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3.22 and he was gone in peace. When Joab and all the host that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying: 'Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.' Then Joab came to the king, and said: 'What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone? Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.' And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from Bor-sirah; but David knew it not.

And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there in the groin, that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. And afterward when David heard it, he said: 'I and my kingdom are guiltless before the for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner; let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a staff, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.' So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: 'Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and wail before Abner.' And king David followed the bier. And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept. And the king lamented for Abner, and said:


 * Should Abner die as a churl dieth
 * Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet put into fetters;
 * As a man falleth before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall.

And all the people wept again over him. And all the people came to cause 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 aught else, till the sun be down.' And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; whatsoever the king did, pleased all the people. So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner. And the king said unto his servants: 'Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel? And I am this day weak, and just anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me; the reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.'

And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were affrighted. And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin; for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin; and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day.

Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled; and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.