2 Samuel 3

¹ The war between the house of Saul and the house of David was long. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

² Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel.

³ His second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. The third was Absalom son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur.

⁴ The fourth was Adonijah son of Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah son of Abital.

⁵ The sixth was Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶ During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner kept strengthening his position in the house of Saul.

⁷ Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

⁸ Abner was furious at Ish-bosheth's words. "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah?" he said. "Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and his friends, and have not handed you over to David — yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman!"

⁹ "May God do so to Abner and even more, if I do not accomplish for David what the LORD swore to him —

¹⁰ to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba."

¹¹ Ish-bosheth could not say another word to Abner, because he feared him.

¹² Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you."

¹³ David said, "Good. I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you must not appear before me unless you first bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me."

¹⁴ Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed for a hundred Philistine foreskins."

¹⁵ So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.

¹⁶ Her husband walked with her, weeping as he went, all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return!" And he returned.

¹⁷ Now Abner had conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, "For some time you have wanted David as your king.

¹⁸ Now act! For the LORD has said of David, 'By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'"

¹⁹ Abner also spoke privately to the Benjaminites. Then Abner went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin had agreed to.

²⁰ When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David prepared a feast for Abner and the men with him.

²¹ Abner said to David, "Let me go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so they may make a covenant with you, and you may reign over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²² Just then David's soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing a large amount of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

²³ When Joab and all the force with him arrived, he was told, "Abner son of Ner came to the king, and the king sent him away, and he went in peace."

²⁴ Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you — why did you send him away so that he is gone?

²⁵ You know Abner son of Ner — he came to deceive you, to learn your comings and goings, and to find out everything you are doing."

²⁶ Joab left David's presence and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know.

²⁷ When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. So he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁸ When David heard about it afterward, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD of the blood of Abner son of Ner.

²⁹ May it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house! May Joab's house never be without someone who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who leans on a crutch, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread!"

³⁰ So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

³¹ David said to Joab and to all the people with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And King David walked behind the bier.

³² They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner's grave, and all the people wept.

³³ The king lamented over Abner and said:
"Should Abner have died as a fool dies?

³⁴ Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not placed in bronze shackles.
As one falls before the wicked, so you fell."
And all the people wept over him again.

³⁵ All the people came to persuade David to eat food while it was still day, but David swore, "May God do so to me and even more, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!"

³⁶ All the people took notice and were pleased. Indeed, everything the king did pleased all the people.

³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not come from the king to kill Abner son of Ner.

³⁸ The king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a commander and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

³⁹ And I today am weak, though anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!"