The House of David Strengthened
Abner Joins David
6
It
came about while there was
war between the
house of
Saul and the
house of
David that
Abner was
making himself
strong in the
house of
Saul.
7
Now
Saul had a
concubine whose
name was
Rizpah, the
daughter of
Aiah ; and Ish-bosheth
said to
Abner,
"Why have you
gone in to my
father's concubine ?"
8
Then
Abner was
very angry over the
words of
Ish-bosheth and
said, " Am I a
dog's head that belongs to
Judah ?
Today I
show kindness to the
house of
Saul your
father, to his
brothers and to his
friends, and have not
delivered you into the
hands of
David ; and yet
today you
charge me with a
guilt concerning the
woman.
t,v{B -vyia
yer.biD -l;[ d{
a.m ren.b;a.l r;xiY;w ?
h'd.Whyil r,v]a yik{n'a
b,l,K va{r]h r,ma{
Y;w ? '$yib'a
l.Wa'v tyeB -mi[
d,s,x -h,f/[,a ~w{
Y;h ? '$ityic.mih a{l.w
.Whe[erem -l,a.w
wy'x,a -l,a ? ~w{
Y;h h'Via'h !{w][ y;l'[ d{
q.piT;w diw'D -d;y.B
9
" May
God do so to
Abner, and
more al
so,
if as the
LORD has
sworn to
David, I do not
accomplish this for him,
12
Then
Abner sent messengers to
David in his
place,
saying,
"Whose is the
land ?
Make your
covenant with me, and
behold, my
hand shall be with you to
bring all Israel over to you."
13
He
said,
"Good ! I will
make a
covenant with you, but I
demand one thing of you,
namely, you shall not
see my
face unless * you
first bring Michal,
Saul's daughter, when you
come to
see me."
16
But her
husband went with her,
weeping as he
went, and
followed her as
far as
Bahurim. Then
Abner said to him,
"Go,
return." So he
returned.
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 from the
hand of the
Philistines and from the
hand of
all their
enemies.' "
20
Then
Abner and
twenty men with him
came to
David at
Hebron. And
David made a
feast for
Abner and the
men who were with him.
21
Abner said to
David, "Let me
arise and
go and
gather all Israel to my
lord the
king, that they may
make a
covenant with you, and that you may be
king over
all that your
soul desires." So
David sent Abner away, and he
went in
peace.
h'kelea.w h'm.Wq'a
diw'D -l,a
ren.b;a r,ma{
Y;w ?
lea'r.fIy -l'K -t,a .$
,l,M;h yin{
d]a -l,a h'c.B.q,a.w ? h/W;a.T -r,v]a l{k.B 'T.k;l'm.W
tyir.B '$.Tia
.Wt.r.kIy.w ? ~w{
l'v.B .$,leY;w ren.b;a -t,a
diw'D x;L;v.Y;w '$
,v.p;n
22
And
behold, the
servants of
David and
Joab came from a
raid and
brought much spoil with them; but
Abner was not with
David in
Hebron, for he had
sent him
away, and he had
gone in
peace.
23
When
Joab and
all the
army that was with him
arrived, they
told Joab,
saying,
"Abner the
son of
Ner came to the
king, and he has
sent him
away, and he has
gone in
peace."
24
Then
Joab came to the
king and
said,
"What have you
done ?
Behold,
Abner came to you;
why then have you
sent him
away and he is
already gone ?
h'tyif'[ h,m r,ma{
Y;w .$
,l,M;h -l,a b'aw{
y a{
b'Y;w ? w{
T.x;Liv h,Z -h'M'l '$y,lea ren.b;a a'b -heNih ? .$w{l'h .$,leY;w
25
"You
know Abner the
son of
Ner, that he
came to
deceive you and to
learn of your
going out and
coming in and to
find out
all that you are
doing."
a'B '$.t{
T;p.l yiK
ren -n,B
ren.b;a -t,a 'T.[;d'y ? t;[;d'l.w '$,aw{
bim -t,a.w '$]a'cw{
m -t,a t;[;d'l.w ? h,f{[ h'T;a r,v]a -l'K tea
Joab Murders Abner
26
When
Joab came out from
David, he
sent messengers after Abner, and they
brought him
back from the
well of
Sirah ; but
David did not
know it.
27
So when
Abner returned to
Hebron,
Joab took him
aside into the
middle of the
gate to
speak with him
privately, and
there he
struck him in the
belly so that he
died on account of the
blood of
Asahel his
brother.
29
" May it
fall on the
head of
Joab and on
all his
father's house ; and may there not
fail from the
house of
Joab one who has a
discharge, or who is a
leper, or who
takes hold of a
distaff, or who
falls by the
sword, or who
lacks bread."
David Mourns Abner
32
Thus they
buried Abner in
Hebron ; and the
king lifted up his
voice and
wept at the
grave of
Abner, and
all the
people wept.
33
The
king chanted a lament for
Abner and
said, "Should
Abner die as a
fool dies ?
34
"Your
hands were not
bound,
nor your
feet put in
fetters ; 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
still day ; but
David vowed,
saying, " May
God do so to me, and
more al
so,
if * I
taste bread or anything else before the
sun goes down."
36
Now
all the
people took note of it, and it
pleased * them, just as
everything * the
king did pleased * all the
people.
37
So
all the
people and
all Israel understood that
day that it had not
been the will of the
king to
put Abner the
son of
Ner to
death.
38
Then the
king said to his
servants, "Do you not
know that a
prince and a
great man has
fallen this day in
Israel ?
39
"I am
weak today, though
anointed king ; and
these men the
sons of
Zeruiah are
too difficult for me. May the
LORD repay the
evildoer#
stxa according to his
evil."