2 Samuel 3:35-39

3:35 Then all the people came and encouraged David to eat food while it was still day. But David took an oath saying, “God will punish me severely ¹  if I taste bread or anything whatsoever before the sun sets!”

3:36 All the people noticed this and it pleased them. ²  In fact, everything the king did pleased all the people. 3:37 All the people and all Israel realized on that day that the killing of Abner son of Ner was not done at the king’s instigation. ³ 

3:38 Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great leader ⁴  has fallen this day in Israel? 3:39 Today I am weak, even though I am anointed as king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too much for me to bear! ⁵  May the Lord punish appropriately the one who has done this evil thing!” ⁶ 

¹ tn Heb “Thus God will do to me and thus he will add.”

² tn Heb “it was good in their eyes.”

³ tn Heb “from the king.”

⁴ tn Heb “a leader and a great one.” The expression is a hendiadys.

⁵ tn Heb “are hard from me.”

⁶ tn Heb “May the Lord repay the doer of the evil according to his evil” (NASB similar).