Benaiah

²² And Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a man of valor from Kabzeel, a man of many exploits. He struck down two champions of Moab, and on a snowy day he went down into a pit and killed a lion.

²³ He also killed an Egyptian, a huge man five cubits tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s beam in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club, snatched the spear from his hand, and killed the Egyptian with his own spear.

²⁴ These were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who won a name alongside the three mighty men.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief officials at the king’s side.

⁵ The third army commander, as chief for the third month, was Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest. There were 24,000 men in his division.

⁶ This Benaiah was mighty among the Thirty and was over the Thirty, and his son Ammizabad was in charge of his division.

⁸ But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s mighty men would not join Adonijah.

⁹ And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah who were servants of the king.

¹⁰ But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.

But me your servant he did not invite, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.

Then King David said, “Call in for me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.

³⁶ “Amen,” replied Benaiah son of Jehoiada. “May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it.

³⁷ Just as the LORD was with my lord the king, so may He be with Solomon and make his throne even greater than that of my lord King David.”

³⁸ Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, went down and set Solomon on King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.

And with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, along with the Cherethites and Pelethites, and they have set him on the king’s mule.

So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

²⁹ It was reported to King Solomon: “Joab has fled to the tent of the LORD and is now beside the altar.” So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down!”

³⁰ And Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah relayed the message to the king, saying, “This is how Joab answered me.”