2 Samuel 20 - KJV & KBTP

I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord

2 Samuel 20:14-22

In a time of political turmoil and war, a single wise woman from the city of Abel Beth Maacah changed the course of history. Her courage, intelligence, and diplomatic skills saved her city from destruction and demonstrated the power of wisdom in leadership. While her name is not recorded, her story leaves an unforgettable lesson: a wise woman can be a peacemaker, a leader, and a lifesaver.

1. A City in Crisis

2 Samuel 20:14 (ESV) – “And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and all the Bichrites assembled and followed him in.”

The city of Abel Beth Maacah found itself in the middle of a crisis. Sheba, a rebel against King David, had taken refuge there. His rebellion had already divided Israel, and now his presence put the entire city at risk. Sometimes, we find ourselves in situations where we are caught in conflicts we did not start but how we respond determines the outcome.

2. The Siege Begins

2 Samuel 20:15 (ESV) – “And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah. They cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down.”

King David’s general, Joab, did not hesitate. He and his army prepared to destroy the city to capture Sheba. The people of Abel Beth Maacah were trapped—innocent citizens about to suffer for someone else’s wrongdoing. In desperate situations, will we allow fear to control us, or will we take action?

3. The Wise Woman Speaks Up

2 Samuel 20:16 (ESV) – “Then a wise woman called from the city, ‘Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’”

In the midst of chaos, one woman stepped forward. Instead of waiting in fear, she took initiative. She called for Joab, demanding to speak with the leader of the army. This shows us the power of courageous women who use their voice to influence events. One wise woman can change the course of history.

4. A Reputation for Wisdom

2 Samuel 20:18 (ESV) – “Then she said, ‘They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a matter.’”

The woman reminded Joab that Abel Beth Maacah had always been known for wisdom and peace. She urged him to remember the city’s legacy. Instead of responding with emotion or panic, she appealed to reason and history. Wise women know how to speak in a way that persuades others to listen.

5. A Plea for Peace

2 Samuel 20:19 (ESV) – “I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?”

The woman positioned herself as a protector of the city—a “mother in Israel.” She reminded Joab that destroying the city would mean harming innocent people. Her wisdom teaches us that true leadership seeks peace, not destruction.

6. A Strategy to Save the City

2 Samuel 20:21 (ESV) – “That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, ‘Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.’”

Joab was not set on destruction; he only wanted Sheba. The woman had skillfully brought clarity to the situation. Instead of war, she found a way to resolve the problem peacefully. This reminds us that wisdom seeks solutions, not conflict.

7. Victory Through Wisdom

2 Samuel 20:22 (ESV) – “Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.”

Her wisdom saved the entire city from destruction. Because she spoke up and acted decisively, a war was prevented, and innocent lives were spared. This shows us that one wise woman can save a whole generation.

As we celebrate Women’s Month, may we be inspired by this wise woman, whose name was forgotten by history, but whose actions saved an entire city.

1 And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel. 2 So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even to Jerusalem.

3 ¶ And 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 ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4 ¶ Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. 5 So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. 6 And David said to Abishai, Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us. 7 And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri. 8 When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab’s garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out. 9 And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. 10 But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib , and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after Joab. 12 And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still. 13 When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

14 ¶ And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him. 15 And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

The Woman Who Stopped a War: A Story of Wisdom and Leadership

16 ¶ Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee. 17 And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he . Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear. 18 Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter . 19 I am one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD? 20 And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy. 21 The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall. 22

Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

23 ¶ Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites: 24 And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder: 25 And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests: 26 And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.

Bupanduki gwa Sheba

1 Ipapo kukabe ne mmwe nthu usi we tjimwe we zina linoyi Sheba, nkololo wa Bikiri we Nbhenjamini, kalidza lunyanga ebe eti, “Atina gobe muna Dafite, naiko atina lukata mu nkololo wa Jesi, imwi, Baiziraela, mmwe ne mmwe ngaayende ku nzi uwe.”

2 Ndizo bathu bose be Iziraela bakashandukila Dafite, bakatobela Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri, koga Bajuda bakatobela Dafite nge kugalikabgwe kudwa ku Jorodani kunoti ku Jerusalema.

3 Ngono Dafite kati eswika ku ng'umba iye ye bushe ku Jerusalema, katola bakadzi babe be bakadzi batukunu baakabe asiya bakalinda ng'umba kababiga mu imwe ng'umba bakalindiwa, ebajisa ngono asingawalilane nabo. Bakazhaliligwa butjilo gwabo gose, baligele se tjilikadzi.

