2 Samuel 3:26-37

New American Standard Bible

Joab Murders Abner

²⁶When Joab left David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David did not know about it. ²⁷So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him privately, and there ^(A)he struck him in the belly, so that he died on account of the blood of his brother Asahel. ²⁸Afterward, when David heard about this, 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 turn upon the head of Joab and on all his father’s house; and may there not be eliminated from the house of Joab ^(C)someone who suffers a discharge, or has leprosy, or ^[a]holds the spindle, or falls by the sword, or lacks bread.” ³⁰So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner ^(D)because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon.

David Mourns Abner

³¹Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “^(E)Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier. ³²And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king raised his voice and wept at ^(F)the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. ³³And ^(G)the king sang a song of mourning for Abner and said,

“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
³⁴Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put in bronze shackles;
As one falls before the ^[b]wicked, you have fallen.”

And all the people wept over him again. ³⁵Then all the people came ^(H)to provide ^[c]food for David in his distress while it was still day; but David vowed, saying, “^(I)May God do so to me, and more so, if I taste bread or anything else ^(J)before the sun goes down.” ³⁶Now all the people took note of David’s vow, and it ^[d]pleased them, just as everything that the king did ^[e]pleased all the people. ³⁷So all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been the desire of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

2 Samuel 3:29 I.e., an effeminate man; LXX holds on to a staff (prob. a crutch)
2 Samuel 3:34 Lit sons of wickedness
2 Samuel 3:35 Lit bread
2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in their eyes
2 Samuel 3:36 Lit was good in the eyes of all

1 Kings 2:5

New American Standard Bible

⁵“Now you yourself also know what Joab the ^(A)son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to ^(B)Abner the son of Ner and to ^(C)Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed; he also ^[a]shed the blood of war in peace. And he put the blood of war on his belt that was on his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet.

Read full chapter