2 Samuel 20:16-22 ▼

16 Just then a wise woman called out from the city. |Attention!| she said, |Go tell Joab 'Come here! I want to talk to you!'|

17 Joab came over and the woman asked him, |Are you Joab?| |I am,| he answered. So she told him, |Listen to what your servant has to say!| |I'm listening,| he replied.

18 So she said, |In days past, people used to settle a dispute by saying 'Let's ask for advice at Abel!'

19 I'm one of the peaceful and faithful citizens of Israel. You're trying to destroy a city that's a mother in Israel. Why are you devouring the heritage of the LORD?|

20 But Joab replied, |No way! No way! I'm not here to devour or destroy!

21 That's a lie! But there is a man from the Ephraim hill country—he's known as Bichri's son Sheba—who has rebelled against King David. Turn him over and I'll withdraw from the city!| So the woman replied, |Watch this! His head will be thrown to you over the city wall.|

22 Then the woman wisely went back to her people. They cut off the head of Bichri's son Sheba and threw it out to Joab, so Joab sounded his battle trumpet and they withdrew from the city. Everybody went back home and Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.