撒母耳記下 3
1 掃羅家和大衛家爭戰許久。大衛家日見強盛；掃羅家日見衰弱。
There was a long war between those on the side of Saul and those on the side of David. David's side grew stronger, while Saul's side grew weaker.
2 大衛在希伯崙得了幾個兒子：長子暗嫩是耶斯列人亞希暖所生的；
David's sons born at Hebron were: Amnon (firstborn), by Ahinoam from Jezreel;
3 次子基利押是作過迦密人拿八的妻亞比該所生的；三子押沙龍是基述王達買的女兒瑪迦所生的；
Chileab (second), by Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel; Absalom (third), by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur:
4 四子亞多尼雅是哈及所生的；五子示法提雅是亞比她所生的；
Adonijah (fourth), by Haggith; Shephatiah (fifth), by Abital;
5 六子以特念是大衛的妻以格拉所生的。大衛這六個兒子都是在希伯崙生的。
Ithream (sixth), by David's wife Eglah. These were the sons born to David at Hebron.
6 掃羅家和大衛家爭戰的時候，押尼珥在掃羅家大有權勢。
Abner had been strengthening his position among the supporters of Saul's dynasty during the war between those on the side of Saul and those on the side of David.
7 掃羅有一妃嬪，名叫利斯巴，是愛亞的女兒。一日，伊施波設對押尼珥說：「你為甚麼與我父的妃嬪同房呢？」
Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. One day Ishbosheth accused Abner, saying “Why have you been sleeping with my father's concubine?”
8 押尼珥因伊施波設的話就甚發怒，說：「我豈是猶大的狗頭呢？我恩待你父掃羅的家和他的弟兄、朋友，不將你交在大衛手裏，今日你竟為這婦人責備我嗎？
Abner got extremely angry at Ishbosheth accusation. “Am I a dog's head siding with Judah?” he replied. “Right up to the present day I have been loyal to your dynasty—to your father Saul, and to his brothers and friends. I haven't betrayed you to David. But now you dare to accuse me of sinning with this woman!
9 我若不照着耶和華起誓應許大衛的話行，廢去掃羅的位，建立大衛的位，使他治理以色列和猶大，從但直到別是巴，願上帝重重地降罰與我！」
So now may God punish me severely if I don't help David achieve what the Lord has promised him.
I will hand over the kingdom from Saul's dynasty, and help set up David's rule over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11 伊施波設懼怕押尼珥，不敢回答一句。
Ishbosheth didn't dare to say anything else to Abner because he was frightened of him.
12 押尼珥打發人去見大衛，替他說：「這國歸誰呢？」又說：「你與我立約，我必幫助你，使以色列人都歸服你。」
Then Abner sent messengers to speak for him to David, saying, “Who does the country belong to anyway? Make an agreement with me, and you can be sure I'll be on your side to have all of Israel follow you.”
13 大衛說：「好！我與你立約。但有一件，你來見我面的時候，若不將掃羅的女兒米甲帶來，必不得見我的面。」
“Fine,” David replied, “I'll make an agreement with you. But I have one condition: I won't see you unless you bring Saul's daughter Michal when you come.”
14 大衛就打發人去見掃羅的兒子伊施波設，說：「你要將我的妻米甲歸還我；她是我從前用一百非利士人的陽皮所聘定的。」
Then David sent messengers tell Ishbosheth, son of Saul, “Give me back my wife Michal—I paid a dowry for her of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15 伊施波設就打發人去，將米甲從拉億的兒子、她丈夫帕鐵那裏接回來。
Ishbosheth sent for her and took her away from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish.
16 米甲的丈夫跟着她，一面走一面哭，直跟到巴戶琳。押尼珥說：「你回去吧！」帕鐵就回去了。
Her husband followed her to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. Then Abner ordered him, “Go back home!” So he went home.
17 押尼珥對以色列長老說：「從前你們願意大衛作王治理你們，
Abner spoke with the elders of Israel and said, “For a while now you have wanted to have David as your king.
18 現在你們可以照心願而行。因為耶和華曾論到大衛說：『我必藉我僕人大衛的手，救我民以色列脫離非利士人和眾仇敵的手。』」
Now is the time to do it, because the Lord promised David, ‘Through my servant David I am going to save my people Israel from the Philistines and all their enemies.’”
19 押尼珥也用這話說給便雅憫人聽，又到希伯崙，將以色列人和便雅憫全家一切所喜悅的事說給大衛聽。
Abner also talked to the people of Benjamin, and went to Hebron to let David know everything that the Israelites and the whole tribe of Benjamin had decided to do.
20 押尼珥帶着二十個人來到希伯崙見大衛，大衛就為押尼珥和他帶來的人設擺筵席。
Abner came with twenty of his men to see David at Hebron, and David prepared a feast for them.
