³¹ Then 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. ³² They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept^(C) aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.

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

And all the people wept over him again.

³⁵ Then 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!”

³⁶ All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. ³⁷ So 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.

³⁸ Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen^(I) in Israel this day? ³⁹ And 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!”