2Sa 3:27-39 | ESV | STEP | And when Abner returned to Hebron , Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately , and there he struck him in the stomach , so that he died , for the blood of Asahel his brother .

2 Samuel 3:27-39

27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, ^aand there he struck him ^bin the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward, 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. 29 ^cMay it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without ^done who has a discharge or who is ^eleprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” 30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because ^fhe 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, ^g“Tear your clothes and ^hput on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. 32 They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. 33 And the king ⁱlamented for Abner, saying,

^j“Should Abner die ^kas a fool dies?
34 Your 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. 35 Then all the people came ^lto persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, ^m“God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else ⁿtill the sun goes down!” 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So 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. 38 And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? 39 And I was gentle today, though anointed king. ^oThese men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. ^pThe Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”