Abner

And the name of Sauls wife was Ahinoam the daughter of Ahimaaz: and the name of his chiefe captaine was Abner the sonne of Ner, Sauls vncle.

And Kish was Sauls father: and Ner the father of Abner was the sonne of Abiel.

When Saul sawe Dauid go forth against the Philistim, he sayd vnto Abner the captaine of his hoste, Abner, whose sonne is this yong man? and Abner answered, As thy soule liueth, O King, I can not tell.

And when Dauid was returned from the slaughter of the Philistim, then Abner tooke him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistim in his hand.

And the King sate, as at other times vpon his seate, euen vpon his seate by the wall: and Ionathan arose, and Abner sate by Sauls side, but Dauids place was emptie.

Then Dauid arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and when Dauid beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the sonne of Ner which was his chiefe captaine, (for Saul lay in the fort, and the people pitched round about him)

So Dauid and Abishai came downe to the people by night: and beholde, Saul lay sleeping within the fort, and his speare did sticke in the ground at his head: and Abner and the people lay round about him.

And Dauid cryed to the people, and to Abner the sonne of Ner, saying, Hearest thou not, Abner? Then Abner answered, and said, Who art thou that cryest to the King?

And Dauid said to Abner, Art not thou a man? and who is like thee in Israel? wherefore then hast thou not kept thy lorde the King? for there came one of the folke in to destroy the King thy lord.

But Abner the sonne of Ner that was captaine of Sauls hoste, tooke Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul, and brought him to Mahanaim,

And Abner the sonne of Ner, and the seruantes of Ish-bosheth the sonne of Saul went out of Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Then Abner saide to Ioab, Let the yong men nowe arise, and play before vs. And Ioab said, Let them arise.

And the battel was exceeding sore that same day: for Abner and the men of Israel fell before the seruants of Dauid.

And Asahel followed after Abner, and in going he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from Abner.

Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, Yea.

Then Abner said, Turne thee either to the right hande, or to the left, and take one of the yong men, and take thee his weapons: and Asahel would not depart from him.

And Abner saide to Asahel, Depart from me: wherefore shoulde I smite thee to the grounde? howe then shoulde I be able to holde vp my face to Ioab thy brother?

And when he woulde not depart, Abner with the hinder ende of the speare smote him vnder the fift ryb, that the speare came out behind him: and he fell downe there, and dyed in his place. And as many as came to the place where Asahel fell downe and dyed, stoode still.

Ioab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sunne went downe, when they were come to the hill Ammah, that lieth before Giah, by the way of the wildernesse of Gibeon.

And the children of Beniamin gathered them selues together after Abner, and were on an heape and stoode on the top of an hill.

Then Abner called to Ioab, and said, Shall the sworde deuoure for euer? knowest thou not, that it will be bitternesse in the latter ende? howe long then shall it be, or thou bid the people returne from following their brethren?

And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plaine, and went ouer Iorden, and past through all Bithron till they came to Mahanaim.

Ioab also returned backe from Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of Dauids seruants nineteene men and Asahel.

But the seruants of Dauid had smitten of Beniamin, and of Abners men, so that three hundreth and threescore men dyed.

Nowe while there was warre betweene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, Abner made all his power for the house of Saul.