KJV ORIGINAL
And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Later, when David heard about it, he said, 'I and my kingdom are completely innocent before the LORD forever regarding the death of Abner, son of Ner.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
David is publicly declaring that he and his kingdom had nothing to do with Abner's murder and are innocent before God.
📚 Historical Context
Abner was the military commander for Saul's son Ish-bosheth, but had recently switched sides to support David as king over all Israel. Joab, David's military commander, had just murdered Abner in revenge for killing his brother Asahel in battle. David needed to distance himself from this assassination to maintain his legitimacy and show he wasn't involved in political murder.
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