^{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.'