兒子無涉。以色列人哪，你們各回各家去吧！」
20:2 於是以色列人都離開大衛，跟隨比基利的兒子示巴。但猶大人從約旦河直到耶路撒冷，都緊緊跟隨他們的王。
20:3 大衛王來到耶路撒冷，進了宮殿，就把從前留下看守宮殿的十個妃嬪禁閉在冷宮，養活她們，不與她們親近。她們如同寡婦被禁，直到死的日子。
20:4 王對亞瑪撒說：「你要在三日之內將猶大人招聚了來，你也回到這裡來。」
20:5 亞瑪撒就去招聚猶大人，卻耽延過了王所限的日期。
20:6 大衛對亞比篩說：「現在恐怕比基利的兒子示巴加害於我們比押沙龍更甚。你要帶領你主的僕人追趕他，免得他得了堅固城，躲避我們。」
20:7 約押的人和基利提人、比利提人，並所有的勇士，都跟著亞比篩，從耶路撒冷出去追趕比基利的兒子示巴。
20:8 他們到了基遍的大磐石那裡，亞瑪撒來迎接他們。那時約押穿著戰衣，腰束佩刀的帶子，刀在鞘內；約押前行，刀從鞘內掉出來。
20:9 約押左手拾起刀來，對亞瑪撒說：「我兄弟，你好啊！」就用右手抓住亞瑪撒的鬍子，要與他親嘴。
20:10 亞瑪撒沒有防備約押手裡所拿的刀；約押用刀刺入他的肚腹，他的腸子流在地上，沒有再刺他，就死了。約押和他兄弟亞比篩往前追趕比基利的兒子示巴。
20:11 有約押的一個少年人站在亞瑪撒屍身旁邊，對眾人說：「誰喜悅約押，誰歸順大衛，就當跟隨約押去。」
20:12 亞瑪撒在道路上滾在自己的血裡。那人見眾民經過都站住，就把亞瑪撒的屍身從路上挪到田間，用衣服遮蓋。
20:13 屍身從路上挪移之後，眾民就都跟隨約押去追趕比基利的兒子示巴。
20:14 他走遍以色列各支派，直到伯‧瑪迦的亞比拉，並比利人的全地；那些地方的人也都聚集跟隨他。
20:15 約押和跟隨的人到了伯‧瑪迦的亞比拉，圍困示巴，就對著城築壘；跟隨約押的眾民用錘撞城，要使城塌陷。
20:16 有一個聰明婦人從城上呼叫說：「聽啊，聽啊，請約押近前來，我好與他說話。」
20:17 約押就近前來，婦人問他說：「你是約押不是？」他說：「我是。」婦人說：「求你聽婢女的話。」約押說：「我聽。」
20:18 婦人說：「古時有話說，當先在亞比拉求問，然後事就定妥。
20:19 我們這城的人在以色列人中是和平、忠厚的。你為何要毀壞以色列中的大城，吞滅耶和華的產業呢？」
20:20 約押回答說：「我決不吞滅毀壞，
20:21 乃因以法蓮山地的一個人─比基利的兒子示巴─舉手攻擊大衛王，你們若將他一人交出來，我便離城而去。」婦人對約押說：「那人的首級必從城牆上丟給你。」
20:22 婦人就憑她的智慧去勸眾人。他們便割下比基利的兒子示巴的首級，丟給約押。約押吹角，眾人就離城而散，各歸各家去了。約押回耶路撒冷，到王那裡。
20:23 約押作以色列全軍的元帥；耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅統轄基利提人和比利提人；
20:24 亞多蘭掌管服苦的人；亞希律的兒子約沙法作史官；
20:25 示法作書記；撒督和亞比亞他作祭司長；
20:26 睚珥人以拉作大衛的宰相。
Now a troublemaker named Sheba son of Bikri, a Benjamite, happened to be there. He sounded the trumpet and shouted,
“We
have no share in David,
no part in Jesse’s son!
