Joab Assassinates Amasa

4 Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon for me the men of Judah within three days, and be here yourself.”[fn] 5 So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he tarried more than the appointed time which he had set for him. 6 Then David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bicri will do us more harm than Absalom. You take the servants of your lord and pursue after him, lest he find fortified cities for himself and escape from us.” 7 Then the men of Joab, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty warriors went out after him; they went out from Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bicri. 8 They were near the big rock that is in Gibeon, and Amasa came before them. Joab was dressed in his military clothing,[fn] with a utility belt on him and a sword strapped to his waist in its scabbard. Now he went out, and it fell out. 9 Then Joab said to Amasa, “Is it peace, O you my brother?” Then the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amasa as if to kiss him. 10 Now Amasa was not on his guard against the sword that was in Joab’s hand, and he struck him with it into the stomach, and his entrails poured out to the ground. He did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bicri. 11 A young man stood over him, from the young men of Joab, and he said, “Whoever takes delight in Joab and whoever is for David, follow after Joab.” 12 Now Amasa was wallowing in the blood in the middle of the highway; when the man saw that all the people stood there, he turned Amasa over from the highway into the field, and he threw a garment over him because he had seen that all who had come by him had stopped. 13 After he was removed from the highway, all the men passed by after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bicri.