2 Samuel 3–4

¹And the war is long between the house of Saul and the house of David, and David is going on and is strong, and the house of Saul are going on and are weak. ²And there are born to David sons in Hebron, and his first-born is Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, ³and his second is Chileab, of Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite, and the third is Absalom son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, ⁴and the fourth is Adonijah son of Haggith, and the fifth is Shephatiah son of Abital, ⁵and the sixth is Ithream, of Eglah wife of David; these have been born to David in Hebron. ⁶And it cometh to pass, in the war being between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner hath been strengthening himself in the house of Saul.

⁷And Saul hath a concubine, and her name is Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Ish-Bosheth saith unto Abner, ‘Wherefore hast thou gone in unto the concubine of my father?’ ⁸And it is displeasing to Abner exceedingly, because of the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he saith, ‘The head of a dog am I—that in reference to Judah to-day I do kindness with the house of Saul thy father, unto his brethren, and unto his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David—that thou chargest against me iniquity concerning the woman to-day? ⁹thus doth God to Abner, and thus He doth add to him, surely as Jehovah hath sworn to David—surely so I do to him: ¹⁰to cause the kingdom to pass over from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba.’ ¹¹And he is not able any more to turn back Abner a word, because of his fearing him. ¹²And Abner sendeth messengers unto David for himself, saying, ‘Whose is the land?’ saying, ‘Make thy covenant with me, and lo, my hand is with thee, to bring round unto thee all Israel.’ ¹³And he saith, ‘Good—I make with thee a covenant; only, one thing I am asking of thee, that is, Thou dost not see my face, except thou dost first bring in Michal, daughter of Saul in thy coming into see my face.’ ¹⁴And David sendeth messengers unto Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, saying, ‘Give up my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.’ ¹⁵And Ish-Bosheth sendeth, and taketh her from a man, from Phaltiel son of Laish, ¹⁶and her husband goeth with her, going on and weeping behind her, unto Bahurim, and Abner saith unto him, ‘Go, turn back;’ and he turneth back. ¹⁷And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, ‘Heretofore ye have been seeking David for king over you, ¹⁸and now, do it, for Jehovah hath spoken of David saying, By the hand of David my servant—to save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.’ ¹⁹And Abner speaketh also in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner goeth also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that is good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin, ²⁰and Abner cometh in unto David, to Hebron, and with him twenty men, and David maketh for Abner, and for the men who are with him, a banquet. ²¹And Abner saith unto David, ‘I arise, and go, and gather unto my lord the king the whole of Israel, and they make with thee a covenant, and thou hast reigned over all that thy soul desireth;’ and David sendeth away Abner, and he goeth in peace.

²²And lo, the servants of David, and Joab, have come from the troop, and much spoil have brought with them, and Abner is not with David in Hebron, for he hath sent him away, and he goeth in peace; ²³and Joab and all the host that is with him have come, and they declare to Joab, saying, ‘Abner son of Ner hath come unto the king, and he sendeth him away, and he goeth in peace.’ ²⁴And Joab cometh unto the king, and saith, ‘What hast thou done? lo, Abner hath come unto thee! why is this—thou hast sent him away, and he is really gone? ²⁵Thou hast known Abner son of Ner, that to deceive thee he came, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou art doing.’ ²⁶And Joab goeth out from David, and sendeth messengers after Abner, and they bring him back from the well of Sirah, and David knew not. ²⁷And Abner turneth back to Hebron, and Joab turneth him aside unto the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smiteth him there in the fifth rib—and he dieth—for the blood of Asahel his brother. ²⁸And David heareth afterwards and saith, ‘Acquitted am I, and my kingdom, by Jehovah, unto the age, from the blood of Abner son of Ner; ²⁹it doth stay on the head of Joab, and on all the house of his father, and there is not cut off from the house of Joab one having an issue, and leprous, and laying hold on a staff, and falling by a sword, and lacking bread.’ ³⁰And Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because that he put to death Asahel their brother, in Gibeon, in battle. ³¹And David saith unto Joab, and unto all the people who are with him, ‘Rend your garments, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner;’ and king David is going after the bier. ³²And they bury Abner in Hebron, and the king lifteth up his voice, and weepeth at the grave of Abner, and all the people weep; ³³and the king lamenteth for Abner, and saith:—‘As the death of a fool doth Abner die? ³⁴Thy hands not bound, And thy feet to fetters not brought nigh! As one falling before sons of evil—Thou hast fallen!’ and all the people add to weep over him. ³⁵And all the people come to cause David to eat bread while yet day, and David sweareth, saying, ‘Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add, for—before the going in of the sun, I taste no bread or any other thing.’ ³⁶And all the people have discerned it, and it is good in their eyes, as all that the king hath done is good in the eyes of all the people; ³⁷and all the people know, even all Israel, in that day, that it hath not been from the king—to put to death Abner son of Ner. ³⁸And the king saith unto his servants, ‘Do ye not know that a prince and a great one hath fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹and I to-day am tender, and an anointed king: and these men, sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me; Jehovah doth recompense to the doer of the evil according to his evil.’

Chapter 4

¹And the son of Saul heareth that Abner is dead in Hebron, and his hands are feeble, and all Israel have been troubled. ²And two men, heads of troops, have been to the son of Saul, the name of the one is Baanah, and the name of the second Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin, for also Beeroth is reckoned to Benjamin, ³and the Beerothites flee to Gittaim, and are there sojourners unto this day. ⁴And to Jonathan son of Saul is a son—lame; he was a son of five years at the coming in of the rumour of the death of Saul and Jonathan, out of Jezreel, and his nurse lifteth him up, and fleeth, and it cometh to pass in her hasting to flee, that he falleth, and becometh lame, and his name is Mephibosheth. ⁵And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, go, and come in at the heat of the day unto the house of Ish-Bosheth, and he is lying down—the lying down of noon; ⁶and thither they have come, unto the midst of the house, taking wheat, and they smite him unto the fifth rib, and Rechab and Baanah his brother have escaped; ⁷yea, they come in to the house, and he is lying on his bed, in the inner part of his bed-chamber, and they smite him, and put him to death, and turn aside his head, and they take his head, and go the way of the plain all the night, ⁸and bring in the head of Ish-Bosheth unto David in Hebron, and say unto the king, ‘Lo, the head of Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah doth give to my lord the king vengeance this day, of Saul and of his seed.’

⁹And David answereth Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and saith to them, ‘Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, ¹⁰when one is declaring to me, saying, Lo, Saul is dead, and he was as a bearer of tidings in his own eyes, then I take hold on him, and slay him in Ziklag, instead of my giving to him for the tidings. ¹¹Also—when wicked men have slain the righteous man in his own house, on his bed; and now, do not I require his blood of your hand, and have taken you away from the earth?’ ¹²And David commandeth the young men, and they slay them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hang them over the pool in Hebron, and the head of Ish-Bosheth they have taken, and bury it in the burying-place of Abner in Hebron.

Chapter 5