撒母耳記下 3
1 撒烏耳家與達味家間的戰爭相持很久；但達味家逐漸強盛，撒烏耳家卻日趨衰弱。
There was a long war between those who wanted Saul’s son to be their king and those who wanted David to be their king. But more and more people began to want David to be the king, while the number of people who wanted Saul’s son to be the king continued to become smaller.
2 達味在赫貝龍生的兒子：長子阿默農，是依次勒耳人阿希諾罕所生；
David’s wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel [city].
3 次子基肋阿布，是曾作加爾默耳人納巴耳妻子的阿彼蓋耳所生；
The next one was Kileab, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal, from Carmel [city]. The next one was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of [the] Geshur [region].
4 四子阿多尼雅，是哈基特所生；五子舍法提雅，是阿彼塔耳所生；
The next one was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The next one was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
5 六子依特蘭，是達味妻子厄革拉所生：以上是達味在赫貝龍所生的兒子。
The youngest one was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, [another one of] David’s wives. Those sons of David were all born in Hebron.
6 撒烏耳家同達味家戰爭期間，阿貝乃爾獲得操縱撒烏耳家的權柄。
While those who wanted Saul’s son to rule over them and those who wanted David to rule over them continued to fight against each other, Abner was becoming more influential among those who wanted Saul’s son to be the king.
7 撒烏耳有一妾名叫黎茲帕，是阿雅的女兒，阿貝乃爾娶了她；依市巴耳對阿貝乃爾說：「你為什麼親近我父親的妾﹖」
When Saul was alive, he had as one of his wives a slave woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. [But one day Abner had sexual relations with her]. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you had sexual relations with [EUP] my father’s slave wife?”
8 為了依市巴耳這句話，阿貝乃爾勃然大怒說：「莫非我是猶大的狗頭﹖直到今天我憐恤你父親撒烏耳，和他的兄弟以及他的朋友，沒有使你落在達味手裏；你今天竟為了一個女人挑我的錯!
Abner became very angry about what Ishbosheth said to him. He said to Ishbosheth, “(Do you think that I am a [worthless] dog [MET] from Judah?/You are treating me as though I am a [worthless] dog [MET] from Judah.) [RHQ] From the beginning, I have been loyal to Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends. And I have prevented you from being defeated by David’s army. So now (why are you criticizing me about [what I have done with] some woman?/you should not be criticizing me about [what I have done with] some woman.) [RHQ]
9 若我今後不依照上主對達味所誓許的去行：
Yahweh solemnly promised that he would not allow Saul and his descendants to continue to rule. He promised that he would cause David to rule over all the tribes of Israel and Judah, from Dan [city] far in the north to Beersheba [city] far in the south. So I hope/desire that God will punish me severely [HYP] if I do not enable that to happen!”
10 廢除撒烏耳家的王位，建立達味的寶座，使他由丹直到貝爾舍巴，統治全以色列和猶大，願天主如此，並加倍地懲罰我! 」
11 依市巴耳因為怕阿貝乃爾，連一句話也不敢回答。
Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything in reply to Abner.
12 阿貝乃爾立即派使者到赫貝龍見達味說：「這地是誰的﹖」是說：「只要你與我訂立盟約，我必伸手援助你，使全以色列都歸順你。」
Then Abner sent messengers to David [when he was at Hebron], to say to him, “[Either you or I] should be [RHQ] the ruler of this entire nation, [but not Isbosheth. However, ] if you make an agreement with me, I will help you by encouraging all the people of Israel to (be want you to be their king/start to support) you.”
13 達味答說：「好! 我願與你訂立盟約，但是，我要求你一個條件：就是你來見我時，若不把撒烏耳的女兒米加耳帶來，你休想見我。」
David sent back this reply: “Good! I am willing to make an agreement with you. But before that happens, there is one thing that you must do. When you come to see me, you must bring my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter.”
14 隨後，達味就派使者到撒烏耳的兒子依市巴耳那裏說：「請把我的妻米加耳歸還給我，她是我以一百培肋特舍人的包皮聘定的。」
Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, to say to him, “I [had to kill] 100 men from Philistia [and cut off] their foreskins to give to Saul to pay for Michal [to be my wife]. So now give her back to me!”
15 依市巴耳就派人，從拉依士的兒子帕耳提耳，她丈夫那裏把她帶來。
So Ishbosheth sent some men to take Michal from her husband Palti. But [when they took her, ] her husband followed them all the way to Bahurim [town], crying as he went.
16 她的丈夫與她同行，一邊走一邊哭，送她到了巴胡凌。阿貝乃爾向他說：「你回去罷! 」他就回去了。
Then Abner [turned and] said to him, “Go back [home]!”, so he did.
17 阿貝乃爾同以色列的長老商議說：「你們早已渴望達味作你們的君王。
Abner went to the Israeli leaders and talked with them. He said, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king.
18 現在你們就進行罷! 因為上主曾論及達味說：我要藉我的僕人達味，從培肋舍特人及一切仇敵手中，拯救我的百姓以色列。」
So now you have an opportunity to do that. Keep in mind that Yahweh promised this: ‘With the help of David, who serves me [well], I will rescue my people from the people of Philistia, and from the power [MTY] of all their other enemies’.”
19 阿貝乃爾也遊說了本雅明人；以後阿貝乃爾去赫貝龍見達味，向他報告以色列和本雅明全家共同贊成的事。
Abner also spoke to the people of the tribe of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron, to tell David what all the people of Israel and the people of the tribe of Benjamin had agreed to do.
