2 Samuel 3:28-37

28Later, David heard about what Joab had done. He said, ‘The Lord knows this: I and the people of my kingdom are not guilty of Abner's murder.

29I pray that Joab and all his father's family will pay for this murder! May God punish his descendants for ever! May somebody always have sores or leprosy. May there be men who are not brave enough to fight, men who die in battle, or people who have no food to eat!’

30That is how Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner. They killed him because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

31David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, ‘Tear your clothes! Wear sackcloth to show that you are sad! Weep because of Abner's death.’ King David himself walked behind the men who carried Abner's dead body.

32They buried Abner in a grave in Hebron. The king wept loudly beside Abner's grave. All the people wept too.

33The king sang this song about Abner's death: ‘Abner, you should not have died like a fool.

34Nobody had tied your hands. Nobody had put chains on your feet. It was murder by wicked people that killed you.’ Then all the people started to weep again for Abner.

35The people came and they spoke to David. They said that he should eat some food before the end of the day. But David said, ‘I will not eat any food at all before sunset. May God punish me if I eat anything!’

36All the people heard David say this. It made them happy. They were pleased with everything that the king did.

37That day, everyone in Israel realized that David had not wanted the death of Ner's son, Abner.