2 Samuel · Majority Standard Bible
2 Samuel 3 Majority Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Now 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.
1 Now there was a long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker.
2 And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
2 Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 his 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;
3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 his fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; his fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 and his sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron.
5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had continued to strengthen his position in the house of Saul.
6 While there was war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner made himself strong in Saul’s house.
7 Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”
8 Abner 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!
8 Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to your father Saul’s house, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman!
9 May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
9 God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him:
10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
10 to transfer the kingdom from Saul’s house, and to set up David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”
11 And for fear of Abner, Ish-bosheth did not dare to say another word to him.
11 He could not answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.
12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf 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.”
12 Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” and saying, “Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel around to you.”
13 “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.”
13 David said, “Good. I will make a treaty with you, but one thing I require of you. That is, you will not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.”
14 Then 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.”
14 David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I was given to marry for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15 So Ish-bosheth sent and took Michal from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.
15 Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he returned home.
16 Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go! Return!” and he returned.
17 Now Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “In the past you sought David as your king.
17 Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.
18 Now 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.’”
18 Now then do it! For Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.’”
19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites. Then he went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
19 Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
20 When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.
20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.
21 Then 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.
21 Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22 Just 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.
22 Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
23 When 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.”
23 When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone in peace.”
24 So 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!
24 Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is already gone?
25 Surely you realize that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to track your movements and all that you are doing.”
25 You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.”
26 As 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.
26 When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn’t know it.
27 When 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.
27 When Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
28 Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
29 May it whirl over the head of Joab and over 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.”
29 Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”
30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31 Then 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.
31 David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner.” King David followed the bier.
32 When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.
32 They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner’s grave; and all the people wept.
33 And the king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner die the death of a fool?
33 The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
34 Your 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.
34 Your hands weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.” All the people wept again over him.
35 Then 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!”
35 All the people came to urge David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, until the sun goes down.”
36 All the people took note and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.
36 All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people.
37 So 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.
37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.
38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel?
38 The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel?
39 And 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!”
39 I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abital
A wife of David who bore his fifth son, Shephatiah, in Hebron.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Chronicles 3:3
Absalom
David's handsome son who avenged Tamar, rebelled against his father, and briefly seized the throne.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:3; 2 Samuel 15-18
Adonijah
A son of David who tried to claim the throne ahead of Solomon in David's final days.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Kings 1-2
Aiah
Named as the father of Rizpah, Saul's concubine.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:7; 2 Samuel 21:8
Amnon
David's firstborn son, who wronged his half-sister Tamar and was killed by Absalom in revenge.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:2; 2 Samuel 13
Chileab
David's second son, born to Abigail, who is named but scarcely mentioned afterward.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:3; 1 Chronicles 3:1
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Eglah
A wife of David who bore his sixth son, Ithream, in Hebron.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:5; 1 Chronicles 3:3
Haggith
A wife of David who bore his fourth son, Adonijah, in Hebron.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Kings 1:5; 1 Kings 1:11
Ithream
David's sixth son, born in Hebron to David's wife Eglah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:5; 1 Chronicles 3:3
Joab
Son of Zeruiah and commander of David's army, who killed Abner and Amasa, besieged Rabbah, killed Absalom in the oak, and carried out David's census.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 2:13; 2 Samuel 3:27; 2 Samuel 12:26
Laish
Named as the father of Palti (Paltiel), to whom Saul gave Michal; Palti is described as being from Gallim.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 25:44; 2 Samuel 3:15
Maacah
Daughter of King Talmai of Geshur, who bore David his third son, Absalom, in Hebron.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:3; 1 Chronicles 3:2
Paltiel
Palti son of Laish, from Gallim, to whom Saul gave his daughter Michal; he followed her weeping to Bahurim when Ish-bosheth took her from him for David.
