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2 Samuel 3
New American Standard Bible

The House of David Strengthened

3 Now (A)there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David became steadily stronger, while the house of Saul became steadily weaker.

2 (B)Sons were born to David in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, by (C)Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 and his second, Chileab, by Abigail the [a]widow of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of (D)Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of (E)Geshur; 4 and the fourth, (F)Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Joins David

6 Now it happened that while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, (G)Abner was [b]strengthening himself in the house of Saul. 7 And Saul had a concubine whose name was (H)Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and [c]Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8 Then Abner became very angry over Ish-bosheth’s [d]question and said, “(I)Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and have not let you fall into the hands of David; yet today you call me to account for wrongdoing with [e]that woman? 9 (J)May God do so to [f]me, and more so, if (K)as the Lord has sworn to David, I do not accomplish this for him: 10 (L)to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, (M)from Dan even to Beersheba!” 11 And Ish-bosheth could no longer say a word in response to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

12 Then Abner sent messengers to David at his place, saying, “Whose is the land? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel over to you.” 13 And he said, “Good! I will make a covenant with you, only I require one thing of you, [g]namely, that (N)you shall not see my face unless you (O)first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see [h]me.” 14 So David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed (P)for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 Ish-bosheth sent men and [i]had her taken from her husband, from [j]Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 And her husband went with her, weeping as he went, [k]following her as far as (Q)Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” So he returned.

17 Now Abner had a [l]consultation with (R)the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past you were seeking for David to be king over you. 18 Now then, do it! For the Lord has spoken regarding David, saying, ‘(S)By the hand of My servant David [m]I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hands of all their enemies.’” 19 Abner also spoke [n]to Benjamin; and in addition Abner went to speak [o]to David in Hebron everything that seemed good to Israel and to (T)the entire house of Benjamin.

20 Then Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David held a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Abner said to David, “Let me set out and go and (U)gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that (V)you may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David let Abner go, and he went in peace.

22 And behold, (W)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 (X)your [p]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 (Y)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 (Z)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 (AA)someone who suffers a discharge, or has leprosy, or [q]holds the spindle, or falls by the sword, or lacks bread.” 30 So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner (AB)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, “(AC)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 (AD)the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And (AE)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 [r]wicked, you have fallen.”

And all the people wept over him again. 35 Then all the people came (AF)to provide [s]food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “(AG)May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else (AH)before the sun goes down.” 36 Now all the people took note of David’s vow, and it [t]pleased them, just as everything that the king did [u]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 (AI)weak today, though anointed king; and these men, (AJ)the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. (AK)May the Lord repay the evildoer in proportion to his evil.”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 3:3 Lit wife
  2. 2 Samuel 3:6 Or remaining faithful to
  3. 2 Samuel 3:7 As in some mss and ancient versions; MT he
  4. 2 Samuel 3:8 Lit words
  5. 2 Samuel 3:8 Lit the
  6. 2 Samuel 3:9 Lit Abner
  7. 2 Samuel 3:13 Lit saying
  8. 2 Samuel 3:13 Lit my face
  9. 2 Samuel 3:15 Lit took her
  10. 2 Samuel 3:15 In 1 Sam 25:44, Palti
  11. 2 Samuel 3:16 Lit after her
  12. 2 Samuel 3:17 Lit a word
  13. 2 Samuel 3:18 As in many mss and ancient versions; MT he
  14. 2 Samuel 3:19 Lit in the ears of
  15. 2 Samuel 3:19 Lit in the ears of
  16. 2 Samuel 3:25 I.e., daily business
  17. 2 Samuel 3:29 I.e., an effeminate man; LXX holds on to a staff (prob. a crutch)
  18. 2 Samuel 3:34 Lit sons of wickedness
  19. 2 Samuel 3:35 Lit bread
  20. 2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in their eyes
  21. 2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in the eyes of all
Close CEB

2 Samuel 3
Common English Bible

3 The war between Saul’s house and David’s house was long and drawn out. David kept getting stronger, while Saul’s house kept getting weaker.

David’s family

2 David’s sons were born in Hebron. His oldest son was Amnon, by Ahinoam from Jezreel; 3 the second was Chileab, by Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel; the third was Absalom, by[a] Maacah, who was the daughter of Geshur’s King Talmai; 4 the fourth was Adonijah, by Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah, by Abital; 5 and the sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These are David’s sons that were born in Hebron.

Joab kills Abner

6 Throughout the war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner was gaining power in Saul’s house. 7 Now Saul had a secondary wife named Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter. Ishbosheth[b] said to Abner, “Why have you had sex with my father’s secondary wife?”

