2 Samuel 3

1 And the war lasted a long time between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David became continually stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker and weaker.

There was a long war between those who wanted Saul’s son to be their king and those who wanted David to be their king. But more and more people began to want David to be the king, while the number of people who wanted Saul’s son to be the king continued to become smaller.

2 And there were born unto David sons in Hebron: and his first-born was Amnon, of Achino'am the Yizre'elitess;

David’s wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel [city].

3 And his second was Kilab, of Abigayil the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Abshalom, the son of Ma'achah the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur;

The next one was Kileab, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal, from Carmel [city]. The next one was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of [the] Geshur [region].

4 And the fourth, Adoniyah, the son of Chaggith; and the fifth, Shephatyah, the son of Abital;

The next one was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The next one was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.

5 And the sixth, Yithre'am, by 'Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

The youngest one was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, [another one of] David’s wives. Those sons of David were all born in Hebron.

6 And it came to pass, while the war lasted between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner upheld with all his strength the house of Saul.

While those who wanted Saul’s son to rule over them and those who wanted David to rule over them continued to fight against each other, Abner was becoming more influential among those who wanted Saul’s son to be the king.

7 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Ayah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Wherefore hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?

When Saul was alive, he had as one of his wives a slave woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. [But one day Abner had sexual relations with her]. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you had sexual relations with [EUP] my father’s slave wife?”

8 And Abner became very wroth because of the words of Ish-bosheth, and said, Am I the chief of the dogs which belong to Judah? unto this day have I shown kindness unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David; and yet thou chargest me today with a wrong committed with this woman?

Abner became very angry about what Ishbosheth said to him. He said to Ishbosheth, “(Do you think that I am a [worthless] dog [MET] from Judah?/You are treating me as though I am a [worthless] dog [MET] from Judah.) [RHQ] From the beginning, I have been loyal to Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends. And I have prevented you from being defeated by David’s army. So now (why are you criticizing me about [what I have done with] some woman?/you should not be criticizing me about [what I have done with] some woman.) [RHQ]

9 May God do so to Abner, and continue to do yet more to him, that, as the Lord hath sworn to David, even so will I surely do to him;

Yahweh solemnly promised that he would not allow Saul and his descendants to continue to rule. He promised that he would cause David to rule over all the tribes of Israel and Judah, from Dan [city] far in the north to Beersheba [city] far in the south. So I hope/desire that God will punish me severely [HYP] if I do not enable that to happen!”

10 To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba'.

11 And he could not answer Abner a word more in reply, because of his fear of him.

Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything in reply to Abner.

12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying [also, ] Make thy covenant with me, and, behold, my hand shall be with thee, to bring round unto thee all Israel.

Then Abner sent messengers to David [when he was at Hebron], to say to him, “[Either you or I] should be [RHQ] the ruler of this entire nation, [but not Isbosheth. However, ] if you make an agreement with me, I will help you by encouraging all the people of Israel to (be want you to be their king/start to support) you.”

13 And he said, Well: I will indeed make a covenant with thee; but one thing I require of thee, namely, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

David sent back this reply: “Good! I am willing to make an agreement with you. But before that happens, there is one thing that you must do. When you come to see me, you must bring my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter.”

14 And David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, saying, Give up to me my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, to say to him, “I [had to kill] 100 men from Philistia [and cut off] their foreskins to give to Saul to pay for Michal [to be my wife]. So now give her back to me!”

15 And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from the man, from Paltiel the son of Layish.

So Ishbosheth sent some men to take Michal from her husband Palti. But [when they took her, ] her husband followed them all the way to Bahurim [town], crying as he went.

16 And her husband went with her going along and weeping behind her as far as Bachurim: when Abner said unto him, Go, return. And he returned.

Then Abner [turned and] said to him, “Go back [home]!”, so he did.

17 And Abner had used these words with the elders of Israel, saying, Already yesterday and even before ye have been desiring David as king over you:

Abner went to the Israeli leaders and talked with them. He said, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king.

18 And now do it; for the Lord hath said of David thus, By the hand of my servant David will I save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

So now you have an opportunity to do that. Keep in mind that Yahweh promised this: ‘With the help of David, who serves me [well], I will rescue my people from the people of Philistia, and from the power [MTY] of all their other enemies’.”

19 And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of the whole house of Benjamin.

Abner also spoke to the people of the tribe of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron, to tell David what all the people of Israel and the people of the tribe of Benjamin had agreed to do.

