1 Now there was long warfare between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2 And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
3 his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widowed wife of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the 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, by Davids wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.
7 And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, Why have you gone in to my fathers concubine?
8 Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dogs head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman?
9 May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as Jehovah has sworn to him;
10 to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beer-sheba.
11 And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.
12 And Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, Whose is the land? saying also, Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring around all Israel to you.
13 And David said, Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I am asking of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Sauls daughter, when you come to see my face.
14 And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Sauls son, saying, Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
15 And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 And her husband went along with her to Bahurim, weeping behind her. And Abner said to him, Go, return. And he returned.
17 And the words of Abner had come to the elders of Israel, saying, In time past you were desiring David as king over you.
18 Now then, do it! For Jehovah has spoken of David, saying, By the hand of My servant David, I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies.
19 And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin. And Abner also went to speak in the ears of David at Hebron all that was good in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of the house of Benjamin.
20 So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.
21 And Abner said to David, I will arise and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires. And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
22 And behold the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoils with them. And Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.
23 And when Joab and all the troops that were with him had come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner has come to the king, and he sent him away, and he has gone in peace.
24 Then Joab came to the king and said, What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you; why is it that you sent him away, and he has left to go?
25 You realize that Abner the son of Ner has come to deceive you, to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.
26 And when Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it.
27 And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 And afterward, when David heard it, he said, My kingdom and I are guiltless before Jehovah forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
29 May it whirl about on the head of Joab and on all his fathers house; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.
30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
31 And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner. And King David walked behind the coffin.
32 And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.
33 And the king lamented over Abner and said: Should Abner die the death of a fool?
34 Your hands were not bound nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you have fallen. Then all the people wept over him again.
35 And when all the people came to give David food to eat while it was still day, David swore, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down!
36 And all the people took note of it, and it was good in their eyes, even as whatever the king had done was good in the eyes of all the people.
37 For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been from the king, to kill Abner the son of Ner.
38 And the king said to his servants, Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?
39 And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too severe for me. Jehovah shall repay the evildoer according to his evil.
1 E HOUVE uma longa guerra entre a casa de Saul e a casa de Davi: porém Davi se ia fortalecendo, mas os da casa de Saul se iam enfraquecendo.
2 E a Davi nasceram filhos em Hebrom: e foi o seu primogênito Amom, de Aquinoã a Jezreelita: 3 E seu segundo Quileabe, de Abigail, mulher de Nabal, o Carmelita; e o terceiro Absalão, filho de Maaca, filha de Talmai, rei de Gesur; 4 E o quarto Adonias, filho de Hagite; e o quinto Sefatias, filho de Abital; 5 E o sexto Jitreão, de Egla, também mulher de Davi: estes nasceram a Davi em Hebrom. 6 E, havendo guerra entre a casa de Saul e a casa de Davi; sucedeu que Abner se esforçava na casa de Saul.
7 E tinha tido Saul uma concubina, cujo nome era Rispa, filha de Aia: e disse Isbosete a Abner: Por que entraste à concubina de meu pai? 8 Então se irou muito Abner pelas palavras de Isbosete, e disse: Sou eu cabeça de cão, que pertença a Judá? ainda hoje faço beneficência à casa de Saul, teu pai, a seus irmãos e a seus amigos, e te não entreguei nas mãos de Davi, e tu hoje buscas motivo para me arguires por causa da maldade duma mulher. 9 Assim faça Deus a Abner, e outro tanto, que como o Senhor jurou a Davi assim lhe hei de fazer. 10 Transferindo o reino da casa de Saul, e levantando o trono de Davi sobre Israel, e sobre Judá, desde Dã até Berseba. 11 E nem ainda uma palavra podia responder a Abner: porque o temia. 12 Então ordenou Abner da sua parte mensageiros a Davi, dizendo: De quem é a terra? E disse: Comigo faze a tua aliança, e eis que a minha mão será contigo, para tornar a ti todo o Israel. 13 E disse Davi: Bem, eu farei contigo aliança, porém uma cousa te peço, que é: não verás a minha face se primeiro me não trouxeres a Mical, filha de Saul, quando vieres ver a minha face. 14 Também enviou Davi mensageiros a Isbosete, filho de Saul, dizendo: Dá-me minha mulher Mical, que eu desposei por cem prepúcios de filisteus. 15 E enviou Isbosete, e a tirou a seu marido, a Faltiel, filho de Laís. 16 E ia com ela seu marido, caminhando, e chorando detrás dela, até Baurim. Então lhe disse Abner: Vai-te agora, volta. E ele voltou. 17 E praticava Abner com os anciãos de Israel, dizendo: Muito tempo há que procuráveis que Davi reinasse sobre vós; 18 Fazei-o pois agora, porque o Senhor falou a Davi, dizendo: Pela mão de Davi meu servo livrarei o meu povo das mãos dos filisteus e das mãos de todos os seus inimigos. 19 E falou também Abner o mesmo aos ouvidos de Benjamim: e foi também Abner dizer aos ouvidos de Davi, em Hebrom, tudo o que era bom aos olhos de Israel e aos olhos de toda casa de Benjamim. 20 E veio Abner a Davi, a Hebrom e vinte homens com ele: e Davi fez um banquete a Abner e aos homens que com ele vinham. 21 Então disse Abner a Davi: Eu me levantarei, e irei, e ajuntarei ao rei meu senhor todo o Israel, para fazerem aliança contigo; e tu reinarás sobre tudo o que desejar a tua alma. Assim despediu Davi a Abner, e foi-se ele em paz.
