³⁰ (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

⁷ On hearing this, David sent Joab^(A) out with the entire army of fighting men.

David and Bathsheba

11 In the spring,^(A) at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab^(B) out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army.^(C) They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.^(D) But David remained in Jerusalem.

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.

¹⁴ Joab^(A) said, “I’m not going to wait like this for you.” So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom’s heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree.

⁸ While they were at the great rock in Gibeon,^(A) Amasa came to meet them. Joab^(B) was wearing his military tunic, and strapped over it at his waist was a belt with a dagger in its sheath. As he stepped forward, it dropped out of its sheath.

³ But Joab^(A) replied to the king, “May the Lord your God multiply the troops a hundred times over,^(B) and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king want to do such a thing?”

⁷ Adonijah conferred with Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar^(B) the priest, and they gave him their support.

⁵ “Now you yourself know what Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner^(B) son of Ner and Amasa^(C) son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

³⁴ So Benaiah^(A) son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab^(B) and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country.