2 Samuel 3:27–39

²⁷And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, ^pand there he struck him ^qin the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. ²⁸Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ^29rMay it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without ^sone who has a discharge or who is ^tleprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” ³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because ^uhe had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

David Mourns Abner

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ^v“Tear your clothes and ^wput 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 ^xlamented for Abner, saying,

^y“Should Abner die ^zas 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 ^ato persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, ^b“God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else ^ctill 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. ^dThese men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. ^eThe Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”