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was a long and drawn-out war between the house of Saul and the house of David. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
2 Sons were born to David at Hebron:
His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel;
the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
4 the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
the fifth, Sherhatiah the son of Abital;
5 and the sixth, Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah.
These were born to David in Hebron.
6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah; and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone into my father’s concubine?”
8 Abner was made very angry by Ish-bosheth’s accusation, and he answered, “Am I a dog’s head who belongs to Judah? This very day I am loyal to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not betrayed you into the hands of David; and yet you charge me today with wrongdoing concerning this woman? 9 May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David what the Lord has promised him on oath, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.” 11 And Ish-bosheth could no longer answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.
12 Abner then sent messengers to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make your covenant with me, and I will help you bring all of Israel over to you.”
13 “Good,” David said, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing that I require of you: Do not come before me again unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.” 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth son of Saul demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15 So Ish-bosheth sent for her to be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16 But her husband went along with her, weeping as he walked behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.
17 Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time now you have wanted David to be king over you. 18 Now do it then! For the Lord has spoken of David: ‘By the hand of my servant David I will take My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies’.”
19 Abner also talked with the Benjaminites, then he went to Hebron and told David of all that Israel and the Benjaminites wanted to do. 20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David held a feast for him and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me now go and gather all Israel to my lord the king. They will make a covenant with you, and will rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
22 Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought a large amount of plunder back with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all his army arrived, Joab was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, and the king dismissed him; and he has gone away in peace.”
24 Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why then have you sent him away? Now he has got away! 25 You know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you, and to find out about all your movements and all that you are doing.”
26 Joab went out from David’s presence and immediately sent messengers off after Abner. They brought him back from the land of Sirah, but David did not know of it. 27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gateway, as if to speak with him privately. Then Joab stabbed Abner in the stomach, and he died there, in revenge for shedding the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.
28 Afterward, when David heard about it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May his blood rest on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house! May there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food.”
30 So Joab and Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sack cloth, and mourn over Abner.” And King David walked behind the funeral procession. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept also.
33 The king sang a lament for Abner:
“Should Abner have died as a fool dies?
34Your hands were not bound;
your feet were not put in fetters.
You have fallen
as a man falls before wicked men.”
And all the people wept over him again.
35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat some food while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “So may God punish me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down!”
36 All the people took notice of this, and it pleased them; just as everything the king did pleased all the people. 37 So that day all the people and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38 Then the king said to his men, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39 And today I am powerless, even though I am the anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”