David Mourns Abner

¹The war between the house of Saul and the house of David dragged on for a long time. David kept growing stronger, while Saul's house grew weaker and weaker. ²While David was in Hebron, sons were born to him. His firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. ³His second son was Chileab, born to Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. His third was Absalom, born to Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. ⁴His fourth son was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. His fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital. ⁵His sixth son was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David's wife. All of these were born to David in Hebron. ⁶During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner strengthened his position for the house of Saul. ⁷Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. One day Ishbosheth confronted Abner: "Why have you slept with my father's concubine?" ⁸Abner was very angry because of Ishbosheth's words and said, "Am I a dog's head, which against Judah shows kindness this day to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not handed you over to David, that you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman?" ⁹May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do to David what the LORD has sworn to David. ¹⁰to take the kingdom away from Saul's house and establish David's throne over both Israel and Judah, from Dan all the way to Beersheba." ¹¹Ishbosheth didn't dare say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him. ¹²Abner sent messengers to David, saying, 'Whose is the land? Make a covenant with me, and my hand will be with you to bring all Israel to you.' ¹³David replied, "Good — I'll make a treaty with you. But I have one condition: don't come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with you." ¹⁴David also sent messengers directly to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, demanding, "Give me back my wife Michal. I paid for her with 100 Philistine foreskins." ¹⁵So Ishbosheth sent for Michal and took her away from her husband Phaltiel, the son of Laish. ¹⁶Her husband followed her, weeping the entire way, all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner told him, "Go back home." So he turned around and went back. ¹⁷Meanwhile, Abner had been speaking with the elders of Israel, saying, "For a long time now, you've wanted David to be your king." ¹⁸"Now is the time to act. The LORD himself spoke about David, saying, 'Through my servant David, I will rescue my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their enemies.'" ¹⁹Abner also spoke personally with the people of Benjamin. Then he traveled to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin had agreed to. ²⁰When Abner arrived in Hebron with 20 of his men, David hosted a feast for them. ²¹Abner said to David, "Let me go now and gather all of Israel to my lord the king. They'll make a covenant with you, and you'll reign over everything your soul desires." David sent Abner on his way, and he left in peace. ²²Just then, David's soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing back a large amount of plunder. Abner was no longer in Hebron — David had already sent him off in peace. ²³When Joab and his entire force arrived, someone told him, "Abner son of Ner came to see the king, and the king sent him away safely." ²⁴Joab went straight to the king and demanded, "What have you done? Abner came right to you — why did you let him leave? He's already gone!" ²⁵"You know Abner son of Ner! He came here to trick you, to spy on your movements, and to find out everything you're doing." ²⁶After leaving David, Joab sent messengers after Abner and had him brought back from the well of Sirah. David knew nothing about it. ²⁷When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside in the gateway as if to speak privately. There he stabbed him in the stomach, and Abner died. Joab did this to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel. ²⁸When David heard what had happened, he declared, "I and my kingdom are completely innocent before the LORD — now and forever — of the blood of Abner son of Ner. ²⁹Let it rest on Joab's head and on all his father's house. May there never fail to be someone from Joab's house who has an issue, or is a leper, or leans on a staff, or falls on the sword, or lacks bread. ³⁰Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel during the battle at Gibeon. ³¹David ordered Joab and everyone with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner." King David himself walked behind the funeral procession. ³²They buried Abner in Hebron. The king wept loudly at Abner's grave, and all the people wept with him. ³³The king lamented over Abner, saying, 'Did Abner die as a fool dies?' ³⁴Your hands were never bound. Your feet were never chained. You fell the way a man falls before wicked men." The people wept over him again. ³⁵Throughout the day, people came and urged David to eat something. But David made an oath: "May God strike me down and worse if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down." ³⁶Everyone noticed this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased the people. ³⁷That day, all the people and all of Israel realized that the king had nothing to do with the killing of Abner son of Ner. ³⁸The king said to his servants, "Don't you realize that a prince — a great man — has fallen today in Israel? ³⁹Today I am weak, even though I am anointed king; and these sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. The LORD shall repay the one who does evil according to his wickedness.