King James Version › 2 Samuel › 3

2 Samuel

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1 Now there was long war be­tween the house of Saul and the house of David: but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weak­er and weak­er. 2 And unto David were sons born in He­bron: and his first­born was Am­non, of Ahi­noam the Jezreel­itess; 3 And his sec­ond, Chileab, of Abi­gail the wife of Na­bal the Carmelite; and the third, Ab­sa­lom the son of Maac­ah the daugh­ter of Tal­mai 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 He­bron. 6 And it came to pass, while there was war be­tween the house of Saul and the house of David, that Ab­n­er made him­self strong for the house of Saul. 7 And Saul had a con­cu­bine, whose name was Riz­pah, the daugh­ter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Ab­n­er, Where­fore hast thou gone in unto my father's con­cu­bine? 8 Then was Ab­n­er very wroth for the words of Ish­bosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Ju­dah do shew kind­ness this day unto the house of Saul thy fa­ther, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not de­liv­ered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault con­cern­ing this wom­an? 9 So do God to Ab­n­er, and more al­so, ex­cept, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him; 10 To trans­late the king­dom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Is­rael and over Ju­dah, from Dan even to Beer­she­ba. 11 And he could not an­swer Ab­n­er a word again, be­cause he feared him. 12 And Ab­n­er sent mes­sen­gers to David on his be­half, say­ing, Whose is the land? say­ing also, Make thy league with me, and, be­hold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring about all Is­rael unto thee. 13 And he said, Well; I will make a league with thee: but one thing I re­quire of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, ex­cept thou first bring Michal Saul's daugh­ter, when thou comest to see my face. 14 And David sent mes­sen­gers to Ish­bosheth Saul's son, say­ing, De­liv­er me my wife Michal, which I es­poused to me for an hun­dred fore­skins of the Philistines. 15 And Ish­bosheth sent, and took her from her hus­band, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish. 16 And her hus­band went with her along weep­ing be­hind her to Bahurim. Then said Ab­n­er unto him, Go, re­turn. And he re­turned. 17 And Ab­n­er had com­mu­ni­ca­tion with the el­ders of Is­rael, say­ing, Ye sought for David in times past ­to be king over you: 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 hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their en­e­mies. 19 And Ab­n­er also spake in the ears of Ben­jamin: and Ab­n­er went also to speak in the ears of David in He­bron all that seemed good to Is­rael, and that seemed good to the whole house of Ben­jamin. 20 So Ab­n­er came to David to He­bron, and twen­ty men with him. And David made Ab­n­er and the men that were with him a feast. 21 And Ab­n­er said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gath­er all Is­rael unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart de­sireth. And David sent Ab­n­er away; and he went in peace. 22 And, be­hold, the ser­vants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Ab­n­er was not with David in He­bron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they 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, What hast thou done? be­hold, Ab­n­er came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone? 25 Thou know­est Ab­n­er the son of Ner, that he came to de­ceive thee, and to know thy go­ing out and thy com­ing in, and to know all that thou doest. 26 And when Joab was come out from David, he sent mes­sen­gers af­ter Ab­n­er, which brought him again from the well of Sir­ah: but David knew it not. 27 And when Ab­n­er was re­turned to He­bron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him qui­et­ly, and smote him there un­der the fifth rib, that he died, for the blood of Asa­hel his broth­er. 28 And af­ter­ward when David heard it, he said, I and my king­dom are guilt­less be­fore the LORD for ever from the blood of Ab­n­er the son of Ner: 29 Let it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an is­sue, or that is a lep­er, or that leaneth on a staff, or that fal­l­eth on the sword, or that lack­eth bread. 30 So Joab and Abishai his broth­er slew Ab­n­er, be­cause he had slain their broth­er Asa­hel at Gibeon in the bat­tle. 31 And David said to Joab, and to all the peo­ple that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird you with sack­cloth, and mourn be­fore Ab­n­er. And king David himself fol­lowed the bier. 32 And 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 And the king lament­ed over Ab­n­er, and said, Died Ab­n­er as a fool di­eth? 34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fet­ters: as a man fal­l­eth be­fore wicked men, so fellest thou. And all the peo­ple wept again over him. 35 And when all the peo­ple came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David sware, 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 took no­tice of it, and it pleased them: as what­so­ev­er the king did pleased all the peo­ple. 37 For all the peo­ple and all Is­rael un­der­stood that day that it was not of the king to slay Ab­n­er the son of Ner. 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, though anoint­ed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me: the LORD shall re­ward the doer of evil ac­cord­ing to his wicked­ness.