1 Houve uma guerra prolongada entre a casa de Saul e a casa de Davi. Davi ia-se fortalecendo cada vez mais, mas a casa de Saul cada vez mais enfraquecendo.2 Nasceram filhos a Davi em Hebrom. Foi o seu primogênito Amnom, de Ainoã jezreelita;3 o seu segundo, Quileabe, de Abigail que fora mulher de Nabal carmelita; o terceiro, Absalão, filho de Maaca, filha de Talmai, rei de Gesur;4 o quarto, Adonias, filho de Hagite; o quinto, Sefatias, filho de Abital;5 e o sexto, Itreão, filho de Eglá, mulher de Davi. Estes filhos nasceram a Davi em Hebrom.6 Havendo guerra entre a casa de Saul e a casa de Davi, Abner fazia-se poderoso na casa de Saul.7 Ora, Saul teve uma concubina, cujo nome era Rispa, filha de Aiá. Is-Bosete perguntou: Por que entraste à concubina de meu pai?8 Abner, em extremo irado pelas palavras de Is-Bosete, respondeu: Sou eu alguma cabeça de cão que pertence a Judá? Hoje uso de beneficência para com a casa de Saul, teu pai, para com seus irmãos e amigos, e não te entreguei nas mãos de Davi; contudo me queres culpar por causa desta mulher.9 Assim faça Deus a Abner e mais ainda se, como Jeová jurou a Davi, eu não lhe fizer,10 transferindo da casa de Saul o reino, e estabelecendo o trono de Davi sobre Israel e sobre Judá desde Dã até Berseba.11 Ele não pôde responder palavra a Abner, porque o temia.12 Abner enviou a seu favor mensageiros a Davi, dizendo: De quem é a terra? Faze comigo a tua aliança, e eis que a minha mão será contigo, para tornar a ti todo o Israel.13 Respondeu Davi: Bem está, eu farei aliança contigo; mas exijo de ti uma só cousa, a saber, não verás a minha face sem primeiro trazeres Mical, filha de Saul, quando vieres ver a minha face.14 Davi enviou mensageiros a Is-Bosete, filho de Saul, que lhe dissessem: Restitui-me minha mulher Mical, que desposei por cem prepúcios de filisteus.15 Enviou Is-Bosete, e a tirou a seu marido, Paltiel, filho de Laís,16 que a seguia chorando, até Baurim. Disse-lhe Abner: Vai-te, volta; e ele voltou.17 Abner tinha falado com os anciãos de Israel, dizendo: Em tempos idos procuráveis a Davi para que reinasse sobre vós.18 Fazei-o agora, porque Jeová disse dele: Por meio do meu servo Davi livrarei o meu povo de Israel da mão dos filisteus, e da mão de todos os seus inimigos.19 Falou do mesmo modo Abner aos ouvidos de Benjamim, e foi também dizer aos ouvidos de Davi em Hebrom tudo o que pareceu bem aos olhos de Israel e de toda a casa de Benjamim.20 Veio Abner ter com Davi em Hebrom e levou consigo vinte homens. Davi deu um banquete a Abner e aos homens que vieram com ele.21 Disse Abner a Davi: Levantar-me-ei e irei, e ajuntarei ao rei meu senhor todo o Israel; farão contigo aliança, e reinarás sobre tudo o que desejar a tua alma. Assim despediu Davi a Abner, e foi-se ele em paz.22 Eis que os servos de Davi e de Joabe voltaram duma correria, e traziam consigo grande despojo. Abner, porém, já não estava com Davi em Hebrom, porque Davi o tinha despedido, e ele tinha ido em paz.23 Quando Joabe, e toda a hoste que estava com ele, tinham chegado, disseram-lhe: Abner, filho de Ner, veio ter com o rei, que o despediu, e ele se foi em paz.24 Joabe foi ao rei e disse: Que fizeste? eis que Abner veio ter contigo; como é que o despediste, e ele já se foi?25 Conheces a Abner, filho de Ner! Ele veio para te enganar, e para saber a tua saída e a tua entrada, e para ter conhecimento de tudo o que tu estás fazendo.26 Retirando-se Joabe de Davi, enviou mensageiros atrás de Abner, e fizeram-no voltar da cisterna de Sirá; porém Davi não o sabia.27 Tendo Abner voltado a Hebrom, Joabe o levou à parte, ao meio da porta, para lhe falar em segredo, e feriu-o ali na barriga. Assim morreu ele por causa do sangue de Asael, irmão de Joabe.28 Depois quando Davi o soube, disse: Eu para todo o sempre estou com o meu reino inocente diante de Jeová do sangue de Abner, filho de Ner.29 Caia esse sangue sobre Joabe e sobre toda a casa de seu pai. Não falte nunca da casa de Joabe quem tenha fluxo, quem seja leproso, quem pegue no fuso, quem seja morto à espada, nem quem necessite de pão.30 Joabe e Abisai mataram a Abner, porque ele tinha morto a Asael, irmão deles, na batalha em Gibeão.31 Disse Davi a Joabe e a todo o povo que estava com ele: Rasgai os vossos vestidos, cingi-vos de sacos e pranteai diante de Abner. O rei Davi ia seguindo o féretro.32 Sepultaram a Abner em Hebrom; o rei levantou a voz e chorou junto da sepultura de Abner, chorou também todo o povo.33 O rei pranteou a Abner e disse: Há de morrer Abner como morre o perverso?34 As tuas mãos não foram atadas, nem os teus pés carregados de grilhões. Como quem cai diante dos filhos de iniqüidade, assim caíste. Todo o povo tornou a chorar sobre ele.35 Então veio todo o povo para fazer que Davi comesse pão, sendo ainda dia; mas Davi jurou, dizendo: Assim me faça Deus, e mais ainda, se eu provar pão ou o que quer que seja, antes do sol posto.36 Todo o povo notou isso, e pareceu-lhe bem; assim como tudo quanto fez o rei, pareceu bem a todo o povo.37 Assim todo o povo e todo o Israel entenderam naquele dia que não era a vontade do rei que fosse morto Abner, filho de Ner.38 Disse o rei aos seus servos: Não sabeis que um príncipe e um grande homem caiu hoje em Israel?39 Eu estou hoje fraco, embora ungido rei; e estes homens, filhos de Zeruia, são fortes demais para mim. Retribua Jeová ao malfeitor segundo a sua maldade.