22 E eis que os servos de Davi e Joabe vieram duma sortida, e traziam consigo grande despojo; e já Abner não estava com Davi em Hebrom, porque o tinha despedido, e se tinha ido em paz. 23 Chegando pois Joabe, e todo o exército que vinha com ele, deram aviso a Joabe, dizendo: Abner, filho de Ner, veio ao rei; e o despediu, e foi-se em paz. 24 Então Joabe entrou ao rei, e disse: Que fizeste? eis que Abner veio ter contigo; por que pois o despediste de maneira que se fosse assim livremente? 25 Bem conheces a Abner, filho de Ner, que te veio enganar, e saber a tua saída e a tua entrada, e entender tudo quanto fazes. 26 E Joabe, retirando-se de Davi, enviou mensageiros atrás de Abner, e o fizeram voltar desde o poço de Sira, sem que Davi o soubesse. 27 Tornando pois Abner a Hebrom, Joabe o tomou à parte, à entrada da porta, para lhe falar em segredo, e feriu-o ali pela quinta costela, e morreu, por causa do sangue de Asael seu irmão. 28 O que Davi depois ouvindo, disse: Inocente sou eu, e o meu reino, para com o Senhor, para sempre, do sangue de Abner, filho de Ner. 29 Fique-se sobre a cabeça de Joabe e sobre toda a casa de seu pai, e nunca da casa de Joabe falte quem tenha fluxo, nem quem seja leproso, nem quem se atenha a bordão, nem quem caia à espada, nem quem necessite de pão. 30 Joabe pois e Abisai, seu irmão, mataram a Abner, por ter morto a Asael, seu irmão na peleja em Gibeom.
31 Disse pois Davi a Joabe, e a todo o povo que com ele estava: Rasgai os vossos vestidos; e cingi-vos de sacos e ide pranteando diante de Abner. E o rei Davi ia seguindo o féretro. 32 E, sepultando a Abner em Hebrom, o rei levantou a sua voz, e chorou junto da sepultura de Abner; e chorou todo o povo. 33 E o rei, pranteando a Abner, disse: Não morreu Abner como morre o vilão? 34 As tuas mãos não estavam atadas, nem os teus pés carregados de grilhões de bronze, mas caíste como os que caem diante dos filhos da maldade! Então todo o povo chorou muito mais por ele. 35 Então todo o povo veio fazer que Davi comesse pão, sendo ainda dia, porém Davi jurou, dizendo: Assim Deus me faça, e outro tanto, se, antes que o sol se ponha, eu provar pão ou alguma coisa. 36 O que todo o povo entendendo, pareceu bem aos seus olhos, assim como tudo quanto o rei fez pareceu bem aos olhos de todo o povo. 37 E todo o povo e todo o Israel entenderam naquele mesmo dia que não procedera do rei que matassem a Abner, filho de Ner. 38 Então disse o rei aos seus servos: Não sabeis que hoje caiu em Israel um príncipe e um grande? 39 Que eu ainda sou tenro, ainda que ungido rei; estes homens, filhos de Zeruia, são mais duros do que eu: o Senhor pagará ao malfeitor, conforme a sua maldade.