Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.

It was reported to Solomon: “Look, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear to me that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”

The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah but not Absalom, Joab fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on, tore it into 12 pieces,

and he built an altar with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons.