2 SamuelChapter 3

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¹The war between Saul's family and David's family went on for a long time. David grew stronger and stronger. But Saul's family grew weaker and weaker. ²Sons were born to David in Hebron. His oldest son was Amnon. His mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. ³His second son was Chileab. His mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. His third son was Absalom. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. ⁴His fourth son was Adonijah. His mother was Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah. His mother was Abital. ⁵His sixth son was Ithream. His mother was David's wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron. ⁶The war between Saul's family and David's family went on. All this time Abner kept making himself stronger in Saul's family. ⁷Saul had a concubine named Rizpah. She was the daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth asked Abner, "Why did you sleep with my father's concubine?" ⁸Abner was very angry at what Ish-bosheth said. "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah?" he asked. "All this time I have been loyal to your father Saul's family. I have been loyal to his brothers and his friends. I have not handed you over to David. But now you blame me for doing wrong with this woman! ⁹May God punish me, Abner, and punish me terribly, if I don't do for David what the LORD promised him with an oath. ¹⁰The LORD promised to take the kingdom away from Saul's family. He promised to set up David's throne over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba." ¹¹Ish-bosheth was afraid of Abner. So he did not dare to say another word to him. ¹²Then Abner sent messengers to David for himself. They said, "Who does the land belong to? Make a covenant with me. Then I will surely help you. I will bring all Israel over to your side." ¹³"Good," David said. "I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I ask of you. Don't come to see me unless you bring Saul's daughter Michal with you." ¹⁴Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Saul. They said, "Give me back my wife Michal. I paid for her with a hundred Philistine foreskins to make her my bride." ¹⁵So Ish-bosheth sent men to take Michal from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. ¹⁶Her husband went with her, crying all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go back." So he went back home. ¹⁷Abner talked with the elders of Israel. He said, "For some time you have wanted David to be your king. ¹⁸Now do it! For the LORD has said to David, 'By my servant David I will save my people Israel. I will save them from the Philistines and from all their enemies.'" ¹⁹Abner also talked with the men of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron. He told David everything that Israel and all the tribe of Benjamin wanted to do. ²⁰Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty of his men. David held a feast for them. ²¹Then Abner said to David, "Let me go right away. I will gather all Israel to you, my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you. Then you can rule over all that your heart wants." So David sent Abner away, and he left in peace. ²²Just then Joab and David's soldiers came back from a raid. They brought back a large amount of goods they had taken. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron. David had sent him away in peace. ²³Joab and all his troops arrived. Someone told Joab, "Abner son of Ner came to see the king. And the king sent him away in peace." ²⁴So Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you send him away? Now he is getting away! ²⁵You know Abner son of Ner! He came to trick you. He came to watch where you go and to learn all that you are doing." ²⁶Joab left David. Then he sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know about it. ²⁷Abner came back to Hebron. Joab took him aside into the gateway as if to talk with him alone. There Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died. Joab did this because Abner had killed his brother Asahel. ²⁸Later David heard about this. He said, "I and my kingdom are forever free of guilt before the LORD for the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹May the guilt for his blood fall on Joab's head and on his father's whole family. May Joab's family always have someone with a running sore or a skin disease. May it always have someone who must lean on a staff. May it always have someone killed by the sword or someone without food." ³⁰(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because Abner had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.) ³¹Then David gave orders to Joab and all the people with him. "Tear your clothes," he said. "Put on sackcloth. Mourn as you walk in front of Abner." King David himself walked behind the stretcher that carried the body. ³²They buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly at Abner's tomb, and all the people cried too. ³³The king sang this sad song for Abner:
"Should Abner have died the way a fool dies? ³⁴Your hands were not tied.
Your feet were not in chains.
You fell the way a man falls before wicked men."
Then all the people cried over him even more. ³⁵Then all the people came and begged David to eat something while it was still day. But David made a promise with an oath. He said, "May God punish me, and punish me terribly, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down!" ³⁶All the people noticed this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. ³⁷So that day all the troops and all Israel knew that the king had no part in killing Abner son of Ner. ³⁸Then the king said to his servants, "Don't you know that a great leader has fallen today in Israel? ³⁹I am anointed as king. But today I am weak. These sons of Zeruiah are too fierce for me. May the LORD pay back the evil man for the evil he has done!"