8 Abner got very angry over what Ishbosheth had said.

“Am I some sort of dog’s head?”[c] Abner asked. “I’ve been nothing but loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his brothers and his friends. I haven’t handed you over to David, but today you accuse me of doing something wrong with this woman. 9 May God deal harshly with me, Abner, and worse still if I don’t do for David exactly what the Lord swore to him— 10 removing the kingdom from Saul’s house and securing David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan all the way to Beer-sheba!”

11 Ishbosheth couldn’t say a single word in reply to Abner because he was afraid of him.

12 Abner sent messengers to represent him to David and to say, “Who will own the land?[d] Make a covenant with me, then I’ll help bring all Israel over to your side.”

13 “Good!” David replied. “I will make a covenant with you, but on one condition: don’t show yourself in my presence unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”

14 Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ishbosheth. “Give me my wife Michal,” he demanded. “I became engaged to her at the cost of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”

15 Ishbosheth then sent for Michal and took her from her husband Paltiel, Laish’s son. 16 Her husband went with her all the way to Bahurim, crying as he followed her.

“Go home!” Abner told him. So he went home.

17 Abner then sent word to Israel’s elders. “You’ve wanted David to be your king for some time now,” he said. 18 “It’s time to act because the Lord has said about David: I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and all their enemies through my servant David.”

19 Abner also spoke directly to the Benjaminites. He then went to inform David in person at Hebron regarding everything that all Israel and the house of Benjamin were willing to do.

20 When Abner, along with twenty others, reached David at Hebron, David threw a celebration for Abner and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, “Please let me get going so I can assemble all Israel for my master the king. Then they can make a covenant with you, and you will rule over everything your heart[e] desires.” At that, David sent Abner off in peace.

22 Right then, David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing a great deal of loot with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron because David had sent him off in peace. 23 When Joab and all the troops with him returned, Joab was told that Abner, Ner’s son, had come to the king and that David had sent him off in peace.

24 Joab went to the king and asked, “What have you done? Abner came to you here! Why did you send him off? Now he’s gotten away! 25 Don’t you know the evil ways of Abner, Ner’s son?[f] He came to trick you, to find out where you come and go, and to learn everything you do!”

26 Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah, but David didn’t know anything of this. 27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside next to[g] the gate to speak with him in private. But instead Joab stabbed Abner in the stomach, and he died for shedding the blood of Asahel, Joab’s brother.

28 When David heard about this later, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the shedding of the blood of Abner, Ner’s son. 29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and his entire family tree! May Joab’s family never be without someone with a discharge or a skin disease,[h] someone who uses a crutch,[i] someone who dies by the sword, or someone who is hungry!”

30 So that is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

31 Then David ordered Joab and all the troops who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on funeral clothes! Mourn for Abner!” King David himself walked behind the body. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron. The king wept loudly at Abner’s grave. All the troops cried too. 33 Then the king sang this funeral song[j] for Abner:

“Should Abner have died like a fool dies?
34 Your hands weren’t bound,
    your feet weren’t chained,
    but you have fallen
    like someone falls before the wicked.”
Then the troops cried over Abner again.

35 Then all the soldiers came to urge David to eat something while it was still day, but David swore, “May God deal harshly with me and worse still if I eat bread or anything else before the sun goes down.” 36 All the troops took notice of this and were pleased by it. Indeed, everything that the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the troops and all Israel knew that it wasn’t the king’s idea to kill Abner, Ner’s son.

38 The king told his soldiers, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man in Israel has fallen today? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak. These men, Zeruiah’s sons, are too strong for me.[k] May the Lord repay the one who does evil according to the evil they did!”

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 3:3 Or son of; also twice in 3:4
  2. 2 Samuel 3:7 Or he, supplied from 3:8; see note at 2:8 on Ishbosheth.
  3. 2 Samuel 3:8 LXX; MT adds that belongs to Judah.
  4. 2 Samuel 3:12 Heb uncertain; LXX lacks Who will own the land?
  5. 2 Samuel 3:21 Or soul
  6. 2 Samuel 3:25 LXX; MT You know Abner, Ner’s son.
  7. 2 Samuel 3:27 LXX; MT to the middle of
  8. 2 Samuel 3:29 Traditionally leprosy, a term used for several different skin diseases
  9. 2 Samuel 3:29 Or who holds a spindle
  10. 2 Samuel 3:33 Or lament
  11. 2 Samuel 3:39 Or more ruthless than me; DSS (4QSama) lacks this clause.
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