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The Blue Letter Bible

2 Samuel 3 :: New International Version (NIV)

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:1

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:1 - The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:2

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:2 - Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:3

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:3 - his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:4

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:4 - the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:5

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:5 - and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

Abner Goes Over to David

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:6

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:6 - During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:7

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:7 - Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:8

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:8 - Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, “Am I a dog’s head—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman!

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:9

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:9 - May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD promised him on oath

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:10

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:10 - and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:11

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:11 - Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:12

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:12 - Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:13

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:13 - “Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:14

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:14 - Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:15

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:15 - So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:16

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:16 - Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:17

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:17 - Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:18

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:18 - Now do it! For the LORD promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’ ”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:19

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:19 - Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin wanted to do.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:20

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:20 - When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:21

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:21 - Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

Joab Murders Abner

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:22

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:22 - Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:23

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:23 - When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:24

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:24 - So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone!

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:25

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:25 - You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:26

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:26 - Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:27

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:27 - Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:28

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:28 - Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:29

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:29 - May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy[fn] or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:30

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:30 - (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:31

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:31 - Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:32

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:32 - They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:33

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:33 - The king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner have died as the lawless die?

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:34

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:34 - Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell as one falls before the wicked.” And all the people wept over him again.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:35

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:35 - Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:36

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:36 - All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:37

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:37 - So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:38

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:38 - Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?

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Unchecked Copy Box 2Sa 3:39

Unchecked Copy Box2Sa 3:39 - And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”
See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NIV Footnotes
The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
NIV

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.


See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the NIV Preface.

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2 Samuel Chapter 3 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras