2 Samuel 3
1 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.
There was a long war between those on the side of Saul and those on the side of David. David's side grew stronger, while Saul's side grew weaker.
2 David’s wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel [city].
David's sons born at Hebron were: Amnon (firstborn), by Ahinoam from Jezreel;
3 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].
Chileab (second), by Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel; Absalom (third), by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur:
4 The next one was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The next one was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
Adonijah (fourth), by Haggith; Shephatiah (fifth), by Abital;
5 The youngest one was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, [another one of] David’s wives. Those sons of David were all born in Hebron.
Ithream (sixth), by David's wife Eglah. These were the sons born to David at Hebron.
6 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.
Abner had been strengthening his position among the supporters of Saul's dynasty during the war between those on the side of Saul and those on the side of David.
7 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?”
Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. One day Ishbosheth accused Abner, saying “Why have you been sleeping with my father's concubine?”
8 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]
Abner got extremely angry at Ishbosheth accusation. “Am I a dog's head siding with Judah?” he replied. “Right up to the present day I have been loyal to your dynasty—to your father Saul, and to his brothers and friends. I haven't betrayed you to David. But now you dare to accuse me of sinning with this woman!
9 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!”
So now may God punish me severely if I don't help David achieve what the Lord has promised him.
I will hand over the kingdom from Saul's dynasty, and help set up David's rule over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11 Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything in reply to Abner.
Ishbosheth didn't dare to say anything else to Abner because he was frightened of him.
12 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.”
Then Abner sent messengers to speak for him to David, saying, “Who does the country belong to anyway? Make an agreement with me, and you can be sure I'll be on your side to have all of Israel follow you.”
13 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.”
“Fine,” David replied, “I'll make an agreement with you. But I have one condition: I won't see you unless you bring Saul's daughter Michal when you come.”
14 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!”
Then David sent messengers tell Ishbosheth, son of Saul, “Give me back my wife Michal—I paid a dowry for her of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15 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.
Ishbosheth sent for her and took her away from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish.
16 Then Abner [turned and] said to him, “Go back [home]!”, so he did.
Her husband followed her to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. Then Abner ordered him, “Go back home!” So he went home.
17 Abner went to the Israeli leaders and talked with them. He said, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king.
Abner spoke with the elders of Israel and said, “For a while now you have wanted to have David as your king.
18 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’.”
Now is the time to do it, because the Lord promised David, ‘Through my servant David I am going to save my people Israel from the Philistines and all their enemies.’”
19 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.
Abner also talked to the people of Benjamin, and went to Hebron to let David know everything that the Israelites and the whole tribe of Benjamin had decided to do.
20 When Abner came with 20 of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.
Abner came with twenty of his men to see David at Hebron, and David prepared a feast for them.
21 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.
Abner told David, “Let me go immediately and summon all of Israel to come together for my lord the king, so they may make an agreement with you, and that you may rule over all you would wish.” Then David sent Abner safely on his way.
22 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.
Soon after Joab and David's men came back from a raid, bringing with them a large amount of plunder. However, Abner wasn't there with David in Hebron because David had already sent him safely on his way in peace.
23 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.
When Joab and all the army that was with him arrived, he was told, “Abner, son of Ner, came to see the king, who sent him safely on his way.”
24 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!
Joab went to the king and asked, “What do you think you're doing? Here's Abner, who came to see you. Why on earth did you send him on his way? Now he's got clean away!
25 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?”
You do see that Abner, son of Ner, came here to trick you, to spy on the movements of your army, and to find out everything you're doing!”
26 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.
When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner. They met up with him at the well of Sirah and brought him back, but David didn't know anything about it.
27 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.
When Abner arrived back in Hebron, Joab took him aside into the town gatehouse as if he was going to talk with him in private. But Joab stabbed him in the belly, killing him in revenge for killing Joab's brother Asahel.
28 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.
When David heard about this later he said, “I and my kingdom are totally innocent before the Lord regarding the death of Abner, son of Ner!
29 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!”
May the guilt for his death fall on Joab and his family! May Joab's descendants always have someone who has running sores or leprosy or is crippled or who is killed by the sword or who is starving.”
30 That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
(This is why Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel during the battle at Gibeon.)
31 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.
Then David ordered Joab and everyone who was there, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David himself followed the body as it was carried to the grave.
32 They buried Abner’s body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.
They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king cried loudly at the grave, along with all the people.
33 David sang this sad song to lament for Abner: “It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!
The king sang this lament for Abner: “Did Abner deserve to die like a criminal?
34 No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, [like they do to criminals]. No, he was murdered by wicked men!”
Your hands were not tied together, your feet were not in shackles. But just like a murderer's victim, you too were killed.” All the people cried for him even more.
35 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!”
Then people came to David and tried to persuade him to have something to eat during the day. But David swore an oath, saying, “May God punish me severely if I eat bread or anything else before sunset!”
36 All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
Everyone saw this and thought it was the right thing to do, in the same way that they thought everything the king did was the right thing to do.
37 So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
That day everyone in Judah and throughout Israel realized that David had not ordered Abner's murder.
38 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]
Then the king said to his officers, “Don't you recognize that a commander and a truly great man has fallen in Israel today?
39 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!”
I am weak right now, even though I'm anointed as king and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too powerful for me. But may the Lord repay the evil man according to the evil he has done.”
