3:1 Now there was long 752 war 4421 between the house 1004 of Saul 7586 and the house 1004 of David 1732: but David 1732 waxed 1980 8802 stronger 2390 and stronger 2390, and the house 1004 of Saul 7586 waxed 1980 8802 weaker 1800 and weaker 1800.

3:2 And unto David 1732 were sons 1121 born 3205 8735 8675 3205 8795 in Hebron 2275: and his firstborn 1060 was Amnon 550, of Ahinoam 293 the Jezreelitess 3159;

3:3 And his second 4932, Chileab 3609, of Abigail 26 the wife 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;(Chileab: or, Daniel)

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 Eglah 5698 David's 1732 wife 802. These were born 3205 8795 to David 1732 in Hebron 2275.

3:6 And it came to pass, while there was war 4421 between the house 1004 of Saul 7586 and the house 1004 of David 1732, that Abner 74 made himself strong 2388 8693 for the house 1004 of Saul 7586.

3:7 And Saul 7586 had a concubine 6370, whose name 8034 [was] Rizpah 7532, the daughter 1323 of Aiah 345: and [Ishbosheth] said 559 8799 to Abner 74, Wherefore hast thou gone in 935 8804 unto my father's 1 concubine 6370?

3:8 Then was Abner 74 very 3966 wroth 2734 8799 for the words 1697 of Ishbosheth 378, and said 559 8799, [Am] I a dog's 3611 head 7218, which against Judah 3063 do shew 6213 8799 kindness 2617 this day 3117 unto the house 1004 of Saul 7586 thy father 1, to his brethren 251, and to his friends 4828, and have not delivered 4672 8689 thee into the hand 3027 of David 1732, that thou chargest 6485 8799 me to day 3117 with a fault 5771 concerning this woman 802?

3:9 So do 6213 8799 God 430 to Abner 74, and more also 3254 8686, except, as the LORD 3068 hath sworn 7650 8738 to David 1732, even so I do 6213 8799 to him;

3:10 To translate 5674 8687 the kingdom 4467 from the house 1004 of Saul 7586, and to set up 6965 8687 the throne 3678 of David 1732 over Israel 3478 and over Judah 3063, from Dan 1835 even to Beersheba 884.

3:11 And he could 3201 8804 not answer 7725 8687 Abner 74 a word 1697 again, because he feared 3372 8800 him.

3:12 And Abner 74 sent 7971 8799 messengers 4397 to David 1732 on his behalf, saying 559 8800, Whose [is] the land 776? saying 559 8800 [also], Make 3772 8798 thy league 1285 with me, and, behold, my hand 3027 [shall be] with thee, to bring about 5437 8687 all Israel 3478 unto thee.

3:13 And he said 559 8799, Well 2896; I will make 3772 8799 a league 1285 with thee: but one 259 thing 1697 I require 7592 8802 of thee, that is 559 8800, Thou shalt not see 7200 8799 my face 6440, except thou first 6440 bring 935 8687 Michal 4324 Saul's 7586 daughter 1323, when thou comest 935 8800 to see 7200 8800 my face 6440.(that is: Heb. saying)

3:14 And David 1732 sent 7971 8799 messengers 4397 to Ishbosheth 378 Saul's 7586 son 1121, saying 559 8800, Deliver 5414 8798 [me] my wife 802 Michal 4324, which I espoused 781 8765 to me for an hundred 3967 foreskins 6190 of the Philistines 6430.

3:15 And Ishbosheth 378 sent 7971 8799, and took 3947 8799 her from [her] husband 376, [even] from Phaltiel 6409 the son 1121 of Laish 3889 8675 3919.

3:16 And her husband 376 went 3212 8799 with her along weeping 1980 8800 1058 8800 behind 310 her to Bahurim 980. Then said 559 8799 Abner 74 unto him, Go 3212 8798, return 7725 8798. And he returned 7725 8799.(along…: Heb. going and weeping)

3:17 And Abner 74 had communication 1961 8804 1697 with the elders 2205 of Israel 3478, saying 559 8800, Ye sought 1245 8764 for David 1732 in times 8543 past 8032 [to be] king 4428 over you:(in times…: Heb. both yesterday and the third day)

3:18 Now then do 6213 8798 [it]: for the LORD 3068 hath spoken 559 8804 of David 1732, saying 559 8800, By the hand 3027 of my servant 5650 David 1732 I will save 3467 8687 my people 5971 Israel 3478 out of the hand 3027 of the Philistines 6430, and out of the hand 3027 of all their enemies 341 8802.

3:19 And Abner 74 also spake 1696 8762 in the ears 241 of Benjamin 1144: and Abner 74 went 3212 8799 also to speak 1696 8763 in the ears 241 of David 1732 in Hebron 2275 all that seemed 5869 good 2896 to Israel 3478, and that seemed good 5869 to the whole house 1004 of Benjamin 1144.

3:20 So Abner 74 came 935 8799 to David 1732 to Hebron 2275, and twenty 6242 men 582 with him. And David 1732 made 6213 8799 Abner 74 and the men 582 that [were] with him a feast 4960.

3:21 And Abner 74 said 559 8799 unto David 1732, I will arise 6965 8799 and go 3212 8799, and will gather 6908 8799 all Israel 3478 unto my lord 113 the king 4428, that they may make 3772 8799 a league 1285 with thee, and that thou mayest reign 4427 8804 over all that thine heart 5315 desireth 183 8762. And David 1732 sent 7971 0 Abner 74 away 7971 8762; and he went 3212 8799 in peace 7965.

