1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.2 Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;3 his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;4 the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;5 and the sixth, Ithream the son of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.6 During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul.7 Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you sleep with my father's concubine?"8 Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, "Am I a dog's head —on Judah's side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven't handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman!9 May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD promised him on oath10 and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David's throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba."11 Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.12 Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, "Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you."13 "Good," said David. "I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me."14 Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins."15 So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.16 Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go back home!" So he went back.17 Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, "For some time you have wanted to make David your king.18 Now do it! For the LORD promised David, 'By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'"19 Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin wanted to do.20 When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men.21 Then Abner said to David, "Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.22 Just then David's men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.23 When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.24 So Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone!25 You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing."26 Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it.27 Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.28 Later, when David heard about this, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.29 May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab's family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy "or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food."30 (Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)31 Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner." King David himself walked behind the bier.32 They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner's tomb. All the people wept also.33 The king sang this lament for Abner: "Should Abner have died as the lawless die?34 Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell as one falls before the wicked." And all the people wept over him again.35 Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!"36 All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them.37 So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.38 Then the king said to his men, "Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!"

1 وكانت الحرب طويلة بين بيت شاول وبيت داود وكان داود يذهب يتقوى وبيت شاول يذهب يضعف.2 وولد لداود بنون في حبرون. وكان بكره امنون من اخينوعم اليزرعيلية.3 وثانيه كيلآب من ابيجايل امرأة نابال الكرملي. والثالث ابشالوم ابن معكة بنت تلماي ملك جشور.4 والرابع ادونيا ابن حجيث. والخامس شفطيا ابن ابيطال.5 والسادس يثرعام من عجلة امرأة داود. هؤلاء ولدوا لداود في حبرون6 وكان في وقوع الحرب بين بيت شاول وبيت داود ان ابنير تشدد لاجل بيت شاول.7 وكانت لشاول سرية اسمها رصفة بنت أيّة. فقال ايشبوشث لابنير لماذا دخلت الى سرية ابي.8 فاغتاظ ابنير جدا من كلام ايشبوشث وقال ألعلي راس كلب ليهوذا. أليوم اصنع معروفا مع بيت شاول ابيك مع اخوته ومع اصحابه ولم اسلمك ليد داود وتطالبني اليوم باثم المرأة.9 هكذا يصنع الله بابنير وهكذا يزيده انه كما حلف الرب لداود كذلك اصنع له10 لنقل المملكة من بيت شاول واقامة كرسي داود على اسرائيل وعلى يهوذا من دان الى بئر سبع.11 ولم يقدر بعد ان يجاوب ابنير بكلمة لاجل خوفه منه12 فارسل ابنير من فوره رسلا الى داود قائلا لمن هي الارض. يقولون اقطع عهدك معي وهوذا يدي معك لرد جميع اسرائيل اليك.13 فقال حسنا. انا اقطع معك عهدا الا اني اطلب منك أمرا واحدا وهو ان لا ترى وجهي ما لم تأت اولا بميكال بنت شاول حين تأتي لترى وجهي.14 وارسل داود رسلا الى ايشبوشث بن شاول يقول اعطني امرأتي ميكال التي خطبتها لنفسي بمئة غلفة من الفلسطينيين.15 فارسل ايشبوشث واخذها من عند رجلها من فلطيئيل بن لايش.16 وكان رجلها يسير معها ويبكي وراءها الى بحوريم. فقال له ابنير اذهب. ارجع. فرجع17 وكان كلام ابنير الى شيوخ اسرائيل قائلا قد كنتم منذ امس وما قبله تطلبون داود ليكون ملكا عليكم.18 فالآن افعلوا. لان الرب كلم داود قائلا اني بيد داود عبدي اخلّص شعبي اسرائيل من يد الفلسطينيين ومن ايدي جميع اعدائهم.19 وتكلم ابنير ايضا في مسامع بنيامين وذهب ابنير ليتكلم في سماع داود ايضا في حبرون بكل ما حسن في اعين اسرائيل وفي اعين جميع بيت بنيامين.20 فجاء ابنير الى داود الى حبرون ومعه عشرون رجلا. فصنع داود لابنير وللرجال الذين معه وليمة.21 وقال ابنير لداود اقوم واذهب واجمع الى سيدي الملك جميع اسرائيل فيقطعون معك عهدا وتملك حسب كل ما تشتهي نفسك. فارسل داود ابنير فذهب بسلام22 واذا بعبيد داود ويوآب قد جاءوا من الغزو وأتوا بغنيمة كثيرة معهم ولم يكن ابنير مع داود في حبرون لانه كان قد ارسله فذهب بسلام.23 وجاء يوآب وكل الجيش الذي معه فاخبروا يوآب قائلين قد جاء ابنير بن نير الى الملك فارسله فذهب بسلام.24 فدخل يوآب الى الملك وقال ماذا فعلت. هوذا قد جاء ابنير اليك. لماذا ارسلته فذهب.25 انت تعلم ابنير بن نير انه انما جاء ليملقك وليعلم خروجك ودخولك وليعلم كل ما تصنع.26 ثم خرج يوآب من عند داود وارسل رسلا وراء ابنير فردّوه من بئر السيرة وداود لا يعلم.27 ولما رجع ابنير الى حبرون مال به يوآب الى وسط الباب ليكلمه سرّا وضربه هناك في بطنه فمات بدم عسائيل اخيه.28 فسمع داود بعد ذلك فقال اني بريء انا ومملكتي لدى الرب الى الابد من دم ابنير بن نير.29 فليحل على راس يوآب وعلى كل بيت ابيه ولا ينقطع من بيت يوآب ذو سيل وابرص وعاكز على العكازة وساقط بالسيف ومحتاج الخبز.30 فقتل يوآب وابيشاي اخوه ابنير لانه قتل عسائيل اخاهما في جبعون في الحرب31 فقال داود ليوآب ولجميع الشعب الذين معه مزقوا ثيابكم وتنطّقوا بالمسوح والطموا امام ابنير. وكان داود الملك يمشي وراء النعش.32 ودفنوا ابنير في حبرون. ورفع الملك صوته وبكى على قبر ابنير وبكى جميع الشعب.33 ورثا الملك ابنير وقال هل كموت احمق يموت ابنير.34 يداك لم تكونا مربوطتين ورجلاك لم توضعا في سلاسل نحاس. كالسقوط امام بني الاثم سقطت. وعاد جميع الشعب يبكون عليه.35 وجاء جميع الشعب ليطعموا داود خبزا وكان بعد نهار فحلف داود قائلا هكذا يفعل لي الله وهكذا يزيد ان كنت اذوق خبزا او شيئا آخر قبل غروب الشمس.36 فعرف جميع الشعب وحسن في اعينهم كما ان كل ما صنع الملك كان حسنا في اعين جميع الشعب.37 وعلم كل الشعب وجميع اسرائيل في ذلك اليوم انه لم يكن من الملك قتل ابنير بن نير.38 وقال الملك لعبيده ألا تعلمون ان رئيسا وعظيما سقط اليوم في اسرائيل.39 وانا اليوم ضعيف وممسوح ملكا وهؤلاء الرجال بنو صروية اقوى مني. يجازي الرب فاعل الشرّ كشرّه