21 押尼珥對大衛說：「我要起身去招聚以色列眾人來見我主我王，與你立約，你就可以照着心願作王。」於是大衛送押尼珥去，押尼珥就平平安安地去了。
Abner told David, “Let me go immediately and summon all of Israel to come together for my lord the king, so they may make an agreement with you, and that you may rule over all you would wish.” Then David sent Abner safely on his way.
22 約押和大衛的僕人攻擊敵軍，帶回許多的掠物。那時押尼珥不在希伯崙大衛那裏，因大衛已經送他去，他也平平安安地去了。
Soon after Joab and David's men came back from a raid, bringing with them a large amount of plunder. However, Abner wasn't there with David in Hebron because David had already sent him safely on his way in peace.
23 約押和跟隨他的全軍到了，就有人告訴約押說：「尼珥的兒子押尼珥來見王，王送他去，他也平平安安地去了。」
When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, he was told, “Abner, son of Ner, came to see the king, who sent him safely on his way.”
24 約押去見王說：「你這是做甚麼呢？押尼珥來見你，你為何送他去，他就蹤影不見了呢？
Joab went to the king and asked, “What do you think you're doing? Here's Abner, who came to see you. Why on earth did you send him on his way? Now he's got clean away!
25 你當曉得，尼珥的兒子押尼珥來是要誆哄你，要知道你的出入和你一切所行的事。」
You do see that Abner, son of Ner, came here to trick you, to spy on the movements of your army, and to find out everything you're doing!”
26 約押從大衛那裏出來，就打發人去追趕押尼珥，在西拉井追上他，將他帶回來，大衛卻不知道。
When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner. They met up with him at the well of Sirah and brought him back, but David didn't know anything about it.
27 押尼珥回到希伯崙，約押領他到城門的甕洞，假作要與他說機密話，就在那裏刺透他的肚腹，他便死了。這是報殺他兄弟亞撒黑的仇。
When Abner arrived back in Hebron, Joab took him aside into the town gatehouse as if he was going to talk with him in private. But Joab stabbed him in the belly, killing him in revenge for killing Joab's brother Asahel.
28 大衛聽見了，就說：「流尼珥的兒子押尼珥的血，這罪在耶和華面前必永不歸我和我的國。
When David heard about this later he said, “I and my kingdom are totally innocent before the Lord regarding the death of Abner, son of Ner!
29 願流他血的罪歸到約押頭上和他父的全家；又願約押家不斷有患漏症的，長大痲瘋的，架柺而行的，被刀殺死的，缺乏飲食的。」
May the guilt for his death fall on Joab and his family! May Joab's descendants always have someone who has running sores or leprosy or is crippled or who is killed by the sword or who is starving.”
30 約押和他兄弟亞比篩殺了押尼珥，是因押尼珥在基遍爭戰的時候殺了他們的兄弟亞撒黑。
(This is why Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel during the battle at Gibeon.)
31 大衛吩咐約押和跟隨他的眾人說：「你們當撕裂衣服，腰束麻布，在押尼珥棺前哀哭。」大衛王也跟在棺後。
Then David ordered Joab and everyone who was there, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David himself followed the body as it was carried to the grave.
32 他們將押尼珥葬在希伯崙。王在押尼珥的墓旁放聲而哭，眾民也都哭了。
They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king cried loudly at the grave, along with all the people.
33 王為押尼珥舉哀，說： 押尼珥何竟像愚頑人死呢？
The king sang this lament for Abner: “Did Abner deserve to die like a criminal?
34 你手未曾捆綁，腳未曾鎖住。 你死，如人死在罪孽之輩手下一樣。 於是眾民又為押尼珥哀哭。
Your hands were not tied together, your feet were not in shackles. But just like a murderer's victim, you too were killed.” All the people cried for him even more.
35 日頭未落的時候，眾民來勸大衛吃飯，但大衛起誓說：「我若在日頭未落以前吃飯，或吃別物，願上帝重重地降罰與我！」
Then people came to David and tried to persuade him to have something to eat during the day. But David swore an oath, saying, “May God punish me severely if I eat bread or anything else before sunset!”
36 眾民知道了就都喜悅。凡王所行的，眾民無不喜悅。
Everyone saw this and thought it was the right thing to do, in the same way that they thought everything the king did was the right thing to do.
37 那日，以色列眾民才知道殺尼珥的兒子押尼珥並非出於王意。
That day everyone in Judah and throughout Israel realized that David had not ordered Abner's murder.
38 王對臣僕說：「你們豈不知今日以色列人中死了一個作元帥的大丈夫嗎？
Then the king said to his officers, “Don't you recognize that a commander and a truly great man has fallen in Israel today?
39 我雖然受膏為王，今日還是軟弱；這洗魯雅的兩個兒子比我剛強。願耶和華照着惡人所行的惡報應他。」
I am weak right now, even though I'm anointed as king and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too powerful for me. But may the Lord repay the evil man according to the evil he has done.”
