2 Samuel 3:31-39

New American Standard Bible

David Mourns Abner

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “^(A)Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. ³²And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at ^(B)the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³And ^(C)the king sang a song of mourning for Abner and said,

“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
³⁴Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in bronze shackles;
As one falls before the ^[a]wicked, you have fallen.”

And all the people wept over him again. ³⁵Then all the people came ^(D)to provide ^[b]food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “^(E)May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else ^(F)before the sun goes down.” ³⁶Now all the people took note of David’s vow, and it ^[c]pleased them, just as everything that the king did ^[d]pleased all the people. ³⁷So 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. ³⁸Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a leader and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? ³⁹And I am ^(G)weak today, though anointed king; and these men, ^(H)the sons of Zeruiah, are too difficult for me. ^(I)May the Lord repay the evildoer in proportion to his evil.”

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Footnotes

2 Samuel 3:34 Lit sons of wickedness
2 Samuel 3:35 Lit bread
2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in their eyes
2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in the eyes of all

2 Samuel 3:31-39

American Standard Version

³¹And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier. ³²And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. ³³And the king lamented for Abner, and said,

Should Abner die as a fool dieth?
³⁴Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters:
As a man falleth before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall.

And all the people wept again over him. ³⁵And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David sware, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread, or aught else, till the sun be down. ³⁶And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner. ³⁸And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.

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2 Samuel 3:31-39

New International Version

³¹Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth^(A) and walk in mourning^(B) in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. ³²They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept^(C) aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.

³³The king sang this lament^(D) for Abner:

“Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
³⁴ Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered.^(E)
You fell as one falls before the wicked.”

And all the people wept over him again.

³⁵Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,^(F) if I taste bread^(G) or anything else before the sun sets!”

³⁶All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. ³⁷So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part^(H) in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

³⁸Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen^(I) in Israel this day? ³⁹And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah^(J) are too strong^(K) for me.^(L) May the Lord repay^(M) the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”