< Kings II 3 >
1 And there was war for a long time between the house of Saul and the house of David; and the house of David grew continually stronger; but the house of Saul grew continually weaker.
Now there was a long war between Saul's people and David's people; and David became stronger and stronger, but those on Saul's side became more and more feeble.
2 And sons were born to David in Chebron: and his firstborn was Ammon the son of Achinoom the Jezraelitess.
While David was in Hebron he became the father of sons: the oldest was Amnon, son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 And his second son [was] Daluia, the son of Abigaia the Carmelitess; and the third, Abessalom the son of Maacha the daughter of Tholmi the king of Gessir.
And the second, Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom, son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth [was] Ornia, the son of Aggith, and the fifth [was] Saphatia, the son of Abital.
And the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth [was] Jetheraam, the son of Aegal the wife of David. These were born to David in Chebron.
And the sixth, Ithream, whose mother was David's wife Eglah. These were the sons of David, whose birth took place in Hebron.
6 And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abenner was governing the house of Saul.
Now while there was war between Saul's people and David's people, Abner was making himself strong among the supporters of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine, Respha, the daughter of Jol; and Jebosthe the son of Saul said to Abenner, Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?
Now Saul had among his wives a woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you taken my father's wife?
8 And Abenner was very angry with Jebosthe for this saying; and Abenner said to him, Am I a dog's head? I have this day wrought kindness with the house of Saul your father, and with his brethren and friends, and have not gone over to the house of David, and do you this day seek a charge against me concerning injury to a woman?
And Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, Am I a dog's head of Judah? I am this day doing all in my power for the cause of your father Saul and for his brothers and his friends, and have not given you up into the hands of David, and now you say I have done wrong with a woman.
9 God do thus and more also to Abenner, if as the Lord swore to David, so do I not to him this day;
May God's punishment be on Abner, if I do not for David as the Lord in his oath has said,
10 to take away the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel and over Juda from Dan to Bersabee.
And if I do not take away the kingdom from the family of Saul and make David ruler over Israel and Judah from Dan as far as Beer-sheba!
11 And Jebosthe could not any longer answer Abenner a word, because he feared him.
And so great was Ish-bosheth's fear of Abner that he was not able to say a word in answer.
12 And Abenner sent messengers to David to Thaelam where he was, immediately, saying, Make your covenant with me, and, behold, my hand [is] with you to bring back to you all the house of Israel.
And Abner sent men to David at Hebron, saying, Make an agreement with me, and I will give you my support in getting all Israel on your side.
13 And David said, With a good will I will make with you a covenant: only I demand one condition of you, saying, You shall not see my face, unless you bring Melchol the daughter of Saul, when you come to see my face.
And he said, It is well; I will make an agreement with you, but on one condition, which is, that when you come before me, Saul's daughter Michal is to come with you; till she comes you will not see my face.
14 And David sent messengers to Jebosthe the son of Saul, saying, Restore me my wife Melchol, whom I took for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
And David sent men to Saul's son Ish-bosheth, saying, Give me back Michal, my wife, whom I made mine for the price of the private parts of a hundred Philistines.
15 And Jebosthe sent, and took her from her husband, [even] from Phaltiel the son of Selle.
So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her weeping behind her as far as Barakim. And Abenner said to him, Go, return; and he returned.
And her husband went with her as far as Bahurim, weeping while he went. Then Abner said to him, Go back. And he went back.
17 And Abenner spoke to the elders of Israel, saying, In former days you sought David to reign over you;
Then Abner had a talk with the chief men of Israel, saying, In the past it was your desire to make David your king: so now, do it:
18 and now perform [it]: for the Lord has spoken concerning David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save Israel out of the hand of all their enemies.
For the Lord has said of David, By the hand of my servant David I will make my people Israel safe from the Philistines, and from all who are against them.
19 And Abenner spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abenner went to speak in the ears of David at Chebron, all that seemed good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of the house of Benjamin.
And Abner said the same things to Benjamin: and he went to David in Hebron to make clear to him what seemed good to Israel and to all the people of Benjamin.
20 And Abenner came to David to Chebron, and with him twenty men: and David made for Abenner and his men with him a banquet of wine.
So Abner, with twenty men, came to Hebron, to David. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
21 And Abenner said to David, I will arise now, and go, and gather to my lord the king all Israel; and I will make with him a covenant, and you shall reign over all whom your soul desires. And David sent away Abenner, and he departed in peace.
