Quotes About Conflict

So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lordís servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”

So Joabís men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.

And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.

“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.

Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joabís hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

One of Joabís young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”

But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.

As soon as Amasaís body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.

Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.

And Joabís troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,

a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”

I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORDís inheritance?”

“Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!

That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”

Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ramís horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.

At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)

And they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us to exterminate us from existing within any border of Israel,

Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.

Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.

At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.

At that time Adonijah, Davidís son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.

So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him.