¹¹ But if someone hates his neighbor, lies in ambush for him, attacks him, and strikes him fatally, and flees to one of these cities, ¹² the elders of his city must send for him, take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood and he will die.

Joab’s Execution

²⁸ The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah^(A) but not Absalom,^(B) Joab fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar.^(C)

²⁹ It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and is now beside the altar.” Then Solomon sent^[a] Benaiah son of Jehoiada^(D) and told him, “Go and strike him down!”^(E)

³⁰ So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, “This is what the king says: ‘Come out!’”^(F)

But Joab said, “No, for I will die here.”

So Benaiah took a message back to the king, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.”

³¹ The king said to him, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him in order to remove from me and from my father’s house the blood that Joab shed without just cause.^{(G) 32} The Lord will bring back his own blood on his head because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, without my father David’s knowledge. With his sword, Joab murdered Abner^(H) son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa^(I) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. ³³ Their blood will come back on Joab’s head and on the head of his descendants forever, but for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne, there will be peace from the Lord forever.”^(J)

³⁴ Benaiah son of Jehoiada^(K) went up, struck down Joab, and put him to death. He was buried at his house in the wilderness.^(L)