2 Samuel 3:31-39

Christian Standard Bible

³¹David then ordered Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth,^(A) and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the coffin.^[a]

³²When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept, ³³and the king sang a lament for Abner:^(B)

Should Abner die as a fool dies?
³⁴Your hands were not bound,
your feet not placed in bronze shackles.
You fell like one who falls victim to criminals.

And all the people wept over him even more.

³⁵Then they came to urge David to eat food while it was still day, but David took an oath: “May God punish me and do so severely if I taste bread or anything else before sunset!” ^(C) ³⁶All the people took note of this, and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. ³⁷On that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the killing of Abner son of Ner.

³⁸Then the king said to his soldiers, “You must know that a great leader has fallen in Israel today. ³⁹As for me, even though I am the anointed king, I have little power today. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me.^(D) May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil!” ^(E)

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Footnotes

3:31 Or the bier; lit the bed

Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

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