< 2 Samuel 2 >
1 And so, after these things, David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I ascend to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Ascend.” And David said, “To where shall I ascend?” And he responded to him, “To Hebron.”
Igitur post haec consuluit David Dominum, dicens: Num ascendam in unam de civitatibus Iuda? Et ait Dominus ad eum: Ascende. Dixitque David: Quo ascendam? Et respondit ei: In Hebron.
2 Therefore, David ascended with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
Ascendit ergo David, et duae uxores eius, Achinoam Iezraelites, et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli:
3 And as for the men who were with him, David led forth each man with his household. And they stayed in the towns of Hebron.
sed et viros, qui erant cum eo, duxit David singulos cum domo sua: et manserunt in oppidis Hebron.
4 And the men of Judah went and anointed David there, so that he would reign over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.
Veneruntque viri Iuda, et unxerunt ibi David, ut regnaret super domum Iuda. Et nunciatum est David, quod viri Iabes Galaad sepelissent Saul.
5 Therefore, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and he said to them: “Blessed are you to the Lord, who has accomplished this mercy with your lord Saul, so that you would bury him.
Misit ergo David nuncios ad viros Iabes Galaad, dixitque ad eos: Benedicti vos a Domino, qui fecistis misericordiam hanc cum domino vestro Saul, et sepelistis eum.
6 And now, certainly, the Lord will repay to you mercy and truth. But I also will act with favor, because you have accomplished this word.
Et nunc retribuet vobis quidem Dominus misericordiam et veritatem: sed et ego reddam gratiam, eo quod fecistis verbum istud.
7 Let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of fortitude. For even though your lord Saul has died, still the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”
Confortentur manus vestrae, et estote filii fortitudinis: licet enim mortuus sit dominus vester Saul, tamen me unxit domus Iuda in regem sibi.
8 Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of the army of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and he led him around, throughout the camp.
Abner autem filius Ner princeps exercitus Saul tulit Isboseth filium Saul, et circumduxit eum per castra,
9 And he appointed him as king over Gilead, and over Geshuri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel.
regemque constituit super Galaad, et super Gessuri, et super Iezrael, et super Ephraim, et super Beniamin, et super Israel universum.
10 Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he had begun to rule over Israel. And he reigned for two years. For only the house of Judah followed David.
Quadraginta annorum erat Isboseth filius Saul cum regnare coepisset super Israel, et duobus annis regnavit: sola autem domus Iuda sequebatur David.
11 And the number of the days, during which David was staying and ruling in Hebron over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
Et fuit numerus dierum, quos commoratus est David, imperans in Hebron super domum Iuda, septem annorum, et sex mensium.
12 And Abner, the son of Ner, and the youths of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gibeon.
Egressusque est Abner filius Ner, et pueri Isboseth filii Saul de castris in Gabaon.
13 Therefore, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the youths of David, went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had convened together, they sat down opposite one another: these on one side of the pool, and those on the other side.
Porro Ioab filius Sarviae, et pueri David egressi sunt, et occurrerunt eis iuxta piscinam Gabaon. Et cum in unum convenissent, e regione sederunt: hi in una parte piscinae, et illi ex altera.
14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the youths rise up and play before us.” And Joab answered, “Let them rise up.”
Dixitque Abner ad Ioab: Surgant pueri, et ludant coram nobis. Et respondit Ioab: Surgant.
15 Therefore, they rose up and crossed over, twelve in number of Benjamin, from the side of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the youths of David.
Surrexerunt ergo, et transierunt numero duodecim de Beniamin, ex parte Isboseth filii Saul, et duodecim de pueris David.
16 And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon.
Apprehensoque unusquisque capite comparis sui, defixit gladium in latus contrarii, et ceciderunt simul: vocatumque est nomen loci illius: Ager robustorum, in Gabaon.
17 And a very harsh war rose up on that day. And Abner, with the men of Israel, was put to flight by the youths of David.
Et ortum est bellum durum satis in die illa: fugatusque est Abner, et viri Israel a pueris David.
18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were in that place: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was a very swift runner, like one of the deer that lives in the forest.
Erant autem ibi tres filii Sarviae, Ioab, et Abisai, et Asael: porro Asael cursor velocissimus fuit, quasi unus de capreis, quae morantur in silvis.