Every man to his tent, Israel!”
2 So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bikri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to take care of the palace and put them in a house under guard. He provided for them but had no sexual relations with them. They were kept in confinement till the day of their death, living as widows.
4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5 But when Amasa went to summon Judah, he took longer than the time the king had set for him.
6 David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your master’s men and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and escape from us.”[a] 7 So Joab’s men and the Kerethites and Pelethites and all the mighty warriors went out under the command of Abishai. They marched out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
8 While they were at the great rock in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Joab was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.
9 Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on his guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab plunged it into his belly, and his intestines spilled out on the ground. Without being stabbed again, Amasa died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bikri.
11 One of Joab’s men stood beside Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!” 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road, and the man saw that all the troops came to a halt there. When he realized that everyone who came up to Amasa stopped, he dragged him from the road into a field and threw a garment over him. 13 After Amasa had been removed from the road, everyone went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.
14 Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel Beth Maakah and through the entire region of the Bikrites,[b] who gathered together and followed him. 15 All the troops with Joab came and besieged Sheba in Abel Beth Maakah. They built a siege ramp up to the city, and it stood against the outer fortifications. While they were battering the wall to bring it down, 16 a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here so I can speak to him.” 17 He went toward her, and she asked, “Are you Joab?”
“I am,” he answered.
She said, “Listen to what your servant has to say.”
“I’m listening,” he said.
18 She continued, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Get your answer at Abel,’ and that settled it. 19 We are the peaceful and faithful in Israel. You are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the Lord’s inheritance?”
20 “Far be it from me!” Joab replied, “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not the case. A man named Sheba son of Bikri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Hand over this one man, and I’ll withdraw from the city.”
The woman said to Joab, “His head will be thrown to you from the wall.”
22 Then the woman went to all the people with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the trumpet, and his men dispersed from the city, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to the king in Jerusalem.
23 Joab was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; 24 Adoniram[c] was in charge of forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was recorder; 25 Sheva was secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were priests; 26 and Ira the Jairite[d] was David’s priest.
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押沙龍的叛變之後，讓猶大之派的人緊緊地跟隨大衛，對大衛忠心，卻和一些以色列人發生衝突，而有一個敗類示巴趁機而起，他吹角，說：「我們與大衛無分，與耶西的兒子無涉。以色列人哪，你們各回各家去吧！」
大衛也利用這個機會來考驗一下新的元帥亞瑪撒，大衛對亞瑪撒說：「你要在三日之內將猶大人招聚了來，你也回到這裡來。」
然而這位亞瑪撒卻耽延過了王所限的日期，可見忠誠度不夠或是能力有問題，大衛只好另立元帥亞比篩說：「恐怕示巴給我們的傷害比押沙龍更大。你帶我的部隊去追他吧！不然他會佔據設防的城鎮，從我們眼前消失無蹤。」
於是亞比篩就乃領著他的兄弟約押的部隊、宮廷侍衛隊，和所有的勇士都跟亞比篩一起離開耶路撒冷去追趕示巴。
在這過程中出現一個小插曲，就是約押遇見亞瑪撒就將他除掉，讓猶大之派的人更加忠心於大衛，使他後來有能力可以除掉示巴於伯‧瑪迦的亞比拉，靠著「聰明婦人」！
這些過程好像沒有明顯說出上帝的作為，但是我們清楚這一切都是上帝在背後做各樣的安排，使大衛的軍隊能夠順利平亂！正如所羅門的詩歌說：「若不是耶和華建造房屋，建造的人就枉然勞力；若不是耶和華看守城池，看守的人就枉然警醒。」（詩篇127:1）
是的，我們的一生都在上帝保守與預備中，正如上帝保守大衛的王朝，主應許我們將來必定進入榮耀的新天新地，與主耶穌一同座王道永遠，是必定會實現的，祂必保守我們直到那日！
