Ii Samuelis 3

1 Facta est ergo longa concertatio inter domum Saul, et inter domum David: David proficiscens, et semper seipso robustior, domus autem Saul decrescens quotidie.

Then a long struggle occurred between the house of Saul and the house of David, with David prospering and growing ever stronger, but the house of Saul decreasing daily.

2 Natique sunt filii David in Hebron: fuitque primogenitus eius Amnon de Achinoam Iezraelitide.

And sons were born to David in Hebron. And his firstborn son was Amnon, from Ahinoam the Jezreelite.

3 Et post eum Cheleab de Abigail uxore Nabal Carmeli: porro tertius Absalom filius Maacha filiæ Tholmai regis Gessur.

And after him, there was Chileab, from Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel. Then the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.

4 Quartus autem Adonias, filius Haggith: et quintus Saphathia, filius Abital.

Then the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. And the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital.

5 Sextus quoque Iethraam de Egla uxore David. hi nati sunt David in Hebron.

Also, the sixth was Ithream, from Eglah, the wife of David. These were born to David at Hebron.

6 Cum ergo esset prælium inter domum Saul et domum David, Abner filius Ner regebat domum Saul.

Then, while there was a battle between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, was reigning over the house of Saul.

7 Fuerat autem Sauli concubina nomine Respha, filia Aia. Dixitque Isboseth ad Abner:

Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner,

8 Quare ingressus es ad concubinam patris mei? Qui iratus nimis propter verba Isboseth, ait: Numquid caput canis ego sum adversum Iudam hodie, qui fecerim misericordiam super domum Saul patris tui, et super fratres et proximos eius, et non tradidi te in manus David, et tu requisisti in me quod argueres pro muliere hodie?

“Why did you enter to the concubine of my father?” But he, being exceedingly angry at the words of Ishbosheth, said: “Am I the head of a dog against Judah this day? I have shown mercy to the house of Saul, your father, and to his brothers and friends. And I have not delivered you into the hands of David. And yet today you have sought me, so that you might rebuke me over a woman?

9 Hæc faciat Deus Abner, et hæc addat ei, nisi quomodo iuravit Dominus David, sic faciam cum eo,

May God do these things to Abner, and may he add these other things, if, in the same way that the Lord swore to David, I do not do so with him:

10 ut transferatur regnum de domo Saul, et elevetur thronus David super Israel, et super Iudam, a Dan usque Bersabee.

that the kingdom be transferred from the house of Saul, and that the throne of David be elevated over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”

11 Et non potuit respondere ei quidquam, quia metuebat illum.

And he was not able to respond anything to him, because he was in fear of him.

12 Misit ergo Abner nuncios ad David pro se dicentes: Cuius est terra? Et ut loquerentur: Fac mecum amicitias, et erit manus mea tecum, et reducam ad te universum Israel.

Therefore, Abner sent messengers to David for himself, saying, “Whose is the land?” and so that they would say, “Make a friendship with me, and my hand will be with you, and I will lead back all of Israel to you.”

13 Qui ait: Optime: ego faciam tecum amicitias: sed unam rem peto a te, dicens: Non videbis faciem meam antequam adduxeris Michol filiam Saul: et sic venies, et videbis me.

And he said: “It is best. I will make a friendship with you. But one thing I ask of you, saying: You shall not see my face before you bring Michal, the daughter of Saul. And in this way, you shall come, and see me.”

14 Misit autem David nuncios ad Isboseth filium Saul, dicens: Redde uxorem meam Michol, quam despondi mihi centum præputiis Philisthiim.

Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, saying, “Restore my wife Michal, whom I espoused to myself for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”

15 Misit ergo Isboseth, et tulit eam a viro suo Phaltiel, filio Lais.

Therefore, Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish.

16 Sequebaturque eam vir suus, plorans usque Bahurim: et dixit ad eum Abner: Vade, et revertere. Qui reversus est.

And her husband was following her, weeping, as far as Bahurim. And Abner said to him, “Go and return.” And he returned.

17 Sermonem quoque intulit Abner ad seniores Israel, dicens: Tam heri quam nudiustertius quærebatis David ut regnaret super vos.

Likewise, Abner sent word to the elders of Israel, saying: “As much yesterday as the day before, you were seeking David, so that he might reign over you.

18 Nunc ergo facite: quoniam Dominus locutus est ad David, dicens: In manu servi mei David salvabo populum meum Israel de manu Philisthiim, et omnium inimicorum eius.

Therefore, accomplish it now. For the Lord has spoken to David, saying: ‘By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’”

19 Locutus est autem Abner etiam ad Beniamin. Et abiit ut loqueretur ad David in Hebron omnia quæ placuerant Israeli, et universo Beniamin.

Then Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And he went away, so that he might speak to David in Hebron all that would be pleasing to Israel and to all of Benjamin.

20 Venitque ad David in Hebron cum viginti viris: et fecit David Abner, et viris eius qui venerant cum eo, convivium.

And he went to David in Hebron with twenty men. And David made a feast for Abner, and for his men who had arrived with him.

