One time Abner and the soldiers of Ishbosheth left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. At that time Joab the son of Zeruiah was leading David's soldiers. The two groups met at the pool in Gibeon. Abner and his men sat down on one side of the pool and Joab and his men sat on the other side. read more. Abner yelled to Joab: Let some of our best soldiers get up and fight each other! Joab agreed. Twelve of Ishbosheth's men from the tribe of Benjamin got up to fight twelve of David's men. Each one grabbed his opponent by the head. Then he stuck his sword into his opponent's side, and they fell down together. That place in Gibeon is called the Field of Enemies. Fierce fighting broke out that day. In the end, David's men defeated Abner and the men of Israel. Zeruiah's three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild gazelle.

Zeruiah's three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as fast on his feet as a wild gazelle. So Asahel started chasing Abner. He ran straight for him. read more. Abner looked behind and asked: Are you Asahel? He answered: I am. Abner said: Soldiers are all around us. Stop chasing me and fight one of them! Kill him and take his clothes and weapons for yourself. But Asahel refused to stop. Abner spoke again to Asahel: If you do not turn back, I will have to kill you! Then I could never face your brother Joab again. However, Asahel would not turn back. So Abner struck him in the stomach with the back end of his spear. The spear went all the way through and came out of his back. Asahel fell down and died. Everyone who saw Asahel lying dead just stopped and stood still. Joab and Abishai ran after Abner. It was sun down when they arrived at the hill of Ammah. This hill is near Giah on the road to the wilderness of Gibeon. The men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They became united as one and stood on the top of a hill. Then Abner called to Joab: Must the sword devour forever? Do you not understand it will be bitter to the end? How long before you command the people to return from chasing their brothers? Joab said: As God lives; if you had not spoken the men would have continued following their brothers. So Joab blew a ram's horn and all the troops stopped. They did not chase or fight Israel anymore. That night Abner and his men marched through the plains. They crossed the Jordan River and passed through the entire Bithron until they came to Mahanaim. Joab returned from chasing Abner. He gathered the troops. Nineteen of David's officers and Asahel were missing. David's men killed three hundred and sixty of the men of Benjamin under Abner's command. They buried Asahel in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men marched all night. They arrived at Hebron at daybreak.

Just then David's men and Joab came home from a raid with a lot of plunder. Abner had been dismissed, so he was no longer with David in Hebron. Joab came back with the whole army. He was told: Ner's son Abner came to the king. However David dismissed him and Abner left peacefully. read more. Joab went to the king and asked: What have you done? Abner came to see you. Why did you send him away?

Joab went to the king and asked: What have you done? Abner came to see you. Why did you send him away? Surely you know that he came to deceive you. He came to find out everything you do and everywhere you go.

Surely you know that he came to deceive you. He came to find out everything you do and everywhere you go. Joab left David. Then he sent messengers to get Abner, and they brought him back from Sirah Well. David knew nothing about it. read more. Abner arrived in Hebron. Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him. There he stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel.

Joab the son of Zeruiah was the commander in chief of the army. Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud kept the government records.

David sent a messenger to Joab, saying: Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the troops were and how the war was going. read more. Go home, David said to Uriah, and wash your feet. Uriah left the royal palace, and the king sent a present to him. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the royal palace among his superior's mercenaries. He did not go home. Someone told David that Uriah did not go home. So the next morning David asked him: Why did you not go home? Have you been away for a long time? Uriah answered: The Ark of the Covenant and the armies of Israel and Judah are camping out somewhere in the fields with our commander Joab and his officers and troops. Do you think I would go home to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? I swear by your life that I would not! David said: Stay here in Jerusalem and I will send you back tomorrow. Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day. David invited him for dinner. Uriah ate with David and drank so much that he got drunk. However he still did not go home. He went out and slept on his mat near the palace guards. The next morning, David wrote a letter and told Uriah to deliver it to Joab. The letter said: Put Uriah on the front line where the fighting is the worst. Pull the troops back from him, so that he will be wounded and die. Joab carefully watched the city of Rabbah. He put Uriah in a place where he knew there were some of the enemy's best soldiers. The men of the city came out and fought Joab. Some of David's mercenaries fell and died. This included Uriah the Hittite. Joab sent a messenger to report to David all the details of the battle. And he commanded the messenger: When you finish telling the king about the battle, the king may become angry. He might ask you: 'Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Did you not know they would shoot from the wall?' Who killed Jerubbesheth's son Abimelech? Did a woman on the wall of Thebez throw a small millstone at him and kill him? Why did you go so close to the wall? If the king asks this, tell him: 'Your man Uriah the Hittite is also dead.' The messenger left. When he arrived he reported to David everything Joab told him to say. The messenger said to David: Their men overpowered us when they came to attack us in the field. Then we forced them back to the entrance of the city gate. The archers on the wall shot down at your mercenaries. Some of Your Majesty's mercenaries died. Your man Uriah the Hittite also is dead. David replied: This is what you are to say to Joab: 'Do not let this thing trouble you. After all a sword can kill one person as easily as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and destroy it. Say this to encourage him.' Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead and she mourned for him.

David got up from the floor. He took a bath, combed his hair, and changed his clothes. Then he went and worshiped in the Temple of Jehovah. After that he returned to the palace and ate.

Joab son of Zeruiah knew the king was still thinking about Absalom.

