Deuxième livre de Samuel 2

JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Après cela, David consulta Yahvé en ces termes: "Monterai-je dans l'une des villes de Juda", etYahvé lui répondit: "Monte!" David demanda: "Où monterai-je", et la réponse fut: "A Hébron."	1 And so, after these things, David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I ascend to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Ascend.” And David said, “To where shall I ascend?” And he responded to him, “To Hebron.”
2 David y monta et aussi ses deux femmes, Ahinoam de Yizréel et Abigayil, la femme de Nabal deKarmel.	2 Therefore, David ascended with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
3 Quant aux hommes qui étaient avec lui, David les fit monter chacun avec sa famille et ilss'établirent dans les villes d'Hébron.	3 And as for the men who were with him, David led forth each man with his household. And they stayed in the towns of Hebron.
4 Les hommes de Juda vinrent et là, ils oignirent David comme roi sur la maison de Juda. On apprità David que les habitants de Yabesh de Galaad avaient donné la sépulture à Saül.	4 And the men of Judah went and anointed David there, so that he would reign over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.
5 Alors David envoya des messagers aux gens de Yabesh et leur fit dire: "Soyez bénis de Yahvépour avoir accompli cette oeuvre de miséricorde envers Saül votre seigneur et pour l'avoir enseveli.	5 Therefore, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and he said to them: “Blessed are you to the Lord, who has accomplished this mercy with your lord Saul, so that you would bury him.
6 Que Yahvé vous témoigne miséricorde et bonté, moi aussi je vous ferai du bien parce que vousavez agi ainsi.	6 And now, certainly, the Lord will repay to you mercy and truth. But I also will act with favor, because you have accomplished this word.
7 Et maintenant prenez courage et soyez braves, car Saül votre seigneur est mort. Quant à moi, lamaison de Juda m'a oint pour être son roi."	7 Let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of fortitude. For even though your lord Saul has died, still the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”
8 Abner, fils de Ner, le chef d'armée de Saül, avait emmené Ishbaal, fils de Saül, et l'avait fait passerà Mahanayim.	8 Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of the army of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and he led him around, throughout the camp.
9 Il l'avait établi roi sur Galaad, sur les Ashérites, sur Yizréel, Ephraïm, Benjamin, et sur tout Israël.	9 And he appointed him as king over Gilead, and over Geshuri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel.
10 Ishbaal, fils de Saül, avait 40 ans lorsqu'il devint roi d'Israël et il régna deux ans. Seule la maisonde Juda se rallia à David.	10 Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he had begun to rule over Israel. And he reigned for two years. For only the house of Judah followed David.
11 Le temps que David régna à Hébron sur la maison de Juda fut de sept ans et six mois.	11 And the number of the days, during which David was staying and ruling in Hebron over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
12 Abner, fils de Ner, et la garde d'Ishbaal, fils de Saül, firent une campagne de Mahanayim versGabaôn.	12 And Abner, the son of Ner, and the youths of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gibeon.
13 Joab, fils de Ceruya, et la garde de David se mirent aussi en marche et ils se rencontrèrent près del'étang de Gabaôn. Ils firent halte, ceux-ci d'un côté de l'étang, ceux-là de l'autre côté.	13 Therefore, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the youths of David, went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had convened together, they sat down opposite one another: these on one side of the pool, and those on the other side.
14 Abner dit à Joab: "Que les cadets se lèvent et luttent devant nous!" Joab répondit: "Qu'ils selèvent!"	14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the youths rise up and play before us.” And Joab answered, “Let them rise up.”
15 Ils se levèrent et furent dénombrés: douze de Benjamin, pour Ishbaal, fils de Saül, et douze de lagarde de David.	15 Therefore, they rose up and crossed over, twelve in number of Benjamin, from the side of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the youths of David.
16 Chacun saisit son adversaire par la tête et lui enfonça son épée dans le flanc, en sorte qu'ilstombèrent tous ensemble. C'est pourquoi on a appelé cet endroit le Champ des Flancs; il se trouve à Gabaôn.	16 And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon.
17 Alors il y eut en ce jour une très dure bataille et Abner et les gens d'Israël furent battus devant lagarde de David.	17 And a very harsh war rose up on that day. And Abner, with the men of Israel, was put to flight by the youths of David.
18 Il y avait là les trois fils de Ceruya, Joab, Abishaï et Asahel. Or Asahel était agile à la coursecomme une gazelle sauvage.	18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were in that place: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was a very swift runner, like one of the deer that lives in the forest.
