CHAPTER 3
1 Therefore a long strife was made betwixt the house of David and the house of Saul; and David profited and ever[more] was stronger than himself, in comparison of time passed, for his power increased ever, but the house of Saul decreased each day.
2 And sons were born to David in Hebron; and his first begotten son was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 and after him was Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel; and the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;
4 and the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
5 and the sixth was Ithream, of Eglah, the wife of David. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 Therefore when battle was betwixt the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, governed the house of Saul.
7 And to Saul was a concubine, that is, a secondary wife, Rizpah by name, the daughter of Aiah; and Abner entered [in] to her. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why hast thou entered [in] to the concubine of my father?
8 And Abner was wroth greatly for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Whether I am the head of a dog against Judah today, and I have done mercy on the house of Saul, thy father, and on his brethren, and neighbours, and I betook not thee into the hands of David, and thou hast sought in me that, that thou shouldest reprove for a woman today?
9 God do these things to Abner, and add these things to him, no but as the Lord swore to David, so I do with him,
10 that the realm be translated from the house of Saul, and the throne of David be raised on Israel and on Judah, from Dan till to Beersheba.
11 And Ishbosheth might not answer anything to Abner, for he dreaded Abner.
12 Therefore Abner sent messengers to David, and they said for him, Whose is the land? and that the messengers should speak thus, Make thou friend-ships with me, and mine hand shall be with thee, and I shall bring all Israel to thee.
13 And David said, Best, I shall make friendships with thee; but I ask of thee one thing, and say, Thou shalt not see my face, before that thou bring Michal, the daughter of Saul, and so thou shalt come, and shalt see me.
14 Therefore David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and said, Yield thou my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for an hundred prepuces of Philistines.
15 Therefore Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, Phaltiel, the son of Laish;
16 and her husband pursued [or followed] her, and wept till to Bahurim. And Abner said to him, Go thou, and turn again; and he turned again.
17 Also Abner brought in a word to the elder men of Israel, and said, Both yesterday and the third day ago ye sought David, that he should reign upon you.
18 Now therefore do ye; for the Lord spake to David, and said, In the hand of my servant David I shall save my people Israel from the hand of Philistines, and of all his enemies.
19 And also Abner spake to Benjamin; and he went, that he should speak to David, in Hebron, all things that pleased Israel and all Benjamin.
20 And he came to David, in Hebron, with twenty men. And David made a feast to Abner, and to the men that came with him.
21 And Abner said to David, I shall rise up, that I gather all Israel to thee, my lord the king, and that I make bond of peace with thee, and that thou reign on all, as thy soul desireth. Therefore when David had led forth Abner, and he had gone in peace,
22 anon the children of David and Joab came with a full great prey, when the thieves were slain; and Abner was not then with David, in Hebron, for David had let him go, and he went forth in peace.
23 And Joab, and the hosts that were with him, came afterward; therefore it was told to Joab of tellers, Abner, the son of Ner, came to the king, and the king let him go, and he went forth in peace.
24 And Joab entered to the king, and said, What hast thou done? Lo! Abner came to thee; why lettest thou him go, and he went, and departed from thee?
25 Knowest thou not Abner, the son of Ner, for hereto he came to thee, that he should deceive thee, and that he should know thy going out and thine entering, and should know all things which thou doest?
26 Therefore Joab went out from David, and sent messengers after Abner; and led him again from the cistern of Sirah, while David knew not.
27 And when Abner had come again into Hebron, Joab led him asides half to the middle of the gate, that he should speak to him in guile; and he smote Abner there in the share-bone, and he was dead, into vengeance of the blood of his brother Asahel.
28 That when David had heard this thing done, he said, I am clean, and my realm, with God into without end from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner;
29 and come it on the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his father; and fail there not from the house of Joab a man suffering flowing of seed, and a leprous man, and a man holding a spindle, and a man falling by sword, and a man having need to bread.
30 Therefore Joab, and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner, for he had slain Asahel, their brother, in Gibeon, in battle.
31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that was with him, Rend ye your clothes, and be ye gird with sackcloths, and bewail ye before the hearses, either dirge, of Abner. Forsooth king David pursued [or followed] the bier.
32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David raised his voice, and wept on the burial of Abner; and certainly all the people wept.
33 And the king bewailed, and be-mourned Abner, and said, Abner, thou diedest not as dreadful men, either cowards, be wont to die.
34 Thine hands were not bound, and thy feet were not grieved with stocks, but thou hast fallen down, as men be wont to fall before the sons of wicked-ness. And all the people doubled together, and wept on him.
35 And when all the multitude came to take meat with David, while the day was yet clear, David swore, and said, God do to me these things, and add these things too, if I shall taste bread, either any other thing, before the going down of the sun.
36 And all the people heard this; and all things which the king did in the sight of all the people pleased them;
37 and all the common people and all Israel knew in that day, that it was not done of the king, that Abner, the son of Ner, was slain.
38 Also the king said to his servants, Whether ye know not, that the prince and the greatest hath fallen down today in Israel?
39 And I am yet tender, and anointed king; and these sons of Zeruiah be hard to me; the Lord yield to him that doeth evil after his malice.