‏ Judges 12:1-6

Jephthah’s Conflict with Ephraim

1 aThe men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house over you with fire.” 2And Jephthah said to them, “I and my people had a great dispute with the Ammonites, and when I called you, you did not save me from their hand. 3And when I saw that you would not save me, bI took my life in my hand and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?” 4Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim. And the men of Gilead struck Ephraim, because they said, c“You are fugitives of Ephraim, you Gileadites, in the midst of Ephraim and Manasseh.” 5And the Gileadites captured dthe fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. And when any of the fugitives of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” When he said, “No,” 6they said to him, “Then say Shibboleth,” and he said, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and slaughtered him at ethe fords of the Jordan. At that time 42,000 of the Ephraimites fell.

‏ 2 Samuel 2:14-17

14And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,
 Helkath-hazzurim means the field of sword-edges
which is at Gibeon.
17And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.

‏ 2 Samuel 19:41-43

41Then all the men of Israel came to the king and said to the king, “Why have our brothers the men of Judah stolen you away and gbrought the king and his household over the Jordan, and all David’s men with him?” 42All the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, “Because the king is hour close relative. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king’s expense? Or has he given us any gift?” 43And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, “We have iten shares in the king, and in David also we have more than you. Why then did you despise us? Were we not the first to speak of bringing back our king?” jBut the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

‏ 2 Samuel 20:1-22

The Rebellion of Sheba

1Now there happened to be there ka worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite. And he blew the trumpet and said,

l“We have no portion in David,
and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse;
mevery man to his tents, O Israel!”

2So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

3And David came to his house at Jerusalem. And the king took nthe ten concubines whom he had left to care for the house and put them in a house under guard and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

4Then the king said to oAmasa, “Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.” 5So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him. 6And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take pyour lord’s servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.”
Hebrew  and snatch away our eyes
7And there went out after him Joab’s men and the rCherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men. They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri. 8When they were at the great stone that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a soldier’s garment, and over it was a belt with a sword in its sheath fastened on his thigh, and as he went forward it fell out. 9And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand sto kiss him. 10But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab’s hand. tSo Joab struck him with it uin the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died.

Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.
11And one of Joab’s young men took his stand by Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab.” 12And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the highway. And anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. And when the man saw that all the people stopped, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field and threw a garment over him. 13When he was taken out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue Sheba the son of Bichri.

14And Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to vAbel of wBeth-maacah,
Compare 20:15; Hebrew and Beth-maacah
and all ythe Bichrites
Hebrew Berites
assembled and followed him in.
15And all the men who were with Joab came and besieged him in aaAbel of Beth-maacah. abThey cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall to throw it down. 16Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.’” 17And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.” 18Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at acAbel,’ and so they settled a matter. 19I 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 adswallow up aethe heritage of the Lord?” 20Joab answered, “Far be it from me, far be it, that I should afswallow up or destroy! 21That is not true. But a man of agthe 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.” 22Then the woman went to all the people ahin 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, aievery man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

‏ Proverbs 17:19

19Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
he who ajmakes his door high seeks destruction.

‏ Proverbs 26:21

21As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
so is aka quarrelsome man for kindling strife.

‏ Proverbs 29:22

22 alA man of wrath stirs up strife,
and one given to anger causes much transgression.
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