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.

Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

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

Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam from Jezreel.

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,

His second son, Kileab, was born to Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel. The third, Absalom, was son of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.

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

David's fourth son, Adonijah, was the son of Haggith. His fifth son was 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, was the son of David's wife Eglah. These sons were born to 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,

It came about during the war between the house of Saul and the house of David that Abner made himself strong in 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?”

Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you slept with 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?

Then Abner was very angry at the words of Ishbosheth and said, “Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I am showing faithfulness to the house of Saul, your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, by not delivering you into the hand of David. But now you accuse me of an offense concerning this woman?

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:

May God do so to me, Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as Yahweh has sworn to 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.”

to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”

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

Ishbosheth could not answer Abner another 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.”

Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak for him saying, “Whose land is this? Make a covenant with me, and you will see that my hand is with you, to bring all Israel to you.”

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.”

David answered, “Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require from you is that you cannot see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me.”

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.”

Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid a price of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”

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

So Ishbosheth sent for Michal and took her from her husband, 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.

Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Return home now.” So 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,

Abner spoke with the elders of Israel saying, “In the past you were trying to have David 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 do it. For Yahweh has spoken of David saying, 'By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from 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,

Abner also spoke personally to the people of Benjamin. Then Abner went also to speak with David in Hebron to explain everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin desired to accomplish.

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.

When Abner and twenty of his men arrived in Hebron to see David, David had a feast prepared for them.

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.

Abner explained to David, “I will arise and gather all Israel to you, my master the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, so that you may reign over all that you desire.” So David sent Abner away, and Abner left 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;

Then the soldiers of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much plunder with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron. David had sent him away, and Abner had left 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 army with him arrived, they told Joab, “Abner son of Ner came to the king, and the king has sent him away, and Abner left 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 to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you! Why have you sent him away, and he is gone?

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.”

Do you not know that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to discover your plans and learn everything you are 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.

When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah, but David did not know this.

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.

When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly. There Joab stabbed him in the stomach and killed him. In this way, Joab avenged the blood of Asahel his brother.

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;

When David heard about this he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before Yahweh forever regarding 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 the guilt of Abner's death fall on the head of Joab and on all his father's house. May there never fail to be in the family of Joab someone who has a flowing sore or skin disease or who is lame and must walk with a staff or who is killed by the sword or who goes without food.”

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

So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in 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.

David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner's body.” Now King David walked behind the body in the funeral procession.

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;

They buried Abner in Hebron. The king wept and cried loudly at the tomb of Abner, and all the people also wept.

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

The king lamented for Abner and sang, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?

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.

Your hands were not bound. Your feet were not shackled. As a man falls before the sons of injustice, so you have fallen.” Once more 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.”

All the people came to make David eat while it was still day, but David swore, “May God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down.”

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;

All the people took notice of David's grief, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased them.

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 all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king's desire to kill 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?

The king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has 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.”

Now I am weak today, though I am an anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too brutal for me. May Yahweh repay the evildoer by punishing him for his wickedness, as he deserves.”