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.

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.”