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The fighting between the forces supporting Saul's family and those supporting David went on for a long time. As David became stronger and stronger, his opponents became weaker and weaker.

David's Sons

The following six sons, in order of their birth, were born to David at Hebron: Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel; Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel; Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital; Ithream, whose mother was Eglah. All of these sons were born in Hebron.

Abner Joins David

As the fighting continued between David's forces and the forces loyal to Saul's family, Abner became more and more powerful among Saul's followers.

One day Ishbosheth son of Saul accused Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. This made Abner furious. “Do you think that I would betray Saul? Do you really think I'm serving Judah?” he exclaimed. “From the very first I have been loyal to the cause of your father Saul, his brothers, and his friends, and I have kept you from being defeated by David; yet today you find fault with me about a woman! 9-10 (A)The Lord promised David that he would take the kingdom away from Saul and his descendants and would make David king of both Israel and Judah, from one end of the country to the other. Now may God strike me dead if I don't make this come true!” 11 Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not say a word.

12 Abner sent messengers to David, who at that time was at Hebron,[a] to say, “Who is going to rule this land? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you win all Israel over to your side.”

13 “Good!” David answered. “I will make an agreement with you on one condition: you must bring Saul's daughter Michal to me when you come to see me.” 14 (B)And David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth to say, “Give me back my wife Michal. I paid a hundred Philistine foreskins in order to marry her.” 15 So Ishbosheth had her taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Paltiel followed her all the way to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. But when Abner said, “Go back home,” he did.

17 Abner went to the leaders of Israel and said to them, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king. 18 Now here is your chance. Remember that the Lord has said, ‘I will use my servant David to rescue my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their other enemies.’” 19 Abner spoke also to the people of the tribe of Benjamin and then went to Hebron to tell David what the people of Benjamin and of Israel had agreed to do.

20 When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David gave a feast for them. 21 Abner told David, “I will go now and win all Israel over to Your Majesty. They will accept you as king, and then you will get what you have wanted and will rule over the whole land.” David gave Abner a guarantee of safety and sent him on his way.

Abner Is Murdered

22 Later on Joab and David's other officials returned from a raid, bringing a large amount of loot with them. Abner, however, was no longer there at Hebron with David, because David had sent him away with a guarantee of safety. 23 When Joab and his men arrived, he was told that Abner had come to King David and had been sent away with a guarantee of safety. 24 So Joab went to the king and said to him, “What have you done? Abner came to you—why did you let him go like that? 25 He came here to deceive you and to find out everything you do and everywhere you go. Surely you know that!”

26 After leaving David, Joab sent messengers to get Abner, and they brought him back from Sirah Well; but David knew nothing about it. 27 When Abner arrived in Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. And so Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel. 28 When David heard the news, he said, “The Lord knows that my subjects and I are completely innocent of the murder of Abner. 29 May the punishment for it fall on Joab and all his family! In every generation may there be some man in his family who has gonorrhea or a dreaded skin disease or is fit only to do a woman's work or is killed in battle or doesn't have enough to eat!” 30 So Joab and his brother Abishai took revenge on Abner for killing their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

Abner Is Buried

31 Then David ordered Joab and his men to tear their clothes, wear sackcloth, and mourn for Abner. And at the funeral King David himself walked behind the coffin. 32 Abner was buried at Hebron, and the king wept aloud at the grave, and so did all the people. 33 David sang this lament for Abner:

“Why did Abner have to die like a fool?
34 His hands were not tied,
And his feet were not bound;
He died like someone killed by criminals!”

And the people wept for him again.

35 All day long the people tried to get David to eat something, but he made a solemn promise, “May God strike me dead if I eat anything before the day is over!” 36 They took note of this and were pleased. Indeed, everything the king did pleased the people. 37 All of David's people and all the people in Israel understood that the king had no part in the murder of Abner. 38 The king said to his officials, “Don't you realize that this day a great leader in Israel has died? 39 Even though I am the king chosen by God, I feel weak today. These sons of Zeruiah are too violent for me. May the Lord punish these criminals as they deserve!”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 3:12 One ancient translation at Hebron; Hebrew where he (Abner) was.

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time.(A) David grew stronger and stronger,(B) while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.(C)

Sons were born to David in Hebron:

His firstborn was Amnon(D) the son of Ahinoam(E) of Jezreel;

his second, Kileab the son of Abigail(F) the widow of Nabal of Carmel;

the third, Absalom(G) the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;(H)

the fourth, Adonijah(I) the son of Haggith;

the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.

These were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Goes Over to David

During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner(J) had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. Now Saul had had a concubine(K) named Rizpah(L) daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s head(M)—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised(N) him on oath 10 and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”(O) 11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

13 “Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”(P) 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal,(Q) whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband(R) Paltiel(S) son of Laish. 16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim.(T) Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.

17 Abner conferred with the elders(U) of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18 Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines(V) and from the hand of all their enemies.(W)’”

19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin(X) wanted to do. 20 When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast(Y) for him and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant(Z) with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.”(AA) So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

22 Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”

26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27 Now when Abner(AB) returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him(AC) in the stomach, and he died.(AD)

28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent(AE) before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May his blood(AF) fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family!(AG) May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore(AH) or leprosy[a] or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”

30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth(AI) and walk in mourning(AJ) in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept(AK) aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.

33 The king sang this lament(AL) for Abner:

“Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34     Your hands were not bound,
    your feet were not fettered.(AM)
You fell as one falls before the wicked.”

And all the people wept over him again.

35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,(AN) if I taste bread(AO) or anything else before the sun sets!”

36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part(AP) in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

38 Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen(AQ) in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah(AR) are too strong(AS) for me.(AT) May the Lord repay(AU) the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 3:29 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.