¹³ Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

¹⁶ Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah was over the army; Jehoshaphat^(B) son of Ahilud was recorder;^(C)

¹² they took all their men and went to fight^(A) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool^(B) in Gibeon.

⁶ David had said, “Whoever leads the attack on the Jebusites will become commander in chief.” Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah went up first, and so he received the command.

²⁸ When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns^(A) of the altar. ²⁹ King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar.^(B) Then Solomon ordered Benaiah^(C) son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”

³⁰ So Benaiah entered the tent^(D) of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!^(E)’”

But he answered, “No, I will die here.”

Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”

³¹ Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood^(F) that Joab shed. ³² The Lord will repay^(G) him for the blood he shed,^(H) because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa^(I) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better^(J) men and more upright than he. ³³ May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.”

³⁴ So Benaiah^(K) son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab^(L) and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. ³⁵ The king put Benaiah^(M) son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok^(N) the priest.

⁷ Adonijah conferred with Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar^(B) the priest, and they gave him their support.

David’s Officials

²³ Joab^(A) was over Israel’s entire army; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites;

¹⁸ The three sons of Zeruiah^(A) were there: Joab,^(B) Abishai^(C) and Asahel.^(D) Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.^(E)