2 Samuel 3

1 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.

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 David's sons born at Hebron were: Amnon (firstborn), by Ahinoam from Jezreel;

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

3 Chileab (second), by Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel; Absalom (third), by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai 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 Adonijah (fourth), by Haggith; Shephatiah (fifth), by Abital;

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

5 Ithream (sixth), by David's wife Eglah. These were the sons born to David at Hebron.

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

6 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.

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 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?”

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 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!

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 So now may God punish me severely if I don't help David achieve what the Lord has promised 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 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.”

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 Ishbosheth didn't dare to say anything else to Abner because he was frightened of him.

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

12 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.”

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 “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.”

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 tell Ishbosheth, son of Saul, “Give me back my wife Michal—I paid a dowry for her of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”

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 Ishbosheth sent for her and took her away from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish.

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

16 Her husband followed her to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. Then Abner ordered him, “Go back home!” So he went home.

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 Abner spoke with the elders of Israel and said, “For a while now you have wanted to have David as your king.

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

18 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.’”

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 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.

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 Abner came with twenty of his men to see David at Hebron, and David prepared a feast for them.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.”

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 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!

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 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!”

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 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.

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 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.

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 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!

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 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.”

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 (This is why Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel during the battle at Gibeon.)

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

31 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.

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 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king cried loudly at the grave, along with all the people.

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 The king sang this lament for Abner: “Did Abner deserve to die like a criminal?

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

34 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.

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 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!”

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 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.

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 That day everyone in Judah and throughout Israel realized that David had not ordered Abner's murder.

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 Then the king said to his officers, “Don't you recognize that a commander and a truly great man has fallen in Israel today?

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 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.”

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.”