1 There was a long war between the royal families of Saul and David. David’s family became stronger and stronger. Saul’s family became weaker and weaker.2 Sons were born to David while he was in Hebron. His first son was Amnon, born to Ahinoam from Jezreel.3 The second was Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, Nabal’s widow from Carmel. The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur.4 The fourth son was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.5 The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah. All of these sons were born in Hebron.6 The fighting continued between David’s forces and the forces loyal to Saul’s family. Abner became more and more powerful among Saul’s followers.7 Saul had a concubine named Rizpah. She was Aiah’s daughter. Ishbosheth asked Abner: »Why did you have sex with my father’s concubine?«8 Ishbosheth’s question made Abner very angry. »Am I a dog that belongs to Judea?« He asked. »Until now I have been faithful to your father Saul’s family, to his relatives and friends. I did not hand you over to David. But now you charge me with a crime because of this woman.9 »May God deal with me harshly if I do not help David get all that Jehovah promised him when he said:10 »‘I Jehovah will transfer the kingship from Saul’s family and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.’«11 Ishbosheth could not respond to a single word for he was afraid of Abner.12 Abner sent messengers to David to speak on his behalf. »Who owns this country?« He asked. »Make an agreement with me,« he said. »Then I will support you and bring all Israel to you.«13 »Good!« David answered. »I will make an agreement with you. But there is one condition: You may not come to see me unless you bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come.«14 David sent messengers to Ishbosheth to give him this message: »Give me back my wife Michal! I bought her for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.«15 Ishbosheth sent some of his men to take Michal away from her new husband, Paltiel son of Laish.16 Paltiel followed Michal and the men all the way to Bahurim. He cried all the way. But he went back home after Abner ordered him to leave.17 Meanwhile, Abner communicated with the leaders of Israel: »For some time now you wanted to make David your king.18 »Do it now! This is what Jehovah said about David: ‘I will save my people Israel from the Philistines and all their other enemies through my servant David.’«19 Abner also spoke to the people of Benjamin. Then Abner went directly to David in Hebron. He told him everything Israel and the entire tribe of Benjamin had approved.20 Twenty men accompanied Abner to see David at Hebron. David had a feast for Abner and his men.21 Abner told David: »I must go now so that I can gather all Israel for you, Your Majesty. They will make an agreement with you. You will rule over all that your heart desires.« Then David dismissed Abner, who left peacefully.22 Just then David’s men and Joab came home from a raid with a lot of plunder. Abner had been dismissed, so he was no longer with David in Hebron.23 Joab came back with the whole army. He was told: »Ner’s son Abner came to the king. However David dismissed him and Abner left peacefully.«24 Joab went to the king and asked: »What have you done? Abner came to see you. Why did you send him away?25 »Surely you know that he came to deceive you. He came to find out everything you do and everywhere you go.«26 Joab left David. Then he sent messengers to get Abner, and they brought him back from Sirah Well. David knew nothing about it.27 Abner arrived in Hebron. Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him. There he stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab’s brother Asahel.28 When David heard the news, he said: »Jehovah knows that my subjects and I are completely innocent of the murder of Abner.29 »Let the punishment for it fall on Joab and all his family! In every generation may there be some man in his family who has gonorrhea or a dreaded skin disease or is fit only to do a woman’s work or is killed in battle or does not have enough to eat!«30 Joab and his brother Abishai took revenge and murdered Abner for killing their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.31 David told Joab and everyone with him: »Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth! Walk in front of Abner’s body and cry!« David walked behind the coffin on which Abner’s body was being carried.32 Abner was buried in Hebron. David and everyone else stood at the tomb and cried loudly.33 The king sang a funeral song for Abner: »Should Abner die like a godless fool?«34 »Your hands were not bound. Your feet were not in fetters. You fell as one falls in front of wicked men. And all the people continued to cry for him.«35 David refused to eat anything the day of the funeral even though people tried to persuade him to eat. David vowed: »May God strike me dead if I taste any food or anything else before the sun goes down.«36 All the people understood and approved of everything the king did.37 That day all the people of Israel knew the king was not responsible for killing Ner’s son Abner.38 The king told his officers: »Do you not know that today a leader, a great man, has fallen in Israel?39 »Today, even though I am the anointed king, these men, Zeruiah’s sons, are too strong for me to control. May Jehovah repay these wicked men, as their evil deed deserves.«