Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, "Why doth this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go and take off the head of him."
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, "Shall Shimei not die for that cause: which cursed the LORD's anointed?"
But Joab and Abishai followed Abner till the sun went down. And when they were come to the hill Ammah that lieth before Giah in the way that goeth through the wilderness of Gibeon,
And the cause why Joab and Abishai slew Abner was that Abner had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battle.
And the three of the thirty chiefs went to a rock to David at the cave Adullam. And the Host of the Philistines had pitched in the valley of Rephaim. And David was in a hold. And there was a garrison of the Philistines at Bethlehem that same time. And David longed and said, "Oh that one would give me of the water of the well of Bethlehem that is in the gate, for to drink."
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And the three brake through the host of the Philistines and drew of the water of the well of Bethlehem that was in the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless David would not drink of it, but offered it to the LORD, and said, "God forbid it me, that I should do this thing, that I should drink the blood of these men that have put their lives in Jeopardy." For with the Jeopardy of their lives they brought it, and therefore he would not drink it. This did the three mightiest. And Abishai the brother of Joab was captain of the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had a name among the three.
And the rest of the people he delivered in the hand of Abishai his brother, which put them in array against the children of Ammon.
And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. And so Joab returned from the children of Ammon and came to Jerusalem.
And there happened to be an unthrifty fellow named Sheba, the son of Bichri a man of Benjamin which blew a trumpet and said, "We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse, O Israel. Let us depart therefore every man to his tent." And all Israel went from David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri. But the men of Judah clave fast unto the king, from Jordan to Jerusalem. And when David was come to his house to Jerusalem, he took the ten wives his concubines that he had left behind him to keep the house, and put them in ward and ministered all things unto them: but lay no more with them. And so they were enclosed unto the day of the death of them, and lived a widow's life.
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Then said the king to Amasa, "Call me the men of Judah together within three days and present thyself here." And Amasa went to gather the men of Judah together: but tarried longer than the time which was appointed him. Wherefore the king said to Abishai, "Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri be worse to us than Absalom. Take thou therefore thy lord's servants and follow after him: lest he get him walled cities and escape us." And there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and the men of might. And they departed out of Jerusalem to follow after Sheba the son of Bichri. And when they were come to the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa met them. And Joab had his garment that he had about him, gird unto him, and had girded thereon a knife joined fast to his loins, in such a sheath that as he went it fell sometimes out. And Joab said to Amasa, "Are all things in rest and peace my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the chin with the right hand, as though he would have kissed him. And Amasa took no heed to the knife that was in Joab's hand, with which Joab smote him in the short ribs, and shed out his bowels to the ground and smote him but one stroke, and he died. And then Joab and Abishai his brother followed after Sheba the son of Bichri. And one of Joab's men that stood by him said, "What is he that he would be as Joab, and what is he that would be unto David instead of Joab?" And Amasa lay wallowing in blood in the midst of the way. And there was a man that saw all the people stand still. And when he saw that all that came by him stood still, he rolled Amasa out of the way into the field and cast a cloth upon him. And as soon as he was tumbled out of the way, all the people went after Joab to follow after Sheba the son of Bichri. And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel-Bethmaacah and all Berim. And the people gathered unto him and went also after him. And they came and besieged him in Abel-Bethmaacah. And they cast up a bank against the city, and it was besieged: All the people that was with Joab laboured busily to overthrow the wall. Then cried a wise woman out of the city, "Hear! Hear! Bid, I pray you, Joab that he come hither, that I may speak with him." When Joab was come the woman said, "Art thou Joab?" And Joab answered, "That am I." And she said to him, "Hear the words of thy handmaid." And he said, "I am ready to hear." And she said, "It hath been a common saying in the old time: 'Men must ask of Abel, and then go and finish the work.' Abel is one of the quietest and faithfullest cities that are in Israel. And thou goest about to destroy a city that is as a mother in Israel. Why devourest thou the inheritance of the LORD?" And Joab answered and said, "God forbid! God forbid it me, that I should either devour or destroy it. The matter is not so: But there is a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, which hath lifted up his hand against king David. Deliver us him only, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said unto Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown through the wall to thee." And then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they smote off the head of Sheba son of Bichri, and cast it to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they scattered from the city every man to his tent, and Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
And he sent one part of them with Joab, and another part with Abishai the son of Zeruiah Joab's brother, and the third part with Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, "Shall I go with you?"
And the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, saying, "Entreat me gently, my son Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge over Absalom.
Then answered David, and spake to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah and brother to Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul, to the host?" Abishai said, "I will go down with thee." And so David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within a round bank and his spear pitched in the ground at his head, Abner and the people lying round about him. The said Abishai to David, "God hath closed in thine enemy unto thine hand this day. Now therefore let me smite him a fellowship with my spear to the earth, even one stroke, and I will not smite him the second time."
But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the servants of David sware unto him, saying, "Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that the light of Israel be not put out."
Then Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah: he was a captain over the three, and he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and was named with the three.
And Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew of the Edomites in the salt valley eighteen thousand,
Whose sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab and Asahel, three.
And David waxed fainty, and Ishbi of Nob one of the sons of the Giants whose spear head weighed three hundredth sicles of brass, and was girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.