War Between the Houses of David and Saul^(A)

⁸ Meanwhile, Abner^(B) son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth^(C) son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.^(D)

Ish-Bosheth Murdered

4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner^(A) had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.

⁵ “Now you yourself know what Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner^(B) son of Ner and Amasa^(C) son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.

³² The Lord will repay^(A) him for the blood he shed,^(B) because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa^(C) son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better^(D) men and more upright than he.