Leadership Verses

And, behold, all the men of Israel came to the king, and said unto the king, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the king, and his household, and all David's men with him, over Jordan?

And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, Because the king {is} near of kin to us: wherefore then be ye angry for this matter? have we eaten at all of the king's {cost}? or hath he given us any gift?

And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more {right} in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel. {despise...: Heb. set us at light}

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.

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. {ward: Heb. an house of ward} {shut...: Heb. bound} {living...: Heb. in widowhood of life}

Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present. {Assemble: Heb. Call}

So Amasa went to assemble {the men of} Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him. {Assemble: Heb. Call}

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. {escape...: Heb. deliver himself from our eyes}

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. {by name: Heb. by his name}

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. {retired: Heb. were scattered}

And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David. {a chief...: or, a prince}

And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites {were} not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.)