A reading from the book of 2 Samuel.

Now there happened to be there, O worthless man whose name was Sheba, the son of Bikri, a Benjaminite.

And he blew the trumpet and said, We have no portion in David, and we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.

Every man to his tents, O Israel.

So all the men of Israel withdrew from David and followed Sheba, the son of Bikri.

But the men of Judah followed their king steadfastly from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

And David came to his house at Jerusalem.

And the king took the 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 into them.

So they were shut up until the day of their death, living as if in widowhood.

Then the king said to Amasa,

Call the men of Judah together to me within three days, and be here yourself.

So Amesa went to summon Judah, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been appointed him.

And David said to Abyshi, Now Sheba, the son of Bikri, will do us more harm than

Absalom. Take your Lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape

from us. And there went out after him, Joab's men and the Carithites and the Pelothites and

all the mighty men.

They went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba, the son of Vickory.

When they were at the great stone that is in Gibbon, a mesa 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.

...