2 Samuel 3

¹Now there was a long war between Saul's people and David's people; and David became stronger and stronger, but those on Saul's side became more and more feeble.

²While David was in Hebron he became the father of sons: the oldest was Amnon, son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

³And the second, Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom, son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;

⁴And the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital;

⁵And the sixth, Ithream, whose mother was David's wife Eglah. These were the sons of David, whose birth took place in Hebron.

⁶Now while there was war between Saul's people and David's people, Abner was making himself strong among the supporters of Saul.

⁷Now Saul had among his wives a woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you taken my father's wife?

⁸And Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, Am I a dog's head of Judah? I am this day doing all in my power for the cause of your father Saul and for his brothers and his friends, and have not given you up into the hands of David, and now you say I have done wrong with a woman.

⁹May God's punishment be on Abner, if I do not for David as the Lord in his oath has said,

¹⁰And if I do not take away the kingdom from the family of Saul and make David ruler over Israel and Judah from Dan as far as Beer-sheba!

¹¹And so great was Ish-bosheth's fear of Abner that he was not able to say a word in answer.