^{16 Ref} And a wise woman calleth out of the city, `Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.'

^{17 Ref} And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, `Art thou Joab?' and he saith, `I `am'.' And she saith to him, `Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, `I am hearing.'

^{18 Ref} and she speaketh, saying, `They spake often in former times, saying, Let them diligently ask at Abel, and so they finished.

^{19 Ref} I `am' of the peaceable -- faithful ones of Israel; thou art seeking to destroy a city, and a mother in Israel; why dost thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?

^{20 Ref} And Joab answereth and saith, `Far be it -- far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.

^{21 Ref} The matter `is' not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim -- Sheba son of Bichri his name -- hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, `Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.'

^{22 Ref} And the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast `it' unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.