3:22 And, behold, the servants 5650 of David 1732 and Joab 3097 came 935 8802 from [pursuing] a troop 1416, and brought in 935 8689 a great 7227 spoil 7998 with them: but Abner 74 [was] not with David 1732 in Hebron 2275; for he had sent him away 7971 8765, and he was gone 3212 8799 in peace 7965.

3:23 When Joab 3097 and all the host 6635 that [was] with him were come 935 8804, they told 5046 8686 Joab 3097, saying 559 8800, Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369 came 935 8804 to the king 4428, and he hath sent him away 7971 8762, and he is gone 3212 8799 in peace 7965.

3:24 Then Joab 3097 came 935 8799 to the king 4428, and said 559 8799, What hast thou done 6213 8804? behold, Abner 74 came 935 8802 unto thee; why [is] it [that] thou hast sent him away 7971 8765, and he is quite 1980 8800 gone 3212 8799?

3:25 Thou knowest 3045 8804 Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369, that he came 935 8804 to deceive 6601 8763 thee, and to know 3045 8800 thy going out 4161 and thy coming in 4126 8675 3996, and to know 3045 8800 all that thou doest 6213 8802.

3:26 And when Joab 3097 was come out 3318 8799 from David 1732, he sent 7971 8799 messengers 4397 after 310 Abner 74, which brought him again 7725 8686 from the well 953 of Sirah 5626: but David 1732 knew 3045 8804 [it] not.

3:27 And when Abner 74 was returned 7725 8799 to Hebron 2275, Joab 3097 took him aside 5186 8686 in 413 8432 the gate 8179 to speak 1696 8763 with him quietly 7987, and smote 5221 8686 him there under the fifth 2570 [rib], that he died 4191 8799, for the blood 1818 of Asahel 6214 his brother 251.(quietly: or, peaceably)

3:28 And afterward 310 when David 1732 heard 8085 8799 [it], he said 559 8799, I and my kingdom 4467 [are] guiltless 5355 before the LORD 3068 for 5704 ever 5769 from the blood 1818 of Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369:(blood: Heb. bloods)

3:29 Let it rest 2342 8799 on the head 7218 of Joab 3097, and on all his father's 1 house 1004; and let there not fail 3772 8735 from the house 1004 of Joab 3097 one that hath an issue 2100 8802, or that is a leper 6879 8794, or that leaneth 2388 8688 on a staff 6418, or that falleth 5307 8802 on the sword 2719, or that lacketh 2638 bread 3899.(fail: Heb. be cut off)

3:30 So Joab 3097 and Abishai 52 his brother 251 slew 2026 8804 Abner 74, because he had slain 4191 8689 their brother 251 Asahel 6214 at Gibeon 1391 in the battle 4421.

3:31 And David 1732 said 559 8799 to Joab 3097, and to all the people 5971 that [were] with him, Rend 7167 8798 your clothes 899, and gird 2296 8798 you with sackcloth 8242, and mourn 5594 8798 before 6440 Abner 74. And king 4428 David 1732 [himself] followed 1980 8802 310 the bier 4296.(bier: Heb. bed)

3:32 And they buried 6912 8799 Abner 74 in Hebron 2275: and the king 4428 lifted up 5375 8799 his voice 6963, and wept 1058 8799 at the grave 6913 of Abner 74; and all the people 5971 wept 1058 8799.

3:33 And the king 4428 lamented 6969 8787 over Abner 74, and said 559 8799, Died 4191 8799 Abner 74 as a fool 5036 dieth 4194?

3:34 Thy hands 3027 [were] not bound 631 8803, nor thy feet 7272 put 5066 8717 into fetters 5178: as a man falleth 5307 8800 before 6440 wicked 5766 men 1121, [so] fellest 5307 8804 thou. And all the people 5971 wept 1058 8800 again 3254 8686 over him.(wicked…: Heb. children of iniquity)

3:35 And when all 3605 the people 5971 came 935 8799 to cause 1262 0 David 1732 to eat 1262 8687 meat 3899 while it was yet 5750 day 3117, David 1732 sware 7650 8735, saying 559 8800, So do 6213 8799 God 430 to me, and more also 3254 8686, if I taste 2938 8799 bread 3899, or ought 3972 else, till 6440 the sun 8121 be down 935 8800.

3:36 And all the people 5971 took notice 5234 8689 [of it], and it pleased 3190 8799 5869 them: as whatsoever the king 4428 did 6213 8804 pleased 5869 2896 all the people 5971.(pleased them: Heb. was good in their eyes)

3:37 For all the people 5971 and all Israel 3478 understood 3045 8799 that day 3117 that it was not of the king 4428 to slay 4191 8687 Abner 74 the son 1121 of Ner 5369.

3:38 And the king 4428 said 559 8799 unto his servants 5650, Know 3045 8799 ye not that there is a prince 8269 and a great man 1419 fallen 5307 8804 this day 3117 in Israel 3478?

3:39 And I [am] this day 3117 weak 7390, though anointed 4886 8803 king 4428; and these men 582 the sons 1121 of Zeruiah 6870 [be] too hard 7186 for me: the LORD 3068 shall reward 7999 8762 the doer of evil 6213 8802 according to his wickedness 7451.(weak: Heb. tender)

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