2 Samuel 3:22-39

22Just then, David’s soldiers and Joab came from a raid, bringing with them much spoil. By then Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he departed in shalom.

23When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, they told Joab, saying, “Abner son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in shalom.”

24Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Look here, Abner came to you—why did you send him away? Now he is getting away!

25You know Abner son of Ner—surely he came to deceive you, to spy on your goings and comings, and to find out all that you are doing.”

26When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, so they brought him back from the well of Sirah, though David knew nothing about it.

27Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside within the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the groin, so that he died—on account of the blood of his brother Asahel.

28When David heard about it afterward, he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before Adonai forever from the blood of Abner son of Ner.

29May it whirl on Joab’s head and on all his father’s house. May the house of Joab never be without someone with discharge or tza'arat, lame or one fallen by the sword or one who lacks food.”

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

31Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Rend your clothes, gird with sackcloth, and lament before Abner.” King David walked behind the platform.

32When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king lifted up his voice and wept aloud at Abner’s grave, and all the people wept.

33Then the king chanted a lament for Abner and said, “Should Abner die like a senseless fool?

34Your hands were not bound, your feet were never put in fetters. As one falls before the children of iniquity, so did you fall.” Then all the people wept again over him.

35Then all the people came to urge David to eat some food while it was still day, but David vowed saying, “May God do so to me and even more if I taste food or anything else before the sun sets.”

36All the people took note of it and it pleased them, just as everything the king did pleased all the people.

37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king’s will to kill Abner son of Ner.

38Then the king said to his soldiers, “Don’t you realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel today?

39So today I am vulnerable, even though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me to handle. May Adonai reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”