8When they reached the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. And Joab was wearing his uniform over a belt with a sword in its sheath strapped over it at his waste; and as he stepped forward, his sword fell out. 9And Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him. 10But Amasa took no notice of the sword in Joab's hand; and he stabbed with it in the fifth rib, and his intestines spilled to the ground, and Amasa died without stabbing him again. So then Joab and Abishai, his brother, pursued Sheba. 11And one of Joab's men shouted to Amasa’s men, “Whoever favors Joab, and supports for David, let him follow Joab”. 12And Amasa lay wallowing in his own blood in the middle of the road. And when joab’s man saw that all the men who passed Amasa stopped still, he moved Amasa off the highway into the field, and threw a cloth over him. 13Then after Amasa was removed from the highway, then the men followed Joab, in pursuit of Sheba, son of Bichri.

14And Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth-maacah, and until he reached the entire region of the Berites; and many gathered together, and followed Sheba. 15And the troops of Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they built a siege mound against the outer rampart (walls) of the city; and all the men who were with Joab battered the wall, to knock it down. 16Then a wise woman from the city cried, “Tell Joab, ‘Hear, hear, I pray you, come near here, that I may speak with you’”. 17And when he had come near, the woman said, “Are you Joab?” And he answered, “I am he”. Then she said to him, “Hear my words”. And he answered, “I’m listening”. 18Then she said, “In olden times they would say, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel, if you want to settle a dispute.’ 19I am of peace and faithful in Israel; and you are about to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why devour the inheritance of the LORD?” 20And Joab answered, “Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy! 21That is not so; but a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba, son of Bichri, by name, has raised his hand in rebellion against King David. Just surrender him, and I will depart from the city”. And the woman said to Joab, “His head shall be thrown over the wall to you”. 22Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba, and tossed it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, each man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23And Joab was now commander the army of Israel; and Benaiah, son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites: 24And Adoram was over the slave labor; and Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, was recorder; 25And Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests; 26And Ira, the Jairite, was a chief ruler (priest) to David.