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.
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 David’s wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel [city].
Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, 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].
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 The next one was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The next one was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
David's fourth son, Adonijah, was the son of Haggith. His fifth son was Shephatiah son of 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.
and the sixth, Ithream, was the son of David's wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in 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.
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 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 whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you slept 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]
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 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!”
May God do so to me, Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as Yahweh has sworn to him,
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 Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything in reply to Abner.
Ishbosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared 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 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 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.”
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 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 to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid a price 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.
So Ishbosheth sent for Michal and took her from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish.
16 Then Abner [turned and] said to him, “Go back [home]!”, so he did.
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 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 saying, “In the past you were trying to have David be king over you.
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 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 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 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 When Abner came with 20 of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.
When Abner and twenty of his men arrived in Hebron to see David, David had a feast prepared 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 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 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.
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 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 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 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!
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 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?”
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 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, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah, but David did not know this.
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 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 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 he said, “I and my kingdom are innocent before Yahweh forever regarding the blood 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!”
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 That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battle.
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.
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 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. The king wept and cried loudly at the tomb of Abner, and all the people also wept.
33 David sang this sad song to lament for Abner: “It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!
The king lamented for Abner and sang, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
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 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 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!”
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 All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
All the people took notice of David's grief, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased them.
37 So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
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 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]
The king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
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!”
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.”
