2 Samuel 3:27–39

²⁷Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab ^wtook him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there ⁷stabbed him ^xin the stomach, so that he died for the blood of ^yAsahel his brother.

²⁸Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “My kingdom and I are ⁸guiltless before the Lord forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. ^29zLet it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and let there never fail to be in the ⁹house of Joab one ^awho has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” ³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother ^bAsahel at Gibeon in the battle.

David’s Mourning for Abner

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ^c“Tear your clothes, ^dgird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” And King David followed the coffin. ³²So they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³And the king sang a lament over Abner and said:

“Should Abner die as a ^efool dies?

³⁴Your hands were not bound

Nor your feet put into fetters;

As a man falls before wicked men, so you fell.”

Then all the people wept over him again.

³⁵And when all the people came ^fto persuade David to eat food while it was still day, David took an oath, saying, ^g“God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else ^htill the sun goes down!” ³⁶Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people. ³⁷For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. ³⁸Then 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 am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, ⁱare too harsh for me. ^jThe Lord shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”