2 Samuel 3:20-39 ▼

20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

21 Abner said to David, |I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.| David sent Abner away; and he left in peace.

22 Look, the servants of David and Joab were returning from a raid, and brought in a great spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he left in peace.

23 When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, |Abner the son of Ner came to David, and he has sent him away, and he left in peace.|

24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, |What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away? Now he has gone.

25 Don’t you know the evil ways of Abner the son of Ner? He came to deceive you and to observe your movements and to learn everything that you are doing.|

26 When Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.

27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the abdomen, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

28 Afterward, when David heard it, he said, |I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD now and forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

29 May it whirl over the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.|

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

31 David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, |Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.| And King David followed the coffin.

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

33 The king lamented for Abner, and said, |Should Abner die as a fool dies?

34 Your hands were not bound in chains, your feet were not put into fetters. As a man falls before the ruthless, so you fell.| All the people wept again over him.

35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, |God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or anything else, until the sun goes down.|

36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; just as everything the king did pleased the people.

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

38 The king said to his servants, |Do you not realize that a leader and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

39 I am this day weak, though anointed king. And these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too brutal for me. May the LORD reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.|