2 Samuel 3
Revised Standard Version
Abner Defects to David
3 There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.
2 And sons were born to David at Hebron: his first-born was Amnon, of Ahin′o-am of Jezreel; 3 and his second, Chil′e-ab, of Ab′igail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Ab′salom the son of Ma′acah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 and the fourth, Adoni′jah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephati′ah the son of Abi′tal; 5 and the sixth, Ith′re-am, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Ai′ah; and Ish-bo′sheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” 8 Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bo′sheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head of Judah? This day I keep showing loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. 9 God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, 10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.” 11 And Ish-bo′sheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
12 And Abner sent messengers to David at Hebron,[a] saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.” 13 And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you; but one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face, unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” 14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-bo′sheth Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed at the price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 And Ish-bo′sheth sent, and took her from her husband Pal′ti-el the son of La′ish. 16 But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahu′rim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return”; and he returned.
17 And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you. 18 Now then bring it about; for the Lord has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’” 19 Abner also spoke to Benjamin; and then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do.
20 When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
Abner Is Killed by Joab
22 Just then the servants of David arrived with Jo′ab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Jo′ab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Jo′ab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace.” 24 Then Jo′ab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone? 25 You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”
26 When Jo′ab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah; but David did not know about it. 27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Jo′ab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he smote him in the belly, so that he died, for the blood of As′ahel his brother. 28 Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are for ever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 May it fall upon the head of Jo′ab, and upon all his father’s house; and may the house of Jo′ab never be without one who has a discharge, or who is leprous, or who holds a spindle, or who is slain by the sword, or who lacks bread!” 30 So Jo′ab and Abi′shai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother As′ahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31 Then David said to Jo′ab and to all the people who were with him, “Rend your clothes, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. 32 They buried Abner at Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. 33 And the king lamented for Abner, saying,
“Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered;
as one falls before the wicked
you have fallen.”
And all the people wept again over him. 35 Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” 36 And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as everything that the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to slay Abner the son of Ner. 38 And 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 I am this day weak, though anointed king; these men the sons of Zeru′iah are too hard for me. The Lord requite the evildoer according to his wickedness!”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 3:12 Gk: Heb where he was
2 Samuel 3
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 3
1 A lengthy war ensued between the house of Saul and the house of David. As time went on, David grew steadily stronger, while the house of Saul became notably weaker.
Sons Born in Hebron.[a] 2 Sons were born to David at Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam of Jezreel; 3 his second was Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur; 4 the fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital; 5 the sixth was Ithream, the son of David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.
Ishbaal and Abner Quarrel. 6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had gradually been gaining power in the house of Saul. 7 Now Saul had had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal said to Abner: “Why have you slept with my father’s concubine?”
8 Abner became enraged at this insult of Ishbaal, and he said: “Am I nothing more than a dog’s head in Judah? I have continued to be loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his brothers and friends, and I have not betrayed you into the hands of David. Yet now you charge me with a crime involving a woman.
9 “May God punish Abner severely, and inflict even greater ills, if I fail to accomplish for David what the Lord swore to him. 10 I shall take the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.” 11 And Ishbaal did not dare to say another word in response, because he was afraid of him.
12 Abner and David Reconciled. Abner sent messengers on his own behalf to say to David: “Who should control the land? If you come to an agreement with me, I will give you my support in bringing all Israel over to you.” 13 [b]David replied: “Good! I will negotiate an agreement with you. However, I will impose one condition. You will not be allowed to appear in my presence unless you bring back Saul’s daughter, Michal, when you come to see me.”
14 Then David also sent messengers to Ishbaal, the son of Saul, with this demand: “Return to me my wife Michal whom I espoused after paying the ransom of one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” 15 Therefore, Ishbaal summoned Michal and took her away from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish. 16 However, her husband, weeping copiously, followed her as far as Horonaim, at which time Abner commanded him: “Go back,” and he returned home.
17 Abner then proceeded to confer with the elders of Israel. “For a long time now,” he said, “you have wanted David to be your king. 18 Now is the time for you to make that wish a reality, for the Lord has said of David: ‘By means of my servant David I will deliver my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from all their enemies.’ ” 19 Abner also spoke personally to the Benjaminites. After that he went to Hebron to notify David about everything that the people of Israel and the house of Benjamin had agreed to do.
20 When Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. 21 Abner then said to David: “Allow me now to go and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, in order that they may make a covenant with you, and thus you will reign over all that your heart desires.” Therefore, David dismissed Abner, who went away in peace.
22 The Death of Abner. Just then, David’s men returned with Joab from a raid, bringing with them a large amount of plunder. By then Abner had been dismissed by David and was no longer in Hebron, for he had gone his way in peace. 23 When Joab and all of the soldiers with him arrived, Joab was informed that Abner, the son of Ner, had come to the king, and that the king had sent him on his way in peace.
24 Then Joab went to the king and said: “What have you done? Abner came to you. What motivated you to dismiss him and allow him to go away as an innocent man? 25 You must be aware that Abner, the son of Ner, came here with the purpose of deceiving you, in order to learn about your movements and to find out what you are doing.”
26 When Joab left David’s presence, he sent messengers to pursue Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. However, David knew nothing at all about this. 27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pretended that he wanted to speak to him privately and took him aside at the city gate, where he stabbed him fatally in the stomach. Thus Abner died in retaliation for the murder of Asahel, the brother of Joab.
28 Later, when David heard the news, he said: “Before the Lord, I and my kingdom are forever innocent of the blood of Abner, the son of Ner. 29 May the guilt for this act fall on the head of Joab and his entire family. May the house of Joab never be unafflicted by men who suffer from running sores or leprosy or effeminacy or who are doomed to die by the sword or are in need of bread.” ( 30 Joel and his brother Abishai had murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.)
31 David Mourns Abner. Then David said to Joab and all the people who were with him: “Tear off your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn over Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. 32 After they buried Abner at Hebron, the king wept aloud at the grave of Abner, and all the people also wept. 33 Then the king sang this lament for Abner:
“Why should Abner have died
the way a lawless brute dies?
34 Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered
As one falls at the hands of the wicked,
you too have fallen.”
And all the people continued to weep for him.
35 After that, the people tried to persuade David to eat something while it was still day, but David swore: “May God deal with me severely, and even more terribly, if I eat bread or anything else prior to sunset.” 36 All the people took note of his pledge with approval, just as everything that the king did truly pleased them. 37 Therefore, on that day the people and all Israel were fully convinced that the king had no part in the killing of Abner, the son of Ner.
38 Then the king said to his servants: “You surely must realize that a prince and a great warrior has fallen this day in Israel. 39 And today, even though I have been anointed as the king, I feel weak and powerless with the realization that these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer as his evil crimes deserve.”
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 3:2 This list, which is completed further on (2 Sam 5:13-16), helps us identify the precise relationship of the personages in the stories that follow. The list names only the firstborn of each wife. Marital morality, which shows such progress in the later sapiential books, has not yet distanced itself from the pagan customs of the East.
- 2 Samuel 3:13 The intricacies of forging alliances are apparent in David’s diplomatic and shrewd plan to reunite all Israel and to win back his wife Michal.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
