1 This battle was the beginning of a long war between the followers of Saul and the followers of David. Saul's power grew weaker, but David's grew stronger.
David's Sons Born in Hebron
(1 Chronicles 3.1-4)2-5 Several of David's sons were born while he was living in Hebron. His oldest son was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. David's second son was Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, who had been married to Nabal from Carmel. Absalom was the third. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital. The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, another one of David's wives.
Abner Decides To Help David
6 As the war went on between the families of David and Saul, Abner was gaining more power than ever in Saul's family. 7 He had even slept with a wife of Saul by the name of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah. But Saul's son Ishbosheth told Abner, “You shouldn't have slept with one of my father's wives!”
8 Abner was very angry because of what Ishbosheth had said, and he told Ishbosheth:
Am I some kind of worthless dog from Judah? I've always been loyal to your father's family and to his relatives and friends. I haven't turned you over to David. And yet you talk to me as if I've committed a crime with this woman.
9 I ask God to punish me if I don't help David get what the Lord promised him! 10 God said that he wouldn't let anyone in Saul's family ever be king again and that David would be king instead. He also said that David would rule both Israel and Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.
11 Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not even answer.
12 Abner sent some of his men to David with this message: “You should be the ruler of the whole nation. If you make an agreement with me, I will persuade everyone in Israel to make you their king.”
13 David sent this message back: “Good! I'll make an agreement with you. But before I will even talk with you about it, you must get Saul's daughter Michal back for me.”
14 David sent a few of his officials to Ishbosheth to give him this message: “Give me back my wife Michal! I killed 100 Philistines so I could marry her.”
15 Ishbosheth sent some of his men to take Michal away from her new husband, Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 Paltiel followed Michal and the men all the way to Bahurim, crying as he walked. But he went back home after Abner ordered him to leave.
17 Abner talked with the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, “You've wanted to make David your king for a long time now. 18 So do it! After all, God said he would use his servant David to rescue his people Israel from their enemies, especially from the Philistines.”
19 Finally, Abner talked with the tribe of Benjamin. Then he left for Hebron to tell David everything that the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the people of Israel wanted to do. 20 Abner took 20 soldiers with him, and when they got to Hebron, David gave a big feast for them.
21 After the feast, Abner said, “Your Majesty, let me leave now and bring Israel here to make an agreement with you. You'll be king of the whole nation, just as you've been wanting.”
David told Abner he could leave, and he left without causing any trouble.
Joab Kills Abner
22 Soon after Abner had left Hebron, Joab and some of David's soldiers came back, bringing a lot of things they had taken from an enemy village. 23 Right after they arrived, someone told Joab, “Abner visited the king, and the king let him go. Abner even left without causing any trouble.”
24 Joab went to David and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you, and you let him go. Now he's long gone! 25 You know Abner—he came to trick you. He wants to find out how strong your army is and to know everything you're doing.”
26 Joab left David, then he sent some messengers to catch up with Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah, but David did not know anything about it. 27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pretended he wanted to talk privately with him. So he took Abner into one of the small rooms that were part of the town gate and stabbed him in the stomach. Joab killed him because Abner had killed Joab's brother Asahel.
Abner's Funeral
28 David heard how Joab had killed Abner, and he said, “I swear to the Lord that I am completely innocent of Abner's death! 29 Joab and his family are the guilty ones. I pray that Joab's family will always be sick with sores and other skin diseases. May they all be cowards, and may they die in war or starve to death.”
30 Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31 David told Joab and everyone with him, “Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth! Walk in front of Abner's body and cry!”
David walked behind the stretcher on which Abner's body was being carried. 32 Abner was buried in Hebron, while David and everyone else stood at the tomb and cried loudly. 33 Then the king sang a funeral song about Abner:
Abner, why should you
have died like an outlaw?
34 No one tied your hands
or chained your feet,
yet you died as a victim
of murderers.
Everyone started crying again. 35 Then they brought some food to David and told him he would feel better if he had something to eat. It was still daytime, and David said, “I swear to God that I won't take a bite of bread or anything else until sunset!”
36 Everyone noticed what David did, and they liked it, just as they always liked what he did. 37 Now the people of Judah and Israel were certain that David had nothing to do with killing Abner.
38 David said to his officials, “Don't you realize that today one of Israel's great leaders has died? 39 I am the chosen king, but Joab and Abishai have more power than I do. So God will have to pay them back for the evil thing they did.”
