1Then a long struggle occurred between the house of Saul and the house of David, with David prospering and growing ever stronger, but the house of Saul decreasing daily.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. And his firstborn son was Amnon, from Ahinoam the Jezreelite.stylus1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Chronicles 3:4, 1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Chronicles 3:4, Genesis 49:33And after him, there was Chileab, from Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel. Then the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.stylus1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Samuel 27:8, 1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Chronicles 3:1, 1 Samuel 25:34Then the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. And the 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 1:55Also, the sixth was Ithream, from Eglah, the wife of David. These were born to David at Hebron.stylus6Then, while there was a battle between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, was reigning over the house of Saul.stylus2 Samuel 2:8, 2 Samuel 2:9, 2 Samuel 2:8, 2 Samuel 2:9, Joel 3:97Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner,stylus2 Samuel 21:8, 2 Samuel 21:11, 2 Samuel 21:8, 2 Samuel 21:11, 2 Samuel 16:218“Why did you enter to the concubine of my father?” But he, being exceedingly angry at the words of Ishbosheth, said: “Am I the head of a dog against Judah this day? I have shown mercy to the house of Saul, your father, and to his brothers and friends. And I have not delivered you into the hands of David. And yet today you have sought me, so that you might rebuke me over a woman?stylus2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 9:8, 2 Samuel 16:9, 2 Samuel 16:9, Mark 6:189May God do these things to Abner, and may he add these other things, if, in the same way that the Lord swore to David, I do not do so with him:stylus1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Kings 19:2, 1 Chronicles 12:2310that the kingdom be transferred from the house of Saul, and that the throne of David be elevated over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”stylus1 Samuel 3:20, Judges 20:1, 1 Samuel 3:20, Judges 20:1, 2 Samuel 24:211And he was not able to respond anything to him, because he was in fear of him.stylus12Therefore, Abner sent messengers to David for himself, saying, “Whose is the land?” and so that they would say, “Make a friendship with me, and my hand will be with you, and I will lead back all of Israel to you.”stylus1 Chronicles 12:38, 1 Chronicles 12:40, 1 Chronicles 12:38, 1 Chronicles 12:40, 2 Samuel 5:113And he said: “It is best. I will make a friendship with you. But one thing I ask of you, saying: You shall not see my face before you bring Michal, the daughter of Saul. And in this way, you shall come, and see me.”stylusGenesis 43:3, Genesis 43:3, Genesis 44:26, 1 Samuel 19:11, 1 Samuel 19:1714Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, saying, “Restore my wife Michal, whom I espoused to myself for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”stylus1 Samuel 18:27, 1 Samuel 18:27, 1 Samuel 18:25, 1 Samuel 18:25, 2 Samuel 2:1015Therefore, Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish.stylus1 Samuel 25:44, 1 Samuel 25:4416And her husband was following her, weeping, as far as Bahurim. And Abner said to him, “Go and return.” And he returned.stylus2 Samuel 19:16, 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 19:16, 2 Samuel 16:5, 2 Samuel 17:1817Likewise, Abner sent word to the elders of Israel, saying: “As much yesterday as the day before, you were seeking David, so that he might reign over you.stylus18Therefore, accomplish it now. For the Lord has spoken to David, saying: ‘By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’ ”stylus1 Samuel 15:28, 1 Samuel 15:28, Psalms 89:19, Psalms 89:23, Psalms 89:1919Then Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And he went away, so that he might speak to David in Hebron all that would be pleasing to Israel and to all of Benjamin.stylus1 Chronicles 12:29, 1 Chronicles 12:29, 1 Samuel 10:20, 1 Samuel 10:21, 1 Samuel 10:2020And he went to David in Hebron with twenty men. And David made a feast for Abner, and for his men who had arrived with him.stylusGenesis 31:54, Genesis 26:30, Esther 1:3, Genesis 31:54, Genesis 26:3021And Abner said to David, “I will rise up, so that I may gather all of Israel to you, my lord the king, and