4. Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon to me all the men of Judah on the third day, and you shall be present also."
5. Therefore, Amasa went away, so that he might summon Judah. But he delayed beyond the agreed time that the king had appointed to him.
6. And David said to Abishai: "Now Sheba, the son of Bichri, will afflict us more so than Absalom did. Therefore, take the servants of your lord, and pursue him, otherwise he may find fortified cities, and escape from us."
7. And so, the men of Joab departed with him, along with the Cherethites and the Pelethites. And all the able-bodied men went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, the son of Bichri.
8. And when they were beside the great stone, which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. Now Joab was wearing a close-fitting coat of equal length with his garment. And over these, he was girded with a sword hanging down to his thigh, in a scabbard which was made so that the sword could be removed with the least motion, and then strike.
9. Then Joab said to Amasa, "Be well, my brother." And he held Amasa by the chin with his right hand, as if to kiss him.
10. But Amasa did not notice the sword that Joab had. And he struck him in the side, and his intestines poured out to the ground. And he did not inflict a second wound, and he died. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba, the son of Bichri.
11. Meanwhile, certain men, from the company of Joab, when they had stopped beside the dead body of Amasa, said: "Behold, the one who wished to be in the place of Joab, the companion of David."
12. Now Amasa was covered with blood, and was lying in the middle of the road. A certain man saw this, with all the people standing nearby to look at him, and he removed Amasa from the road into a field. And he covered him with a garment, so that those passing by would not stop because of him.
13. Then, when he had been removed from the road, all the men continued on, following Joab in the pursuit of Sheba, the son of Bichri.
14. Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel into Abel and Bethmaacah. And all the elect men had gathered together to him.