Thematic Bible: In mourning for abner

And when it afterward came to David's ear, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD forever, concerning the blood of Abner the son of Ner. It fall therefore on the head of Joab and on all his father's house: that the house of Joab be never without one or other that hath running issues or without lepers and goers on crutches, and that fall on the sword and that lack bread." And the cause why Joab and Abishai slew Abner was that Abner had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battle. read more.
And David said to Joab and to all the people that were with him, "Rent your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner." And king David himself followed the bier. And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, the king lifted up his voice and wept over the sepulchre of Abner, and so did all the people. And the king lamented over Abner and said, "Abner died not as a wretch dieth. Thy hands were not manacled nor thy feet brought into fetters: but as men fall before wicked children, so fellest thou." And all the people wept yet more over him. And when all the people came to eat meat with David, while it was yet day, David sware, saying, "So do God to me and so thereto, if I taste bread or ought else till the sun be down." And the people wist it, and it pleased them, as well as all other good things which the king did in the sight of the people. And all the people and all Israel thereto understood that day how that it was not the king's mind to slay Abner the son of Ner.