2 Samuel 3:22-39

22Now David’s soldiers and Joab were coming back from a raid, bringing a great deal of plunder with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for David had sent him away and he had left in peace.

23When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, Joab was told: “Abner the son of Ner came to the king; he sent him away, and he left in peace!”

24So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Abner has come to you! Why would you send him away? Now he’s gone on his way!

25You know Abner the son of Ner! Surely he came here to spy on you and to determine when you leave and when you return and to discover everything that you are doing!”

26Then Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well of Sirah. (But David was not aware of it.)

27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate as if to speak privately with him. Joab then stabbed him in the abdomen and killed him, avenging the shed blood of his brother Asahel.

28When David later heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord of the shed blood of Abner son of Ner!

29May his blood whirl over the head of Joab and the entire house of his father! May the males of Joab’s house never cease to have someone with a running sore or a skin disease or one who works at the spindle or one who falls by the sword or one who lacks food!”

30So Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in Gibeon during the battle.

31David instructed Joab and all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes! Put on sackcloth! Lament before Abner!” Now King David followed behind the funeral bier.

32So they buried Abner in Hebron. The king cried loudly over Abner’s grave and all the people wept too.

33The king chanted the following lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died like a fool?

34Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not put into irons. You fell the way one falls before criminals.” All the people wept over him again.

35Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, “God will punish me severely if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!”

36All the people noticed this and it pleased them. In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people.

37All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation.

38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader has fallen this day in Israel?

39Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!”