so that I may enter into a pact with you, and so that you may reign over all, just as your soul desires.” Then, when David had led Abner away, and he had departed in peace,stylus1 Kings 11:37, 2 Samuel 3:12, 1 Kings 11:37, 2 Samuel 3:12, 2 Samuel 3:1022immediately the servants of David and of Joab arrived, after having slain robbers, with exceedingly great spoils. But Abner was not with David in Hebron. For by then he had sent him away, and he had set out in peace.stylus23And Joab, and the entire army that was with him, had arrived afterward. And so, it was reported to Joab, explaining that Abner, the son of Ner, went to the king, and he dismissed him, and he went away in peace.stylus24And Joab entered to the king, and he said: “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him, so that he has gone and departed?stylusJohn 18:35, 2 Samuel 3:8, Numbers 23:11, 2 Samuel 19:5, 2 Samuel 19:725Do you not know, about Abner, the son of Ner, that he came to you for this, so that he might deceive you, and might know of your departure and your return, and so that he might know all that you do?”stylusIsaiah 37:28, Deuteronomy 28:6, Isaiah 37:28, Deuteronomy 28:6, 1 Samuel 29:426And so, Joab, going out from David, sent messengers after Abner, and he brought him back from the cistern of Sirah, without David knowing.stylusProverbs 27:4, Proverbs 27:6, Proverbs 26:23, Proverbs 26:26, Proverbs 27:427And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him alone to the middle of the gate, so that he might speak to him, but with deceit. And there, he stabbed him in the groin, and he died, in revenge for the blood of Asahel, his brother.stylus2 Samuel 20:9, 2 Samuel 20:10, 1 Kings 2:5, 2 Samuel 20:9, 2 Samuel 20:1028And when David had heard of it, now that the matter was done, he said: “I and my kingdom are clean before the Lord, even forever, of the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.stylusNumbers 35:33, Numbers 35:33, Genesis 4:10, Exodus 21:12, Genesis 9:629And may it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon the entire house of his father. And may there not fail to be, in the house of Joab, one who suffers from a flow of seed, or one who is leprous, or one who is effeminate, or one who falls by the sword, or one who is in need of bread.”stylus2 Samuel 1:16, Psalms 109:8, Psalms 109:19, 2 Samuel 1:16, Psalms 109:830And so, Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon, during the battle.stylus2 Samuel 2:19, 2 Samuel 2:23, Proverbs 28:17, Acts 28:4, 2 Samuel 2:1931Then David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before the funeral procession of Abner.” Moreover, king David himself was following the casket.stylusGenesis 37:34, Genesis 37:34, 2 Samuel 1:11, Judges 11:35, Joshua 7:632And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David lifted up his voice, and he wept over the burial mound of Abner. And all the people also wept.stylusProverbs 24:17, Proverbs 24:17, Job 31:28, Job 31:28, 2 Samuel 18:3333And the king, mourning and lamenting Abner, said: “By no means has Abner died the way that cowards usually die.stylus2 Chronicles 35:25, Luke 12:19, Luke 12:20, 2 Samuel 13:12, 2 Samuel 13:1334Your hands are not bound, and your feet are not weighed down with fetters. But just as men often fall before the sons of iniquity, so you have fallen.” And while repeating this, all the people wept over him.stylusJudges 16:21, Job 24:14, 2 Samuel 1:12, Psalms 107:10, Psalms 107:1135And when the entire multitude had arrived to take food with David, while it was still broad daylight, David swore, saying, “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, 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 16:736And all the people heard it, and everything that the king did in the sight of the entire people was pleasing to them.stylusPsalms 62:9, Mark 7:37, 2 Samuel 15:6, Mark 15:11, Mark 15:1337And every common person, and all of Israel, realized on that day that the killing of Abner, the son of Ner, had not been done by the king.stylus38The king also said to his servants: “Could you be ignorant that a leader and a very great man has fallen today in Israel?stylusJob 32:9, 1 Samuel 14:50, 1 Samuel 14:51, 2 Samuel 2:8, 2 Samuel 3:1239But I am still tender, and yet anointed king. And these men of the sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me. May the Lord repay whoever does evil in accord with his malice.”stylusPsalms 101:8, Psalms 28:4, 1 Kings 2:33, 1 Kings 2:34, Psalms 101:8