2 Samuel 3
1 Now there was
long war between the
house of
Saul and the
house of
David: but
David waxed stronger and
stronger, and the
house of
Saul waxed weaker and
weaker. 2 And unto
David were
sons born in
Hebron: and his
firstborn was
Amnon, of
Ahinoam the
Jezreelitess; 3 And 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; 4 And the
fourth, Adonijah the
son of
Haggith; and the
fifth, Shephatiah the
son of
Abital; 5 And the
sixth, Ithream, by
Eglah David's wife. These were
born to
David in
Hebron. 6 And it came to pass, while there was
war between the
house of
Saul and the
house of
David, that
Abner made himself
strong for the
house of
Saul. 7 And
Saul had a
concubine, whose
name was
Rizpah, the
daughter of
Aiah: and Ishbosheth
said to
Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone
in unto my
father's concubine? 8 Then was
Abner very wroth for the
words of
Ishbosheth, and
said, Am I a
dog's head, which against
Judah do
shew kindness this
day unto the
house of
Saul thy
father, to his
brethren, and to his
friends, and have not
delivered thee into the
hand of
David, that thou
chargest me to
day with a
fault concerning this
woman? 9 So
do God to
Abner, and more
also, except, as the
LORD hath
sworn to
David, even so I
do to him;
10 To
translate the
kingdom from the
house of
Saul, and to set
up the
throne of
David over
Israel and over
Judah, from
Dan even to
Beersheba. 11 And he
could not
answer Abner a
word again, because he
feared him.
12 And
Abner sent messengers to
David on his behalf,
saying, Whose is the
land? saying also,
Make thy
league with me, and, behold, my
hand shall be with thee, to bring
about all
Israel unto thee.
13 And he
said,
Well; I will
make a
league with thee: but
one thing I
require of thee, that
is, Thou shalt not
see my
face, except thou
first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou
comest to
see my
face. 14 And
David sent messengers to
Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying,
Deliver me my
wife Michal, which I
espoused to me for an
hundred foreskins of the
Philistines. 15 And
Ishbosheth sent, and
took her from her
husband, even from
Phaltiel the
son of
Laish.
16 And her
husband went with her along
weeping behind her to
Bahurim. Then
said Abner unto him,
Go,
return. And he
returned.
17 And
Abner had
communication with the
elders of
Israel, saying, Ye
sought for
David in
times past to be
king over you:
18 Now then
do it: for the
LORD hath
spoken of
David, saying, By the
hand of my
servant David I will
save my
people Israel out of the
hand of the
Philistines, and out of the
hand of all their
enemies.
19 And
Abner also
spake in the
ears of
Benjamin: and
Abner went also to
speak in the
ears of
David in
Hebron all that
seemed good to
Israel, and that seemed
good to the whole
house of
Benjamin. 20 So
Abner came to
David to
Hebron, and
twenty men with him. And
David made Abner and the
men that were with him a
feast. 21 And
Abner said unto
David, I will
arise and
go, and will
gather all
Israel unto my
lord the
king, that they may
make a
league with thee, and that thou mayest
reign over all that thine
heart desireth. And
David sent Abner away; and he
went in
peace. 22 And, behold, the
servants of
David and
Joab came from pursuing a
troop, and brought
in a
great spoil with them: but
Abner was not with
David in
Hebron; for he had sent him
away, and he was
gone in
peace. 23 When
Joab and all the
host that was with him were
come, they
told Joab, saying,
Abner the
son of
Ner came to the
king, and he hath sent him
away, and he is
gone in
peace. 24 Then
Joab came to the
king, and
said, What hast thou
done? behold,
Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him
away, and he is
quite gone?
25 Thou
knowest Abner the
son of
Ner, that he
came to
deceive thee, and to
know thy going
out and thy coming
in, and to
know all that thou
doest.
26 And when
Joab was come
out from
David, he
sent messengers after Abner, which brought him
again from the
well of
Sirah: but
David knew it not.
27 And when
Abner was
returned to
Hebron, Joab took him
aside in the gate to
speak with him
quietly, and
smote him there under the
fifth rib, that he
died, for the
blood of
Asahel his
brother. 28 And
afterward when
David heard it, he
said, I and my
kingdom are
guiltless before the
LORD for ever from the
blood of
Abner the
son of
Ner: 29 Let it
rest on the
head of
Joab, and on all his
father's house; and let there not
fail from the
house of
Joab one that hath an
issue, or that is a
leper, or that
leaneth on a
staff, or that
falleth on the
sword, or that
lacketh bread. 30 So
Joab and
Abishai his
brother slew Abner, because he had
slain their
brother Asahel at
Gibeon in the
battle. 31 And
David said to
Joab, and to all the
people that were with him,
Rend your
clothes, and
gird you with
sackcloth, and
mourn before Abner. And
king David himself
followed the
bier. 32 And 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 And the
king lamented over
Abner, and
said,
Died Abner as a
fool dieth? 34 Thy
hands were not
bound, nor thy
feet put into
fetters: as a man
falleth before wicked men, so
fellest thou. And all the
people wept again over him.
35 And when
all the
people came to
cause David to
eat meat while it was
yet day, David sware,
saying, So
do God to me, and more
also, if I
taste bread, or
ought else,
till the
sun be
down.
36 And all the
people took
notice of it, and it
pleased them: as whatsoever the
king did pleased all the
people. 37 For all the
people and all
Israel understood that
day that it was not of the
king to
slay Abner the
son of
Ner. 38 And the
king said unto his
servants, Know ye not that there is a
prince and a great
man fallen this
day in
Israel? 39 And I am this
day weak, though
anointed king; and these
men the
sons of
Zeruiah be too
hard for me: the
LORD shall
reward the doer of
evil according to his
wickedness.