1 There was then long warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid: but Dauid waxed stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker. 2 And vnto Dauid were children borne in Hebron: and his eldest sonne was Amnon of Ahinoam the Izreelite, 3 And his seconde, was Chileab of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite: and the third, Absalom the sonne of Maacah the daughter of Talmai the King of Geshur, 4 And the fourth, Adoniiah the sonne of Haggith, and the fifth, Shephatiah the sonne of Abital, 5 And the sixt, Ithream by Eglah Dauids wife: these were borne to Dauid in Hebron. 6 Nowe while there was warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, Abner made all his power for the house of Saul. 7 And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiiah. And Ish-bosheth sayde to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in to my fathers concubine? 8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I a dogges head, which against Iudah do shew mercie this day vnto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his neighbours, and haue not deliuered thee into the hande of Dauid, that thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman? 9 So doe God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworne to Dauid, euen so I doe to him, 10 To remoue the kingdome from the house of Saul, that the throne of Dauid may be stablished ouer Israel, and ouer Iudah, euen from Dan to Beer-sheba. 11 And he durst no more answere to Abner: for he feared him. 12 Then Abner sent messengers to Dauid on his behalfe, saying, Whose is the lande? who should also say, Make couenant with me, and beholde, mine hande shalbe with thee, to bring all Israel vnto thee. 13 Who saide, Well, I will make a couenant with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face except thou bring Michal Sauls daughter when thou commest to see me. 14 Then Dauid sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne, saying, Deliuer me my wife Michal, which I marryed for an hundreth foreskinnes of the Philistims. 15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and tooke her from her husband Phaltiel the sonne of Laish. 16 And her husband went with her, and came weeping behinde her, vnto Bahurim: then saide Abner vnto him, Go, and returne. So he returned. 17 And Abner had communication with the Elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for Dauid in times past, that he might be your King. 18 Nowe then doe it: for the Lord hath spoken of Dauid, saying, By the hand of my seruant Dauid I will saue my people Israel out of the handes of the Philistims, and out of the handes of all their enemies. 19 Also Abner spake to Beniamin, and afterward Abner went to speake with Dauid in Hebron, concerning all that Israel was content with, and the whole house of Beniamin. 20 So Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauing twentie men with him, and Dauid made a feast vnto Abner, and to the men that were with him. 21 Then Abner sayde vnto Dauid, I will rise vp, and goe gather all Israel vnto my lorde the King, that they may make a couenant with thee, and that thou mayest reigne ouer all that thine heart desireth. Then Dauid let Abner depart, who went in peace. 22 And beholde, the seruants of Dauid and Ioab came from the campe, and brought a great pray with them (but Abner was not with Dauid in Hebron: for he had sent him away, and he departed in peace) 23 When Ioab, and all the hoste that was with him were come, men tolde Ioab, saying, Abner the sonne of Ner came to the King, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace. 24 Then Ioab came to the King, and saide, What hast thou done? beholde, Abner came vnto thee, why hast thou sent him away, and he is departed? 25 Thou knowest Abner the sonne of Ner: for he came to deceiue thee, and to knowe thy outgoing and ingoing, and to knowe all that thou doest. 26 And when Ioab was gone out from Dauid, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him againe from the well of Siriah vnknowing to Dauid. 27 And when Abner was come againe to Hebron, Ioab tooke him aside in the gate to speake with him peaceably, and smote him vnder the fift ryb, that he dyed, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 And when afterwarde it came to Dauids eare, he saide, I and my kingdome are giltlesse before the Lord for euer, concerning the blood of Abner the sonne of Ner. 29 Let the blood fall on the head of Ioab, and on all his fathers house, that the house of Ioab be neuer without some that haue running issues, or leper, or that leaneth on a staffe, or that doeth fall on the sworde, or that lacketh bread. 30 (So Ioab and Abishai his brother slewe Abner, because he had slaine their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battel) 31 And Dauid said to Ioab, and to al the people that were with him, Rent your clothes, and put on sackecloth, and mourne before Abner: and King Dauid him selfe followed the beare. 32 And when they had buryed Abner in Hebron, the King lift vp his voyce, and wept beside the sepulchre of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the King lamented ouer Abner, and sayde, Dyed Abner as a foole dyeth? 34 Thine handes were not bounde, nor thy feete tyed in fetters of brasse: but as a man falleth before wicked men, so diddest thou fall. And all the people wept againe for him. 35 Afterwarde all the people came to cause Dauid eate meate while it was yet day, but Dauid sware, saying, So doe God to me and more also, if I taste bread, or ought els till the sunne be downe. 36 And all the people knewe it, and it pleased them: as whatsoeuer the King did, pleased all the people. 37 For all the people and all Israel vnderstoode that day, howe that it was not the Kings deede that Abner the sonne of Ner was slaine. 38 And the King said vnto his seruants, Know ye not, that there is a prince and a great man falle this day in Israel? 39 And I am this day weake and newly anoynted King: and these men the sonnes of Zeruiah be too harde for me: the Lord rewarde the doer of euill according to his wickednesse.