1Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.stylus1 Kings 14:30, 1 Kings 14:30, 2 Samuel 2:17, Job 8:7, Proverbs 4:182And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;stylus1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Chronicles 3:4, 1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Chronicles 3:4, Genesis 49:33his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;stylus1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Samuel 25:34his fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; his fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;stylus1 Kings 1:5, 1 Kings 1:18, 1 Kings 2:13, 1 Kings 2:25, 1 Kings 1:55and his sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron.stylus6During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had continued to strengthen his position in the house of Saul.stylus2 Samuel 2:8, 2 Samuel 2:9, 2 Samuel 2:8, 2 Samuel 2:9, Joel 3:97Meanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”stylus2 Samuel 21:8, 2 Samuel 21:11, 2 Samuel 21:8, 2 Samuel 21:11, 2 Samuel 16:218Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!stylus2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 16:9, 2 Samuel 16:9, Mark 6:189May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:stylus1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Chronicles 12:2310to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”stylus1 Samuel 3:20, Judges 20:1, 1 Samuel 3:20, Judges 20:1, 2 Samuel 24:211And for fear of Abner, Ish-bosheth did not dare to say another word to him.stylus12Then Abner sent messengers in his place to say to David, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and surely my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”stylus1 Chronicles 12:38, 1 Chronicles 12:40, 1 Chronicles 12:38, 1 Chronicles 12:40, 2 Samuel 5:113“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”stylusGenesis 43:3, Genesis 43:3, Genesis 44:26, 1 Samuel 19:11, 1 Samuel 19:1714Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”stylus1 Samuel 18:27, 1 Samuel 18:27, 1 Samuel 18:25, 1 Samuel 18:25, 2 Samuel 2:1015So Ish-bosheth sent and took Michal from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.stylus1 Samuel 25:44, 1 Samuel 25:4416Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he returned home.stylus2 Samuel 19:16, 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 19:16, 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 17:1817Now Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “In the past you sought David as your king.stylus18Now take action, because the LORD has said to David, ‘Through My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’”stylus1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 15:28, Psalms 89:19, Psalms 89:23, Psalms 89:1919Abner also spoke to the Benjamites and went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.stylus1 Chronicles 12:29, 1 Chronicles 12:29, 1 Samuel 10:20, 1 Samuel 10:21, 1 Samuel 10:2020When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.stylusGenesis 31:54, Genesis 26:30, Esther 1:3, Genesis 31:54, Genesis 26:3021Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.stylus1 Kings 11:37, 2 Samuel 3:12, 1 Kings 11:37, 2 Samuel 3:12, 2 Samuel 3:1022Just then David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing with them a great plunder. But Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had sent him on his way in peace.stylus23When Joab and all his troops arrived, he was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, who sent him on his way in peace.”stylus24So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he is getting away!stylusJohn 18:35, 2 Samuel 3:8, Numbers 23:11, 2 Samuel 19:5, 2 Samuel 19:725Surely you realize that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to track your movements and all that you are doing.”stylusIsaiah 37:28, Deuteronomy 28:6, Isaiah 37:28, Deuteronomy 28:6, 1 Samuel 29:426As soon as Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David was unaware of it.stylusProverbs 27:4, Proverbs 27:6, Proverbs 26:23, Proverbs 26:26, Proverbs 27:427When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.stylus2 Samuel 20:9, 2 Samuel 20:10, 1 Kings 2:5, 2 Samuel 20:9, 2 Samuel 20:1028Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.stylusNumbers 35:33, Numbers 35:33, Genesis 4:10, Exodus 21:12, Genesis 9:629May it whirl over the heads of Joab and the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”stylus2 Samuel 1:16, Psalms 109:8, Psalms 109:19, 2 Samuel 1:16, Psalms 109:830(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)stylus2 Samuel 2:19, 2 Samuel 2:23, Proverbs 28:17, Acts 28:4, 2 Samuel 2:1931Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.stylusGenesis 37:34, Genesis 37:34, 2 Samuel 1:11, Judges 11:35, Joshua 7:632When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.stylusProverbs 24:17, Proverbs 24:17, Job 31:28, Job 31:28, 2 Samuel 18:3333And the king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner die the death of a fool?stylus2 Chronicles 35:25, Luke 12:19, Luke 12:20, 2 Samuel 13:12, 2 Samuel 13:1334Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As a man falls before the wicked, so also you fell.” And all the people wept over him even more.stylusJudges 16:21, Job 24:14, 2 Samuel 1:12, Psalms 107:10, Psalms 107:1135Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”stylus2 Samuel 12:17, 2 Samuel 1:12, 2 Samuel 12:17, 2 Samuel 1:12, Jeremiah 16:736All the people took note and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.stylusPsalms 62:9, Mark 7:37, 2 Samuel 15:6, Mark 15:11, Mark 15:1337So on that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.stylus38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel?stylusJob 32:9, 1 Samuel 14:50, 1 Samuel 14:51, 2 Samuel 2:8, 2 Samuel 3:1239And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!”stylusPsalms 101:8, Psalms 28:4, 1 Kings 2:33, 1 Kings 2:34, Psalms 101:8