2 Samuel 3 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The House of David Strengthened

1 Now there was a long ^H752 war ^H4421 between ^H996 the house ^H1004 of Saul ^H7586 and the house ^H1004 of David ^H1732; and David ^H1732 became ^H1980 steadily ^H1980 stronger ^H2388, while the house ^H1004 of Saul ^H7586 became ^H1980 steadily ^H1980 weaker ^H1800.

2 Sons ^H1121 were born ^H3205 to David ^H1732 in Hebron ^H2275: his firstborn ^H1060 was Amnon ^H550, by Ahinoam ^H293 the Jezreelitess ^H3159;

3 and his second ^H4932, Chileab ^H3609, by Abigail ^H26 the [fn]widow ^H802 of Nabal ^H5037 the Carmelite ^H3761; and the third ^H7992, Absalom ^H53 the son ^H1121 of Maacah ^H4601, the daughter ^H1323 of Talmai ^H8526, king ^H4428 of Geshur ^H1650; 4 and the fourth ^H7243, Adonijah ^H138 the son ^H1121 of Haggith ^H2294; and the fifth ^H2549, Shephatiah ^H8203 the son ^H1121 of Abital ^H37; 5 and the sixth ^H8345, Ithream ^H3507, by David’s ^H1732 wife ^H802 Eglah ^H5698. These ^H428 sons were born ^H3205 to David ^H1732 in Hebron ^H2275.

Abner Joins David

6 Now it happened ^H1961 that while there was war ^H4421 between ^H996 the house ^H1004 of Saul ^H7586 and the house ^H1004 of David ^H1732, Abner ^H74 was [fn]strengthening ^H2388 himself in the house ^H1004 of Saul ^H7586.

7 And Saul ^H7586 had a concubine ^H6370 whose name ^H8034 was Rizpah ^H7532, the daughter ^H1323 of Aiah ^H345; and [fn]Ish-bosheth said ^H559 to Abner ^H74, “Why ^H4069 have you gone ^H935 in ^H935 to my father’s ^H1 concubine ^H6370?” 8 Then Abner ^H74 became ^H2734 very ^H3966 angry ^H2734 over ^H5921 Ish-bosheth’s ^H378 [fn]question ^H1697 and said ^H559, “Am I a dog’s ^H3611 head ^H7218 that belongs to Judah ^H3063? Today ^H3117 I show ^H6213 kindness ^H2617 to the house ^H1004 of Saul ^H7586 your father ^H1, to his brothers ^H251 and to his friends ^H4828, and have not let ^H4672 you fall ^H4672 into the hands ^H3027 of David ^H1732; yet today ^H3117 you call ^H6485 me to ^H6485 account ^H6485 for wrongdoing ^H5771 with [fn]that woman ^H802? 9 May God ^H430 do ^H6213 so ^H3541 to [fn]me ^H74, and more ^H3254 so ^H3541, if ^H3588 as the LORD ^H3068 has sworn ^H7650 to David ^H1732, I do not accomplish ^H6213 this ^H3651 for him: 10 to transfer ^H5674 the kingdom ^H4467 from the house ^H1004 of Saul ^H7586, and to establish ^H6965 the throne ^H3678 of David ^H1732 over ^H5921 Israel ^H3478 and over ^H5921 Judah ^H3063, from Dan ^H1835 even to Beersheba ^H884!” 11 And Ish-bosheth could ^H3201 no ^H3808 longer ^H5750 say ^H7725 a word ^H1697 in ^H7725 response ^H7725 to Abner ^H74, because ^H4480 he was ^H3372 afraid ^H3372 of him.

