^6 (A)But he did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, for the king's command was abhorrent to Joab.

²⁴ Joab the son of Zeruiah began to count, but ^(A)did not finish. Yet ^(B)wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered in the chronicles of King David.

⁹ And Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand ^(A)to kiss him. ¹⁰ But Amasa did not observe the sword that was in Joab's hand. ^(B)So Joab struck him with it ^(C)in the stomach and spilled his entrails to the ground without striking a second blow, and he died.

Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba the son of Bichri.

¹⁵ In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, ^(A)that he may be struck down, and die.” ¹⁶ And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. ¹⁷ And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. ¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting. ¹⁹ And he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, ²⁰ then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? ^21 (B)Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

²⁷ And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, ^(A)and there he struck him ^(B)in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

Levites Exempted

⁴⁷ But ^(A)the Levites were not listed along with them by their ancestral tribe. ⁴⁸ For the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁹ “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not list, and you shall not take a census of them among the people of Israel.