Joab

David said to Achimelekh the Hitti and Avishai the son of Tz'ruyah, Yo'av's brother, "Who will go down with me to Sha'ul in the camp?" Avishai said, "I will go down with you."

while Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah and David's servants also went out; and they met together by the pool at Giv'on. One group sat down on one side of the pool and the other on the other side.

Avner said to Yo'av, "If it's all right with you, let's have the young men get up and fight it out between themselves, while we watch." Yo'av said, "Yes, let them."

The three sons of Tz'ruyah were there, Yo'av, Avishai and 'Asah'el. 'Asah'el was as fleet-footed as a gazelle in an open field.

Avner said again to 'Asah'el, "Turn aside and stop following me! Why should I kill you? If I did, how could I look your brother Yo'av in the eye?"

Yo'av and Avishai continued in pursuit of Avner; the sun went down when they arrived at Amah Hill, across from Giach along the Giv'on Desert road.

Then Avner called out to Yo'av, "Must the sword go on devouring forever? Don't you know that in the end it can produce only bitterness? How long will it be, then, before you tell the people to quit pursuing their brothers?"

Yo'av said, "As God lives, if you hadn't said something, there is no doubt that the people would have kept following their brothers all night long."

Then Yo'av sounded the shofar, and with that the people halted. They stopped pursuing Isra'el, and they stopped fighting.

Yo'av returned from following Avner. When he brought the troops together for review, nineteen of David's servants were missing, along with 'Asah'el.

They took 'Asah'el and buried him in his father's tomb in Beit-Lechem. Then Yo'av and his men marched all night, so that they reached Hevron at daybreak.

Just then David's men and Yo'av returned from a raid, bringing a lot of plunder with them. But Avner was not with David in Hevron, because he had sent him off under safe conduct.

When Yo'av and all his army had arrived, Yo'av was told, "Avner the son of Ner came to the king, but he sent him off, and he has left under safe conduct."

Yo'av went to the king and said, "What have you done? Here, Avner came to you, and you sent him away, and now he's gone! Why?

After leaving David, Yo'av sent messengers after Avner, and they brought him back from the water cistern at Sirah without David's knowledge.

Upon Avner's return to Hevron, Yo'av took him aside into the space between the outer and inner city gates as if to speak with him privately; and there he struck him in the groin, so that he died - thus avenging the death of 'Asah'el his brother.

Let it fall on the head of Yo'av and all his father's family. May Yo'av's family always have someone with a hemorrhage or tzara'at, or who has to walk with a cane, or who dies by the sword or who lacks food."

Thus Yo'av and Avishai his brother killed Avner, because he had killed their brother 'Asah'el during the battle in Giv'on.

But David said to Yo'av and all those with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Avner." King David himself walked behind the body as it was carried.

Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah was commander of the army, Y'hoshafat the son of Achilud was chief adviser,

When David heard of it, he sent Yo'av with his entire army of trained soldiers.

When Yo'av saw that he would be fighting on two fronts, ahead and behind, he chose the best troops of Isra'el to deploy against Aram;

So Yo'av and the people with him went to battle Aram, and they fled before him.

When the people of 'Amon saw that Aram had fled, they likewise fled before Avishai and retreated into the city. Yo'av returned from the people of 'Amon and went to Yerushalayim.

In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent out Yo'av, his servants who were with him and all Isra'el. They ravaged the people of 'Amon and laid siege to Rabbah. But David stayed in Yerushalayim.