Joab murdered Abner

22 Soon after that, Joab and some of David’s other soldiers returned to Hebron after raiding one of their enemies’ villages, bringing with them a lot of things that they had captured. But Abner was not there at Hebron, because David had sent him safely home. 23 When Joab and the soldiers who were with him arrived, someone told him that Abner had come there and talked with the king, and that the king allowed to go home safely.

24 So Joab went to the king and said, “Why have you done that? Listen to me! Abner is your enemy, but when he came to you, you allowed him [RHQ] to leave! 25 Do you not know that he came to you to deceive you and to find out everything that you are doing, and all the places that you go to?”

26 After Joab left David, he sent some messengers to get Abner. They found him at Sirah Well, and brought him back to Hebron, but David did not know that they had done that. 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city gate, and took him aside as though he wanted to speak with him privately. Then he stabbed Abner in the stomach with his knife/sword. In that way he murdered Abner because Abner had killed [MTY] Joab’s brother Asahel.

28 Later, after David heard what had happened, he said, “Yahweh knows that I and the people of my kingdom are not at all ◄responsible for/guilty of► murdering [MTY] Abner. 29 I hope/desire that Joab and all his family will be punished [MTY] for doing that! I hope/desire that there will always be someone in his family who has sores, or someone who is a leper, or some man who is forced to do women’s work, or someone who is killed in a battle, or someone who does not have enough food to eat!”

30 That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

31 Then David said to Joab and to all Joab’s soldiers, “Tear your clothes and put on coarse cloth to show that you are sad, and mourn for Abner!” And at the funeral, King David walked behind the men who were carrying the coffin. 32 They buried Abner’s body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.

33 David sang this sad song to lament for Abner:

“It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!

34 No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, like they do to criminals.

No, he was murdered by wicked men!”

35 Then many [HYP] people came to David to tell him to eat some food before sunset, but David refused. He said, “I hope/desire that God will punish me severely [HYP] if I eat any food before the sun goes down!” 36 All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.

37 So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed. 38 The king said to his officials, “◄Do you not realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel?/You should realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel.► [RHQ] 39 Even though Yahweh appointed me to be the king, today I feel weak. These two sons of Zeruiah, Joab and Abishai, are very violent; I cannot control them. So I hope/desire that Yahweh will punish them severely in return for this wicked thing that they have done!”