Joab

and David sendeth the third of the people by the hand of Joab, and the third by the hand of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, and the third by the hand of Ittai the Gittite, and the king saith unto the people, `I certainly go out--I also--with you.'

and the king chargeth Joab, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, `Gently--for me, for the youth, for Absalom;' and all the people heard in the king's charging all the heads concerning Absalom.

And one man seeth, and declareth to Joab, and saith, `Lo, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak.'

And Joab saith to the man who is declaring it to him, `And lo, thou hast seen--and wherefore didst thou not smite him there to the earth--and on me to give to thee ten silverlings and one girdle?'

And the man saith unto Joab, `Yea, though I am weighing on my hand a thousand silverlings, I do not put forth my hand unto the son of the king; for in our ears hath the king charged thee, and Abishai, and Ittai, saying, Observe ye who is against the youth--against Absalom;

And Joab saith, `Not right--I tarry before thee;' and he taketh three darts in his hand, and striketh them into the heart of Absalom, while he is alive, in the midst of the oak.

And they go round--ten youths bearing weapons of Joab--and smite Absalom, and put him to death.

And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and the people turneth back from pursuing after Israel, for Joab hath kept back the people;

and Joab saith to him, `Thou art not a man of tidings this day, but thou hast borne tidings on another day, and this day thou dost not bear tidings, because the king's son is dead.'

And Joab saith to Cushi, `Go, declare to the king that which thou hast seen;' and Cushi boweth himself to Joab, and runneth.

And Ahimaaz son of Zadok addeth again, and saith unto Joab, `And whatever it be, let me run, I pray thee, I also, after the Cushite.' And Joab saith, `Why is this--thou art running, my son, and for thee there are no tidings found?' --

And the king saith, `Peace to the youth--to Absalom?' And Ahimaaz saith, `I saw the great multitude, at the sending away of the servant of the king, even thy servant by Joab, and I have not known what it is .'

And it is declared to Joab, `Lo, the king is weeping and mourning for Absalom;'

And Joab cometh in unto the king to the house, and saith, `Thou hast put to shame to-day the faces of all thy servants, those delivering thy life to-day, and the life of thy sons, and of thy daughters, and the life of thy wives, and the life of thy concubines,

And to Amasa say ye, Art not thou my bone and my flesh? Thus doth God do to me, and thus He doth add, if thou art not head of the host before me all the days instead of Joab.'

And the men of Joab go out after him, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and all the mighty men, and they go out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri;

they are near the great stone that is in Gibeon, and Amasa hath gone before them, and Joab is girded; his long robe he hath put on him, and upon it a girdle--a sword is fastened upon his loins in its sheath; and he hath gone out, and it falleth.

And Joab saith to Amasa, `Art thou in peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him;

and Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that is in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth rib , and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated it to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.

And a man hath stood by him, of the young men of Joab, and saith, `He who hath delight in Joab, and he who is for David--after Joab!'

When he hath been removed out of the highway, every man hath passed on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba son of Bichri.

and they go in and lay siege against him, in Abel of Beth-Maachah, and cast up a mount against the city, and it standeth in a trench, and all the people who are are with Joab are destroying, to cause the wall to fall.

And a wise woman calleth out of the city, `Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, and I speak unto thee.'

And he cometh near unto her, and the woman saith, `Art thou Joab?' and he saith, `I am .' And she saith to him, `Hear the words of thy handmaid;' and he saith, `I am hearing.'

And Joab answereth and saith, `Far be it--far be it from me; I do not swallow up nor destroy.