REBELLION AND SORROW. 225

George. But about the rebellion, grandfather, who
was to blame for it?

Grandfather. The men of Israel were angry with the
men of Judah for bringing back the king without con-
sulting them; not that they were angry because David
was brought back, but they thought that the tribe of
Judah had no right to be foremost in the matter. The
sons of Judah, instead of answering mildly when their
brethren were displeased, spoke yet more fiercely than
they had been spoken to. This increased the anger of
the men of Israel, so that they listened not unwillingly
to the words of Sheba, a bad man, who excited them to
rebel. This Sheba belonged to the tribe of Benjamin.
When he sounded a trumpet, and said, “ We have no
part in David; neither have we inheritance in the son of
Jesse: Every man to his tents, oh Israel,”—then all
the Israelites followed him; the tribe of Judah only
remaining faithful to David. The king said to Amasa,
“ Assemble me the men of Judah within three days,
and be thou here present.”

George. Was not Joab his general? Why did he not
tell him to assemble his army ?

Grandfather. He had not forgiven him for putting
Absalom to death; and even when, because Amasa
stayed longer than the time given to him, David thought
it necessary to send another leader, he did not send
Joab, but Abishai, his brother. Joab, however, accom-
panied Abishai along with the king’s guards. Near
Gibeon they encountered Amasa, and the forces he had

Q