Ii Samuelis 3
1 facta est ergo longa concertatio inter domum Saul et inter domum David David proficiens et semper se ipso robustior domus autem Saul decrescens cotidie
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 nati quoque sunt filii David in Hebron fuitque primogenitus eius Amnon de Ahinoem Iezrahelitide
David’s wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel [city].
3 et post eum Chelaab de Abigail uxore Nabal Carmeli porro tertius Absalom filius Maacha filiae Tholomai regis Gessur
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 quartus autem Adonias filius Aggith et quintus Safathia filius Abital
The next one was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The next one was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
5 sextus quoque Iethraam de Agla uxore David hii nati sunt 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 cum ergo esset proelium inter domum Saul et domum David Abner filius Ner regebat domum 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 fuerat autem Sauli concubina nomine Respha filia Ahia dixitque Hisboseth ad Abner
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 quare ingressus es ad concubinam patris mei qui iratus nimis propter verba Hisboseth ait numquid caput canis ego sum adversum Iuda hodie qui fecerim misericordiam super domum Saul patris tui et super fratres et proximos eius et non tradidi te in manu David et tu requisisti in me quod argueres pro muliere hodie
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 haec faciat Deus Abner et haec addat ei nisi quomodo iuravit Dominus David sic faciam cum eo
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 ut transferatur regnum de domo Saul et elevetur thronus David super Israhel et super Iudam a Dan usque Bersabee
11 et non potuit respondere ei quicquam quia metuebat illum
Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything in reply to Abner.
12 misit ergo Abner nuntios ad David pro se dicentes cuius est terra et loquerentur fac mecum amicitias et erit manus mea tecum et reducam ad te universum Israhel
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 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
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 misit autem David nuntios ad Hisboseth filium Saul dicens redde uxorem meam Michol quam despondi mihi centum praeputiis Philisthim
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 misit ergo Hisboseth et tulit eam a viro suo Faltihel filio Lais
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 sequebaturque eam vir suus plorans usque Baurim et dixit ad eum Abner vade revertere qui reversus est
Then Abner [turned and] said to him, “Go back [home]!”, so he did.
17 sermonem quoque intulit Abner ad seniores Israhel dicens tam heri quam nudius tertius quaerebatis David ut regnaret super vos
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 nunc ergo facite quoniam Dominus locutus est ad David dicens in manu servi mei David salvabo populum meum Israhel de manu Philisthim et omnium inimicorum eius
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 locutus est autem Abner etiam ad Beniamin et abiit ut loqueretur ad David in Hebron omnia quae placuerant Israhel et universo Beniamin
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 venitque ad David in Hebron cum viginti viris et fecit David Abner et viris eius qui venerant cum eo convivium
When Abner came with 20 of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.
21 et dixit Abner ad David surgam ut congregem ad te dominum meum regem omnem Israhel et ineam tecum foedus et imperes omnibus sicut desiderat anima tua cum ergo deduxisset David Abner et ille isset in pace
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 statim pueri David et Ioab venerunt caesis latronibus cum praeda magna nimis Abner autem non erat cum David in Hebron quia iam dimiserat eum et profectus fuerat in pace
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 et Ioab et omnis exercitus qui erat cum eo postea venerant nuntiatum est itaque Ioab a narrantibus venit Abner filius Ner ad regem et dimisit eum et abiit in pace
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 et ingressus est Ioab ad regem et ait quid fecisti ecce venit Abner ad te quare dimisisti eum et abiit et recessit
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 ignoras Abner filium Ner quoniam ad hoc venit ut deciperet te et sciret exitum tuum et introitum tuum et nosset omnia quae agis
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 egressus itaque Ioab a David misit nuntios post Abner et reduxit eum a cisterna Sira ignorante David
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 cumque redisset Abner in Hebron seorsum abduxit eum Ioab ad medium portae ut loqueretur ei in dolo et percussit illum ibi in inguine et mortuus est in ultionem sanguinis Asahel fratris eius
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 quod cum audisset David rem iam gestam ait mundus ego sum et regnum meum apud Dominum usque in sempiternum a sanguine Abner filii 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 et veniat super caput Ioab et super omnem domum patris eius nec deficiat de domo Ioab fluxum seminis sustinens et leprosus tenens fusum et cadens gladio et indigens pane
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 igitur Ioab et Abisai frater eius interfecerunt Abner eo quod occidisset Asahel fratrem eorum in Gabaon in proelio
That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
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 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 cumque sepelissent Abner in Hebron levavit rex vocem suam et flevit super tumulum Abner flevit autem et omnis populus
They buried Abner’s body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.
33 plangensque rex Abner ait nequaquam ut mori solent ignavi mortuus est Abner
David sang this sad song to lament for Abner: “It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!
34 manus tuae non sunt ligatae et pedes tui non sunt conpedibus adgravati sed sicut solent cadere coram filiis iniquitatis corruisti congeminansque omnis populus flevit super eum
No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, [like they do to criminals]. No, he was murdered by wicked men!”
35 cumque venisset universa multitudo cibum capere cum David clara adhuc die iuravit David dicens haec faciat mihi Deus et haec addat si ante occasum solis gustavero panem vel aliud quicquam
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 omnisque populus audivit et placuerunt eis cuncta quae fecit rex in conspectu totius populi
All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
37 et cognovit omne vulgus et universus Israhel in die illa quoniam non actum fuisset a rege ut occideretur Abner filius Ner
So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
38 dixit quoque rex ad servos suos num ignoratis quoniam princeps et maximus cecidit hodie in Israhel
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 ego autem adhuc delicatus et unctus rex porro viri isti filii Sarviae duri mihi sunt retribuat Dominus facienti malum iuxta malitiam suam
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!”
