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2 Samuel 3
1599 Geneva Bible
2 Samuel 3
1599 Geneva Bible
3 1 Long war between the houses of Saul and David. 2 The children of David in Hebron. 12 Abner turneth to David. 27 Joab killeth him.
1 There was then [a]long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker.
2 ¶ And unto David were children born in Hebron: and his eldest son was Amnon of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,
3 And his second, was [b]Chileab of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite: and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur,
4 And the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith: and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital:
5 And the sixth, Ithream by Eglah David’s wife: these were born to David in [c]Hebron.
6 ¶ Now while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner made all his power for the house of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in to my father’s concubine?
8 Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a [d]dog’s head, which against Judah do show mercy this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his neighbors, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me this day with a fault concerning this woman?
9 [e]So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so I do to him,
10 To remove the kingdom from the house of Saul, that the throne of David may be established over Israel, and over Judah, even from Dan to Beersheba.
11 And he durst no more answer to Abner: for he feared him.
12 ¶ Then Abner sent messengers to David [f]on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? who should also say, Make covenant with me, and behold, mine hand shall be with thee, to bring all Israel unto thee.
13 Who said, Well, I will make a covenant with thee: but one thing I require of thee, that is, that thou see not my face, except thou bring Michal Saul’s daughter when thou comest to see me.
14 ¶ Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul’s son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I married for (A)an hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
15 And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband (B)Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her, and came weeping behind her, unto Bahurim: then said Abner unto him, Go, and return. So he returned.
17 ¶ And Abner had [g]communication with the Elders of Israel, saying, Ye fought for David in times past, that he might be your King.
18 Now then do it: for the Lord hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hands of the Philistines, and out of the hands of all their enemies.
19 Also Abner spake [h]to Benjamin, and afterward Abner went to speak with David in Hebron, concerning all that Israel was content with, and the whole [i]house of Benjamin.
20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, having twenty men with him, and David made a feast unto Abner, and to the men that were with him.
21 Then Abner said unto David, I will rise up, and go gather all Israel unto my lord the King, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth. Then David let Abner depart, who went [j]in peace.
22 ¶ And behold, the servants of David and Joab came [k]from the camp, and brought a great prey with them (but Abner was not with David in Hebron: for he had sent him away, and he departed in peace.)
23 When Joab, and all the host that was with him were come, men told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the King, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24 Then Joab came to the King, and said, [l]What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee, why hast thou sent him away, and he is departed?
25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner: for he came to deceive thee, and to know thy outgoing and ingoing, and to know all that thou doest.
26 ¶ And when Joab was gone out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him again from the well of Sirah unknowing to David.
27 And when Abner was come again to Hebron, (C)Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him [m]peaceably, and smote him under the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of (D)Asahel his brother.
28 ¶ And when afterward it came to David’s ear, he said, I and my Kingdom are [n]guiltless before the Lord forever, concerning the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
29 Let the blood fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house, that the house of Joab be never without some that have running issues, or leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that doeth fall on the sword, or that lacketh bread.
30 (So Joab and [o]Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battle.)
31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rent your clothes, and put on sackcloth, and mourn [p]before Abner: and King David himself followed the bier.
32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, the King lift up his voice, and wept beside the sepulcher of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the King lamented over Abner, and said, Died Abner [q]as a fool dieth?
34 Thine hands were not bound, nor thy feet tied in fetters of brass: but as a man falleth before wicked men, so didst thou fall. And all the people wept again for him.
35 Afterward all the people came to cause David eat [r]meat while it was yet day, but David swore, saying, So do God to me and more also, if I taste bread, or ought else till the sun be down.
36 And all the people knew it, and it [s]pleased them: as whatsoever the King did, pleased all the people.
37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day, how that it was not the King’s deed that Abner the son of Ner was slain.
38 And the King said unto his servants, Know ye not, that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?
39 And I am this day weak and newly anointed King: and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too [t]hard for me: the Lord reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 3:1 That is, without intermission enduring two years, which was the whole reign of Ishbosheth.
- 2 Samuel 3:3 Who is called also Daniel, 1 Chron. 3:1.
- 2 Samuel 3:5 Within seven years and six months.
- 2 Samuel 3:8 Dost thou esteem me no more than a dog, for all my service done to thy father’s house?
- 2 Samuel 3:9 We see how the wicked cannot abide to be admonished of their faults, but seek their displeasure, which go about to bring them from their wickedness.
- 2 Samuel 3:12 Or, secretly.
- 2 Samuel 3:17 Rather for malice that he bare toward Ishbosheth, than for love he bare to David.
- 2 Samuel 3:19 Hebrew, in the ears of Benjamin.
- 2 Samuel 3:19 Who challenged the Kingdom, because of their father Saul.
- 2 Samuel 3:21 Or, without harm.
- 2 Samuel 3:22 From war against the Philistines.
- 2 Samuel 3:24 Here appeareth the malicious mind of Joab, who would have had the King to slay Abner for his private grudge.
- 2 Samuel 3:27 Or, secretly.
- 2 Samuel 3:28 The Lord knoweth that I did not consent to his death.
- 2 Samuel 3:30 Abishai is said to slay him with Joab, because he consented to the murder.
- 2 Samuel 3:31 Meaning before the corpse.
- 2 Samuel 3:33 He declareth that Abner died not as a wretch or vile person, but as a valiant man might do, being traitorously deceived by the wicked.
- 2 Samuel 3:35 According to their custom, which was to banquet at burials.
- 2 Samuel 3:36 It is expedient sometimes not only to conceive inward sorrow, but also that it may appear to others, to the intent that they may be satisfied.
- 2 Samuel 3:39 Or, cruel.
2 Samuel 3
New International Version
2 Samuel 3
New International Version
3 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time.(A) David grew stronger and stronger,(B) while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.(C)
2 Sons were born to David in Hebron:
His firstborn was Amnon(D) the son of Ahinoam(E) of Jezreel;
3 his second, Kileab the son of Abigail(F) the widow of Nabal of Carmel;
the third, Absalom(G) the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;(H)
4 the fourth, Adonijah(I) the son of Haggith;
the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.
These were born to David in Hebron.
Abner Goes Over to David
6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner(J) had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had had a concubine(K) named Rizpah(L) daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
8 Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s head(M)—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! 9 May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised(N) him on oath 10 and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”(O) 11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”
13 “Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”(P) 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal,(Q) whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband(R) Paltiel(S) son of Laish. 16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim.(T) Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.
17 Abner conferred with the elders(U) of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18 Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines(V) and from the hand of all their enemies.(W)’”
19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin(X) wanted to do. 20 When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast(Y) for him and his men. 21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant(Z) with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.”(AA) So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
Joab Murders Abner
22 Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.
24 So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”
26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27 Now when Abner(AB) returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him(AC) in the stomach, and he died.(AD)
28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent(AE) before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29 May his blood(AF) fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family!(AG) May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore(AH) or leprosy[a] or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”
30 (Joab and his brother 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 and put on sackcloth(AI) and walk in mourning(AJ) in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept(AK) aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.
33 The king sang this lament(AL) for Abner:
“Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34 Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered.(AM)
You fell as one falls before the wicked.”
And all the people wept over him again.
35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely,(AN) if I taste bread(AO) or anything else before the sun sets!”
36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part(AP) in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38 Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen(AQ) in Israel this day? 39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah(AR) are too strong(AS) for me.(AT) May the Lord repay(AU) the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 3:29 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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