2 Samuel 3

¹And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David was going and growing stronger, while the house of Saul was going and growing weaker.

²And sons were born to David at Hebron, and his firstborn was Amnon of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess.

³and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

⁴and the fourth, Adonijah son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah son of Abital;

⁵and the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah the wife of David. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶And it came to pass, while the war was going on between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.

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

⁸And Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, 'Am I a dog's head? As for Judah, today I am showing kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his companions, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; yet you charge against me the guilt of a woman today!'

⁹God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not do for him just as the LORD swore to David, so I will do to him,

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

¹¹And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.

¹²And Abner sent messengers to David, on his behalf, saying, 'To whom does the land belong?' saying, 'Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring over all Israel to you.'

¹³And he said, 'Good, I will make a covenant with you; but one thing I am asking of you, saying, You shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see my face.'

¹⁴And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, saying, 'Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.'

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

¹⁶And her husband walked with her, going and weeping after her as far as Bahurim. And Abner said to him, 'Go, return.' So he returned.

¹⁷Now Abner had been consulting with the elders of Israel, saying, 'For some time now you have been seeking David to be king over you.'

¹⁸Now then, do it! For the Lord has said concerning David, ‘By the hand of David my servant I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’

¹⁹And Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin, and then Abner went also to speak in the hearing of David at Hebron all that seemed good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.

²⁰And Abner came to David at Hebron, and with him twenty men; and David made a feast for Abner and for the men who were with him.

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

²²And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a raid, and they brought great spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away and he had gone in peace.

²³And Joab and all the army with him had come, and they told Joab, saying, 'Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he went in peace.'

²⁴Then Joab came to the king and said, 'What have you done? Look, Abner came to you -- why did you dismiss him so that he has gone away?'

²⁵You know Abner son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know everything that you are doing.

²⁶And Joab went out from David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did not know.

²⁷When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and he struck him there in the belly, so that he died, on account of the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁸And afterward, David heard and said, 'I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever from the blood of Abner son of Ner.'

²⁹May blood whirl upon the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his father; and may there never be cut off from the house of Joab one with a discharge, or a leper, or one who holds a spindle, or one who falls by the sword, or one who lacks bread.

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

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

³²And they buried Abner at Hebron, and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

³³And the king chanted a lament over Abner, and said: 'Should Abner die as a fool dies?'

³⁴Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not brought to bronze shackles; as one falls before the sons of wickedness, you fell. And all the people continued to weep over him.

³⁵Then all the people came to urge David to eat food while it was still day, but David swore an oath, saying, 'So may God do to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything before the sun goes down.'

³⁶And all the people took note, and it was good in their eyes; as everything that the king did was good in the eyes of all the people.

³⁷So all the people and all Israel knew that day that it was not by the king's hand to put Abner son of Ner to death.

³⁸And the king said to his servants, 'Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?'

³⁹And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil.