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 Therfor long strijf was maad bitwixe the hows of Dauid and `bitwixe the hows of Saul; and Dauid profitide and euere was strongere than hym silf, forsothe the hows of Saul decreesside ech dai.2 And sones weren borne to Dauid in Ebron; and his firste gendrid sone was Amon, of Achynoem of Jezrael;3 and aftir hym was Celeab, of Abigail, wijf of Nabal of Carmele; sotheli the thrydde was Absolon, the sone of Maacha, douytir of Tholomay, kyng of Gessur;4 forsothe the fourthe was Adonyas, the sone of Agith; and the fyuethe was Saphacias, the sone of Abitail; and the sixte was Gethraam of Egla,5 the wijf of Dauid. These weren borne to Dauid in Ebron.6 Therfor whanne batel was bytwixe the hows of Saul and the hows of Dauid, Abner, the sone of Ner, gouernyde the hows of Saul.7 Sotheli a concubyn, that is, a secoundarie wijf, Respha bi name, the douytir of Achia, `was to Saul; and Abner entride to hir.8 And Isbosech seide to Abner, Whi `entridist thou to the concubyn of my fadir? Which was wrooth greetli for the wordis of Isbosech, and seide, Whether Y am the heed of a dogge ayens Juda to dai, and Y have do merci on the hous of Saul, thi fadir, and on hise britheren, and neiyboris, and Y bitook not thee in to the hondis of David, and thou hast souyt in me that, that thou schuldist repreue me for a womman to dai?9 God do these thingis to Abner, and adde these thingis to hym, no but as the Lord swoor to Dauid, `so Y do with hym,10 that the rewme be translatid fro the hous of Saul, and the trone of Dauid be reisid on Israel and on Juda, fro Dan `til to Bersabee.11 And Isbosech myyte not answere ony thing to Abner, for he dredde Abner.12 Therfor Abner sente messangeris to Dauid, and thei seiden `for hym, Whos is the lond? and that the messangeris schulden speke, Make thou frenschipis with me, and myn hond schal be with thee, and Y schal brynge al Israel to thee.13 And Dauid seide, Best Y schal make frenschipis with thee, but Y axe of thee o thing, and seie, Thou schalt not se my face, bifore that thou brynge Mycol, the douyter of Saul, and so thou schalt come, and schalt se me.14 Therfor Dauid sente messangeris to Isbosech, the sone of Saul, and seide, Yelde thou my wijf Mycol, whom Y spouside to me for an hundryd prepucies of Filisteis.15 Therfor Isbosech sente, and took hir fro hir hosebonde, Faltiel, son of Lais;16 and hir hosebonde suede hir and wepte til Bahurym. And Abner seide to hym, Go thou, and turne ayen; and he turnede ayen.17 Also Abner brouyte in a word to the eldere men of Israel, and seide, Bothe yistirdai and the thridde dai ago ye souyten Dauid, that he schulde regne on you.18 Now therfor do ye; for the Lord spak to Dauid, and seide, In the hond of my seruaunt Dauid Y schal saue my puple Israel fro the hond of Filisteis, and of alle his enemyes.19 Forsothe Abner spak also to Beniamyn, and he yede, that he schulde speke to Dauid, in Ebron, alle thingis that plesiden Israel and al Beniamin.20 And he cam to Dauid in Ebron with twenti men. And Dauid made a feeste to Abner, and to the men that camen with hym.21 And Abner seide to Dauid, Y schal rise, that Y gadere al Israel to thee, my lord the kyng, and that Y make boond of pees with thee, and that thou regne on alle, as thi soule desirith. Therfor whanne Dauid hadde ledde forth Abner, and he hadde go in pees,22 anoon the children of Dauid and Joab camen with a ful grete prey, whanne theues weren slayn; sotheli Abner was not with Dauid, in Ebron, for Dauid hadde left hym, and he yede forth in pees.23 And Joab, and the oostis that weren with hym, camen aftirward; therfor it was teld to Joab of telleris, Abner, the sone of Ner, cam to the kyng, and the kyng lefte hym, and he yede in pees.24 And Joab entride to the kyng, and seide, What hast thou do? Lo! Abner cam to thee; whi leftist thou hym, and he yede, and departide?25 Knowist thou not Abner, the sone of Ner, for herto he cam to thee, that he schulde disseyue thee, and that he schulde knowe thi going out and thin entryng, and schulde knowe alle thingis whiche thou doist?26 Therfor Joab yede out fro Dauid, and sente messangeris aftir Abner; and `ledde hym ayen fro the cisterne of Cyrie, `while Dauid knew not.27 And whanne Abner hadde come ayen in to Ebron, Joab ledde hym asidis half to `the myddil of the yate, that he schulde speke to hym in gile; and he smoot Abner there in the schar, and he was deed, in to the veniaunce of the blood of his brother Asahel.28 That whanne Dauid hadde herd the thing doon, he seide, Y am clene and my rewme anentis God til in to with outen ende fro the blood of Abner, sone of Ner;29 and come it on the heed of Joab, and on al the hows of his fadir; a man suffrynge flux of seed, and a leprouse man, holdynge spyndil, and fallynge bi swerd, and hauynge nede to breed, `that is, suffrynge hungur, `faile not of the hows of Joab.30 Therfor Joab, and Abisay, his brother, killiden Abner, for he hadde slayn Asahel, her brother, in Gabaon, in batel.31 Forsothe Dauid seide to Joab, and to al the puple that was with hym, To rende ye your clothis, and be ye gird with sackis, and biweile ye bifor the heersis, `ether dirige, of Abner. Forsothe kyng Dauid suede the beere.32 And whanne thei hadden biried Abner in Ebron, kyng Dauid reiside his vois, and wepte on the biriel of Abner; `forsothe and al the puple wepte.33 And the kyng biweilide, and bymorenyde Abner, and seide, Abner, thou diedist not as dredeful men, `ethir cowardis, ben wont to die.34 Thin hondis weren not boundun, and thi feet weren not greuyd with stockis, but thou feldist doun, as men ben wont to falle bifor the sones of wickidnesse. And al the puple doublide togidere, and wepte on hym.35 And whanne al the multitude cam to take mete with Dauid, while the dai was yit cleer, Dauid swoor, and seide, God do to me these thingis, and adde these thingis, if Y schal taast breed ethir ony othir thing bifor the going doun of the sune.36 And al the puple herde; and alle thingis which the kyng dide in the siyt of al the puple plesiden hem;37 and al the comyn puple and al Israel knewe in that day, that it was not doon of the kyng, that Abner, the sone of Ner, was slayn.38 Also the kyng seide to hise seruauntis, Whether ye witen not, that the prince and gretteste felde doun to dai in Israel?39 Forsothe Y am `delicat, ether tendir, yit and anoyntid kyng; sotheli these sones of Saruye ben hard to me; the Lord yelde to hym that doith yuel bi his malice.