²⁷ So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there ^(A)he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother. ²⁸ Afterward when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ^29 (B)May it ^[a]fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab ^(C)one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” ³⁰ So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner ^(D)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, “^(E)Tear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. ³² Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at ^(F)the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ^33 (G)The king chanted a lament for Abner and said,

And all the people wept again over him. ³⁵ Then all the people came ^(H)to ^[c]persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “^(I)May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else ^(J)before the sun goes down.” ³⁶ Now all the people took note of it, and it ^[d]pleased them, just as everything the king did ^[e]pleased all the people. ³⁷ So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will 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 prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ I am ^(K)weak today, though anointed king; and these men ^(L)the sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. ^(M)May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil.”

⁵ Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “Today you have covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who today have saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters, the lives of your wives, and the lives of your concubines, ⁶ by loving those who hate you, and by hating those who love you. For you have shown today that ^[a]princes and servants are nothing to you; for I know this day that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then ^[b]you would be pleased. ⁷ Now therefore arise, go out and speak ^[c]kindly to your servants, for I swear by the Lord, if you do not go out, surely ^(A)not a man will pass the night with you, and this will be worse for you than all the evil that has come upon you from your youth until now.”