20 And Abner came to David to Hebron, and with him were twenty men; and David made for Abner and for the men that were with him a feast.

When Abner came with 20 of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.

21 And Abner said unto David, I will now arise and go, and I will assemble unto my Lord the king all Israel, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy soul longeth for. And David dismissed Abner: and he went in peace.

Afterwards, Abner said to David, “Sir/Your majesty, I will now go and encourage all the people of Israel to accept you to be their king, as you have desired.” Then Abner left, peacefully.

22 And, behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a predatory excursion, and brought in much booty with them; but Abner was no more with David in Hebron; for he had dismissed him, and he was gone in peace.

Soon after that, Joab and some of David’s other soldiers returned [to Hebron] after raiding [one of their enemies’ villages], bringing with them a lot of things that they had captured. But Abner was not there at Hebron, because David had sent him safely home.

23 When Joab and all the army that was with him were come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath dismissed him, and he is gone in peace.

When Joab and the soldiers who were with him arrived, someone told him that Abner had come there and talked with the king, and that the king allowed to go home safely.

24 Then came Joab to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came unto thee: why is it that thou hast dismissed him, that he went freely away?

So Joab went to the king and said, “Why have you done that? Listen to me! Abner [is your enemy, but] when he came to you, you allowed him [RHQ] to leave!

25 Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that to deceive thee did he come, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou art doing.

Do you not know that he came to you to deceive you and to find out everything that you are doing, and all the places that you go to?”

26 And Joab went out from David, and he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew it not.

After Joab left David, he sent some messengers to get Abner. They found him at Sirah Well, and brought him back to Hebron, but David did not know that they had done that.

27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him in private; and he smote him there under the fifth rib, and he died, for the blood of 'Asahel his brother.

So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city gate, and took him aside as though he wanted to speak with him privately. Then he stabbed Abner in the stomach [with his knife/sword]. In that way he murdered Abner because Abner had killed [MTY] Joab’s brother Asahel.

28 And when David heard it afterward, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the Lord for ever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner:

Later, after David heard what had happened, he said, “Yahweh knows that I and the people of my kingdom are not at all (responsible for/guilty of) murdering [MTY] Abner.

29 May it rest on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and may there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue, or that is a leper, or that leaneth on a crutch, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

I hope/desire that Joab and all his family will be punished [MTY] for doing that! I hope/desire that there will always be someone in his family who has sores, or someone who is a leper, or some man who is forced to do women’s work, or someone who is killed in a battle, or someone who does not have enough food to eat!”

30 But Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother 'Asahel at Gib'on in the battle.

That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your clothes, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and [go] mourning before Abner. And king David walked behind the bier.

Then David said to Joab and to all Joab’s soldiers, “Tear your clothes and put on coarse cloth [to show that you are sad], and mourn for Abner!” And [at the funeral], King David walked behind [the men who were carrying] the coffin.

32 And they buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

They buried Abner’s body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.

33 And the king lamented over Abner, and said, O, that Abner had to die, as the worthless dieth!

David sang this sad song to lament for Abner: “It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!

34 Thy hands were not bound, and thy feet were not put into fetters: as one falleth before men of wickedness art thou fallen. And all the people wept again over him.

No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, [like they do to criminals]. No, he was murdered by wicked men!”

35 And all the people came to cause David to eat food while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, So do God to me, and thus may he continue, if before the sun be down I taste bread, or the least else.

Then many [HYP] people came to David to tell him to eat some food before sunset, but David refused. He said, “I hope/desire that God will punish me severely [HYP] if I eat any food before the sun goes down!”

36 And all the people took notice of it, and it was pleasing in their eyes: as whatsoever the king did was pleasing in the eyes of all the people.

All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.

37 And all the people and all Israel understood on that day that it had not been of the king to slay Abner the son of Ner.

So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.

38 And the king said unto his servants, Know ye not that a prince and a great man hath fallen this day in Israel?

The king said to his officials, “(Do you not realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel?/You should realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel.) [RHQ]

39 And I am this day yet weak, and just anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruyah, are too strong for me: may the Lord pay the doer of evil according to his wickedness.

Even though Yahweh appointed me to be the king, today I feel weak. These two sons of Zeruiah, [Joab and Abishai], are very violent; I cannot control them. So I hope/desire that Yahweh will punish them severely in return for this wicked thing that they have done!”