Joab

The matter is not so; for a man of the hill-country of Ephraim--Sheba son of Bichri his name--hath lifted up his hand against the king, against David; give ye up him by himself, and I go away from the city.' And the woman saith unto Joab, `Lo, his head is cast unto thee over the wall.'

And the woman cometh unto all the people in her wisdom, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it unto Joab, and he bloweth with a trumpet, and they are scattered from the city, each to his tents, and Joab hath turned back to Jerusalem unto the king.

And Joab is over all the host of Israel, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada is over the Cherethite, and over the Pelethite,

And Abishai brother of Joab, son of Zeruiah, he is head of three, and he is lifting up his spear against three hundred--wounded, and he hath a name among three.

Asahel brother of Joab is of the thirty; Elhanan son of Dodo of Beth-Lehem.

Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, bearer of the weapons of Joab son of Zeruiah,

And the king saith unto Joab, head of the host that is with him, `Go to and fro, I pray thee, through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, and inspect ye the people--and I have known the number of the people.'

And Joab saith unto the king, `Yea, Jehovah thy God doth add unto the people, as they are, a hundred times, and the eyes of my lord the king are seeing; and my lord the king, why is he desirous of this thing?'

And the word of the king is severe towards Joab, and against the heads of the force, and Joab goeth out, and the heads of the force, from before the king to inspect the people, even Israel;

and Joab giveth the account of the inspection of the people unto the king, and Israel is eight hundred thousand men of valour, drawing sword, and the men of Judah five hundred thousand men.

And his words are with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they help after Adonijah;

and he sacrificeth ox, and fatling, and sheep in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab head of the host--and for Solomon thy servant he hath not called.

And Adonijah heareth, and all those called, who are with him, and they have finished to eat, and Joab heareth the noise of the trumpet, and saith, `Wherefore is the noise of the city roaring?'

`And also, thou hast known that which he did to me--Joab son of Zeruiah--that which he did to two heads of the hosts of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether--that he slayeth them, and maketh the blood of war in peace, and putteth the blood of war in his girdle, that is on his loins, and in his sandals that are on his feet;

And king Solomon answereth and saith to his mother, `And why art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? also ask for him the kingdom--for he is mine elder brother--even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.'

And the report hath come unto Joab--for Joab hath turned aside after Adonijah, though after Absalom he did not turn aside--and Joab fleeth unto the tent of Jehovah, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar.

And it is declared to king Solomon that Joab hath fled unto the tent of Jehovah, and lo, near the altar; and Solomon sendeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, `Go, fall upon him.'

And Benaiah cometh in unto the tent of Jehovah, and saith unto him, `Thus said the king, Come out;' and he saith, `Nay, but here I die.' And Benaiah bringeth back the king word, saying, `Thus spake Joab, yea, thus he answered me.'

And the king saith to him, `Do as he hath spoken, and fall upon him, and thou hast buried him, and turned aside the causeless blood which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father;

yea, turned back hath their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed to the age; and for David, and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there is peace unto the age, from Jehovah.'

and it cometh to pass, in David's being with Edom, in the going up of Joab head of the host to bury the slain, that he smiteth every male in Edom--

for six months did Joab abide there, and all Israel, till the cutting off of every male in Edom--

And Hadad hath heard in Egypt that David hath lain with his fathers, and that Joab head of the host is dead, and Hadad saith unto Pharaoh, `Send me away, and I go unto my land.'

and their sisters Zeruiah and Abigail. And sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asah-El--three.

And David saith, `Whoever smiteth the Jebusite first doth become head and prince;' and go up first doth Joab son of Zeruiah and becometh head.