2 Samuel 3:22-39
New American Standard Bible
22 And behold, (A)the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought a large amount of plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, since he had let him go, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they informed Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go on his way, and he has gone in peace.” 24 Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you let him go, so that he is already gone? 25 You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to gain your confidence, and to learn of (B)your [a]going out and coming in and to find out everything that you are doing.”
Joab Murders Abner
26 When Joab left David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know about it. 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there (C)he struck him in the belly, so that he died on account of the blood of his brother Asahel. 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 (D)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 (E)someone who suffers a discharge, or has leprosy, or [b]holds the spindle, or falls by the sword, or lacks bread.” 30 So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner (F)because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
David Mourns Abner
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “(G)Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. 32 And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at (H)the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And (I)the king sang a song of mourning for Abner and said,
“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in bronze shackles;
As one falls before the [c]wicked, you have fallen.”
And all the people wept over him again. 35 Then all the people came (J)to provide [d]food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “(K)May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else (L)before the sun goes down.” 36 Now all the people took note of David’s vow, and it [e]pleased them, just as everything that the king did [f]pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been the desire of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death. 38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a leader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And I am (M)weak today, though anointed king; and these men, (N)the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. (O)May the Lord repay the evildoer in proportion to his evil.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 3:25 I.e., daily business
- 2 Samuel 3:29 I.e., an effeminate man; LXX holds on to a staff (prob. a crutch)
- 2 Samuel 3:34 Lit sons of wickedness
- 2 Samuel 3:35 Lit bread
- 2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in their eyes
- 2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in the eyes of all
2 Samuel 3:22-39
King James Version
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.
Read full chapter
2 Samuel 3:22-39
Living Bible
22 But just after Abner left, Joab and some of David’s troops returned from a raid, bringing much loot with them. 23 When Joab was told that Abner had just been there visiting the king and had been sent away in peace, 24-25 he rushed to the king, demanding, “What have you done? What do you mean by letting him get away? You know perfectly well that he came to spy on us and that he plans to return and attack us!”
26 Then Joab sent messengers to catch up with Abner and tell him to come back. They found him at the well of Sirah and he returned with them; but David knew nothing about it. 27 When Abner arrived at Hebron, Joab took him aside at the city gate as if to speak with him privately; but then he pulled out a dagger and killed him in revenge for the death of his brother Asahel.
28 When David heard about it he declared, “I vow by the Lord that I and my people are innocent of this crime against Abner. 29 Joab and his family are the guilty ones. May each of his children be victims of cancer, or be lepers, or be sterile, or die of starvation, or be killed by the sword!”
30 So Joab and his brother, Abishai, killed Abner because of the death of their brother, Asahel, at the battle of Gibeon.
31 Then David said to Joab and to all those who were with him, “Go into deep mourning for Abner.” And King David accompanied the bier to the cemetery. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron. And the king and all the people wept at the graveside.
33-34 “Should Abner have died like a fool?” the king lamented.
“Your hands were not bound,
Your feet were not tied—
You were murdered—
The victim of a wicked plot.”
And all the people wept again for him. 35-36 David had refused to eat anything the day of the funeral, and now everyone begged him to take a bite of supper. But David vowed that he would eat nothing until sundown. This pleased his people, just as everything else he did pleased them! 37 Thus the whole nation, both Judah and Israel, understood from David’s actions that he was in no way responsible for Abner’s death.
38 And David said to his people, “A great leader and a great man has fallen today in Israel; 39 and even though I am God’s chosen king, I can do nothing with these two sons of Zeruiah. May the Lord repay wicked men for their wicked deeds.”
Read full chapterNew American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.