1 En daar was 'n lang oorlog tussen die huis van Saul en die huis van Dawid, en Dawid het altyd sterker geword, maar die huis van Saul altyd swakker.
2 En vir Dawid is daar seuns in Hebron gebore. En sy eersgeborene was Amnon, by Ah¡noam uit J¡sreël;
3 en sy tweede was K¡leab, by Ab¡gail, die vrou van Nabal, die Karmeliet; en die derde was Absalom, die seun van M äga, die dogter van T lmai, die koning van Gesur;
4 en die vierde Adonia, die seun van Haggit; en die vyfde Sef tja, die seun van Ab¡tal;
5 en die sesde J¡tream, by Egla, die vrou van Dawid. Hulle is vir Dawid in Hebron gebore.
6 En onderwyl daar oorlog was tussen die huis van Saul en die huis van Dawid, was Abner besig om homself te versterk in die huis van Saul.
7 Saul het naamlik 'n byvrou gehad wie se naam Rispa was, die dogter van Aja; en Isboset het vir Abner gesê: Waarom het jy by die byvrou van my vader ingegaan?
8 Toe word Abner baie kwaad oor die woorde van Isboset en sê: Is ek dan die hondskop wat aan Juda behoort? Vandag bewys ek guns aan die huis van Saul, jou vader, aan sy broers en aan sy vriende; en ek het jou nie in die hand van Dawid laat raak nie, en tog verwyt jy my vandag die oortreding met 'n vrou?
9 Mag God so aan Abner doen en so daaraan toedoen, sekerlik, soos die HERE Dawid met 'n eed beloof het, net so sal ek aan hom doen
10 deur die koningskap aan die huis van Saul te ontneem en die troon van Dawid op te rig oor Israel en oor Juda, van Dan tot Bers,ba.
11 En hy kon Abner verder geen antwoord gee nie, omdat hy vir hom bang was.
12 Daarop het Abner boodskappers na Dawid in sy plek gestuur om te sê: Aan wie behoort die land? en: Sluit u verbond met my; en kyk, my hand sal met u wees om die hele Israel na u toe oor te bring.
13 En hy het gesê: Goed, ,k sal met u 'n verbond sluit, maar een ding eis ek van u, naamlik: U mag my aangesig nie sien nie, of u moet eers Migal, die dogter van Saul, saambring as u kom om my aangesig te sien.
14 Dawid het ook boodskappers gestuur na Isboset, die seun van Saul, om te sê: Gee my vrou Migal met wie ek my verloof het vir honderd voorhuide van die Filistyne.
15 En Isboset het gestuur en haar van die man, van P ltiël, die seun van Lais, afgeneem.
16 En haar man het saam met haar gegaan, terwyl hy agter haar aan loop en ween tot by Bahurim. Toe sê Abner vir hom: Gaan terug. En hy het teruggegaan.
17 En Abner het met die oudstes van Israel onderhandel en gesê: Gister sowel as eergister het julle aldeur Dawid as koning oor julle begeer.
18 Voer dit dan nou uit, want die HERE het van Dawid gespreek en gesê: Deur die hand van my kneg Dawid sal Ek my volk Israel uit die hand van die Filistyne en uit die hand van al hulle vyande verlos.
19 En Abner het ook voor die ore van Benjamin gespreek; en Abner het ook gegaan om voor die ore van Dawid in Hebron te spreek alles wat goed was in die oë van Israel en in die oë van die hele huis van Benjamin.
20 Toe Abner by Dawid in Hebron kom, en twintig man saam met hom, het Dawid vir Abner en die manne wat by hom was, 'n maaltyd aangerig.
21 En Abner sê vir Dawid: Ek wil my klaarmaak en die hele Israel by my heer die koning gaan versamel, dat hulle met u 'n verbond sluit; dan kan u heers oor alles wat u siel begeer. Daarop het Dawid Abner laat gaan, en hy het in vrede weggegaan.
