2 Samuel 3:12-29

12Then AbnerH74 sentH7971 messengersH4397 to DavidH1732 at his placeH8478, sayingH559, “WhoseH4310 is the landH776? MakeH3772 your covenantH1285 with me, and beholdH2009, my handH3027 shall be with you to bringH5437 allH3605 IsraelH3478 overH5437 to you.” 13And he saidH559, “GoodH2896! I will makeH3772 a covenantH1285 with you, onlyH389 I requireH7592 oneH259 thingH1697 of you, 1namelyH559, that 2you shall not seeH7200 my faceH6440 unlessH3588H518 you 3firstH6440 bringH935 MichalH4324, Saul’sH7586 daughterH1323, when you comeH935 to seeH7200 4me.” 14So DavidH1732 sentH7971 messengersH4397 to Ish-boshethH378, Saul’sH7586 sonH1121, sayingH559, “GiveH5414 me my wifeH802 MichalH4324, to whomH834 I was betrothedH781 5for a hundredH3967 foreskinsH6190 of the PhilistinesH6430.” 15Ish-boshethH378 sentH7971 men and 6had her takenH3947 from her husbandH376, from 7PaltielH6409 the sonH1121 of LaishH3919. 16And her husbandH376 wentH1980 with her, weepingH1058 as he wentH1980, 8followingH310 her as farH5704 as 9BahurimH980. Then AbnerH74 saidH559 to him, “GoH1980, returnH7725.” So he returnedH7725.

17Now AbnerH74 hadH1961 a 10consultationH1697 with 11the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478, sayingH559, “In timesH1571H8032H8543 pastH8543H8032 you were seekingH1245 for DavidH1732 to be kingH4428 overH5921 you. 18NowH6258 then, doH6213 it! For the LordH3068 has spokenH559 regardingH413 DavidH1732, sayingH559, ‘12By the handH3027 of My servantH5650 DavidH1732 13I will saveH3467 My peopleH5971 IsraelH3478 from the handH3027 of the PhilistinesH6430, and from the handsH3027 of allH3605 their enemiesH340.’” 19AbnerH74 alsoH1571 spokeH1696 14to BenjaminH1144; and inH1571 additionH1571 AbnerH74 wentH1980 to speakH1696 15to DavidH1732 in HebronH2275 everythingH3605 that seemedH5869 goodH2895 to IsraelH3478 and to 16the entireH3605 houseH1004 of BenjaminH1144.

20Then AbnerH74 and twentyH6242 menH376 with him cameH935 to DavidH1732 at HebronH2275. And DavidH1732 heldH6213 a feastH4960 for AbnerH74 and the menH376 whoH834 were with him. 21AbnerH74 saidH559 to DavidH1732, “Let me setH6965 outH6965 and goH1980 and 17gatherH6908 allH3605 IsraelH3478 to my lordH113 the kingH4428, so that they may makeH3772 a covenantH1285 with you, and that 18you may beH4427 kingH4427 over allH3605 that your soulH5315 desiresH183.” So DavidH1732 letH7971 AbnerH74 goH7971, and he wentH1980 in peaceH7965.

22And beholdH2009, 19the servantsH5650 of DavidH1732 and JoabH3097 cameH935 from a raidH1416 and broughtH935 a largeH7227 amountH7227 of plunderH7998 with them; but AbnerH74 was not with DavidH1732 in HebronH2275, sinceH3588 he had letH7971 him goH7971, and he had goneH1980 in peaceH7965. 23When JoabH3097 and allH3605 the armyH6635 that was with him arrivedH935, they informedH5046 JoabH3097, sayingH559, “AbnerH74 the sonH1121 of NerH5369 cameH935 to the kingH4428, and he has letH7971 him goH7971 on his way, and he has goneH1980 in peaceH7965.” 24Then JoabH3097 cameH935 to the kingH4428 and saidH559, “WhatH4100 have you doneH6213? BeholdH2009, AbnerH74 cameH935 to you; whyH4100 thenH2088 have you letH7971 him goH7971, so that he is alreadyH1980 goneH1980? 25You knowH3045 AbnerH74 the sonH1121 of NerH5369, that he cameH935 to gainH6601 your confidenceH6601, and to learnH3045 of 20your 21goingH4161 out and comingH4126 inH4126 and to findH3045 outH3045 everythingH3605 that you are doingH6213.”

26When JoabH3097 leftH3318 David’sH1732 presenceH5973, he sentH7971 messengersH4397 afterH310 AbnerH74, and they broughtH7725 him backH7725 from the wellH953 of SirahH5626; but DavidH1732 did not knowH3045 about it. 27So when AbnerH74 returnedH7725 to HebronH2275, JoabH3097 tookH5186 him asideH5186 into the middleH8432 of the gateH8179 to speakH1696 with him privatelyH7987, and thereH8033 22he struckH5221 him in the bellyH2570, so that he diedH4191 on account of the bloodH1818 of his brotherH251 AsahelH6214. 28AfterwardH310, when DavidH1732 heardH8085 about this, he saidH559, “I and my kingdomH4467 are innocentH5355 beforeH4480H5973 the LordH3068 foreverH5704H5769 of the bloodH1818 of AbnerH74 the sonH1121 of NerH5369. 2923May it turnH2342 upon the headH7218 of JoabH3097 and on allH3605 his father’sH1 houseH1004; and may there not be eliminatedH3772 from the houseH1004 of JoabH3097 24someone who suffersH2100 a dischargeH2100, or has leprosyH6879, or 25holdsH2388 the spindleH6418, or fallsH5307 by the swordH2719, or lacksH2638 breadH3899.”