2 Samuel 3

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 So the war dragged on between the House of Saul and the House of David, but David grew steadilystronger and the House of Saul steadily weaker.	1 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: David prospering and growing always stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul decaying daily.
2 The sons born to David at Hebron were: his first-born Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;	2 And sons were born to David in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon of Achinoam the Jezrahelitess:
3 his second Chileab, by Abigail widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third Absalom son of Maacah, daughter ofTalmai king of Geshur;	3 And his second Cheleab of Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel: and the third Absalom the son of Maacha the daughter of Tholmai king of Gessur:
4 the fourth Adonijah son of Haggith; the fifth Shephatiah son of Abital;	4 And the fourth Adonias, the son of Haggith: and the fifth Saphathia the son of Abital:
5 the sixth Ithream, by David's wife, Eglah. These were born to David at Hebron.	5 And the sixth Jethraam of Egla the wife of David: these were born to David in Hebron.
6 This is what took place during the war between the House of Saul and the House of David. Abner tookcomplete control in the House of Saul.	6 Now while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner the son of Ner ruled the house of Saul.
7 Now, there was a concubine of Saul's called Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and Abner took her. Ishbaal saidto Abner, 'Why have you slept with my father's concubine?'	7 And Saul had a concubine named Respha, the daughter of Aia. And Isboseth said to Abner:
8 At these words of Ishbaal, Abner flew into a rage. 'Am I a dog's head?' he shouted. 'Here am I, ful offaithful love towards the House of Saul your father, his brothers and his friends, not leaving you to the hands ofDavid, and now you find fault with me over a woman!	8 Why didst thou go in to my father's concubine? And he was exceedingly angry for the words of Isboseth, and said: Am I a dog's head against Juda this day, who have shewn mercy to the house of Saul thy father, and to his brethren and friends, and have not delivered thee into the hands of David, and hast thou sought this day against me to charge me with a matter concerning a woman?
9 May God bring unnameable il s on Abner, and worse ones, too, if I do not bring about what Yahweh hassworn to David:	9 So do God to Abner, and more also, unless as the Lord hath sworn to David, so I do to him,
10 to take the sovereignty from the House of Saul, and establish David's throne over Israel as well asJudah, from Dan to Beersheba!'	10 That the kingdom be translated from the house of Saul, and the throne of David be set up over Israel, and over Juda from Dan to Bersabee.
11 Ishbaal dared not say a single word to Abner in reply, as he was afraid of him.	11 And he could not answer him a word, because he feared him.
12 Abner sent messengers on his own behalf to say to David, '. . . and furthermore, come to anagreement with me and I wil give you my support to win al Israel over to you.'	12 Abner therefore sent messengers to David for himself, saying: Whose is the land? and that they should say: Make a league with me, and my hand shall be with thee: and I will bring all Israel to thee.
13 'Very wel ,' David said, 'I wil come to an agreement with you. I impose one condition however; you wilnot be admitted to my presence unless you bring me Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see me.'	13 And he said: Very well: I will make a league with thee: but one thing I require of thee, saying: Thou shalt not see my face before thou bring Michol the daughter of Saul: and so thou shalt come, and see me.
14 David then sent messengers to say to Ishbaal son of Saul, 'Give me back my wife Michal, whom Iacquired for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.'	14 And David sent messengers to Isboseth the son of Saul, saying: Restore my wife Michol, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.
15 So Ishbaal sent for her to be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.	15 And Isboseth sent, and took her from her husband Phaltiel, the son of Lais.
16 Her husband set off with her and fol owed her, weeping as he went, as far as Bahurim; but Abner saidto him, 'Go back!' and he went.	16 And her husband followed her, weeping as far as Bahurim: and Abner said to him: Go and return. And he returned.
17 Now Abner conferred with the elders of Israel. 'For a long time now,' he said, 'you have wanted Davidas your king.	17 Abner also spoke to the ancients of Israel, saying: Both yesterday and the day before you sought for David that he might reign over you.
18 Now you must take action, since Yahweh has said of David, "By the hand of my servant David I shaldeliver my people Israel from the clutches of the Philistines and al their enemies." '	18 Now then do it: because the Lord hath spoken to David, saying: By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hands of the Philistines, and of all their enemies.
19 Abner also spoke to the men of Benjamin and then went to Hebron to tel David everything that hadbeen agreed by Israel and the House of Benjamin.	19 And Abner spoke also to Benjamin. And he went to speak to David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to all Benjamin.
20 Abner, accompanied by twenty men, came to David at Hebron, and David held a feast for Abner andthe men who were with him.	20 And he came to David in Hebron with twenty men: and David made a feast for Abner, and his men that came with him.