12 Then Abner ^H74 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to David ^H1732 at his place ^H8478, saying ^H559, “Whose ^H4310 is the land ^H776? Make ^H3772 your covenant ^H1285 with me, and behold ^H2009, my hand ^H3027 shall be with you to bring ^H5437 all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 over ^H5437 to you.” 13 And he said ^H559, “Good ^H2896! I will make ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 with you, only ^H389 I require ^H7592 one ^H259 thing ^H1697 of you, [fn]namely ^H559, that you shall not see ^H7200 my face ^H6440 unless ^H3588 H518 you first ^H6440 bring ^H935 Michal ^H4324, Saul’s ^H7586 daughter ^H1323, when you come ^H935 to see ^H7200 [fn]me.” 14 So David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 to Ish-bosheth ^H378, Saul’s ^H7586 son ^H1121, saying ^H559, “Give ^H5414 me my wife ^H802 Michal ^H4324, to whom ^H834 I was betrothed ^H781 for a hundred ^H3967 foreskins ^H6190 of the Philistines ^H6430.” 15 Ish-bosheth ^H378 sent ^H7971 men and [fn]had her taken ^H3947 from her husband ^H376, from [fn]Paltiel ^H6409 the son ^H1121 of Laish ^H3919. 16 And her husband ^H376 went ^H1980 with her, weeping ^H1058 as he went ^H1980, [fn]following ^H310 her as far ^H5704 as Bahurim ^H980. Then Abner ^H74 said ^H559 to him, “Go ^H1980, return ^H7725.” So he returned ^H7725.

17 Now Abner ^H74 had ^H1961 a [fn]consultation ^H1697 with the elders ^H2205 of Israel ^H3478, saying ^H559, “In times ^{H1571 H8032 H8543} past ^H8543 H8032 you were seeking ^H1245 for David ^H1732 to be king ^H4428 over ^H5921 you. 18 Now ^H6258 then, do ^H6213 it! For the LORD ^H3068 has spoken ^H559 regarding ^H413 David ^H1732, saying ^H559, ‘By the hand ^H3027 of My servant ^H5650 David ^H1732 [fn]I will save ^H3467 My people ^H5971 Israel ^H3478 from the hand ^H3027 of the Philistines ^H6430, and from the hands ^H3027 of all ^H3605 their enemies ^H340.’” 19 Abner ^H74 also ^H1571 spoke ^H1696 [fn]to Benjamin ^H1144; and in ^H1571 addition ^H1571 Abner ^H74 went ^H1980 to speak ^H1696 [fn]to David ^H1732 in Hebron ^H2275 everything ^H3605 that seemed ^H5869 good ^H2895 to Israel ^H3478 and to the entire ^H3605 house ^H1004 of Benjamin ^H1144.

20 Then Abner ^H74 and twenty ^H6242 men ^H376 with him came ^H935 to David ^H1732 at Hebron ^H2275. And David ^H1732 held ^H6213 a feast ^H4960 for Abner ^H74 and the men ^H376 who ^H834 were with him. 21 Abner ^H74 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “Let me set ^H6965 out ^H6965 and go ^H1980 and gather ^H6908 all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 to my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428, so that they may make ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 with you, and that you may be ^H4427 king ^H4427 over all ^H3605 that your soul ^H5315 desires ^H183.” So David ^H1732 let ^H7971 Abner ^H74 go ^H7971, and he went ^H1980 in peace ^H7965.

22 And behold ^H2009, the servants ^H5650 of David ^H1732 and Joab ^H3097 came ^H935 from a raid ^H1416 and brought ^H935 a large ^H7227 amount ^H7227 of plunder ^H7998 with them; but Abner ^H74 was not with David ^H1732 in Hebron ^H2275, since ^H3588 he had let ^H7971 him go ^H7971, and he had gone ^H1980 in peace ^H7965. 23 When Joab ^H3097 and all ^H3605 the army ^H6635 that was with him arrived ^H935, they informed ^H5046 Joab ^H3097, saying ^H559, “Abner ^H74 the son ^H1121 of Ner ^H5369 came ^H935 to the king ^H4428, and he has let ^H7971 him go ^H7971 on his way, and he has gone ^H1980 in peace ^H7965.” 24 Then Joab ^H3097 came ^H935 to the king ^H4428 and said ^H559, “What ^H4100 have you done ^H6213? Behold ^H2009, Abner ^H74 came ^H935 to you; why ^H4100 then ^H2088 have you let ^H7971 him go ^H7971, so that he is already ^H1980 gone ^H1980? 25 You know ^H3045 Abner ^H74 the son ^H1121 of Ner ^H5369, that he came ^H935 to gain ^H6601 your confidence ^H6601, and to learn ^H3045 of your [fn]going ^H4161 out and coming ^H4126 in ^H4126 and to find ^H3045 out ^H3045 everything ^H3605 that you are doing ^H6213.”

Joab Murders Abner

26 When Joab ^H3097 left ^H3318 David’s ^H1732 presence ^H5973, he sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 after ^H310 Abner ^H74, and they brought ^H7725 him back ^H7725 from the well ^H953 of Sirah ^H5626; but David ^H1732 did not know ^H3045 about it.