And Abner said to David, Now I will go, and make all Israel come to my lord the king, so that they may make an agreement with you, and your kingdom may be as wide as your heart's desire. Then David sent Abner away and he went in peace.
22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab arrived from their expedition, and they brought much spoil with them: and Abenner was not with David in Chebron, because he had sent him away, and he had departed in peace.
Now the servants of David and Joab had been out attacking a band of armed men, and they came back with a great store of goods taken in the fight: but Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, for he had sent him away and he had gone in peace.
23 And Joab and all his army came, and it was reported to Joab, saying, Abenner the son of Ner is come to David, and David has let him go, and he has departed in peace.
When Joab and his men came, news was given them that Abner, the son of Ner, had come to the king, who had let him go away again in peace.
24 And Joab went in to the king, and said, What [is] this [that] you have done? behold, Abenner came to you; and why have you let him go, and he has departed in peace?
Then Joab came to the king, and said, What have you done? when Abner came to you why did you send him away and let him go?
25 Know you not the mischief of Abenner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all things that you do?
Is it not clear to you that Abner, the son of Ner, came with deceit to get knowledge of your going out and your coming in and of all you are doing?
26 And Joab returned from David, and sent messengers to Abenner after [him]; and they bring him back from the well of Seiram: but David knew [it] not.
And when Joab had come out from David, he sent men after Abner, and they overtook him at the water-spring of Sirah, and made him come back with them: but David had no knowledge of it.
27 And he brought back Abenner to Chebron, and Joab caused him to turn aside from the gate to speak to him, laying wait for him: and he struck him there in the loins, and he died for the blood of Asael the brother of Joab.
And when Abner was back in Hebron, Joab took him on one side by the doorway of the town to have a word with him quietly, and there he gave him a wound in the stomach, causing his death in payment for the death of his brother Asahel.
28 And David heard [of it] afterwards, and said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord even for ever of the blood of Abenner the son of Ner.
And when David had word of it he said, May I and my kingdom be clear for ever in the eyes of the Lord from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner:
29 Let it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon all the house of his father; and let there not be lacking of the house of Joab one that has an issue, or a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that wants bread.
May it come on the head of Joab and all his father's family: among the men of Joab's family may there ever be some who are diseased or lepers, or who do the work of women, or are put to the sword, or are wasted from need of food!
30 For Joab and Abessa his brother laid wait continually for Abenner, because he killed Asael their brother at Gabaon in the battle.
So Joab and Abishai his brother put Abner to death, because he had put to death their brother Asahel in the fight at Gibeon.
31 And David said to Joab and to all the people with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament before Abenner. And king David followed the bier.
And David said to Joab and all the people who were with him, Go in grief and put haircloth about you, in sorrow for Abner. And King David went after the dead body.
32 And they bury Abenner in Chebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at his tomb, and all the people wept for Abenner.
And they put Abner's body to rest in Hebron; and the king and all the people were weeping loudly by the resting-place of Abner's body.
33 And the king mourned over Abenner, and said, Shall Abenner die according to the death of Nabal?
And the king made a song of grief for Abner and said, Was the death of Abner to be like the death of a foolish man?
34 Your hands were not bound, and your feet [were] not [put] in fetters: [one] brought [you] not near as Nabal; you did fall before children of iniquity.
Your hands were free, your feet were not chained: like the downfall of a man before evil men, so was your fall. And the weeping of the people over him went on again.
35 And all the people assembled to weep for him. And all the people came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day: and David swore, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I eat bread or any thing else before the sun goes down.
And the people came to make David take food, while it was still day, but David with an oath said, May God's punishment be on me if I take a taste of bread or any other thing till the sun has gone down!
36 And all the people took notice, and all things that the king did before the people were pleasing in their sight.
And all the people took note of it and were pleased: like everything the king did, it was pleasing to the people.
37 So all the people and all Israel perceived in that day, that it was not of the king to kill Abenner the son of Ner.
So it was clear to Israel and to all the people on that day that the king was not responsible for the death of Abner, the son of Ner.
38 And the king said to his servants, Know you not that a great prince is this day fallen in Israel?
And the king said to his servants, Do you not see that a chief and a great man has come to his end today in Israel?
39 And that I am this day a [mere] kinsman [of his], and [as it were] a subject; but these men the sons of Saruia are too hard for me: the Lord reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness.
While I, though I am crowned king, have little strength, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are out of my control: may the Lord give to the evil-doer the reward of his evil-doing!