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Monday, September 8th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

New Life Version

2 Samuel 20:16

Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! I beg you, tell Joab to come here that I may speak with him."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Abel-Beth-Maachah;   Abishai;   Diplomacy;   Joab;   Politics;   Tact;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Abelbethmaachah;   Sheba;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Sheba;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Maacah;   Sheba (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Abel (Place Name);   Abel-Beth-Maachah or Abel-Beth-Maacah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Abel (of) Beth-Maacah;   Joab;   Samuel, Books of;   Sheba;   Wisdom;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bichri ;   Sheba ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;   She'ba;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Proverbs, Book of;   Witch;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Wisdom;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here and let me speak with him.”
Hebrew Names Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Yo'av, 'Come near here, that I may speak with you.'"
King James Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Lexham English Bible
Then a wise woman from the city called out, "Listen, listen! Please speak to Joab to come near here so that I may speak to you."
English Standard Version
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.'"
New Century Version
But a wise woman shouted out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk to him!"
New English Translation
a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen up! Listen up! Tell Joab, ‘Come near so that I may speak to you.'"
Amplified Bible
Then a wise woman cried out from the city, "Hear, hear! Tell Joab, 'Come here so that I may speak to you.'"
New American Standard Bible
Then a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen, listen! Please tell Joab, 'Come here that I may speak with you.'"
Geneva Bible (1587)
Then cried a wise woman out of the citie, Heare, heare, I pray you, say vnto Ioab, Come thou hither, that I may speake with thee.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, ‘Draw near that I may speak with you.'"
Contemporary English Version
A wise woman shouted from the top of the wall, "Listen to me! Listen to me! I have to talk to Joab! Tell him to come here!"
Complete Jewish Bible
Then a wise woman in the city shouted, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Yo'av, ‘Come over here, so that I can speak with you.'"
Darby Translation
And a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear: say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Easy-to-Read Version
But there was a very wise woman in that city who shouted out to them and said, "Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here. I want to talk with him."
George Lamsa Translation
Then a wise woman cried out from the wall, saying, Hear, hear, and say to Joab, Come near, that I may speak to you.
Good News Translation
There was a wise woman in the city who shouted from the wall, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab to come here; I want to speak with him."
Literal Translation
And a wise woman called out of the city, Hear! Hear! Please say to Joab, Come near here and I will speak to you.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then cried there a wyse woma out of ye cite: Heare, heare, saye vnto Ioab that he come hither, I wyl speake with him.
American Standard Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Bible in Basic English
Then a wise woman got up on the wall, and crying out from the town, said, Give ear, give ear; say now to Joab, Come near, so that I may have talk with you.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then cryed a wyse woman out of the citie, heare, heare, I pray you say vnto Ioab: Come hither that I may speake with thee.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then cried a wise woman out of the city: 'Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab: Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.'
King James Version (1611)
Then cried a wise woman out of the citie, Heare, heare; say, I pray you, vnto Ioab, Come neere hither, that I may speake with thee.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And a wise woman cried from the wall, and said, Hear, hear; say, I pray ye, to Joab, Draw near hither, and I will speak to him.
English Revised Version
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
Berean Standard Bible
a wise woman called out from the city, "Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And a wijs womman of the citee criede an hiy, Here ye! here ye! seie ye to Joab, Neiye thou hidur, and Y schal speke with thee.
Young's Literal Translation
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.'
Update Bible Version
Then a wise woman cried out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, to Joab, Come near here, that I may speak with you.
Webster's Bible Translation
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, to Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
World English Bible
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, 'Come near here, that I may speak with you.'"
New King James Version
Then a wise woman cried out from the city, "Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, "Come nearby, that I may speak with you."'
New Living Translation
But a wise woman in the town called out to Joab, "Listen to me, Joab. Come over here so I can talk to you."
New Revised Standard
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, I want to speak to you.'"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, - Hear ye! hear ye! I pray you, say unto Joab, Come near hither, and let me speak unto thee.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will speak with thee.
Revised Standard Version
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear! Hear! Tell Jo'ab, 'Come here, that I may speak to you.'"
THE MESSAGE
But a shrewd woman called out from the city, "Listen, everybody! Please tell Joab to come close so I can talk to him." When he had come, the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He said, "I am." "Then," she said, "listen to what I have to say." He said, "I'm listening."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then a wise woman called from the city, "Hear, hear! Please tell Joab, 'Come here that I may speak with you.'"

Contextual Overview

14 Sheba passed through all the families of Israel to Abel Bethmaacah. Then all the Berites gathered together and followed him into the city. 15 And all the men who were with Joab came and gathered their armies around him in Abel Bethmaacah. They built up a hill of dirt against the wall of the city. And they were trying their best to make the wall fall down. 16 Then a wise woman called from the city, "Listen! I beg you, tell Joab to come here that I may speak with him." 17 So he came to her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" He answered, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your woman servant." And he answered, "I am listening." 18 Then she said, "In the past they used to say, ‘Let them ask for words of wisdom at Abel.' And so they would stop fighting. 19 I am one of peace and faith in Israel. You want to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the gift of the Lord?" 20 Joab answered, "Far be it from me! Far be it that I should swallow up or destroy! 21 That is not true. But a man from the hill country of Ephraim has turned against King David. His name is Sheba the son of Bichri. Give up only him, and I will leave the city." And the woman said to Joab, "See, his head will be thrown to you over the wall." 22 Then the woman went to all the people with her plan. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he sounded the horn and they left the city, every man going to his home. Joab returned to the king at Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Samuel 14:2, 1 Samuel 25:3, 1 Samuel 25:32, 1 Samuel 25:33, Ecclesiastes 9:14-18

Reciprocal: Proverbs 11:16 - gracious Proverbs 21:22 - General Proverbs 31:26 - openeth Ecclesiastes 7:19 - General Daniel 2:14 - with

Cross-References

Genesis 20:3
But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said, "See, you are a dead man because of the woman you have taken. For she is already married."
Genesis 20:5
Did the man not tell me, ‘She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.' I have done this with a heart of honor and with hands that are not guilty."
Genesis 20:6
Then God said to him in the dream, "Yes, I know that you have done this with a heart of honor. And I kept you from sinning against Me. I did not let you touch her.
Genesis 20:8
So Abimelech got up early in the morning. He called all his servants and told them all these things. And the men were very much afraid.
Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham and said, "What have you done to us? What wrong have I done to you, that made you bring a great sin upon me and my nation? You have done to me what should not have been done."
Genesis 24:65
and said to Abraham's servant, "Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?" Abraham's servant said, "He is my boss." So she took a cloth and covered her face.
Genesis 26:11
So Abimelech told all the people, "Whoever touches this man or his wife will be put to death."
Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves strong teaching loves much learning, but he who hates strong words is foolish.
Proverbs 25:12
A wise man speaking strong words to a listening ear is like a piece of gold for the ear and a beautiful object of fine gold.
Proverbs 27:5
Sharp words spoken in the open are better than love that is hidden.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then cried a wise woman out of the city,.... And such an one as the woman of Tekoah, supposed by some to be the governess of the city; but whoever she was, she well deserved the character of a wise woman; her conduct in this affair shows it: she cried with a loud voice, upon the wall of the city, to Joab's men, who were underneath battering it,

hear, hear; which she repeated to make them hear:

say, I pray you, unto Joab, come near hither, that I may speak with thee; tell your general I desire to speak with him; which was wisely done, to have nothing to say but to the general himself.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 20:16. A wise woman — She was probably governess.


 
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