20 阿貝乃爾遂率領二十人去赫貝龍見達味。達味設宴款待了阿貝乃爾和他的隨員。
When Abner came with 20 of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.
21 阿貝乃爾向達味說：「我要動身去號召全以色列，來擁護我主大王，使他們與你立約：這樣你能依照你的心願來統治一切。」事後，達味放阿貝乃爾平安走了。
Afterwards, Abner said to David, “Sir/Your majesty, I will now go and encourage all the people of Israel to accept you to be their king, as you have desired.” Then Abner left, peacefully.
22 達味的臣僕和約阿布出征回來，帶回了很多戰利品。那時，阿貝乃爾已不在赫貝龍達味那裏了，因為達味放他平安走了。
Soon after that, Joab and some of David’s other soldiers returned [to Hebron] after raiding [one of their enemies’ villages], bringing with them a lot of things that they had captured. But Abner was not there at Hebron, because David had sent him safely home.
23 約阿布和他率領的軍隊一來到，就有人告訴他說：「乃爾的兒子阿貝乃爾曾來到君王前，君王放他平安走了。」
When Joab and the soldiers who were with him arrived, someone told him that Abner had come there and talked with the king, and that the king allowed to go home safely.
24 約阿布就去見君王說：「你作的是什麼事﹖阿貝乃爾到你這裏來，你為什麼放他平安走了﹖
So Joab went to the king and said, “Why have you done that? Listen to me! Abner [is your enemy, but] when he came to you, you allowed him [RHQ] to leave!
25 你豈不認識乃爾的兒子阿貝乃爾﹖他來是為欺騙你，願探聽你的出入，知道你的一切行動。」
Do you not know that he came to you to deceive you and to find out everything that you are doing, and all the places that you go to?”
26 約阿布離開達味就打發差役去追趕阿貝乃爾。他們從息辣的旱井旁，把他帶回來，。達味一點也不知道。
After Joab left David, he sent some messengers to get Abner. They found him at Sirah Well, and brought him back to Hebron, but David did not know that they had done that.
27 阿貝乃爾一回到赫貝龍，約阿布就領他到大門旁，彷彿要與他暗地交談，就在那裏一刀剌穿了他的肚腹，他立即死了；這樣替他兄弟阿撒耳報了血仇。
So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city gate, and took him aside as though he wanted to speak with him privately. Then he stabbed Abner in the stomach [with his knife/sword]. In that way he murdered Abner because Abner had killed [MTY] Joab’s brother Asahel.
28 事後，達味一聽說這事，就說：「我和我的國家，對乃爾的兒子阿貝乃爾的血案，在上主面前，永遠是無罪的!
Later, after David heard what had happened, he said, “Yahweh knows that I and the people of my kingdom are not at all (responsible for/guilty of) murdering [MTY] Abner.
29 願這罪歸在約阿布的頭上和他父的全家! 願約阿布家中不斷有患淋症，長癩病，只會紡線，喪身刀下和缺糧的人! 」
I hope/desire that Joab and all his family will be punished [MTY] for doing that! I hope/desire that there will always be someone in his family who has sores, or someone who is a leper, or some man who is forced to do women’s work, or someone who is killed in a battle, or someone who does not have enough food to eat!”
30 約阿布和他的兄弟阿彼瑟暗殺了阿貝乃爾，是因為他在基貝紅打仗時，殺死了他們的兄弟阿撒耳。
That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31 達味向約阿布和同他在一起的民眾說：「要撕裂你們的衣服，穿上喪服，為阿貝乃爾舉哀! 」達味王也跟在靈柩後送葬。
Then David said to Joab and to all Joab’s soldiers, “Tear your clothes and put on coarse cloth [to show that you are sad], and mourn for Abner!” And [at the funeral], King David walked behind [the men who were carrying] the coffin.
32 他們在赫貝龍埋葬了阿貝乃爾；君王在阿貝乃爾墓旁放聲大哭，民眾也都哭了。
They buried Abner’s body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.
33 君王作哀歌弔阿貝乃爾說：「阿貝乃爾豈應像傻瓜一樣死去﹖
David sang this sad song to lament for Abner: “It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!
34 你的手並未束拷，你的腳也沒帶鐐，怎麼你斃命，竟如兇犯斃命一樣! 」為此民眾更加痛哭。
No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, [like they do to criminals]. No, he was murdered by wicked men!”
35 隨後，眾人前來勸君王進食，那時還是白天，達味卻發誓說：「若我在日落前進食，或嘗什麼東西，願天主如此，並加倍地懲罰我!」
Then many [HYP] people came to David to tell him to eat some food before sunset, but David refused. He said, “I hope/desire that God will punish me severely [HYP] if I eat any food before the sun goes down!”
36 眾人見到此事，都心悅誠服，因為凡君王所行的，無不叫眾人心悅誠服。
All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
37 如此，眾人和全以色列當天都知道，殺乃爾的兒子阿貝乃爾，不是出於君王的命令。
So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
38 達味向他的臣僕說：「你們不知道今天在以色列喪失了一位將領和偉人嗎﹖
The king said to his officials, “(Do you not realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel?/You should realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel.) [RHQ]
39 我今天雖是傅油的君王，仍年幼無力，責魯雅的兒子們又比我剛強；願上主依照人所行的邪惡，來施行報復! 」
Even though Yahweh appointed me to be the king, today I feel weak. These two sons of Zeruiah, [Joab and Abishai], are very violent; I cannot control them. So I hope/desire that Yahweh will punish them severely in return for this wicked thing that they have done!”