27 So when Abner ^H74 returned ^H7725 to Hebron ^H2275, Joab ^H3097 took ^H5186 him aside ^H5186 into the middle ^H8432 of the gate ^H8179 to speak ^H1696 with him privately ^H7987, and there ^H8033 he struck ^H5221 him in the belly ^H2570, so that he died ^H4191 on account of the blood ^H1818 of his brother ^H251 Asahel ^H6214. 28 Afterward ^H310, when David ^H1732 heard ^H8085 about this, he said ^H559, “I and my kingdom ^H4467 are innocent ^H5355 before ^H4480 H5973 the LORD ^H3068 forever ^H5704 H5769 of the blood ^H1818 of Abner ^H74 the son ^H1121 of Ner ^H5369. 29 May it turn ^H2342 upon the head ^H7218 of Joab ^H3097 and on all ^H3605 his father’s ^H1 house ^H1004; and may there not be eliminated ^H3772 from the house ^H1004 of Joab ^H3097 someone who suffers ^H2100 a discharge ^H2100, or has leprosy ^H6879, or [fn]holds ^H2388 the spindle ^H6418, or falls ^H5307 by the sword ^H2719, or lacks ^H2638 bread ^H3899.” 30 So Joab ^H3097 and his brother ^H251 Abishai ^H52 killed ^H2026 Abner ^H74 because ^H5921 H834 he had put ^H4191 their brother ^H251 Asahel ^H6214 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 in the battle ^H4421 at Gibeon ^H1391.

David Mourns Abner

31 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Joab ^H3097 and to all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were with him, “Tear ^H7167 your clothes ^H899 and put ^H2296 on ^H2296 sackcloth ^H8242, and mourn ^H5594 before ^H6440 Abner ^H74.” And King ^H4428 David ^H1732 walked ^H1980 behind ^H310 the bier ^H4296.

32 And they buried ^H6912 Abner ^H74 in Hebron ^H2275; and the king ^H4428 raised ^H5375 his voice ^H6963 and wept ^H1058 at the grave ^H6913 of Abner ^H74, and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 wept ^H1058. 33 And the king ^H4428 sang ^H6969 a ^H6969 song ^H6969 of ^H6969 mourning ^H6969 for Abner ^H74 and said ^H559,

“Should Abner ^H74 die ^H4191 as a fool ^H5036 dies ^H4194?

34 “Your hands ^H3027 were not bound ^H631, nor ^H3808 your feet ^H7272 put ^H5066 in bronze ^H5178 shackles ^H5178;

As one falls ^H5307 before ^H6440 the [fn]wicked ^H5766 H1121, you have fallen ^H5307.”

And all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 wept ^H1058 over ^H5921 him again ^H3254. 35 Then all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 came ^H935 to provide ^H1262 [fn]food ^H3899 for David ^H1732 in his distress while it was still ^H5750 day ^H3117; but David ^H1732 vowed ^H7650, saying ^H559, “May God ^H430 do ^H6213 so ^H3541 to me, and more ^H3254 so ^H3541, if ^H3588 H518 I taste ^H2938 bread ^H3899 or ^H176 anything ^H3972 else ^H3605 before ^H6440 the sun ^H8121 goes ^H935 down.” 36 Now all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 took ^H5234 note ^H5234 of David’s vow, and it [fn]pleased ^H3190 H5869 them, just as everything ^H3605 that the king ^H4428 did ^H6213 [fn]pleased ^H2895 H5869 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971. 37 So all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 understood ^H3045 on that day ^H3117 that it had not been ^H1961 the desire of the king ^H4428 to put ^H4191 Abner ^H74 the son ^H1121 of Ner ^H5369 to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 38 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to his servants ^H5650, “Do you not know ^H3045 that a leader ^H8269 and a great ^H1419 man ^H1419 has fallen ^H5307 in Israel ^H3478 this ^H2088 day ^H3117? 39 And I am weak ^H7390 today ^H3117, though anointed ^H4886 king ^H4428; and these ^H428 men ^H376, the sons ^H1121 of Zeruiah ^H6870, are too ^H4480 difficult ^H7186 for me. May the LORD ^H3068 repay ^H7999 the evildoer ^H6213 H7451 in proportion to his evil ^H7451.”