He put his brother Abishai in charge of the rest of the army<n id="1" /> and they were deployed<n id="2" /> against the Ammonites.

The three sons of Zeruiah were there &#8211; Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. (Now Asahel was as quick on his feet as one of the gazelles in the field.)

<p class="bodytext">So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.p>

When the Ammonites saw the Arameans flee, they fled before his brother Abishai and went into the city. Joab withdrew from fighting the Ammonites and returned to<n id="1" /> Jerusalem.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Abishai son of Zeruiah replied, &#8220;For this should not Shimei be put to death? After all, he cursed the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s anointed!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">So Joab and Abishai chased Abner. At sunset they came to the hill of Ammah near Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

<p class="bodytext">Then Abishai son of Zeruiah said to the king, &#8220;Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and cut off his head!&#8221;

Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, &#8220;My own son, my very own flesh and blood,<n id="1" /> is trying to take my life. So also now this Benjaminite! Leave him alone so that he can curse, for the <sc>Lordsc> has spoken to him.

David then sent out the army &#8211; a third under the leadership of Joab, a third under the leadership of Joab&#8217;s brother Abishai son of Zeruiah, and a third under the leadership of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the troops, &#8220;I too will indeed march out with you.&#8221;p>

The king gave this order to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai: &#8220;For my sake deal gently with the young man Absalom.&#8221; Now the entire army was listening when the king gave all the leaders this order concerning Absalom.p>

<p class="bodytext">Then David said to Abishai, &#8220;Now Sheba son of Bicri will cause greater disaster for us than Absalom did! Take your lord&#8217;s servants and pursue him. Otherwise he will secure<n id="1" /> fortified cities for himself and get away from us.&#8221;

Amasa did not protect himself from the knife in Joab&#8217;s other hand, and Joab<n id="1" /> stabbed him in the abdomen, causing Amasa&#8217;s<n id="2" /> intestines to spill out on the ground. There was no need to stab him again; the first blow was fatal.<n id="3" /> Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bicri.p>

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David&#8217;s aid, striking the Philistine down and killing him. Then David&#8217;s men took an oath saying, &#8220;You will not go out to battle with us again! You must not extinguish the lamp of Israel!&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Abishai son of Zeruiah, the brother of Joab, was head of the three.<n id="1" /> He killed three hundred men with his spear and gained fame among the three.<n id="2" />

<p class="bodytext">The man replied to Joab, &#8220;Even if<n id="1" /> I were receiving<n id="2" /> a thousand pieces of silver,<n id="3" /> I would not strike<n id="4" /> the king&#8217;s son! In our very presence<n id="5" /> the king gave this order to you and Abishai and Ittai, &#8216;Protect the young man Absalom for my sake.&#8217;<n id="6" />