Joab

David sent to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David.

When Uriah had come to him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!”

In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.

The men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.

Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.”

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.

Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab, he urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid;

to change the face of the matter has your servant Joab done this thing. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”

The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.”

Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”’”

So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.