2Samuel:3

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* There was a long war between the royal families of Saul and David . David ’s family became stronger and stronger . Saul ’s family became weaker and weaker . * Sons were born to David while he was in Hebron . His first son was Amnon , born to Ahinoam from Jezreel . * The second was Chileab , whose mother was Abigail , Nabal ’s widow from Carmel . The third was Absalom , whose mother was Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur . * The fourth son was Adonijah , whose mother was Haggith . The fifth was Shephatiah , whose mother was Abital . * The sixth was Ithream , whose mother was Eglah . All of these sons were born in Hebron . * 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 . * Saul had a concubine named Rizpah . She was Aiah ’s daughter . Ishbosheth asked Abner : »Why did you have sex with my father ’s concubine ?« * Ishbosheth ’s question made Abner very angry . »Am I a dog that belongs to Judea ?« He asked . »Until now I have been faithful to your father Saul ’s family , to his relatives and friends . I did not hand you over to David . But now you charge me with a crime because of this woman . * »May God deal with me harshly if I do not help David get all that Jehovah promised him when he said : * »‘I Jehovah will transfer the kingship from Saul ’s family and establish David ’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba .’« * Ishbosheth could not respond to a single word for he was afraid of Abner . * Abner sent messengers to David to speak on his behalf . »Who owns this country ?« He asked . »Make an agreement with me ,« he said . »Then I will support you and bring all Israel to you .« * »Good !« David answered . »I will make an agreement with you . But there is one condition : You may not come to see me unless you bring Michal , Saul ’s daughter , when you come .« * David sent messengers to Ishbosheth to give him this message : »Give me back my wife Michal ! I bought her for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins .« * Ishbosheth sent some of his men to take Michal away from her new husband , Paltiel son of Laish . * Paltiel followed Michal and the men all the way to Bahurim . He cried all the way . But he went back home after Abner ordered him to leave . * Meanwhile , Abner communicated with the leaders of Israel : »For some time now you wanted to make David your king . * »Do it now ! This is what Jehovah said about David : ‘I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and all their other enemies through my servant David .’« * Abner also spoke to the people of Benjamin . Then Abner went directly to David in Hebron . He told him everything Israel and the entire tribe of Benjamin had approved . * Twenty men accompanied Abner to see David at Hebron . David had a feast for Abner and his men . * Abner told David : »I must go now so that I can gather all Israel for you , Your Majesty . They will make an agreement with you . You will rule over all that your heart desires .« Then David dismissed Abner , who left peacefully . * Just then David ’s men and Joab came home from a raid with a lot of plunder . Abner had been dismissed , so he was no longer with David in Hebron . * Joab came back with the whole army . He was told : »Ner ’s son Abner came to the king . However David dismissed him and Abner left peacefully .« * Joab went to the king and asked : »What have you done ? Abner came to see you . Why did you send him away ? * »Surely you know that he came to deceive you . He came to find out everything you do and everywhere you go .« * Joab left David . Then he sent messengers to get Abner , and they brought him back from Sirah Well . David knew nothing about it . * Abner arrived in Hebron . Joab took him aside at the gate , as though he wanted to speak privately with him . There he stabbed him in the stomach . So Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab ’s brother Asahel . * When David heard the news , he said : »Jehovah knows that my subjects and I are completely innocent of the murder of Abner . * »Let 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 does not have enough to eat !« * Joab and his brother Abishai took revenge and murdered Abner for killing their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon . * David told Joab and everyone with him : »Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth ! Walk in front of Abner ’s body and cry !« David walked behind the coffin on which Abner ’s body was being carried . * Abner was buried in Hebron . David and everyone else stood at the tomb and cried loudly . * The king sang a funeral song for Abner : »Should Abner die like a godless fool ?« * »Your hands were not bound . Your feet were not in fetters . You fell as one falls in front of wicked men . And all the people continued to cry for him .« * David refused to eat anything the day of the funeral even though people tried to persuade him to eat . David vowed : »May God strike me dead if I taste any food or anything else before the sun goes down .« * All the people understood and approved of everything the king did . * That day all the people of Israel knew the king was not responsible for killing Ner ’s son Abner . * The king told his officers : »Do you not know that today a leader , a great man , has fallen in Israel ? * »Today , even though I am the anointed king , these men , Zeruiah ’s sons , are too strong for me to control . May Jehovah repay these wicked men , as their evil deed deserves .«

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