1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 Samuel 3

1 During the war David still waxeth stronger. 2 Six sons were born to him in Hebron. 6 Abner, displeased with Ish-bosheth, 12 revolteth to David. 13 David requireth a condition to bring him his wife Michal. 17 Abner, having communed with the Israelites, is feasted by David and dismissed. 22 Joab, returning from battle, is displeased with the king and killeth Abner. 28 David curseth Joab, 31 and mourneth for Abner.

 3:1 Now there was a long 752 war 4421 between 996 the house 1004 of Saul 7586 and the house 1004 of David 1732; and David 1732 grew 1980 steadily 1980 stronger 2388, but the house 1004 of Saul 7586 grew 1980 weaker 1800b continually 1980.

 3:2 ¶ Sons 1121 were born 3205 to David 1732 at Hebron 2275a: his firstborn 1060 was Amnon 550, by Ahinoam 293 the Jezreelitess 3159;

 3:3 and his second 4932, Chileab 3609, by Abigail 26 the widow 802 of Nabal 5037 the Carmelite 3761; and the third 7992, Absalom 53 the son 1121 of Maacah 4601, the daughter 1323 of Talmai 8526, king 4428 of Geshur 1650;

 3:4 and the fourth 7243, Adonijah 138 the son 1121 of Haggith 2294; and the fifth 2549, Shephatiah 8203 the son 1121 of Abital 37;

 3:5 and the sixth 8345, Ithream 3507, by David’s 1732 wife 802 Eglah 5698. These 428 were born 3205 to David 1732 at Hebron 2275a.

 3:6 ¶ It came 1961 about while there was war 4421 between 996 the house 1004 of Saul 7586 and the house 1004 of David 1732 that Abner 74 was making 2388 himself strong 2388 in the house 1004 of Saul 7586.

 3:7 Now Saul 7586 had a concubine 6370 whose name 8034 was Rizpah 7532, the daughter 1323 of Aiah 345; and Ish-bosheth said 559 to Abner 74, “Why 4069 have you gone 935 in to my father’s 1 concubine 6370?”

 3:8 Then Abner 74 was very 3966 angry 2734 over 5921 the words 1697 of Ish-bosheth 378 and said 559, “Am I a dog’s 3611 head 7218 that belongs to Judah 3063? Today 3117 I show 6213a kindness 2617a to the house 1004 of Saul 7586 your father 1, to his brothers 251 and to his friends 4828, and have not delivered 4672 you into the hands 3027 of David 1732; and yet today 3117 you charge 6485 me with a guilt 5771 concerning the woman 802.

 3:9 “May God 430 do 6213a so 3541 to Abner 74, and more 3254 also 3541, if 3588 as the LORD 3068 has sworn 7650 to David 1732, I do not accomplish 6213a this 3651 for him,

 3:10 to transfer 5674a the kingdom 4467 from the house 1004 of Saul 7586 and to establish 6965 the throne 3678 of David 1732 over 5921 Israel 3478 and over 5921 Judah 3063, from Dan 1835 even to Beersheba 884.”

 3:11 And he could 3201 no 3808 longer 5750 answer 7725 Abner 74 a word 1697, because 4480 he was afraid 3372a of him.

 3:12 ¶ Then Abner 74 sent 7971 messengers 4397 to David 1732 in his place 8478, saying 559, “Whose 4310 is the land 776? Make 3772 your covenant 1285 with me, and behold 2009, my hand 3027 shall be with you to bring 5437 all 3605 Israel 3478 over 5437 to you.”

 3:13 He said 559, “Good 2896a! I will make 3772 a covenant 1285 with you, but I demand 7592 one 259 thing 1697 of you, namely 559, you shall not see 7200 my face 6440 unless 3588 518 you first 6440 bring 935 Michal 4324, Saul’s 7586 daughter 1323, when you come 935 to see 7200 me.”

 3:14 So David 1732 sent 7971 messengers 4397 to Ish-bosheth 378, Saul’s 7586 son 1121, saying 559, “Give 5414 me my wife 802 Michal 4324, to whom 834 I was betrothed 781 for a hundred 3967 foreskins 6190 of the Philistines 6430.”

 3:15 Ish-bosheth 378 sent 7971 and took 3947 her from [her] husband 376, from Paltiel 6409 the son 1121 of Laish 3919b.

 3:16 But her husband 376 went 1980 with her, weeping 1058 as he went 1980, and followed 310 her as far 5704 as Bahurim 980. Then Abner 74 said 559 to him, “Go 1980, return 7725.” So he returned 7725.

 3:17 ¶ Now Abner 74 had 1961 consultation 1697 with the elders 2205 of Israel 3478, saying 559, “In times 1571 8032a 8543 past 8543 8032a you were seeking 1245 for David 1732 to be king 4428 over 5921 you.

 3:18 “Now 6258 then, do 6213a [it]! For the LORD 3068 has spoken 559 of David 1732, saying 559, ‘By the hand 3027 of My servant 5650 David 1732 I will save 3467 My people 5971a Israel 3478 from the hand 3027 of the Philistines 6430 and from the hand 3027 of all 3605 their enemies 340.’”

 3:19 Abner 74 also 1571 spoke 1696 in the hearing 241 of Benjamin 1144; and in addition 1571 Abner 74 went 1980 to speak 1696 in the hearing 241 of David 1732 in Hebron 2275a all 3605 that seemed good 2895 to Israel 3478 and to the whole 3605 house 1004 of Benjamin 1144.

