2 Samuel 3

1 Then a long struggle occurred between the house of Saul and the house of David, with David prospering and growing ever stronger, but the house of Saul decreasing daily.

And the war is long between the house of Saul and the house of David, and David is going on and [is] strong, and the house of Saul is going on and [is] weak.

2 And sons were born to David in Hebron. And his firstborn son was Amnon, from Ahinoam the Jezreelite.

And there are sons born to David in Hebron, and his firstborn is Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,

3 And after him, there was Chileab, from Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel. Then the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.

and his second [is] Chileab, of Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite, and the third [is] Absalom son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur,

4 Then the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. And the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital.

and the fourth [is] Adonijah son of Haggith, and the fifth [is] Shephatiah son of Abital,

5 Also, the sixth was Ithream, from Eglah, the wife of David. These were born to David at Hebron.

and the sixth [is] Ithream, of Eglah wife of David; these have been born to David in Hebron.

6 Then, while there was a battle between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, was reigning over the house of Saul.

And it comes to pass, in the war being between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner has been strengthening himself in the house of Saul,

7 Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner,

and Saul has a concubine, and her name [is] Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and [Ish-Bosheth] says to Abner, “Why have you gone in to the concubine of my father?”

8 “Why did you enter to the concubine of my father?” But he, being exceedingly angry at the words of Ishbosheth, said: “Am I the head of a dog against Judah this day? I have shown mercy to the house of Saul, your father, and to his brothers and friends. And I have not delivered you into the hands of David. And yet today you have sought me, so that you might rebuke me over a woman?

And it is exceedingly displeasing to Abner, because of the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he says, “[Am] I the head of a dog—that in reference to Judah, today I do kindness with the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David—that you charge against me iniquity concerning the woman today?

9 May God do these things to Abner, and may he add these other things, if, in the same way that the Lord swore to David, I do not do so with him:

Thus God does to Abner, and thus He adds to him, surely as YHWH has sworn to David—surely so I do to him:

10 that the kingdom be transferred from the house of Saul, and that the throne of David be elevated over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”

to cause the kingdom to pass over from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-Sheba.”

11 And he was not able to respond anything to him, because he was in fear of him.

And he is not able to return a word [to] Abner anymore, because of his fearing him.

12 Therefore, Abner sent messengers to David for himself, saying, “Whose is the land?” and so that they would say, “Make a friendship with me, and my hand will be with you, and I will lead back all of Israel to you.”

And Abner sends messengers to David for himself, saying, “Whose [is] the land?” [And] saying, “Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand [is] with you, to bring around all Israel to you.”

13 And he said: “It is best. I will make a friendship with you. But one thing I ask of you, saying: You shall not see my face before you bring Michal, the daughter of Saul. And in this way, you shall come, and see me.”

And [David] says, “Good—I make a covenant with you; only, one thing I am asking of you, that is, you do not see my face, except [that] you first bring in Michal daughter of Saul in your coming in to see my face.”

14 Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, saying, “Restore my wife Michal, whom I espoused to myself for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”

And David sends messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, saying, “Give up my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself with one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”

15 Therefore, Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish.

And Ish-Bosheth sends, and takes her from a man, from Phaltiel son of Laish,

16 And her husband was following her, weeping, as far as Bahurim. And Abner said to him, “Go and return.” And he returned.

and her husband goes with her, going on and weeping behind her, to Bahurim, and Abner says to him, “Go, return”; and he turns back.

17 Likewise, Abner sent word to the elders of Israel, saying: “As much yesterday as the day before, you were seeking David, so that he might reign over you.

And the word of Abner was with [the] elderly of Israel, saying, “Thus far you have been seeking David for king over you,

18 Therefore, accomplish it now. For the Lord has spoken to David, saying: ‘By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’”

and now, do [it], for YHWH has spoken of David saying, [It is] by the hand of my servant David to save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.”

19 Then Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And he went away, so that he might speak to David in Hebron all that would be pleasing to Israel and to all of Benjamin.

And Abner also speaks in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner also goes to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that [is] good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin,

20 And he went to David in Hebron with twenty men. And David made a feast for Abner, and for his men who had arrived with him.

and Abner comes to David, to Hebron, and twenty men [are] with him, and David makes a banquet for Abner and for the men who [are] with him.

21 And Abner said to David, “I will rise up, so that I may gather all of Israel to you, my lord the king, and so that I may enter into a pact with you, and so that you may reign over all, just as your soul desires.” Then, when David had led Abner away, and he had departed in peace,

And Abner says to David, “I arise, and go, and gather the whole of Israel to my lord the king, and they make a covenant with you, and you have reigned over all that your soul desires”; and David sends Abner away, and he goes in peace.

