³¹ David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothing. Put on sackcloth and mourn for Abner.” King David walked behind the stretcher^[a] that was carrying his body. ³² They buried Abner at Hebron, and the king wept loudly at the grave of Abner. All the people also wept. ³³ The king lamented over Abner, “Should Abner have died as a fool dies? ³⁴ Your hands were not tied up, and your feet were not bound with iron shackles. You have fallen as one falls before the wicked.” All the people continued to weep over him.

³⁵ All the people came to try to persuade David to eat on that day, but David swore, “May God punish me severely and double it, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”

³⁶ All the people took notice and approved of this, as they approved of everything that the king did. ³⁷ All the people, all Israel, knew on that day that it was not the king’s idea to kill Abner son of Ner. ³⁸ The king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a great commander has fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ Today I am weak, even though I am the anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. I pray that the Lord will pay back the evildoer in proportion to his wickedness.”