2 Samuel 3:17-39 - The Assassination Of Abner
17 And a word of Abner was with the old men of Israel, saying, Also yesterday also the third day ye were seeking David for king over you. 18 And now do; for Jehovah said to David, saying, By the hand of David my servant I saved my people from the hand of the rovers, and from the hand of all their enemies.
19 And Abner will speak also in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner will also go to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all which was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin. 20 And Abner will come to David to Hebron, and with him twenty men: and David will make to Abner and to the men with him a drinking.
21 And Abner will say to David, I will arise and go and gather to my lord the king, all Israel, and they shall cut out with thee a covenant, and thou didst reign over all that thy soul shall desire. And David will send away Abner, and he will go in peace.
22 And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from the troop, and they brought with them much spoil: and Abner not with David in Hebron, for he sent him away, and he went in peace. 23 And Joab and all the army which was with him came, and they will announce to Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he will send him away, and he will go in peace.
24 And Joab will come to the king and he will say, What didst thou? behold, Abner came to thee; wherefore this thou sentest him away, and going, he went? 25 Thou knewest Abner son of Ner, for to deceive thee he came, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all which thou doest 26 And Joab will go forth from David and send messengers after Abner, and they will turn him back from the Well of Sirah: and David knew not 27 And Abner will turn back to Hebron, and Joab will turn him away to the midst of the gate to speak with him in quiet, and he will strike him there in the belly, and he will die for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 And David will hear from after this, and he will say, I am innocent, and my kingdom, with Jehovah even forever, from the bloods of Abner son of Ner. 29 It will stay upon the head of Joab and to all the house of his father; and there shall not be cut off from the house of Joab, him flowing, and the leprous, and him holding fast upon a staff, and him falling upon a sword, and him diminished in bread. 30 And Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner because be slew Asahel their brother in Gibeon in war.
31 And David will say to Joab and to all the people which were with him, Rend your garments and gird you with sack-cloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David went after the litter.
32 And they will bury Abner in Hebron: and the king will lift up his voice and weep at the grave of Abner; and all the people will weep. 33 And the king will lament for Abner, and he will say, As the fool died will Abner die? 34 Thy hands not bound, and thy feet were not joined to fetters as falling before the sons of iniquity thou fellest. And all the people will add to weep over him.
35 And all the people will come to cause David to eat bread, while yet day. And David will swear, saying, Thus will God do to me, and thus will he add, if before the going down of the sun I shall taste bread or anything. 36 And all the people knew, and it will be good in their eyes, as all the king did was good in the eyes of all the people. 37 And all the people knew, and all Israel, in that day, that it was not from the king to kill Abner son of Ner.
38 And the king will say to his servants, Will ye not know that a chief and a great one fell this day in Israel? 39 And I this day tender, and being anointed king; and these men sons of Zeruiah, hard for me. Jehovah will recompense to him doing evil according to his evil.