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.
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.
2 And sons were born to David in Chebron: and his firstborn was Ammon the son of Achinoom the Jezraelitess.
David's sons born at Hebron were: Amnon (firstborn), by Ahinoam from 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.
Chileab (second), by Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel; Absalom (third), by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur:
4 And the fourth [was] Ornia, the son of Aggith, and the fifth [was] Saphatia, the son of Abital.
Adonijah (fourth), by Haggith; Shephatiah (fifth), by Abital;
5 And the sixth [was] Jetheraam, the son of Aegal the wife of David. These were born to David in Chebron.
Ithream (sixth), by David's wife Eglah. These were the sons born to David at 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.
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.
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?
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?”
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?
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!
9 God do thus and more also to Abenner, if as the Lord swore to David, so do I not to him this day;
So now may God punish me severely if I don't help David achieve what the Lord has promised him.
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.
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.”
11 And Jebosthe could not any longer answer Abenner a word, because he feared him.
Ishbosheth didn't dare to say anything else to Abner because he was frightened of him.
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.
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.”
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.
“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.”
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.
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.”
15 And Jebosthe sent, and took her from her husband, [even] from Phaltiel the son of Selle.
Ishbosheth sent for her and took her away from her husband Paltiel, 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.
Her husband followed her to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. Then Abner ordered him, “Go back home!” So he went home.
17 And Abenner spoke to the elders of Israel, saying, In former days you sought David to reign over you;
Abner spoke with the elders of Israel and said, “For a while now you have wanted to have David as your king.
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.
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.’”
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.
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.
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.
Abner came with twenty of his men to see David at Hebron, and David prepared a feast for them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.”
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?
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!
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?
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!”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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.”
30 For Joab and Abessa his brother laid wait continually for Abenner, because he killed Asael their brother at Gabaon in the battle.
(This is why Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel during the battle 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.
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.
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.
They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king cried loudly at the grave, along with all the people.
33 And the king mourned over Abenner, and said, Shall Abenner die according to the death of Nabal?
The king sang this lament for Abner: “Did Abner deserve to die like a criminal?
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 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.
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.
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!”
36 And all the people took notice, and all things that the king did before the people were pleasing in their sight.
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.
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.
That day everyone in Judah and throughout Israel realized that David had not ordered Abner's murder.
38 And the king said to his servants, Know you not that a great prince is this day fallen in Israel?
Then the king said to his officers, “Don't you recognize that a commander and a truly great man has fallen in Israel today?
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.
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.”
