1There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
3His second was Chileab, the son of Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. The third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur.
4The fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital.
6While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.
7Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"
8Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and he said, "Am I a dog's head? Today I am showing kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, against Judah. I have not handed you over to David. And now you charge me with a fault about this woman."
9May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David just what the LORD has sworn to him:
10"to take the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba."
11And Ishbosheth could not answer Abner a word, because he was afraid of him.
12Abner sent messengers to David for himself, saying, "Whose is the land?" He also said, "Make your agreement with me, and look, my hand will be with you, to bring all Israel over to you."
13And David said, "Good. I will make an agreement with you. But I ask one thing of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my face."
14Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I took for myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."
15So Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Phaltiel the son of Laish.
16Her husband went with her, weeping as he walked behind her, all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go, return." And he returned.
17Abner spoke with the elders of Israel and said, "In times past you wanted David to be king over you."
18"Now then, do it. For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.'"
19Abner also spoke to the people of Benjamin. Then Abner went to speak to David in Hebron, to tell him all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
20So Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
21Abner said to David, "I will get up and go, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make an agreement with you, and you may reign over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
22Then look, the servants of David and Joab came back from a raid, and brought a great amount of plunder with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
23When Joab and all the army that was with him had come, they told Joab, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and the king has sent him away, and he has gone in peace."
24Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is gone for good?"
25"You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to trick you, and to learn your going out and your coming in, and to find out everything you do."
26When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it.
27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly. There he struck him under the fifth rib, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28Afterward, when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner."
29"Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house. May the house of Joab never be without someone who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread."
30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner." And King David himself walked behind the coffin.
32They buried Abner in Hebron. The king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33The king sang a lament over Abner, and said, "Did Abner die as a fool dies?"
34"Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not put in chains. As a man falls before wicked men, so you fell." And all the people wept over him again.
35When all the people came to make David eat food while it was still day, David swore an oath, saying, "May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down."
36All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people.
37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king's doing that Abner the son of Ner was killed.
38And 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 today I am weak, though I am the anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. May the LORD repay the one who does evil according to his wickedness."