21 Et dixit Abner ad David: Surgam, ut congregem ad te dominum meum regem omnem Israel, et ineam tecum fœdus, et imperes omnibus, sicut desiderat anima tua. Cum ergo deduxisset David Abner, et ille isset in pace,

And Abner said to David, “I will rise up, so that I may gather all of Israel to you, my lord the king, and so that I may enter into a pact with you, and so that you may reign over all, just as your soul desires.” Then, when David had led Abner away, and he had departed in peace,

22 statim pueri David, et Ioab venerunt, cæsis latronibus, cum præda magna nimis: Abner autem non erat cum David in Hebron, quia iam dimiserat eum, et profectus fuerat in pace.

immediately the servants of David and of Joab arrived, after having slain robbers, with exceedingly great spoils. But Abner was not with David in Hebron. For by then he had sent him away, and he had set out in peace.

23 Et Ioab, et omnis exercitus, qui erat cum eo, postea venerunt: nunciatum est itaque Ioab a narrantibus: Venit Abner filius Ner ad regem, et dimisit eum, et abiit in pace.

And Joab, and the entire army that was with him, had arrived afterward. And so, it was reported to Joab, explaining that Abner, the son of Ner, went to the king, and he dismissed him, and he went away in peace.

24 Et ingressus est Ioab ad regem, et ait: Quid fecisti? Ecce venit Abner ad te: quare dimisisti eum, et abiit et recessit?

And Joab entered to the king, and he said: “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him, so that he has gone and departed?

25 ignoras Abner filium Ner, quoniam ad hoc venit ad te ut deciperet te, et sciret exitum tuum, et introitum tuum, et nosset omnia quæ agis?

Do you not know, about Abner, the son of Ner, that he came to you for this, so that he might deceive you, and might know of your departure and your return, and so that he might know all that you do?”

26 Egressus itaque Ioab a David, misit nuncios post Abner, et reduxit eum a cisterna Sira, ignorante David.

And so, Joab, going out from David, sent messengers after Abner, and he brought him back from the cistern of Sirah, without David knowing.

27 Cumque rediisset Abner in Hebron, seorsum adduxit eum Ioab ad medium portæ, ut loqueretur ei, in dolo: et percussit illum ibi in inguine, et mortuus est in ultionem sanguinis Asael fratris eius.

And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him alone to the middle of the gate, so that he might speak to him, but with deceit. And there, he stabbed him in the groin, and he died, in revenge for the blood of Asahel, his brother.

28 Quod cum audisset David rem iam gestam, ait: Mundus ego sum, et regnum meum apud Dominum usque in sempiternum a sanguine Abner filii Ner,

And when David had heard of it, now that the matter was done, he said: “I and my kingdom are clean before the Lord, even forever, of the blood of Abner, the son of Ner.

29 et veniat super caput Ioab, et super omnem domum patris eius: nec deficiat de domo Ioab fluxum seminis sustinens, et leprosus, et tenens fusum, et cadens gladio, et indigens pane.

And may it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon the entire house of his father. And may there not fail to be, in the house of Joab, one who suffers from a flow of seed, or one who is leprous, or one who is effeminate, or one who falls by the sword, or one who is in need of bread.”

30 Igitur Ioab et Abisai frater eius interfecerunt Abner, eo quod occidisset Asael fratrem eorum in Gabaon in prælio.

And so, Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon, during the battle.

31 Dixit autem David ad Ioab, et ad omnem populum, qui erat cum eo: Scindite vestimenta vestra, et accingimini saccis, et plangite ante exequias Abner. porro rex David sequebatur feretrum.

Then David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before the funeral procession of Abner.” Moreover, king David himself was following the casket.

32 Cumque sepelissent Abner in Hebron, levavit rex David vocem suam, et flevit super tumulum Abner: flevit autem et omnis populus.

And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David lifted up his voice, and he wept over the burial mound of Abner. And all the people also wept.

33 Plangensque rex et lugens Abner, ait: Nequaquam ut mori solent ignavi, mortuus est Abner.

And the king, mourning and lamenting Abner, said: “By no means has Abner died the way that cowards usually die.

34 Manus tuæ ligatæ non sunt, et pedes tui non sunt compedibus aggravati: sed sicut solent cadere coram filiis iniquitatis, sic corruisti. Congeminansque omnis populus flevit super eum.

Your hands are not bound, and your feet are not weighed down with fetters. But just as men often fall before the sons of iniquity, so you have fallen.” And while repeating this, all the people wept over him.

35 Cumque venisset universa multitudo cibum capere cum David, clara adhuc die iuravit David, dicens: Hæc faciat mihi Deus, et hæc addat, si ante occasum solis gustavero panem vel aliud quidquam.

And when the entire multitude had arrived to take food with David, while it was still broad daylight, David swore, saying, “May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets.”

36 Omnisque populus audivit, et placuerunt eis cuncta quæ fecit rex in conspectu totius populi.

And all the people heard it, and everything that the king did in the sight of the entire people was pleasing to them.

37 et cognovit omne vulgus, et universus Israel in die illa quoniam non actum fuisset a rege ut occideretur Abner filius Ner.

And every common person, and all of Israel, realized on that day that the killing of Abner, the son of Ner, had not been done by the king.

38 Dixit quoque rex ad servos suos: Num ignoratis quoniam princeps et maximus cecidit hodie in Israel?

The king also said to his servants: “Could you be ignorant that a leader and a very great man has fallen today in Israel?

39 Ego autem adhuc delicatus, et unctus rex: porro viri isti filii Sarviæ duri sunt mihi: retribuat Dominus facienti malum iuxta malitiam suam.

But I am still tender, and yet anointed king. And these men of the sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me. May the Lord repay whoever does evil in accord with his malice.”