2 Samuel 3:31-39

English Standard Version

David Mourns Abner

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ^(A)“Tear your clothes and ^(B)put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. ³²They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³And the king ^(C)lamented for Abner, saying,

^(D)“Should Abner die ^(E)as a fool dies?
³⁴Your hands were not bound;
your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
you have fallen.”

And all the people wept again over him. ³⁵Then all the people came ^(F)to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, ^(G)“God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else ^(H)till the sun goes down!” ³⁶And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. ³⁸And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹And I was gentle today, though anointed king. ^(I)These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. ^(J)The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”