 3:20 ¶ Then Abner 74 and twenty 6242 men 376 with him came 935 to David 1732 at Hebron 2275a. And David 1732 made 6213a a feast 4960 for Abner 74 and the men 376 who 834 were with him.

 3:21 Abner 74 said 559 to David 1732, “Let me arise 6965 and go 1980 and gather 6908 all 3605 Israel 3478 to my lord 113 the king 4428, that they may make 3772 a covenant 1285 with you, and that you may be king 4427a over all 3605 that your soul 5315 desires 183.” So David 1732 sent 7971 Abner 74 away 7971, and he went 1980 in peace 7965.

 3:22 ¶ And behold 2009, the servants 5650 of David 1732 and Joab 3097 came 935 from a raid 1416 and brought 935 much 7227a spoil 7998 with them; but Abner 74 was not with David 1732 in Hebron 2275a, for he had sent 7971 him away 7971, and he had gone 1980 in peace 7965.

 3:23 When Joab 3097 and all 3605 the army 6635 that was with him arrived 935, they told 5046 Joab 3097, saying 559, “Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369 came 935 to the king 4428, and he has sent 7971 him away 7971, and he has gone 1980 in peace 7965.”

 3:24 Then Joab 3097 came 935 to the king 4428 and said 559, “What 4100 have you done 6213a? Behold 2009, Abner 74 came 935 to you; why 4100 then 2088 have you sent 7971 him away 7971 and he is already 1980 gone 1980?

 3:25 “You know 3045 Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369, that he came 935 to deceive 6601b you and to learn 3045 of your going 4161 out and coming 4126 in and to find 3045 out all 3605 that you are doing 6213a.”

 3:26 ¶ When Joab 3097 came 3318 out from David 1732, he sent 7971 messengers 4397 after 310 Abner 74, and they brought 7725 him back 7725 from the well 953a of Sirah 5626; but David 1732 did not know 3045 [it].

 3:27 So when Abner 74 returned 7725 to Hebron 2275a, Joab 3097 took 5186 him aside 5186 into the middle 8432 of the gate 8179 to speak 1696 with him privately 7987, and there 8033 he struck 5221 him in the belly 2570 so that he died 4191 on account of the blood 1818 of Asahel 6214 his brother 251.

 3:28 Afterward 310 when David 1732 heard 8085 it, he said 559, “I and my kingdom 4467 are innocent 5355a before 4480 5973 the LORD 3068 forever 5704 5769 of the blood 1818 of Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369.

 3:29 “May it fall 2342a on the head 7218 of Joab 3097 and on all 3605 his father’s 1 house 1004; and may there not fail 3772 from the house 1004 of Joab 3097 one who has a discharge 2100, or who is a leper 6879, or who takes 2388 hold 2388 of a distaff 6418, or who falls 5307 by the sword 2719, or who lacks 2638 bread 3899.”

 3:30 So Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 his brother 251 killed 2026 Abner 74 because 5921 834 he had put 4191 their brother 251 Asahel 6214 to death 4191 in the battle 4421 at Gibeon 1391.

 3:31 ¶ Then David 1732 said 559 to Joab 3097 and to all 3605 the people 5971a who 834 were with him, “Tear 7167 your clothes 899b and gird 2296 on sackcloth 8242 and lament 5594 before 6440 Abner 74.” And King 4428 David 1732 walked 1980 behind 310 the bier 4296.

 3:32 Thus they buried 6912 Abner 74 in Hebron 2275a; and the king 4428 lifted 5375 up his voice 6963 and wept 1058 at the grave 6913 of Abner 74, and all 3605 the people 5971a wept 1058.

 3:33 The king 4428 chanted 6969 a [lament] for Abner 74 and said 559, “Should Abner 74 die 4191 as a fool 5036 dies 4194?

 3:34 “Your hands 3027 were not bound 631, nor 3808 your feet 7272 put 5066 in fetters 5178; As one falls 5307 before 6440 the wicked 5767b 1121, you have fallen 5307.” And all 3605 the people 5971a wept 1058 again 3254 over 5921 him.

 3:35 Then all 3605 the people 5971a came 935 to persuade David 1732 to eat 1262 bread 3899 while it was still 5750 day 3117; but David 1732 vowed 7650, saying 559, “May God 430 do 6213a so 3541 to me, and more 3254 also 3541, if 3588 518 I taste 2938 bread 3899 or 176 anything 3972 else 3605 before 6440 the sun 8121 goes 935 down.”

 3:36 Now all 3605 the people 5971a took 5234 note 5234 [of it], and it pleased 3190 5869 them, just as everything 3605 834 the king 4428 did 6213a pleased 2895 5869 all 3605 the people 5971a.

 3:37 So all 3605 the people 5971a and all 3605 Israel 3478 understood 3045 that day 3117 that it had not been 1961 [the will] of the king 4428 to put 4191 Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369 to death 4191.

 3:38 Then the king 4428 said 559 to his servants 5650, “Do you not know 3045 that a prince 8269 and a great 1419 man 1419 has fallen 5307 this 2088 day 3117 in Israel 3478?

 3:39 “I am weak 7390 today 3117, though anointed 4886 king 4428; and these 428 men 376 the sons 1121 of Zeruiah 6870 are too 4480 difficult 7186 for me. May the LORD 3068 repay 7999a the evildoer 6213a 7463a according to his evil 7463a.”