David Publicly Mourns Abner

31Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David was walking behind the bier.

32They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner’s grave, and all the people wept.

33And the king lamented over Abner and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?”

34Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not put into bronze fetters; as one falls before sons of injustice, so you have fallen. And all the people wept over him even more.

35Then all the people came to urge David to eat bread while it was still day, but David swore, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if before the sun goes down I taste bread or anything at all.”

36And all the people recognized it, and it was good in their eyes; for everything the king did was good in the eyes of all the people.

37So all the people and all Israel knew on that day that it was not from the king to put Abner son of Ner to death.

38Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel?”

39And I am still weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. May Yahweh repay the evildoer according to his evil.