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 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 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 wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel [city].
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；
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 四子亞多尼雅是哈及所生的；五子示法提雅是亞比她所生的；
The next one was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The next one was Shephatiah, whose mother was 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。
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 掃羅家和大衛家爭戰的時候，押尼珥在掃羅家大有權勢。
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 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？」
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 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 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 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！」
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!”
11 伊施波設懼怕押尼珥，不敢回答一句。
Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything in reply to Abner.
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 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 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。」
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 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 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 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。
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 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。
Then Abner [turned and] said to him, “Go back [home]!”, so he did.
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 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。』」
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 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 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 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。
When Abner came with 20 of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of 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。
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 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 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 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？
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。」
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。
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 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。
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 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。
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。」
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。
That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in 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 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’s body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.
33 王為押尼珥舉哀，說： 押尼珥何竟像愚頑人死呢？
David sang this sad song to lament for Abner: “It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!
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。
No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, [like they do to criminals]. No, he was murdered by wicked men!”
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 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 眾民知道了就都喜悅。凡王所行的，眾民無不喜悅。
All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
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。
So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
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？
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。」
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!”
