"Sayto Amasa,'Are you not my boneand my flesh?May Goddosoto me, and morealso,ifyou will not be commanderof the armybeforeme continuallyin placeof Joab.'"
Labansaidto him, "Surelyyou are my boneand my flesh."And he stayedwith him a month.
AbsalomsetAmasaoverthe armyin placeof Joab.Now Amasawas the sonof a manwhose namewas Ithrathe Israelite,whowentin to Abigailthe daughterof Nahash,sisterof Zeruiah,Joab'smother.
Then Joabsaidto the manwho had toldhim, "Now behold,you saw[him]! Whythen did you not strikehim thereto the ground?And I would have givenyou ten[pieces] of silverand a belt."
Then the kingsaidto Amasa,"Callout the menof Judahfor me within threedays,and be presenthereyourself."
So when Abnerreturnedto Hebron,Joabtookhim asideinto the middleof the gateto speakwith him privately,and therehe struckhim in the bellyso that he diedon account of the bloodof Asahelhis brother.
Then allthe tribesof Israelcameto Davidat Hebronand said,"Behold,we are your boneand your flesh.
Joabthe sonof Zeruiah[was] overthe army,and Jehoshaphatthe sonof Ahilud[was] recorder.
Then Jezebelsenta messengerto Elijah,saying,"Somay the godsdoto me and evenmore,ifI do not makeyour lifeas the lifeof oneof them by tomorrowabout this time."
Then the Spiritcameupon Amasai,who was the chiefof the thirty,[and he said], "[We] are yours, O David,And with you, O sonof Jesse!Peace,peaceto you, And peaceto him who helpsyou; Indeed,your Godhelpsyou!" Then Davidreceivedthem and madethem captainsof the band.
"Whereyou die,I will die,and thereI will be buried.Thusmay the LORDdoto me, and worse,if[anything but] deathpartsyou and me."