22 Intussen kom die dienaars van Dawid en Joab juis van 'n rooftog af, en hulle bring 'n groot buit met hulle saam. Maar Abner was nie meer by Dawid in Hebron nie, want die het hom laat gaan, en hy het in vrede vertrek.
23 Toe Joab en die hele kommando wat saam met hom was, tuis kom, deel hulle aan Joab mee en sê: Abner, die seun van Ner, het na die koning gekom, en die het hom laat gaan, en hy het in vrede vertrek.
24 Daarop kom Joab by die koning en sê: Wat het u gedoen? Kyk, Abner het by u gekom; waarom het u hom tog laat loop, dat hy somaar weggegaan het?
25 U ken Abner, die seun van Ner, dat hy gekom het om u te mislei en om u uitgang en u ingang te weet, ja, om alles te weet wat u doen.
26 En Joab het van Dawid af weggegaan en boodskappers agter Abner aan gestuur, wat hom teruggebring het van die put Hassira af sonder dat Dawid dit geweet het.
27 Toe Abner dan in Hebron terugkom, het Joab hom eenkant toe gelei in die middel van die poort om vertroulik met hom te praat en hom daar in die onderlyf gesteek, sodat hy gesterf het, oor die bloed van sy broer Asahel.
28 Toe Dawid dit daarna hoor, sê hy: Ek en my koninkryk is voor die HERE vir ewig onskuldig aan die bloed van Abner, die seun van Ner.
29 Mag dit losbreek op die hoof van Joab en op sy hele familie, en mag die huis van Joab nie vry wees van een wat 'n vloeiing het of wat melaats is of wat op krukke loop of wat deur die swaard val of gebrek aan brood het nie.
30 Joab dan en Ab¡sai, sy broer, het Abner vermoor, omdat hy hulle broer Asahel by G¡beon in die geveg gedood het.
31 Verder het Dawid aan Joab en al die mense wat by hom was, gesê: Skeur julle klere en gord rouklere aan en rouklaag voor Abner uit! En koning Dawid het agter die baar aan gegaan.
32 Toe hulle Abner in Hebron begrawe, het die koning sy stem verhef en geween by die graf van Abner; die hele volk het ook geween.
33 En die koning het 'n klaaglied oor Abner aangehef en gesê: Moes Abner sterwe soos 'n dwaas sterwe?
34 Jou hande was nie gebind en jou voete nie aangeraak met koperkettings nie. Soos 'n mens voor kwaaddoeners val, het jy geval. En die hele volk het nog meer oor hom geween.
35 Daarop kom die hele volk om Dawid te beweeg dat hy brood moet eet terwyl dit nog dag was; maar Dawid het gesweer en gesê: Mag God so aan my doen en so daaraan toedoen as ek voor sonsondergang brood of enigiets proe.
36 En die hele volk het dit opgemerk, en dit was goed in hulle oë: soos alles wat die koning gedoen het, was dit goed in die oë van die hele volk.
37 En die hele volk en die hele Israel het dieselfde dag gemerk dat dit nie van die koning gekom het om Abner, die seun van Ner, dood te maak nie.
38 Verder het die koning aan sy dienaars gesê: Weet julle nie dat vandag 'n vors en 'n groot man in Israel geval het nie?
39 Maar ek is vandag swak, alhoewel ek as koning gesalf is, terwyl hierdie manne, die seuns van Seruja, harder is as ek. Mag die HERE die kwaaddoener vergelde na sy boosheid!
1 Now there was a long war between Saul's people and David's people; and David became stronger and stronger, but those on Saul's side became more and more feeble.
2 While David was in Hebron he became the father of sons: the oldest was Amnon, son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 And the second, Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom, son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur;
4 And the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
5 And the sixth, Ithream, whose mother was David's wife Eglah. These were the sons of David, whose birth took place in Hebron.
6 Now while there was war between Saul's people and David's people, Abner was making himself strong among the supporters of Saul.
7 Now Saul had among his wives a woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ish-bosheth said to Abner, Why have you taken my father's wife?