19 Il se lança à la poursuite d'Abner, sans dévier de sa trace à droite ni à gauche.	19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right, nor to the left, to cease in the pursuit of Abner.
20 Abner se retourna et dit: "Est-ce toi, Asahel?" Et celui-ci répondit: "Oui."	20 And so, Abner looked behind his back, and he said, “Are you not Asahel?” And he responded, “I am.”
21 Alors Abner dit: "Détourne-toi à droite ou à gauche, attrape l'un des cadets et empare-toi de sesdépouilles." Mais Asahel ne voulut pas s'écarter de lui.	21 And Abner said to him, “Go to the right, or to the left, and apprehend one of the youths, and take his spoils for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to cease from pursuing him closely.
22 Abner redit encore à Asahel: "Ecarte-toi de moi, que je ne t'abatte pas à terre. Comment pourrais-je regarder en face ton frère Joab?"	22 And again, Abner said to Asahel: “Withdraw, and do not choose to follow me. Otherwise, I will be compelled to stab you to the ground, and I will not be able to lift up my face before your brother, Joab.”
23 Mais, comme il refusait de s'écarter, Abner le frappa au ventre avec le talon de sa lance et lalance lui sortit par le dos: il tomba là et mourut sur place. En arrivant à l'endroit où Asahel était tombé et étaitmort, tous s'arrêtaient.	23 But he disdained to heed him, and he was not willing to turn aside. Therefore, turning, Abner struck him with his spear in the groin, and he pierced him through, and he died in the same place. And all those who would pass by the place, in which Asahel had fallen and died, would stand still.
24 Joab et Abishaï se mirent à la poursuite d'Abner et, au coucher du soleil, ils arrivèrent à la collined'Amma, qui est à l'est de Giah sur le chemin du désert de Gabaôn.	24 Now while Joab and Abishai were pursuing Abner as he fled, the sun set. And they went as far as the Hill of the Aqueduct, which is opposite the valley on the way of the desert in Gibeon.
25 Les Benjaminites se groupèrent derrière Abner en formation serrée et firent halte au sommetd'une certaine colline.	25 And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves to Abner. And being joined in one battle line, they stood at the summit of a hill.
26 Abner appela Joab et dit: "L'épée dévorera-t-elle toujours? Ne sais-tu pas que cela finira dansl'amertume? Qu'attends-tu pour ordonner à ces gens d'abandonner la poursuite de leurs frères?"	26 And Abner cried out to Joab, and he said: “Will your sword rage unto utter destruction? Are you ignorant that it is perilous to act in desperation? How long will you not tell the people to cease from the pursuit of their brothers?”
27 Joab répondit: "Aussi vrai que Yahvé est vivant, si tu n'avais pas parlé, ce n'est qu'au matin queces gens auraient renoncé à poursuivre chacun son frère."	27 And Joab said: “As the Lord lives, if you had spoken in the morning, the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers.”
28 Joab fit sonner du cor et toute l'armée fit halte: on ne poursuivit plus Israël et on cessa le combat.	28 Therefore, Joab sounded the trumpet, and the entire army stood still, and they did not pursue after Israel any more, and they did not engage in conflict.
29 Abner et ses hommes cheminèrent par la Araba pendant toute cette nuit-là, ils passèrent leJourdain et, après avoir marché toute la matinée, ils arrivèrent à Mahanayim.	29 Then Abner and his men went away, all that night, through the plains. And they crossed the Jordan, and having roamed throughout all of Beth-horon, they arrived in the camp.
30 Joab, ayant cessé de poursuivre Abner, rassembla toute la troupe: la garde de David avait perdudix-neuf hommes, plus Asahel,	30 But Joab, returning after he had released Abner, gathered together all the people. And of David’s youths, they were missing nineteen men, aside from Asahel.
31 mais la garde de David avait tué à Benjamin, aux gens d'Abner, 360 hommes.	31 But of Benjamin and of the men who were with Abner, the servants of David had struck three hundred and sixty, who also died.
32 On emporta Asahel et on l'ensevelit dans le tombeau de son père, qui est à Bethléem. Joab et sesgens marchèrent toute la nuit et le jour se leva quand ils arrivaient à Hébron.	32 And they took Asahel, and they buried him in the sepulcher of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men who were with him, walked throughout the night, and they arrived in Hebron at the very break of day.