2 Samuel 2
1 Sometime after this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes, do it,” the Lord replied. “Which one should I go to?” David asked. “Go to Hebron,” said the Lord.
此後，大衛問耶和華說：「我上猶大的一個城去可以嗎？」耶和華說：「可以。」大衛說：「我上哪一個城去呢？」耶和華說：「上希伯崙去。」
2 So David moved there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel.
於是大衛和他的兩個妻－一個是耶斯列人亞希暖，一個是作過迦密人拿八妻的亞比該－都上那裏去了。
3 He also brought the men who were with him, along with their families, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.
大衛也將跟隨他的人和他們各人的眷屬一同帶上去，住在希伯崙的城邑中。
4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king of the people of Judah. When David found out that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,
猶大人來到希伯崙，在那裏膏大衛作猶大家的王。 有人告訴大衛說：「葬埋掃羅的是基列‧雅比人。」
5 he sent messengers to them, saying, “May the Lord bless you, because you demonstrated your loyal love to Saul your master, and you buried him properly.
大衛就差人去見基列‧雅比人，對他們說：「你們厚待你們的主－掃羅，將他葬埋。願耶和華賜福與你們！
6 Now may the Lord show you loyal love and trustworthiness, and I will also be good to you because of what you did for Saul.
你們既行了這事，願耶和華以慈愛誠實待你們，我也要為此厚待你們。
7 So be strong and be brave, for even though Saul your master is dead, the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
現在你們的主－掃羅死了，猶大家已經膏我作他們的王，所以你們要剛強奮勇。」
8 However, Abner, son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbosheth, son of Saul, to Mahanaim.
掃羅的元帥尼珥的兒子押尼珥，曾將掃羅的兒子伊施波設帶過河，到瑪哈念，
9 There he set up Ishbosheth as king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, in fact over all Israel.
立他作王，治理基列、亞書利、耶斯列、以法蓮、便雅憫，和以色列眾人。
10 Ishbosheth, son of Saul, was forty when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. However, the people of Judah were on David's side.
掃羅的兒子伊施波設登基的時候年四十歲，作以色列王二年；惟獨猶大家歸從大衛。
11 David ruled in Hebron as king over the people of Judah for seven years and six months.
大衛在希伯崙作猶大家的王，共七年零六個月。
12 One day Abner and Ishbosheth's men left Mahanaim and went to the town of Gibeon.
尼珥的兒子押尼珥和掃羅的兒子伊施波設的僕人從瑪哈念出來，往基遍去。
13 Joab, son of Zeruiah, and David's men set off and met them at the pool of Gibeon, where they all sat down, facing each other across the pool.
洗魯雅的兒子約押和大衛的僕人也出來，在基遍池旁與他們相遇；一班坐在池這邊，一班坐在池那邊。
14 Abner said to Joab, “Why not let's have some of the men fight in hand to hand combat before us.” “Fine,” Joab agreed.
押尼珥對約押說：「讓少年人起來，在我們面前戲耍吧！」約押說：「可以。」
15 So twelve men came forward from each side—twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth, and twelve for David.
就按着定數起來：屬掃羅兒子伊施波設的便雅憫人過去十二名，大衛的僕人也過去十二名，
16 Each man grabbed his opponent's head and drove his sword into his opponent's side so that they all fell down dead together. That's why this place in Gibeon is called the Field of Sword-edges.
彼此揪頭，用刀刺肋，一同仆倒。所以，那地叫做希利甲‧哈素林，就在基遍。
17 The battle that followed was hard-fought, but eventually Abner and his men were defeated by David's men.
那日的戰事凶猛，押尼珥和以色列人敗在大衛的僕人面前。
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like a gazelle racing across the open countryside.
在那裏有洗魯雅的三個兒子：約押、亞比篩、亞撒黑。亞撒黑腳快如野鹿一般；
19 He chased after Abner with single-minded determination.
亞撒黑追趕押尼珥，直追趕他不偏左右。
20 Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it's me,” Asahel replied.
押尼珥回頭說：「你是亞撒黑嗎？」回答說：「是。」
21 Abner told him, “Leave me alone! Go and fight somebody else and take his weapons for yourself!” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
押尼珥對他說：「你或轉向左轉向右，拿住一個少年人，剝去他的戰衣。」亞撒黑卻不肯轉開不追趕他。
22 Abner warned Asahel again. “Stop chasing me!” he shouted. “Why do you want me to kill you? How could I ever face your brother Joab?”
押尼珥又對亞撒黑說：「你轉開不追趕我吧！我何必殺你呢？若殺你，有甚麼臉見你哥哥約押呢？」
23 But Asahel wouldn't stop chasing him, so Abner drove the handle of his spear into his belly. It came out the back, and he fell down dead right there. Everyone who passed by stopped at the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
亞撒黑仍不肯轉開。故此，押尼珥就用槍鐏刺入他的肚腹，甚至槍從背後透出，亞撒黑就在那裏仆倒而死。眾人趕到亞撒黑仆倒而死的地方，就都站住。
24 But Joab and Abishai set off to chase after Abner. By the time the sun went down they had got as far as the hill of Ammah near Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
約押和亞比篩追趕押尼珥，日落的時候，到了通基遍曠野的路旁，基亞對面的亞瑪山。
25 Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin rallied to him there, forming a tight group around him standing at the top of the hill.
便雅憫人聚集，跟隨押尼珥站在一個山頂上。
26 Abner shouted to Joab: “Do we have to keep killing each other forever? Don't you realize that if we go on it'll only get worse? How long are you going to wait before you order your men to stop chasing their brothers?”
押尼珥呼叫約押說：「刀劍豈可永遠殺人嗎？你豈不知終久必有苦楚嗎？你要等何時才叫百姓回去、不追趕弟兄呢？」
27 “As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not said anything, my men would have continued chasing their brothers until the morning.”
約押說：「我指着永生的上帝起誓：你若不說戲耍的那句話，今日早晨百姓就回去，不追趕弟兄了。」
28 Joab blew the horn so all the men stopped—they didn't continue chasing or fighting the Israelites.
於是約押吹角，眾民就站住，不再追趕以色列人，也不再打仗了。
29 All through the night Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and continued all morning until they arrived back at Mahanaim.
押尼珥和跟隨他的人整夜經過亞拉巴，過約旦河，走過畢倫，到了瑪哈念。
30 When Joab got back from chasing Abner, he gathered all the men together. Nineteen of David's men were missing in addition to Asahel.
約押追趕押尼珥回來，聚集眾民，見大衛的僕人中缺少了十九個人和亞撒黑。
31 However, they had killed three hundred and sixty of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin.
但大衛的僕人殺了便雅憫人和跟隨押尼珥的人，共三百六十名。
32 They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Then they marched all through the night and reached Hebron at dawn.
眾人將亞撒黑送到伯利恆，葬在他父親的墳墓裏。約押和跟隨他的人走了一夜，天亮的時候到了希伯崙。
