3The war between the house of Saul and the house of David dragged on and on. The longer it went on the stronger David became, with the house of Saul getting weaker.H752H4421H1004H7586H1004H1732H1732H1980H2390H2390H1004H7586H1980H1800H18002During the Hebron years, sons were born to David: Amnon, born of Ahinoam of Jezreel—the firstborn;H1732H1121H3205H3205H2275H1060H550H293H31593Kileab, born of Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow—his second; Absalom, born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur—the third;H4932H3609H26H802H5037H3761H7992H53H1121H4601H1323H8526H4428H16504Adonijah, born of Haggith—the fourth; Shephatiah, born of Abital—the fifth;H7243H138H1121H2294H2549H8203H1121H375Ithream, born of Eglah—the sixth. These six sons of David were born in Hebron.H8345H3507H5698H1732H802H3205H1732H22756Abner took advantage of the continuing war between the house of Saul and the house of David to gain power for himself.H4421H1004H7586H1004H1732H74H2388H1004H75867Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. One day Ish-Bosheth confronted Abner: "What business do you have sleeping with my father's concubine?"H7586H6370H8034H7532H1323H345H559H74H935H1H63708Abner lost his temper with Ish-Bosheth, "Treat me like a dog, will you! Is this the thanks I get for sticking by the house of your father, Saul, and all his family and friends? I personally saved you from certain capture by David, and you make an issue out of my going to bed with a woman!H74H3966H2734H1697H378H559H3611H7218H3063H6213H2617H3117H1004H7586H1H251H4828H4672H3027H1732H6485H3117H5771H8029What GOD promised David, I'll help accomplish—transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and make David ruler over the whole country, both Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. If not, may God do his worst to me."H6213H430H74H3254H3068H7650H1732H621310(SEE 3:9)H5674H4467H1004H7586H6965H3678H1732H3478H3063H1835H88411Ish-Bosheth, cowed by Abner's outburst, couldn't say another word.H3201H7725H74H1697H337212Abner went ahead and sent personal messengers to David: "Make a deal with me and I'll help bring the whole country of Israel over to you."H74H7971H4397H1732H559H776H559H3772H1285H3027H5437H347813"Great," said David. "It's a deal. But only on one condition: You're not welcome here unless you bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with you when you come to meet me."H559H2896H3772H1285H259H1697H7592H559H7200H6440H6440H935H4324H7586H1323H935H7200H644014David then sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul: "Give me back Michal, whom I won as my wife at the cost of a hundred Philistine foreskins."H1732H7971H4397H378H7586H1121H559H5414H802H4324H781H3967H6190H643015Ish-Bosheth ordered that she be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.H378H7971H3947H376H6409H1121H3889H391916But Paltiel followed her, weeping all the way, to Bahurim. There Abner told him, "Go home." And he went home.H376H3212H1980H1058H310H980H559H74H3212H7725H772517Abner got the elders of Israel together and said, "Only yesterday, it seems, you were looking for a way to make David your king.H74H1961H1697H2205H3478H559H1245H1732H8543H8032H442818So do it—now! For GOD has given the go-ahead on David: 'By my servant David's hand, I'll save my people Israel from the oppression of the Philistines and all their other enemies.'"H6213H3068H559H1732H559H3027H5650H1732H3467H5971H3478H3027H6430H3027H34119Abner took the Benjaminites aside and spoke to them. Then he went to Hebron for a private talk with David, telling him everything that Israel in general and Benjamin in particular were planning to do.H74H1696H241H1144H74H3212H1696H241H1732H2275H5869H2896H3478H5869H1004H114420When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in Hebron, David laid out a feast for them.H74H935H1732H2275H6242H582H1732H6213H74H582H496021Abner then said, "I'm ready. Let me go now to rally everyone in Israel for my master, the king. They'll make a treaty with you, authorizing you to rule them however you see fit." Abner was sent off with David's blessing.H74H559H1732H6965H3212H6908H3478H113H4428H3772H1285H4427H5315H183H1732H7971H74H7971H3212H796522Soon after that, David's men, led by Joab, came back from a field assignment. Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, having just been dismissed with David's blessing.H5650H1732H3097H935H1416H935H7227H7998H74H1732H2275H7971H3212H796523As Joab and his raiding party arrived, they were told that Abner the son of Ner had been there with David and had been sent off with David's blessing.H3097H6635H935H5046H3097H559H74H1121H5369H935H4428H7971H3212H796524Joab went straight to the king: "What's this you've done? Abner shows up, and you let him walk away scot-free?H3097H935H4428H559H6213H74H935H7971H1980H321225You know Abner son of Ner better than that. This was no friendly visit. He was here to spy on you, figure out your comings and goings, find out what you're up to."H3045H74H1121H5369H935H6601H3045H4161H4126H3996H3045H621326Joab left David and went into action. He sent messengers after Abner; they caught up with him at the well at Sirah and brought him back. David knew nothing of all this.H3097H3318H1732H7971H4397H310H74H7725H953H5626H1732H304527When Abner got back to Hebron, Joab steered him aside at the gate for a personal word with him. There he stabbed him in the belly, killed him in cold blood for the murder of his brother Asahel.H74H7725H2275H3097H5186H413H8432H8179H1696H7987H5221H2570H4191H1818H6214H25128Later on, when David heard what happened, he said, "Before GOD I and my kingdom are totally innocent of this murder of Abner son of Ner.H310H1732H8085H559H4467H5355H3068H5704H5769H1818H74H1121H536929Joab and his entire family will always be under the curse of this bloodguilt. May they forever be victims of crippling diseases, violence, and famine."H2342H7218H3097H1H1004H3772H1004H3097H2100H6879H2388H6418H5307H2719H2638H389930(Joab and his brother, Abishai, murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.)H3097H52H251H2026H74H4191H251H6214H1391H442131David ordered Joab and all the men under him, "Rip your cloaks into rags! Wear mourning clothes! Lead Abner's funeral procession with loud lament!" King David followed the coffin.H1732H559H3097H5971H7167H899H2296H8242H5594H6440H74H4428H1732H1980H310H429632They buried Abner in Hebron. The king's voice was loud in lament as he wept at the side of Abner's grave. All the people wept, too.H6912H74H2275H4428H5375H6963H1058H6913H74H5971H105833Then the king sang this tribute to Abner: Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum?H4428H6969H74H559H4191H74H5036H419434You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished— Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl. And all the people wept—a crescendo of crying!H3027H631H7272H5066H5178H5307H6440H5766H1121H5307H5971H1058H325435They all came then to David, trying to get him to eat something before dark. But David solemnly swore, "I'll not so much as taste a piece of bread, or anything else for that matter, before sunset, so help me God!"H3605H5971H935H1262H1732H1262H3899H5750H3117H1732H7650H559H6213H430H3254H2938H3899H3972H6440H8121H93536Everyone at the funeral took notice—and liked what they saw. In fact everything the king did was applauded by the people.H5971H5234H3190H5869H4428H6213H5869H2896H597137It was clear to everyone that day, including all Israel, that the king had nothing to do with the death of Abner son of Ner.H5971H3478H3045H3117H4428H4191H74H1121H536938The king spoke to his servants: "You realize, don't you, that today a prince and hero fell victim of foul play in Israel?H4428H559H5650H3045H8269H1419H5307H3117H347839And I, though anointed king, was helpless to do anything about it. These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. GOD, requite the criminal for his crime!"H3117H7390H4886H4428H582H1121H6870H7186H3068H7999H6213H7451