Joab

And David sent to Joab, saying: Send me Urias the Hethite. And Joab sent Urias to David.

And Urias came to David. And David asked how Joab did, and the people, and how the war was carried on.

And Urias said to David: The ark of God and Israel and Juda dwell in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord abide upon the face of the earth: and shall I go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to sleep with my wife? By thy welfare and by the welfare of thy soul I will not do this thing.

And when the morning was come, David wrote a letter to Joab: and sent it by the hand of Urias,

Wherefore as Joab was besieging the city, he put Urias in the place where he knew the bravest men were.

And the men coming out of the city, fought against Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Urias the Hethite was killed also.

Then Joab sent, and told David all things concerning the battle.

So the messenger departed, and came and told David all that Joab had commanded him.

And David said to the messenger: Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing discourage thee: for various is the event of war: and sometimes one, sometimes another is consumed by the sword: encourage thy warriors against the city, and exhort them that thou mayest overthrow it.

And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and laid close siege to the royal city.

And Joab sent messengers to David, saying: I have fought against Rabbath, and the city of waters is about to be taken.

And Joab the son of Sarvia, understanding that the king's heart was turned to Absalom,

Sent to Thecua, and fetched from thence a wise woman: and said to her: Feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, and be not anointed with oil, that thou mayest be as a woman that had a long time been mourning for one dead.

And thou shalt go in to the king, and shalt speak to him in this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

And the king said: Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? The woman answered, and said: By the health of thy soul, my lord, O king, it is neither on the left hand, nor on the right, in all these things which my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he commanded me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy handmaid.

That I should come about with this form of speech, thy servant Joab commanded this: but thou, my lord, O king, art wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to understand all things upon earth.

And the king said to Joab: Behold I am appeased and have granted thy request: Go therefore and fetch back the boy Absalom.

And Joab falling down to the ground upon his face, adored, and blessed the king: and Joab said: This day thy servant hath understood, that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king: for thou hast fulfilled the request of thy servant.

Then Joab arose and went to Gessur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

He sent therefore to Joab, to send him to the king: but he would not come to him. And when he had sent the second time, and he would not come to him,

He said to his servants: You know the field of Joab near my field, that hath a crop of barley: go now and set it on fire. So the servants of Absalom set the corn on fire. And Joab's servants coming with their garments rent, said: The servants of Absalom have set part of the field on fire.

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said: Why have thy servants set my corn on fire?

And Absalom answered Joab: I sent to thee beseeching thee to come to me, that I might send thee to the king, to say to him: Wherefore am I come from Gessur? it had been better for me to be there: I beseech thee therefore that I may see the face of the king: and if he be mindful of my iniquity, let him kill me.

So Joab going in to the king, told him all: and Absalom was called for, and, he went in to the king: and prostrated himself on the ground before him: and the king kissed Absalom.

Now Absalom appointed Amasa in Joab's stead over the army: and Amasa was the son of a man who was called Jethra, of Jezrael, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Naas, the sister of Sarvia who was the mother of Joab.