Cited in the guide: 1 Samuel 25:44; 2 Samuel 3:15
Rizpah
Saul's concubine, the daughter of Aiah, who bore Saul two sons and, after they were hanged by the Gibeonites, guarded their bodies from the birds and beasts from the harvest until…
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:7; 2 Samuel 21:8; 2 Samuel 21:10
Shephatiah
David's fifth son, born in Hebron to Abital.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:4; 1 Chronicles 3:3
Talmai
King of Geshur and father of David's wife Maacah, to whom Absalom fled after killing Amnon and with whom he stayed three years.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 3:3; 2 Samuel 13:37; 1 Chronicles 3:2
Cross references (33)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Kings 14:30; Job 8:7; Proverbs 4:18–19; 2 Samuel 2:17; Ephesians 6:12
- 2 1 Chronicles 3:1–4; 1 Samuel 25:42–43; 2 Samuel 13:1–29; Genesis 49:3–4
- 3 1 Samuel 27:8; 1 Chronicles 3:1; 2 Samuel 13:20–28; 2 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 13:37–38
- 4 1 Kings 2:13–25; 1 Kings 1:5–18
- 6 2 Samuel 2:8–9; Isaiah 8:9–10; Matthew 12:30; 2 Chronicles 25:8; Joel 3:9–13
- 7 2 Samuel 21:8–11; 2 Samuel 12:8; 2 Samuel 16:21–22; 1 Kings 2:21–22; 1 Kings 2:17
- 8 2 Samuel 9:8; 2 Samuel 16:9; 1 Samuel 15:28; Deuteronomy 23:18; 2 Samuel 5:2
- 9 1 Samuel 15:28; 1 Kings 19:2; Ruth 1:17; 1 Samuel 28:17; 1 Chronicles 12:23
- 10 Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 3:20; 2 Samuel 17:11; 2 Samuel 24:2; 1 Kings 4:25
- 12 1 Chronicles 12:38–40; 2 Samuel 5:1–3; Psalm 62:9; 2 Samuel 19:6; Luke 16:5–8
- 13 Genesis 43:3; 1 Chronicles 15:29; Genesis 44:23; 1 Samuel 19:11–17; 1 Samuel 18:20–28
- 14 1 Samuel 18:27; 1 Samuel 18:25; 2 Samuel 2:10
- 15 1 Samuel 25:44
- 16 2 Samuel 16:5; 2 Samuel 19:16; 1 Kings 2:8; 2 Samuel 17:18; Proverbs 9:17–18
- 18 1 Samuel 15:28; Psalm 89:19–23; 1 Samuel 9:16; Psalm 89:3–4; 2 Samuel 3:9
- 19 1 Chronicles 12:29; 1 Samuel 10:20–21; Psalm 68:27
- 20 Genesis 26:30; Esther 1:3; Genesis 31:54
- 21 2 Samuel 3:12; 1 Kings 11:37; 2 Samuel 3:10; Philippians 2:21; Psalm 20:4
- 24 2 Samuel 19:5–7; 2 Samuel 3:39; 2 Samuel 3:8; John 18:35; Numbers 23:11
- 25 Isaiah 37:28; Numbers 27:17; Deuteronomy 28:6; Psalm 121:8; 1 Samuel 29:4–6
- 26 Proverbs 27:4–6; Proverbs 26:23–26
- 27 1 Kings 2:5; 2 Samuel 20:9–10; 1 Kings 2:32; Deuteronomy 27:24; Jeremiah 41:6–7
- 28 Numbers 35:33; Exodus 21:12; Genesis 4:10; Genesis 9:6; Deuteronomy 21:1–9
- 29 2 Samuel 1:16; Psalm 109:8–19; 1 Kings 2:31–34; Acts 28:4; 2 Kings 5:1
- 30 Acts 28:4; 2 Samuel 2:19–23; Proverbs 28:17
- 31 Genesis 37:34; 2 Samuel 1:2; 2 Samuel 1:11; Joshua 7:6; Judges 11:35
- 32 Proverbs 24:17; Job 31:28; 2 Samuel 1:12; 1 Samuel 30:4; 2 Samuel 18:33
- 33 2 Chronicles 35:25; Luke 12:19–20; 2 Samuel 1:17; 2 Samuel 13:12–13; Ecclesiastes 2:15–16
- 34 Judges 16:21; Hosea 6:9; Psalm 107:10–11; Job 24:14; 2 Samuel 1:12
- 35 2 Samuel 1:12; 2 Samuel 12:17; Ruth 1:17; Jeremiah 16:7; Ezekiel 24:17
- 36 Mark 7:37; Mark 15:11–13; Psalm 62:9; 2 Samuel 15:6; 2 Samuel 15:13
- 38 Job 32:9; 1 Samuel 14:50–51; 2 Samuel 3:12; 2 Samuel 2:8
- 39 Psalm 28:4; Psalm 101:8; 1 Kings 2:33–34; 2 Timothy 4:14; Proverbs 25:5
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences