2Sa 3:27-39 | NASB1995 | STEP | So when Abner returned to Hebron , Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately , and there he struck him in the belly so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel his brother .

2 Samuel 3:27-39

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 ^b“May it ^{▼▼ Lit whirl}fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab ^done 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 ^ebecause he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

David Mourns Abner

31 Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ^f“Tear 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 ^gthe grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 ^hThe 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 ^{▼▼ Lit sons of wickedness}wicked, you have fallen.”
And all the people wept again over him.

35 Then all the people came ^jto ^{▼▼ Lit cause}persuade David to eat bread while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, ^l“May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else ^mbefore the sun goes down.” 36 Now all the people took note of it, and it ^{▼▼ Lit was good in their eyes}pleased them, just as everything the king did ^{▼▼ Lit was good in the eyes of all}pleased 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 ^pweak today, though anointed king; and these men ^qthe sons of Zeruiah are too difficult for me. ^rMay the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil.”