19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right, nor to the left, to cease in the pursuit of Abner.
Persequebatur autem Asael Abner, et non declinavit ad dextram neque ad sinistram omittens persequi Abner.
20 And so, Abner looked behind his back, and he said, “Are you not Asahel?” And he responded, “I am.”
Respexit itaque Abner post tergum suum, et ait: Tune es Asael? Qui respondit: Ego sum.
21 And Abner said to him, “Go to the right, or to the left, and apprehend one of the youths, and take his spoils for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to cease from pursuing him closely.
Dixitque ei Abner: Vade ad dexteram, sive ad sinistram, et apprehende unum de adolescentibus, et tolle tibi spolia eius. Noluit autem Asael omittere quin urgeret eum.
22 And again, Abner said to Asahel: “Withdraw, and do not choose to follow me. Otherwise, I will be compelled to stab you to the ground, and I will not be able to lift up my face before your brother, Joab.”
Rursumque locutus est Abner ad Asael: recede, et noli me sequi, ne compellar confodere te in terram, et levare non potero faciem meam ad Ioab fratrem tuum.
23 But he disdained to heed him, and he was not willing to turn aside. Therefore, turning, Abner struck him with his spear in the groin, and he pierced him through, and he died in the same place. And all those who would pass by the place, in which Asahel had fallen and died, would stand still.
Qui audire contempsit, et noluit declinare: percussit ergo eum Abner aversa hasta in inguine, et transfodit, et mortuus est in eodem loco: omnesque qui transibant per locum illum, in quo ceciderat Asael, et mortuus erat, subsistebant.
24 Now while Joab and Abishai were pursuing Abner as he fled, the sun set. And they went as far as the Hill of the Aqueduct, which is opposite the valley on the way of the desert in Gibeon.
Persequentibus autem Ioab, et Abisai fugientem Abner, sol occubuit: et venerunt usque ad Collem aquae ductus, qui est ex adverso vallis et itineris deserti in Gabaon.
25 And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves to Abner. And being joined in one battle line, they stood at the summit of a hill.
Congregatique sunt filii Beniamin ad Abner: et conglobati in unum cuneum, steterunt in summitate tumuli unius.
26 And Abner cried out to Joab, and he said: “Will your sword rage unto utter destruction? Are you ignorant that it is perilous to act in desperation? How long will you not tell the people to cease from the pursuit of their brothers?”
Et exclamavit Abner ad Ioab, et ait: Num usque ad internecionem tuus mucro desaeviet? an ignoras quod periculosa sit desperatio? usquequo non dicis populo ut omittat persequi fratres suos?
27 And Joab said: “As the Lord lives, if you had spoken in the morning, the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers.”
et ait Ioab: Vivit Dominus, si locutus fuisses, mane recessisset populus persequens fratrem suum.
28 Therefore, Joab sounded the trumpet, and the entire army stood still, and they did not pursue after Israel any more, and they did not engage in conflict.
Insonuit ergo Ioab buccina, et stetit omnis exercitus, nec persecuti sunt ultra Israel, neque iniere certamen.
29 Then Abner and his men went away, all that night, through the plains. And they crossed the Jordan, and having roamed throughout all of Beth-horon, they arrived in the camp.
Abner autem et viri eius abierunt per campestria, tota nocte illa: et transierunt Iordanem, et lustrata omni Beth horon, venerunt ad castra.
30 But Joab, returning after he had released Abner, gathered together all the people. And of David’s youths, they were missing nineteen men, aside from Asahel.
Porro Ioab reversus, omisso Abner, congregavit omnem populum: et defuerunt de pueris David decem et novem viri, excepto Asaele.
31 But of Benjamin and of the men who were with Abner, the servants of David had struck three hundred and sixty, who also died.
Servi autem David percusserunt de Beniamin, et de viris, qui erant cum Abner trecentos sexaginta, qui et mortui sunt.
32 And they took Asahel, and they buried him in the sepulcher of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men who were with him, walked throughout the night, and they arrived in Hebron at the very break of day.
Tuleruntque Asael, et sepelierunt eum in sepulchro patris sui in Bethlehem: et ambulaverunt tota nocte Ioab et viri qui erant cum eo, et in ipso crepusculo pervenerunt in Hebron.