Abner and Joab

²² Just then the soldiers of David and Joab came back from a raid. They brought a large amount of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away in peace. ²³ When Joab and all the army with him arrived, Joab was informed that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that David had sent him away in peace.

²⁴ So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you. Why have you sent him away? You let him get away! ²⁵ You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to learn about your comings and goings and everything that you are doing.”

²⁶ Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the cistern at Sirah without David’s knowledge. ²⁷ So Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab took him aside into the gatehouse to speak with him. There he stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner was killed because of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.

¹⁴ Joab said, “I will not waste time with you like this.” He took three small spears in his hand, and he hurled them into Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the terebinth tree.

⁹ Joab said to Amasa, “How are you, my brother?” With his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa’s beard to kiss him.

¹⁰ Amasa was not on guard against the dagger that was in Joab’s other hand. With it Joab struck Amasa in the abdomen, and Amasa’s intestines spilled out on the ground. It did not take another blow to kill him.

Joab and his brother Abishai resumed their pursuit of Sheba son of Bikri.

¹⁶ For six months Joab and all Israel stayed there until he exterminated every male in Edom.