3:2 Now sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, born to Ahinoam the Jezreelite. 3:3 His second son¹ was Kileab, born to Abigail the widow² of Nabal the Carmelite. His third son was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur. 3:4 His fourth son was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah, the son of Abitail. 3:5 His sixth son was Ithream, born to David’s wife Eglah. These sons³ were all born to David in Hebron.

3:6 As the war lingered between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was consolidating his influence⁴ in the house of Saul. 3:7 Now Saul had a concubine by the name of Rizpah daughter of Aiah. Ish-bosheth⁵ said to Abner, “Why did you have relations⁶ with my father’s concubine?”⁷

3:8 These words of Ish-bosheth really angered Abner and he shot back,⁸ “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah? Today I am expressing⁹ loyal-love to the house of Saul your father, to his brethren, and to his friends. I have not betrayed you into the hand of David. Yet you have implicated me with this woman’s guilt today! 3:9 May God do all this to Abner and even more, if I do not do for David exactly what the LORD has sworn for him,¹⁰ 3:10 namely to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah all the way from Dan to Beersheba!” 3:11 Ish-bosheth¹¹ was unable to answer Abner with a single word due to his fear of him.

3:12 Then Abner sent messengers in his stead to David saying, “To whom does the land belong? Enter into an agreement¹² with me, and I will do whatever I can¹³ to cause all Israel to turn to you.”

3:13 So David said, “Good! I will enter into an agreement with you. I ask only one thing from you. You will not see my face again unless you bring Michal the daughter of Saul when you return to see my face.”¹⁴

3:14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth the son of Saul saying, “Give me my wife Michal whom I betrothed to me for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

3:15 So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish. 3:16 Her husband went along behind her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Finally Abner said to him, “Go back.”¹⁵ So he returned home.

3:17 Then Abner advised¹⁶ the elders of Israel saying, “Previously you were seeking David to be king over you. 3:18 Act now! For the LORD has spoken to David saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save¹⁷ my people Israel from¹⁸ the Philistines and from all their enemies.’”

3:19 Then Abner spoke privately¹⁹ with the Benjamities. Abner also went to inform David privately in Hebron of all that Israel and the entire house of Benjamin had agreed to.²⁰ 3:20 When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David in Hebron, David prepared a banquet for Abner and the men who were with him. 3:21 Abner said to David, “Let me arise so that I may go and gather to my lord the king all Israel so that they may enter into an agreement with you. Then you will rule over all that you desire.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

3:22 Now David’s soldiers and Joab were coming back from a raid, bringing a great deal of plunder with them. Abner was not then with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away and he had gone in peace. 3:23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, Joab was informed by these words: “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, but he sent him away and he went in peace!”

3:24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner has come to you! Why would you send him away? Now he’s gone!²¹ 3:25 You know Abner the son of Ner! He came here to spy on you and to determine when you leave and when you return²²—to ascertain everything that you are doing!”

3:26 Then Joab took leave of David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David was not aware of it. 3:27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. But he struck him there in the belly, and he died for the shed blood of Asahel his brother.

3:28 When David heard afterwards, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD of the blood of Abner the son of Ner! 3:29 My his blood whirl about the head of Joab and all the house of his father!²³ May there not be cut off from the house of Joab a person with a running sore or a leprous person or one who works at the spindle²⁴ or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks for food!”

3:30 So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed Asahel their brother in Gibeon during the battle.

3:31 Then David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your garments! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!” Then king David followed²⁵ behind the funeral bier. 3:32 So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly²⁶ over Abner’s grave, and all the people wept too. 3:33 The king chanted the following lament for Abner.

Should Abner have died like a fool?
3:34 Your hands²⁷ were not bound,
and your feet were not put into fetters.
You fell the way one falls before criminals.

Then all the people²⁸ wept over him again. 3:35 Then all the people came to encourage David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, “May God do thus to me and more if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the setting of the sun!”

3:36 All the people noticed this, and it pleased them.²⁹ In fact, everything that the king did pleased all the people. 3:37 And all the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner the son of Ner was not at the king’s initiative.³⁰

3:38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader³¹ has fallen this day in Israel? 3:39 And I today am weak, even though anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. May the LORD repay the doer of this evil according to his evil deed!”