2Samuel 3
3The fighting between the forces supporting Saul's family and those supporting David went on for a long time. As David became stronger and stronger, his opponents became weaker and weaker.H752H4421H1004H7586H1004H1732H1732H1980H2390H2390H1004H7586H1980H1800H18002The following six sons, in order of their birth, were born to David at Hebron: Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel;H1732H1121H3205H3205H2275H1060H550H293H31593Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel; Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;H4932H3609H26H802H5037H3761H7992H53H1121H4601H1323H8526H4428H16504Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital;H7243H138H1121H2294H2549H8203H1121H375Ithream, whose mother was Eglah. All of these sons were born in Hebron.H8345H3507H5698H1732H802H3205H1732H22756As the fighting continued between David's forces and the forces loyal to Saul's family, Abner became more and more powerful among Saul's followers.H4421H1004H7586H1004H1732H74H2388H1004H75867One day Ishbosheth son of Saul accused Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah.H7586H6370H8034H7532H1323H345H559H74H935H1H63708This made Abner furious. "Do you think that I would betray Saul? Do you really think I'm serving Judah?" he exclaimed. "From the very first I have been loyal to the cause of your father Saul, his brothers, and his friends, and I have kept you from being defeated by David; yet today you find fault with me about a woman!H74H3966H2734H1697H378H559H3611H7218H3063H6213H2617H3117H1004H7586H1H251H4828H4672H3027H1732H6485H3117H5771H8029The LORD promised David that he would take the kingdom away from Saul and his descendants and would make David king of both Israel and Judah, from one end of the country to the other.H6213H430H74H3254H3068H7650H1732H621310Now may God strike me dead if I don't make this come true!"H5674H4467H1004H7586H6965H3678H1732H3478H3063H1835H88411Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not say a word.H3201H7725H74H1697H337212Abner sent messengers to David, who at that time was at Hebron, to say, "Who is going to rule this land? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you win all Israel over to your side."H74H7971H4397H1732H559H776H559H3772H1285H3027H5437H347813"Good!" David answered. "I will make an agreement with you on one condition: you must bring Saul's daughter Michal to me when you come to see me."H559H2896H3772H1285H259H1697H7592H559H7200H6440H6440H935H4324H7586H1323H935H7200H644014And David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth to say, "Give me back my wife Michal. I paid a hundred Philistine foreskins in order to marry her."H1732H7971H4397H378H7586H1121H559H5414H802H4324H781H3967H6190H643015So Ishbosheth had her taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.H378H7971H3947H376H6409H1121H3889H391916Paltiel followed her all the way to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. But when Abner said, "Go back home," he did.H376H3212H1980H1058H310H980H559H74H3212H7725H772517Abner went to the leaders of Israel and said to them, "For a long time you have wanted David to be your king.H74H1961H1697H2205H3478H559H1245H1732H8543H8032H442818Now here is your chance. Remember that the LORD has said, 'I will use my servant David to rescue my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their other enemies.' "H6213H3068H559H1732H559H3027H5650H1732H3467H5971H3478H3027H6430H3027H34119Abner spoke also to the people of the tribe of Benjamin and then went to Hebron to tell David what the people of Benjamin and of Israel had agreed to do.H74H1696H241H1144H74H3212H1696H241H1732H2275H5869H2896H3478H5869H1004H114420When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David gave a feast for them.H74H935H1732H2275H6242H582H1732H6213H74H582H496021Abner told David, "I will go now and win all Israel over to Your Majesty. They will accept you as king, and then you will get what you have wanted and will rule over the whole land." David gave Abner a guarantee of safety and sent him on his way.H74H559H1732H6965H3212H6908H3478H113H4428H3772H1285H4427H5315H183H1732H7971H74H7971H3212H796522Later on Joab and David's other officials returned from a raid, bringing a large amount of loot with them. Abner, however, was no longer there at Hebron with David, because David had sent him away with a guarantee of safety.H5650H1732H3097H935H1416H935H7227H7998H74H1732H2275H7971H3212H796523When Joab and his men arrived, he was told that Abner had come to King David and had been sent away with a guarantee of safety.H3097H6635H935H5046H3097H559H74H1121H5369H935H4428H7971H3212H796524So Joab went to the king and said to him, "What have you done? Abner came to you - why did you let him go like that?H3097H935H4428H559H6213H74H935H7971H1980H321225He came here to deceive you and to find out everything you do and everywhere you go. Surely you know that!"H3045H74H1121H5369H935H6601H3045H4161H4126H3996H3045H621326After leaving David, Joab sent messengers to get Abner, and they brought him back from Sirah Well; but David knew nothing about it.H3097H3318H1732H7971H4397H310H74H7725H953H5626H1732H304527When Abner arrived in Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. And so Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel.H74H7725H2275H3097H5186H413H8432H8179H1696H7987H5221H2570H4191H1818H6214H25128When David heard the news, he said, "The LORD knows that my subjects and I are completely innocent of the murder of Abner.H310H1732H8085H559H4467H5355H3068H5704H5769H1818H74H1121H536929May the punishment for it fall on Joab and all his family! In every generation may there be some man in his family who has gonorrhea or a dreaded skin disease or is fit only to do a woman's work or is killed in battle or doesn't have enough to eat!"H2342H7218H3097H1H1004H3772H1004H3097H2100H6879H2388H6418H5307H2719H2638H389930So Joab and his brother Abishai took revenge on Abner for killing their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.H3097H52H251H2026H74H4191H251H6214H1391H442131Then David ordered Joab and his men to tear their clothes, wear sackcloth, and mourn for Abner. And at the funeral King David himself walked behind the coffin.H1732H559H3097H5971H7167H899H2296H8242H5594H6440H74H4428H1732H1980H310H429632Abner was buried at Hebron, and the king wept aloud at the grave, and so did all the people.H6912H74H2275H4428H5375H6963H1058H6913H74H5971H105833David sang this lament for Abner: "Why did Abner have to die like a fool?H4428H6969H74H559H4191H74H5036H419434His hands were not tied, And his feet were not bound; He died like someone killed by criminals!" And the people wept for him again.H3027H631H7272H5066H5178H5307H6440H5766H1121H5307H5971H1058H325435All day long the people tried to get David to eat something, but he made a solemn promise, "May God strike me dead if I eat anything before the day is over!"H3605H5971H935H1262H1732H1262H3899H5750H3117H1732H7650H559H6213H430H3254H2938H3899H3972H6440H8121H93536They took note of this and were pleased. Indeed, everything the king did pleased the people.H5971H5234H3190H5869H4428H6213H5869H2896H597137All of David's people and all the people in Israel understood that the king had no part in the murder of Abner.H5971H3478H3045H3117H4428H4191H74H1121H536938The king said to his officials, "Don't you realize that this day a great leader in Israel has died?H4428H559H5650H3045H8269H1419H5307H3117H347839Even though I am the king chosen by God, I feel weak today. These sons of Zeruiah are too violent for me. May the LORD punish these criminals as they deserve!"H3117H7390H4886H4428H582H1121H6870H7186H3068H7999H6213H7451
Columbus, OH