4 Ndizo mambo kadwa Amasa kati, “Undidanile babhayani bose be Juda bazhe kundili nngwani, nawe ubepobo.” 5 Amasa kanodana babhayani be Juda, koga kanonoka kasiswike mu zhuba lakabe labigwa ndi mambo. 6 Dafite kabe edwa Abishayi eti, “Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri unowotithamila mbipo inopinda yatakathamigwa ndi Abusalomu, tola balanda ba tetshi uwo untatamile, ungadwa engina mu mizi yakabakiligwa nge luswingo, ngono tikasitjankunde.” 7 Ndizo babhayani ba Joabu ne Bakhereti ne Bapeleti ne babhayani bose bakasima bakabhuda mu Jerusalema bakatatamila Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri bakatungamigwa ndi Abishayi. 8 Bakati beswika pa shongwe wulu imu Gibiyoni, Amasa kabashanganidza. Ipapo Joabu wakabe akaambala tjiambalo tje ngwa, mu thunji dzidze ana mwandabula wakasungigwa ikhata tjina bukanu muili, kati eyendila mbeli gukawila pasi. 9 Ngono Joabu kadwa Amasa kati, “Unomukazo nkololo wa tate?” Joabu kabhata Amasa nge ndedu nge luboko gwe luji kumputa. 10 Koga Amasa kasibe nge njele ngekwe bukanu gwakabe guli mu luboko gwa Joabu, ndizo Joabu kambhaya ndigo mu ntumbu mabula katebukila pasi, tjinyolotjo kafa, ngono kasimbhaye kakale.

Joabu ne nnung'una uwe Abishayi bakatatamila Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri. 11 Mmwe we babhayani ba Joabu kama pa itumbu tja Amasa kamimila eti, “Mmwe ne mmwe umile na Joabu na Dafite ngaatobele Joabu.” 12 Ngono Amasa kakandalala akadubama mu malopa awe pakati kwe zila, ngono mmwe ne mmwe wakabe eti epinda nge zila kama, ndizo mmwe we babhayani ba Joabu kakwebela itumbu tja Amasa ku shango kaposela ngubo pezhugwi kwatjo. 13 Kukati kusinobe kwadusiwa itumbu tja Amasa mu zila, babhayani bose bakatobela Joabu betatamila Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri.

14 Sheba kapalama njudzi dzose dze Iziraela kunoti ku Abele iku Bhethimaaka, ngono Babiri bose bakakubungana bakantobela mu nzi. 15 Babhayani ba Joabu bakahwa kuti Sheba umukati kwe Abelibetimaka, ipapo bakayenda bakanokomba nzi. Bakabaka duluthulu le mavu kunoti pezhugwi kwe luswingo gukuzhe, ngono bakatangisa kukatsha luswingo kuti baguligile pasi. 16 Ipapo mmwe nkadzi wakabe akatjenjela akamimila ali mukati kwe luswingo eti, “Hwililani! Hwililani! Idwani Joabu azhe ngeno, ‘Ndokumbila lebeleka naye.’ ” 17 Ngono Joabu kazha pejo naye, ipapo nkadzi kambhuzwa kati, “Ndimwi Joabu kene?” Kadabila eti, “Ndimi.” Ndizo kandwa kati, “Teedzani matama e nlandakadzi wenyu.” Ngono kadabila eti, “Ndakateedza.” 18 Ndizo nkadzi kati kunli, “Kwakalebgwa ne bantolo kuyi, ‘Dzene banganokumbila gumbuludzo koga ku Abele,’ ngono shule kwa ikoku, bakapedza ndebo. 19 Imi ndi mmwe we banoda lunyalalo kakale unogalikabgwe mu Iziraela, apa unoshaka kolomola nzi nkulu we Iziraela, ini ungalobesa lukata gwa Yahwe kene?” 20 Joabu kashandula eti, “Ngakube kutjena nami, kube kutjena, kuti ndingaulobesa kene kuli kuukolomola! 21 Atizozwimisila kukolomola nzi wenyu. Koga nlume we shango ye matombo ye Ifureimi, unoyi Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri, wakapandukila Mambo Dafite, mundipe iye koga, ndowobe ndiletjedza kukolomola nzi.” Nkadzi kabe edwa Joabu eti, “Towomuposela nsholo uwe tiutjuludza luswingo.” 22 Ndizo nkadzi kayenda kanobudza bathu nge butjenjedu gugwe. Ngono bakathubula nsholo wa Sheba nkololo wa Bikiri bakauposela kuzhe kuna Joabu. Ndizo Joabu kalidza lunyanga, ngono bakapalala bedwa pa nzi we Abele, mmwe ne mmwe kayenda kanyi kwabo. Ngono Joabu iye kashandukila ku Jerusalema kuna mambo.

23 Ngwenu Joabu kabe ntungamili we babhayani bose be Iziraela, Bhenaya nkololo wa Jehoyada kabe ntungamili we Bakhereti ne Bapeleti. 24 Adoramu wakabe ali nlauli we bashingi, Jehoshafati nkololo wa Ahiludi ali nkwali we zwiyitikalo. 25 Sheva wakabe ali nkwalili, ngono Zadoki na Abiathari bali bapirisiti 26 na Ira we Njairi na iyebo ali mpirisiti wa Dafite.