2 Samuel 3:33-1964 bbe — And the king made a song of grief for Abner and said, Was the death of Abner to be like the death of a foolish man? You…

2 Samuel 3:33-1964 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “And the king made a song of grief for Abner and said, Was the death of Abner to be like the death of a foolish man? Your hands were free, your feet were not chained: like the downfall of a man before evil men, so was your fall. And the weeping of the people over him went on again. And the people came to make David take food, while it was still day, but David with an oath said, May God's punishment be on me if I take a taste of bread or any other thing till the sun has gone down! And all the people took note of it and were pleased: like everything the king did, it was pleasing to the people. So it was clear to Israel and to all the people on that day that the king was not responsible for the death of Abner, the son of Ner. And the king said to his servants, Do you not see that a chief and a great man has come to his end today in Israel? While I, though I am crowned king, have little strength, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are out of my control: may the Lord give to the evil-doer the reward of his evil-doing!”

2 Samuel 3:33-1964 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 2 Samuel, chapter 3, verses 33–1964.

2 Samuel is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Nathan and Gad). It was written c. 930–722 BC.

2 Samuel records David's reign — his rise to the throne, the conquest of Jerusalem, the eternal covenant God makes with his house, and the moral failure with Bathsheba that fractures his family. From the highs of triumph to the depths of repentance, David remains the messianic prototype.

2 Samuel explores themes including Davidic Covenant, Sin & Repentance, Kingdom, Mercy, Consequences. These themes shape the meaning and context of 2 Samuel 3:33-1964.

2 Samuel 3:33-1964 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

2 Samuel 3:33-1964 reads (BBE): “And the king made a song of grief for Abner and said, Was the death of Abner to be like the death of a foolish man? Your hands were free, your feet were not chained: like the downfall of a man before evil men, so was your fall. And the weeping of the people over him went on again. And the people came to make David take food, while it was still day, but David with an oath said, May God's punishment be on me if I take a taste of bread or any other thing till the sun has gone down! And all the people took note of it and were pleased: like everything the king did, it was pleasing to the people. So it was clear to Israel and to all the people on that day that the king was not responsible for the death of Abner, the son of Ner. And the king said to his servants, Do you not see that a chief and a great man has come to his end today in Israel? While I, though I am crowned king, have little strength, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are out of my control: may the Lord give to the evil-doer the reward of his evil-doing!” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.