2 Samuel 3
3
1The war between Saul’s royal house and David’s royal house lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger. But the royal house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2Sons were born to David in Hebron.
His first son was Amnon. Amnon’s mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.
3His second son was Kileab. Kileab’s mother was Abigail. She was Nabal’s widow from Carmel.
The third son was Absalom. His mother was Maakah. She was the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.
4The fourth son was Adonijah. His mother was Haggith.
The fifth son was Shephatiah. His mother was Abital.
5The sixth son was Ithream. His mother was David’s wife Eglah.
Those sons were born to David in Hebron.
Abner Goes Over to David’s Side
6The fighting continued between David’s royal house and Saul’s royal house. Abner gained more and more power in the royal house of Saul. 7While Saul was still alive, he had a concubine named Rizpah. She was the daughter of Aiah. Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
8Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So Abner answered, “Do you think I’m only a dog’s head? Am I on Judah’s side? To this day I’ve been faithful to the royal house of your father Saul. I’ve been faithful to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. But now you claim that I’ve sinned with this woman! 9I will do for David what the Lord promised him. If I don’t, may God punish me greatly. 10I’ll take the kingdom away from Saul’s royal house. I’ll set up the throne of David’s kingdom over Israel and Judah. He will rule from Dan all the way to Beersheba.” 11Ish-Bosheth didn’t dare to say another word to Abner. He was much too afraid of him.
12Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak for him. They said, “Who will rule over this land? Make a covenant with me. Then I’ll help you bring all the Israelites over to your side.”
13“Good,” said David. “I will make a covenant with you. But there’s one thing I want you to do. Bring Saul’s daughter Michal to me. Don’t come to see me unless she’s with you.” 14Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth. He ordered them to say, “Give me my wife Michal. She was promised to me. I paid for her the price that was demanded. I paid for her with the skins of 100 circumcised Philistines.”
15So Ish-Bosheth gave the order. He sent men who took Michal away from her husband Paltiel. Paltiel was the son of Laish. 16But her husband followed her to Bahurim. He was crying all the way. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he did.
17Abner talked with the elders of Israel. He said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18Now do it! The Lord made a promise to David. He said, ‘I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philistines. I will also rescue them from all their enemies. I will rescue them through my servant David.’ ”
19Abner also spoke to the people of Benjamin in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything. He told him what Israel and all the people of Benjamin wanted to do. 20Abner had 20 men with him. They came to David at Hebron. So David prepared a feast for Abner and his men. 21Then Abner said to David, “Let me go right now. I’ll gather together all the Israelites for you. After all, you are now my king and master. The people can make a covenant with you. Then you can rule over everyone you want to.” So David sent Abner away. And he went in peace.
Joab Murders Abner
22Just then David’s men and Joab came back from attacking their enemies. They brought with them the large amount of goods they had taken. But Abner wasn’t with David in Hebron anymore. That’s because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived. Then he was told that Abner, the son of Ner, had come to see the king. He was told that the king had sent Abner away. He was also told that Abner had gone in peace.
24So Joab went to the king. He said, “What have you done? Abner came to you. Why did you let him get away? Now he’s gone! 25You know what Abner, the son of Ner, is like. He came to trick you. He wanted to watch your every move. He came to find out everything you are doing.”
26Then Joab left David. He sent messengers to get Abner. They brought Abner back from the well of Sirah. But David didn’t know about it. 27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him to one side. He brought him into an inside room. Joab acted as if he wanted to speak to him in private. But he really wanted to get even with him. That’s because Abner had spilled the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel. So Joab stabbed Abner in the stomach, and he died.
28Later on, David heard about it. He said, “I and the people of my kingdom aren’t guilty of spilling the blood of Abner, the son of Ner. We are free of blame forever in the sight of the Lord. 29May Joab and his whole family line be held accountable for spilling Abner’s blood! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has an open sore or skin disease. May his family never be without someone who has to use a crutch to walk. May his family never be without someone who gets killed by a sword. And may his family never be without someone who doesn’t have enough to eat.”
30Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner. They did it because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31David spoke to Joab and all the people with him. He said, “Tear your clothes. Put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. Mourn when you walk in front of Abner’s body.” King David himself walked behind it. 32Abner’s body was buried in Hebron. The king wept out loud at Abner’s tomb. So did the rest of the people.
33King David sang a song of sadness over Abner. He said,
“Should Abner have died as sinful people do?
34His hands were not tied.
His feet were not chained.
He died as if he had been killed by evil people.”
All the people mourned over Abner again.
35Then all of them came and begged David to eat something. They wanted him to eat while it was still day. But David made a promise. He said, “I won’t taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down. If I do, may God punish me greatly!”
36All the people heard his promise and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. 37So on that day all the people there and all the Israelites understood. They knew that the king didn’t have anything to do with the murder of Abner, the son of Ner.
38The king spoke to his men. He said, “Don’t you realize that a great commander has died in Israel today? 39I’m the anointed king. But today I’m weak. These sons of Zeruiah are too powerful for me. May the Lord pay back the one who killed Abner! May he pay him back for the evil thing he has done!”
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2 Samuel 3: NIrV
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2 Samuel 3
3
1#1Ki 14:30; 2Sa 2:17The struggle between the house of Saul and the house of David endured, but David grew stronger as Saul became weaker.
2#1Ch 3:1–4Sons were born to David in Hebron:
his firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3#1Sa 27:8; 25:42and his second, Kileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal, the Carmelite;
and the third, Absalom the son of Maakah the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur;
4and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5and the sixth, Ithream, was born to Eglah, the wife of David.
These were born to David in Hebron.
Abner Defects to David
6#2Sa 2:8–9While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was strengthening himself in the house of Saul. 7#2Sa 21:8–11; 16:21–22Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, and Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
8#2Sa 9:8; 16:9Abner became very angry over the words of Ish-Bosheth. He said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Each day I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends by not allowing you to fall into the hand of David. Yet today you are charging me with guilt concerning this woman. 9#1Sa 15:28; 1Ki 19:2May God do so to Abner, and more also, for as the Lord has sworn to David, this I will do for him, 10#Jdg 20:1; 1Sa 3:20to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” 11And he could not offer a response to Abner, for fear of him.
12So Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and my hand will be with you to bring over all of Israel to you.”
13#Ge 43:3He responded, “Very well, I will make a covenant with you, but I require one thing from you: you will not see my face unless you bring Michal the daughter of Saul with you when you come to see me.” 14#1Sa 18:27; 18:25Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth the son of Saul, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, to whom I was betrothed for one hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15#1Sa 25:44So Ish-Bosheth sent for her, and he took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish. 16#2Sa 16:5; 19:16But her husband went with her, weeping as he went, as far as Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go. Return.” So he turned back.
17Abner had a word with the elders of Israel, “In days past, you were seeking David as king over you. 18#1Sa 15:28; 2Sa 3:9So do it now, because the Lord said to David: By the hand of David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of every enemy.”
19#1Ch 12:29; 1Sa 10:20–21Abner also spoke privately with Benjamin. Then Abner went to tell David privately at Hebron all that was received favorably by Israel and the entire house of Benjamin. 20So Abner, along with twenty men, went to David at Hebron, and David held a festival for Abner and the men who were with him. 21#2Sa 3:12; 1Ki 11:37Abner said to David, “Let me arise, go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went peaceably.
Joab Murders Abner
22Now the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much plunder with them, but Abner was no longer with David at Hebron, because he had sent him away in peace. 23When Joab and the whole of the army that was with him arrived, they reported to Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king and he sent him away peaceably.”
24So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you. Why is it that you sent him away? Now he is long gone. 25#Dt 28:6; Isa 37:28You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, to learn of your coming and going, to discern all that you are doing.”
26When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. However, David was not aware of this. 27#2Sa 20:9–10; 1Ki 2:5So Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab pulled him aside in the gateway so as to speak with him undisturbed. There he struck him in the midsection so that he died on account of the blood of Asahel, his brother.
28Afterward when David heard of this, he said, “My kingdom and I are forever blameless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29#2Sa 1:16May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house. May the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks food.”
30So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he killed Asahel their brother at Gibeon in the battle.
31#Ge 37:34; Jos 7:6David said to Joab and all of the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” As for King David, he followed behind the bier. 32#Pr 24:17; Job 31:28When they buried Abner at Hebron, the king raised his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all of the people wept.
33#2Sa 1:17; 13:12–13Then, the king lamented for Abner, saying,
“Should Abner have died as a fool dies?
34Your hands were not bound,
and your feet were not put in fetters;
as a man falls before the wicked, so you have fallen.”
And all of the people continued to weep over him.
35#2Sa 1:12; 12:17Then all of the people came to persuade David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath, saying, “May God do to me, and more also, if I taste food or anything else before the sun sets.”
36All of the people recognized this, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did was pleasing to all of the people. 37That very day, all of the people, all of Israel, understood that it was not ordered from the king to have Abner the son of Ner killed.
38David said to his servant, “Do you not understand that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel? 39#1Ki 2:33–34; 2:5–6Today, I am weak, even if an anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
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