22 immediately the servants of David and of Joab arrived, after having slain robbers, with exceedingly great spoils. But Abner was not with David in Hebron. For by then he had sent him away, and he had set out in peace.

And behold, the servants of David, and Joab, have come from the troop, and have brought much spoil with them, and Abner is not with David in Hebron, for he has sent him away, and he goes in peace;

23 And Joab, and the entire army that was with him, had arrived afterward. And so, it was reported to Joab, explaining that Abner, the son of Ner, went to the king, and he dismissed him, and he went away in peace.

and Joab and all the host that [were] with him have come, and they declare to Joab, saying, “Abner son of Ner has come to the king, and he sends him away, and he goes in peace.”

24 And Joab entered to the king, and he said: “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him, so that he has gone and departed?

And Joab comes to the king and says, “What have you done? Behold, Abner has come to you! Why [is] this—you have sent him away, and he is really gone?

25 Do you not know, about Abner, the son of Ner, that he came to you for this, so that he might deceive you, and might know of your departure and your return, and so that he might know all that you do?”

You have known Abner son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.”

26 And so, Joab, going out from David, sent messengers after Abner, and he brought him back from the cistern of Sirah, without David knowing.

And Joab goes out from David, and sends messengers after Abner, and they bring him back from the well of Sirah, and David did not know.

27 And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him alone to the middle of the gate, so that he might speak to him, but with deceit. And there, he stabbed him in the groin, and he died, in revenge for the blood of Asahel, his brother.

And Abner turns back to Hebron, and Joab turns him aside to the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and strikes him there in the fifth [rib]—and he dies—for the blood of his brother Asahel.

28 And when David had heard of it, now that the matter was done, he said: “I and my kingdom are clean before the Lord, even forever, of the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.

And David hears afterward and says, “My kingdom and I [are] acquitted by YHWH for all time, from the blood of Abner son of Ner;

29 And may it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon the entire house of his father. And may there not fail to be, in the house of Joab, one who suffers from a flow of seed, or one who is leprous, or one who is effeminate, or one who falls by the sword, or one who is in need of bread.”

it stays on the head of Joab, and on all the house of his father, and there is not cut off from the house of Joab one who has discharging, and leprous, and laying hold on a staff, and falling by a sword, and lacking bread.”

30 And so, Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon, during the battle.

And Joab and his brother Abishai slew Abner because that he put their brother Asahel to death in Gibeon, in battle.

31 Then David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before the funeral procession of Abner.” Moreover, king David himself was following the casket.

And David says to Joab, and to all the people who [are] with him, “Tear your garments, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner”; and King David is going after the bier.

32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David lifted up his voice, and he wept over the burial mound of Abner. And all the people also wept.

And they bury Abner in Hebron, and the king lifts up his voice, and weeps at the grave of Abner, and all the people weep;

33 And the king, mourning and lamenting Abner, said: “By no means has Abner died the way that cowards usually die.

and the king laments for Abner and says, “Does Abner die as the death of a fool?

34 Your hands are not bound, and your feet are not weighed down with fetters. But just as men often fall before the sons of iniquity, so you have fallen.” And while repeating this, all the people wept over him.

Your hands not bound, And your feet not brought near to chains! You have fallen as one falling before sons of evil!” And all the people add to weep over him.

35 And when the entire multitude had arrived to take food with David, while it was still broad daylight, David swore, saying, “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets.”

And all the people come to cause David to eat bread while yet day, and David swears, saying, “Thus God does to me, and thus He adds, for—before the going in of the sun, I taste no bread or any other thing.”

36 And all the people heard it, and everything that the king did in the sight of the entire people was pleasing to them.

And all the people have discerned [it], and it is good in their eyes, as all that the king has done is good in the eyes of all the people;

37 And every common person, and all of Israel, realized on that day that the killing of Abner, the son of Ner, had not been done by the king.

and all the people know, even all Israel, in that day, that it has not been from the king—to put Abner son of Ner to death.

38 The king also said to his servants: “Could you be ignorant that a leader and a very great man has fallen today in Israel?

And the king says to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great one has fallen this day in Israel?

39 But I am still tender, and yet anointed king. And these men of the sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me. May the Lord repay whoever does evil in accord with his malice.”

And today I [am] tender, and an anointed king: and these men, sons of Zeruiah, [are] too hard for me; YHWH repays to the doer of the evil according to his evil.”