31. David told Joab and everyone with him, “Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth! Walk in front of Abner's body and cry!”David walked behind the stretcher on which Abner's body was being carried.
32. Abner was buried in Hebron, while David and everyone else stood at the tomb and cried loudly.
33. Then the king sang a funeral song about Abner:Abner, why should youhave died like an outlaw?
34. No one tied your handsor chained your feet,yet you died as a victimof murderers.Everyone started crying again.
35. Then they brought some food to David and told him he would feel better if he had something to eat. It was still daytime, and David said, “I swear to God that I'll not take a bite of bread or anything else until sunset!”
36. Everyone noticed what David did, and they liked it, just as they always liked what he did.
37. Now the people of Judah and Israel were certain that David had nothing to do with killing Abner.
38. David said to his officials, “Don't you realize that today one of Israel's great leaders has died?
39. I am the chosen king, but Joab and Abishai have more power than I do. So God will have to pay them back for the evil thing they did.”