⁹ But David said to Abishai, “Do not ^[a]kill him, for ^(A)who can reach out with his hand against the Lord’s anointed and remain innocent?”

²⁸ Afterward, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ^29 (A)May it turn upon the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not be eliminated from the house of Joab ^(B)someone who suffers a discharge, or has leprosy, or ^[a]holds the spindle, or falls by the sword, or lacks bread.”

^32 (A)The Lord will return his blood on his own head, ^(B)because he ^[a]struck two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword, while my father David did not know about it: ^(C)Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and ^(D)Amasa the son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah.