2 Samuel 3
3
Chapter 3
David's sons
1David's men continued to fight against the men who were faithful to Saul's family. The war continued for a long time. David's army became stronger and stronger, but Saul's army became weaker and weaker.
2While David lived in Hebron he had several sons:
The firstborn was Amnon. Ahinoam from Jezreel gave birth to him.
3The second son was Kileab. Nabal's widow, Abigail, from Carmel gave birth to him.
The third son was Absalom. His mother was Maakah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.
4The fourth son was Adonijah. His mother was Haggith.
The fifth son was Shephatiah. Abital was his mother.
5The sixth son was Ithream. David's wife, Eglah, gave birth to him.
These sons of David were all born in Hebron.
Abner joins David's army
6The war continued between David's men and the men who fought on behalf of Saul's family. Abner was becoming a more powerful leader among Saul's group. 7Saul had had slave wife called Rizpah. She was Aiah's daughter. One day, Ish-Bosheth asked Abner, ‘Why did you sleep with my father's woman?’ #3:7 Ish-Bosheth was King Saul's son. He was the king of the northern part of Israel. See 2 Samuel 2:8-11. If Abner had slept with Saul's woman, it would show that he wanted to be king himself.
8Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth had said to him. Abner said, ‘Do you think that I am a useless dog that belongs to Judah? I have always been faithful to your father Saul and to his family and his friends. I have not deceived you to put you under David's power. But now you say that I am guilty of a sin with this woman. 9So I promise you this! Now I will help David to get what the Lord has promised to him. I ask God to punish me if I do not help David! 10The Lord promised that David's family would rule as kings instead of Saul's family. He promised that David would be king over all the people of Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.’ #3:10 Dan was at the north border of Israel. Beersheba was in the south, in Judah. So ‘from Dan to Beersheba’ means ‘everywhere’.
11Ish-Bosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not say anything.
12Then Abner sent men to David with this message: ‘Who should rule this country? If you make an agreement with me, I will help you. I will cause all Israel's people to be faithful to you.’
13David said, ‘That is good! I will make an agreement with you. But you must do this for me: You must bring Saul's daughter, Michal, with you when you come to visit me. If you do not do that, I will not agree to see you.’
14Then David sent men to Saul's son, Ish-Bosheth, with this message: ‘Give back to me my wife, Michal. I paid 100 Philistine foreskins to have her as my wife.’
15So Ish-Bosheth sent his men to take Michal from her husband, Paltiel, son of Laish. 16But her husband came with her. He wept while he followed her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, ‘Return to your home!’ So he returned home.
17Then Abner talked to the leaders of Israel. He said, ‘For a long time you have wanted David to be your king. 18So now is your chance to do something! Remember that the Lord promised, “I will use David's strength to save my people, Israel, from the Philistines and from all their enemies.” ’
19Abner also went himself to speak to the men of Benjamin's tribe. #3:19 Saul belonged to Benjamin's tribe. David belonged to Judah's tribe. The people from Benjamin's tribe had always been faithful to Saul's family. After that, he went to Hebron. He went to tell David what all Israel's people had agreed to do. All the people of Benjamin's tribe had also agreed the same thing. 20Abner arrived in Hebron with 20 of his men to visit David. David prepared a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21Then Abner said to David, ‘Please let me go now to bring all the people of Israel together for my lord the king. Then they will make an agreement with you. Then you will rule over the whole land, as you really want to do.’ So David sent Abner away, with a promise that he would be safe.
Joab murders Abner
22David's men and Joab had attacked some of the enemy's towns. Now they were returning home. They brought with them a lot of things that they had taken from the enemy. By this time Abner had left Hebron because David had sent him away safely. 23When Joab and all his soldiers arrived in Hebron, people told him, ‘Ner's son Abner came to visit the king. The king sent him back home safely.’
24Joab went to the king. He said, ‘Why did you do this? Abner came to visit you. You allowed him to go back home safely. Now he has gone. 25You should know what Abner is like. He came here to deceive you. He wanted to find out everything that you do and everywhere that you go.’
26Then Joab left David. He sent men to run after Abner with a message. They found him at the well at Sirah and they brought him back to Hebron. But David did not know that. 27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city's gate. Then Joab took him into a corner, as if he wanted to speak with Abner alone. But he pushed his knife into Abner's stomach. Joab killed Abner because Abner had killed Asahel, Joab's brother.
28Later, David heard about what Joab had done. He said, ‘The Lord knows this: I and the people of my kingdom are not guilty of Abner's murder. 29I pray that Joab and all his father's family will pay for this murder! May God punish his descendants for ever! May somebody always have sores or leprosy. May there be men who are not brave enough to fight, men who die in battle, or people who have no food to eat!’
30That is how Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner. They killed him because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ‘Tear your clothes! Wear sackcloth to show that you are sad! Weep because of Abner's death.’ King David himself walked behind the men who carried Abner's dead body. 32They buried Abner in a grave in Hebron. The king wept loudly beside Abner's grave. All the people wept too.
33The king sang this song about Abner's death:
‘Abner, you should not have died like a fool.
34Nobody had tied your hands.
Nobody had put chains on your feet.
It was murder by wicked people that killed you.’
Then all the people started to weep again for Abner.
35The people came and they spoke to David. They said that he should eat some food before the end of the day. But David said, ‘I will not eat any food at all before sunset. May God punish me if I eat anything!’
36All the people heard David say this. It made them happy. They were pleased with everything that the king did. 37That day, everyone in Israel realized that David had not wanted the death of Ner's son, Abner.
38The king said to his servants, ‘You must understand that a great leader has died today in Israel. 39I am God's chosen king, but even I am weak today. I cannot control these sons of Zeruiah! #3:39 Zeruiah's sons were Joab and Abishai, as well as Asahel who was now dead. They have done a wicked thing. I pray that the Lord will punish them as they deserve.’
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2 Samuel 3: EASY
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