The king ordered Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: Treat the young man Absalom gently for my sake. All the troops heard him give the commanders this order regarding Absalom. So the troops went to the country to fight Israel in the forest of Ephraim. read more. Battles were fought all over the forest. David's soldiers were winning. Twenty thousand soldiers were killed that day. More soldiers died from the dangers of the forest than from the fighting. Absalom happened to come face to face with some of David's men. He was riding on a mule. The mule went under the tangled branches of a large tree. Absalom's head became caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair when the mule under him ran away. A man who saw this told Joab: I saw Absalom hanging in a tree. What! You saw what? Joab said. Why did you not strike him to the ground? Then I would have felt obligated to give you four ounces of silver and a belt. The man told Joab: Even if I felt the weight of twenty pounds of silver in my hand, I would not raise my hand against the king's son. We heard the order the king gave you, Abishai, and Ittai. Protect the young man Absalom for my sake. Would you have stood by me if I did something treacherous to him? There is nothing hidden from the king. You would turn against me. I will not waste any more time with you, Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive and hanging in the oak tree.

I will not waste any more time with you, Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive and hanging in the oak tree.

I will not waste any more time with you, Joab said. He took three spears and plunged them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive and hanging in the oak tree. Ten of Joab's soldiers closed in on Absalom and finished killing him. read more. Joab ordered the trumpet blown to stop the fighting. His troops came back from pursuing the Israelites. They took Absalom's body and threw it into a deep pit in the forest. Then they covered it with a huge pile of stones. All the Israelites fled to their own hometowns.

Joab went to the house where David was staying and told him: You have made your soldiers ashamed! They saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and wives as well. You are more loyal to your enemies than to your friends. You show your officers and soldiers that they do not mean a thing to you. You would be happy if Absalom was still alive even if the rest of us were dead.

You are more loyal to your enemies than to your friends. You show your officers and soldiers that they do not mean a thing to you. You would be happy if Absalom was still alive even if the rest of us were dead. Now stand up! Go out there and thank them for what they did. If you do not, I swear by Jehovah you will not even have one man left on your side tomorrow morning. You may have had a lot of troubles in the past. But this will be the worst thing that has ever happened to you!

David said to Amasa: Three days from now I want you and all of Judah's army to be here! Amasa assembled the army of Judah. It took longer than three days. read more. David said to Abishai: Sheba will hurt us more than Absalom ever did. Take my best soldiers and go after him. We do not want him to take over any walled cities and get away from us. Joab's men, the Cherethites, Pelethites, and all the soldiers went with Abishai. They left Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bichri. Amasa met them at the large rock in Gibeon. Joab wore a military uniform. He strapped a sword in a scabbard at his hip. He stepped forward and the sword dropped into his hand. How are you, my brother? Joab asked Amasa. He took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand to kiss him.

How are you, my brother? Joab asked Amasa. He took hold of Amasa's beard with his right hand to kiss him. Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab's left hand. Joab stabbed him in the stomach. Then he stabbed him in his intestines and they poured out on the ground. He died without being stabbed again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.

Amasa was not on guard against the sword in Joab's left hand. Joab stabbed him in the stomach. Then he stabbed him in his intestines and they poured out on the ground. He died without being stabbed again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri. One of Joab's young men stood beside Amasa and said: Those who favor Joab and are on David's side should follow Joab. read more. Amasa's body was covered with blood in the middle of the road. Joab's man saw that everybody was stopped. He dragged the body from the road out into the field and threw a blanket over it. After the body had been removed from the road, everyone followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba. Sheba went through all of the tribes of Israel when he came to the town of Abel Beth-Maacah. His best soldiers met him there and followed him into the town. Joab and his troops surrounded Abel, so no one could go in or come out. They made a dirt ramp (rampart) up to the town wall. Then they used a battering ram to knock the wall down. A wise woman shouted from the top of the wall: Hear this! Listen to me! I must talk to Joab! Tell him to come here! He came near. She asked: Are you Joab? I am, He answered. Listen to what I have to say, She told him. I am listening, He answered. She said: There is an old saying: 'Be sure to seek guidance from Abel before doing anything.' That is the way they settle disputes. We are peaceful and faithful Israelites. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel? Why should you swallow up what belongs to Jehovah?' Joab answered: That is unthinkable! I do not wish to swallow it up or destroy it. That is not so. A man from the mountains of Ephraim by the name of Sheba son of Bichri has rebelled against King David. Give him to me and I will withdraw from the city. The woman told Joab: Watch, for his head will be thrown to you from the wall. She went to the people of the city with her plan. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city. They went back home. Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

She went to the people of the city with her plan. They cut off Sheba's head and threw it over the wall to Joab. He blew the trumpet as a signal for his men to leave the city. They went back home. Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

But Adonijah had discussed his actions with Joab (son of Zeruiah) and with the priest Abiathar, so they supported him.

Remember what Joab did to me by killing the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. You remember how he murdered them in time of peace. This was revenge for deaths they had caused in time of war. He killed innocent men. I bear the responsibility for what he did. I suffer the consequences. You know what to do. You must not let him die a natural death.

So Benaiah went to the Tent of Jehovah's presence and killed Joab. He was buried at his home in the wilderness.

Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah's three sons were Abishai, Joab and Asahel.

Meonothai was the father of Ophrah. Seraiah was the father of Joab, the father of Ge Harashim. (Valley of Craftsmen) It was called this because its people were craftsmen.

David said: Whoever attacks the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and became chief. Then David dwelt in the stronghold. That is why they called it the City of David. read more. He built the city around it, from the stronghold on the mound to the surrounding area. Joab repaired the rest of the city. David went on and became great, and Jehovah of Hosts was with him.

The children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand, eight hundred and twelve.

Of the sons of Joab, Obadiah, the son of Jehiel; and with him two hundred and eighteen males.

The children of Pahath-moab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand, eight hundred and eighteen.

Lod and Ono, the valley of expert workers.