¹¹ “But ^(A)if there is a man who hates his neighbor and lies in wait for him and rises up against him and strikes down ^[a]his life so that he dies, and he flees to one of these cities, ¹² then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there and give him over into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Joab Put to Death

²⁸ Now the news came to Joab, ^(A)for Joab had followed Adonijah, ^(B)although he had not followed Absalom. And Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and ^(C)took hold of the horns of the altar. ²⁹ And it was told to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of Yahweh, and behold, he is beside the altar. Then Solomon ^(D)sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “^(E)Go, fall upon him.” ³⁰ So Benaiah came to the tent of Yahweh and said to him, “Thus the king has said, ‘Come out.’” But he said, “No, for I will die here.” And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, “Thus spoke Joab, and thus he answered me.” ³¹ And the king said to him, “^(F)Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, ^(G)that you may remove from me and from my father’s house the blood which Joab shed without cause. ^32 (H)And Yahweh will return his blood on his own head, ^(I)because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword, but my father David did not know it: ^(J)Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and ^(K)Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. ^33 (L)So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his seed forever; but to David and his seed and his house and his throne, may there be peace from Yahweh forever.” ³⁴ Then ^(M)Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death, and he was buried at his own house ^(N)in the wilderness.