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

²⁴ Joab son of Zeruiah began to count them but did not finish, yet wrath came upon Israel for this, and the number was not entered into the account of the Annals of King David.^(A)

⁴⁷ The Levites, however, were not numbered by their ancestral tribe along with them.^(A)

⁴⁸ The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ⁴⁹ “Only the tribe of Levi you shall not enroll, and you shall not take a census of them with the other Israelites.

⁹ Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.^{(A) 10} But Amasa did not notice the sword in Joab’s hand; Joab struck him in the belly so that his entrails poured out on the ground, and he died. He did not strike a second blow.

Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.^(B)

¹⁵ In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”^{(A) 16} As Joab kept watch over the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant warriors. ¹⁷ 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 was killed as well.^{(B) 18} Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting, ¹⁹ and he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling the king all the news about the fighting, ²⁰ 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 Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal?^[a] Did not a woman throw 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, too.’ ”^(C)

²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gateway to speak with him privately, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. So he died on account of the blood of Asahel, Joab’s^[a] brother.^(A)