2 Samuel 3

1 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.

And the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was prolonged, —and, David, waxed stronger and stronger, and, the house of Saul, became weaker and weaker.

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

And there were born unto David, sons, in Hebron, —and it came to press that—His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess;

3 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,

And his second Chileab, by Abigail, wife of Nabal the Carmelite, And the third Absolom, son of Maachah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;

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

And the fourth Adonijah, son of Higgith, —And the fifth Shephatiah, son of Abital;

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

And the sixth Ithream, by Eglah wife of David. These, were born unto David, in Hebron.

6 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,

And it came to pass, while the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, that, Abner, shewed himself courageous for the house of Saul.

7 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?”

Now, Saul, had a concubine, whose name, was Rizpah daughter of Aiah, —and [Ish-bosheth] said unto Abner, Why, wentest thou in, unto my father’s concubine?

8 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?

And it provoked Abner greatly, on account of the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said—Am I, the head of the dogs, that pertain unto Judah? To-day, would I deal in lovingkindness with the house of Saul thy father, towards his brethren, and towards his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, —and yet thou hast charged upon me the transgression of the woman, today.

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

So, may God do unto Abner, and, so, may he add to him, —if, as Yahweh hath sworn unto David, even so, I deal not with him;

10 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.”

by turning over the kingdom from the house of Saul, —and establishing the throne of David, over Israel and over Judah, from Dan, even unto Beer-sheba.

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

And he could no further answer Abner, a word, —because he feared him.

12 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.”

So Abner sent messengers unto David, on the spot, saying—Whose, is the land? Saying [also] —Solemnise thy covenant with me; and lo! my hand, shall be with thee, to bring round unto thee, all Israel.

13 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.”

And he said—Good! I, will solemnise with thee a covenant, —but, one thing, must I ask of thee, saying—Thou shalt not see my face, except thou have brought in Michal, Saul’s daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

14 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.”

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

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

So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband, —from Paltiel, son of Laish.

16 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.

And her husband went along with her, weeping as he went behind her, as far as Behurim, —when Abner said unto him—Go, return. And he returned.

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

Then had Abner, speech, with the elders of Israel, saying, —In times past, ye were seeking David, to be king over you.

18 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.”

Now, therefore, act, —for Yahweh, spake unto David, saying, By the hand of David my servant, will I save my people Israel, out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.

19 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,

And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin, —and Abner also went to speak in the ears of David, in Hebron, all that was pleasing in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.

20 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.

So, when Abner came in unto David, in Hebron, and, with him, twenty men, David made, for Abner, and for the men who were with him, a banquet.

21 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.

Then said Abner unto David—I will verily arise and go, and gather together unto my lord the king, all Israel—that they may solemnise with thee a covenant, so shalt thou reign over all that thy soul desireth. And David let Abner go, and he departed in peace.

22 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;

And lo! the servants of David, and Joab, came in from a raid, and, great spoil, brought they in with them; but, Abner, was not with David in Hebron, for he had let him go, and he had departed in peace.

23 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.”

When, Joab, and all the host that was with him, had come in, then told they Joab, saying, Abner son of Ner hath been in unto the king, and he hath let him go, and he hath departed in peace.

24 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?

Then Joab came in unto the king, and said—What hast thou done? Lo! Abner came in unto thee. Wherefore is it that thou didst let him go, so that he is clean departed?

25 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.”

Thou knowest Abner son of Ner, that, to deceive thee, he came, —and to take knowledge of thy going out, and thy coming in, and to take knowledge of all that thou art doing.

26 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.

And, when Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back from the well of Sirah, —but, David, knew it not.

27 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.

So Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate, to speak with him quietly, —and then smote him there, in the belly, that he died, for the blood of Asahel the brother of Joab.

28 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;

And, when David heard of it, after that, he said—Guiltless, am I and my kingdom before Yahweh, unto times age-abiding, —of the blood of Abner son of Ner.

29 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.”

Let it be hurled upon the head of Joab, and against all his father’s house, —and let there not fail from the house of Joab—one that hath an issue, or a leper, or one that leaneth on a crutch, or that falleth by the sword, or that lacketh bread.

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

Thus, Joab and Abishai his brother, slew Abner, —because he had caused the death of Asahel their brother, in Gibeon, in the battle.

31 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.

And David said unto Joab, and unto all the people who were with him, —Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and lament aloud before Abner. And, King David himself, was following the bier.

32 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;

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.

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

And the king addressed his dirge unto Abner, and said, —As a base man dieth, should Abner have died?

34 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.

Thy hands, were not bound, And, thy feet, near to fetters, were not brought, As one falleth before assassins, so didst thou fall! And again all the people wept over him.

35 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.”

And, when all the people came near to get David to eat bread, while yet it was day, David sware, saying—So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if, before the sun go in, I taste bread, or anything else.

36 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;

And, all the people, took note of it, and it was noble in their eyes, —as, all that the king did, was, in the eyes of all the people, noble.

37 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.

So then all the people, and all Israel, took note, that day, that it was not of the king, to cause the death of Abner son of Ner.

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

And the king said unto his servants, —Will ye not take note that, a prince and a great man, hath fallen this day, in Israel?

39 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.”

And, I myself, this day, am weak, though anointed king, but, these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I: Yahweh repay, the doer of wickedness, according to his wickedness.