² So they stopped following David and went off with Sheba. But the people of Judah stayed close to David all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

David's Ten Wives

^3 (A) David had left ten of his wives in Jerusalem to take care of his palace. But when he came back, he had them taken to another house, and he placed soldiers there to guard them. He gave them whatever they needed, but he never slept with any of them again.^[a] They had to live there for the rest of their lives as if they were widows.

The Army Goes after Sheba

⁴ David said to Amasa, “Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here!”