8 And Abner was very angry at the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said, Am I a dog's head of Judah? I am this day doing all in my power for the cause of your father Saul and for his brothers and his friends, and have not given you up into the hands of David, and now you say I have done wrong with a woman.
9 May God's punishment be on Abner, if I do not for David as the Lord in his oath has said,
10 And if I do not take away the kingdom from the family of Saul and make David ruler over Israel and Judah from Dan as far as Beer-sheba!
11 And so great was Ish-bosheth's fear of Abner that he was not able to say a word in answer.
12 And Abner sent men to David at Hebron, saying, Make an agreement with me, and I will give you my support in getting all Israel on your side.
13 And he said, It is well; I will make an agreement with you, but on one condition, which is, that when you come before me, Saul's daughter Michal is to come with you; till she comes you will not see my face.
14 And David sent men to Saul's son Ish-bosheth, saying, Give me back Michal, my wife, whom I made mine for the price of the private parts of a hundred Philistines.
15 So Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her as far as Bahurim, weeping while he went. Then Abner said to him, Go back. And he went back.
17 Then Abner had a talk with the chief men of Israel, saying, In the past it was your desire to make David your king: so now, do it:
18 For the Lord has said of David, By the hand of my servant David I will make my people Israel safe from the Philistines, and from all who are against them.
19 And Abner said the same things to Benjamin: and he went to David in Hebron to make clear to him what seemed good to Israel and to all the people of Benjamin.
20 So Abner, with twenty men, came to Hebron, to David. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
21 And Abner said to David, Now I will go, and make all Israel come to my lord the king, so that they may make an agreement with you, and your kingdom may be as wide as your heart's desire. Then David sent Abner away and he went in peace.
22 Now the servants of David and Joab had been out attacking a band of armed men, and they came back with a great store of goods taken in the fight: but Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, for he had sent him away and he had gone in peace.
23 When Joab and his men came, news was given them that Abner, the son of Ner, had come to the king, who had let him go away again in peace.
24 Then Joab came to the king, and said, What have you done? when Abner came to you why did you send him away and let him go?
25 Is it not clear to you that Abner, the son of Ner, came with deceit to get knowledge of your going out and your coming in and of all you are doing?
26 And when Joab had come out from David, he sent men after Abner, and they overtook him at the water-spring of Sirah, and made him come back with them: but David had no knowledge of it.
27 And when Abner was back in Hebron, Joab took him on one side by the doorway of the town to have a word with him quietly, and there he gave him a wound in the stomach, causing his death in payment for the death of his brother Asahel.
28 And when David had word of it he said, May I and my kingdom be clear for ever in the eyes of the Lord from the blood of Abner, the son of Ner:
29 May it come on the head of Joab and all his father's family: among the men of Joab's family may there ever be some who are diseased or lepers, or who do the work of women, or are put to the sword, or are wasted from need of food!
30 So Joab and Abishai his brother put Abner to death, because he had put to death their brother Asahel in the fight at Gibeon.
31 And David said to Joab and all the people who were with him, Go in grief and put haircloth about you, in sorrow for Abner. And King David went after the dead body.
32 And they put Abner's body to rest in Hebron; and the king and all the people were weeping loudly by the resting-place of Abner's body.
33 And the king made a song of grief for Abner and said, Was the death of Abner to be like the death of a foolish man?
34 Your hands were free, your feet were not chained: like the downfall of a man before evil men, so was your fall. And the weeping of the people over him went on again.
35 And the people came to make David take food, while it was still day, but David with an oath said, May God's punishment be on me if I take a taste of bread or any other thing till the sun has gone down!
36 And all the people took note of it and were pleased: like everything the king did, it was pleasing to the people.
37 So it was clear to Israel and to all the people on that day that the king was not responsible for the death of Abner, the son of Ner.
38 And the king said to his servants, Do you not see that a chief and a great man has come to his end today in Israel?
39 While I, though I am crowned king, have little strength, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are out of my control: may the Lord give to the evil-doer the reward of his evil-doing!