21 Abner then said to David, 'I must get up and go. I am going to rally al Israel to my lord the king, so thatthey will make an alliance with you, and you wil reign over al that you desire.' So David al owed Abner to go,and he went unmolested.	21 And Abner said to David: I will rise, that I may gather all Israel unto thee my lord the king, and may enter into a league with thee, and that thou mayst reign over all as thy soul desireth. Now when David bad brought Abner on his way, and he was gone in peace,
22 David's retainers were just then coming back with Joab from a raid, bringing a great quantity of bootywith them. Abner was no longer with David at Hebron, since David had allowed him to go, and he had goneunmolested.	22 Immediately David's servants and Joab came, after having slain the robbers, with an exceeding great booty: and Abner, was not with David in Hebron, for he had now sent him away, and he was gone in peace.
23 When Joab and the whole company with him had arrived, Joab was told, 'Abner son of Ner has beento the king, and the king has al owed Abner to go away unmolested.'	23 And Joab and all the army that was with him, came afterwards: and it was told Joab, that Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he is gone in peace.
24 Joab then went to the king and said, 'What have you done? Abner comes to you and you let him goaway and now he has gone-why?	24 And Joab went in to the king, and said: What hast thou done? Behold Abner came to thee: Why didst thou send him away, and he is gone and departed?
25 You know Abner son of Ner! He came to trick you, to discover your every move, to find out what youare doing.'	25 Knowest thou not Abner the son of Ner, that to this end he came to thee, that he might deceive thee, and to know thy going out, and thy coming in, and to know all thou dost?
26 Joab left David's presence and sent messengers after Abner and these, unknown to David, broughthim back from the storage-wel at Sirah.	26 Then Joab going out from David, sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back from the cistern of Sira, David knowing nothing of it.
27 When Abner reached Hebron, Joab took him aside in the town-gate, as if to have a quiet word withhim, and there struck him a mortal blow in the bel y to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel.	27 And when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside to the middle of the gate, to speak to him treacherously: and he stabbed him there in the groin, and he died, in revenge of the blood of Asael his brother.
28 Afterwards, when David heard of this, he said, 'I and my kingdom are for ever innocent before Yahwehof the blood of Abner son of Ner;	28 And when David heard of it, after the thing was now done, he said: I, and my kingdom are innocent before the Lord for ever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
29 may it fal on the head of Joab and on al his family! May the House of Joab never be free of menafflicted with haemorrhage or a virulent skin-disease, whose strength is in the distaff, who fall by the sword, wholack food.'	29 And may it come upon the head of Joab, and upon all his father's house: and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that hath an issue of seed, or that is a leper, or that holdeth the distaff, or that falleth by the sword, or that wanteth bread.
30 (Joab and his brother Abishai had murdered Abner because he killed their brother Asahel at the battleof Gibeon.)	30 So Joab and Abisai his brother slew Abner, because he had killed their brother Asael at Gabaon in the battle.
31 David then said to Joab and the whole company with him, 'Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, andmourn over Abner,' and King David walked behind the bier.	31 And David said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him: Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloths, and mourn before the funeral of Abner. And king David himself followed the bier.
32 They buried Abner at Hebron, and the king wept aloud on his grave, and the people al wept too.	32 And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner: and all the people also wept.
33 The king made this lament over Abner: Should Abner have died as a brute dies?	33 And the king mourning and lamenting over Abner, said: Not as cowards are wont to die, hath Abner died.
34 Your hands were not tied, your feet not chained; you fel as a man falls at the hands of criminals. Andal the people wept for him louder than ever.	34 Thy hands were not bound, nor thy feet laden with fetters: but as men fall before the children of iniquity, so didst thou fall. And all the people repeating it wept over him.
35 The people then al tried to persuade David to have some food while it was still daylight, but Davidswore this oath, 'May God bring unnameable il s on me, and worse il s, too, if I taste bread or anything whateveruntil the sun is down!'	35 And when all the people came to take meat with David, while it was yet broad day, David swore, saying: So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or any thing else before sunset.
36 Al the people took note of this and it pleased them; indeed, everything the king did pleased thepeople.	36 And all the people heard, and they were pleased, and all that the king did seemed good in the sight of all the people.
37 That day, al the people and al Israel understood that the king had had no part in the murder of Abnerson of Ner.	37 And all the people, and all Israel understood that day that it was not the king's doing, that Abner the son of Ner was slain.
38 The king said to his retainers, 'Do you not realise that a prince, a great man, has fal en in Israel today?	38 The king also said to his servants: Do you not know that a prince and great man is slain this day in Israel?
39 I, though anointed king, am weak at present, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too strong forme. May Yahweh repay the criminal as his crime deserves!'	39 But I as yet am tender, though anointed king. And these men the sons of Sarvia are too hard for me: the Lord reward him that doth evil according to his wickedness.