2 Samuel 3:21–39
21 Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and agather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that byou may be king over all that your soul desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
22 And behold, athe servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
23 When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, they told Joab, saying, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.”
24 Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why then have you sent him away and he is already gone?
25 “You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you and to learn of ayour going out and coming in and to find out all that you are doing.”
26 When Joab came out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.
27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there ahe struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 Afterward when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
29 “aMay it 1fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab bone who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who takes hold of a distaff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”
30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner abecause he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.
31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “aTear your clothes and gird on sackcloth and lament before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier.
32 Thus they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at athe grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 aThe king chanted a lament for Abner and said,
“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 “Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in fetters;
As one falls before the 1wicked, you have fallen.”
And all the people wept again over him.
35 Then all the people came ato 1persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “bMay God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else cbefore the sun goes down.”
36 Now all the people took note of it, and it 1pleased them, just as everything the king did 2pleased all the people.
37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the will of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.
38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
39 “I am aweak today, though anointed king; and these men bthe sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. cMay the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil.”