1The war between Saul’s royal house and David’s royal house lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger. But the royal house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2Sons were born to David in Hebron.
His first son was Amnon. Amnon’s mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.
3His second son was Kileab. Kileab’s mother was Abigail. She was Nabal’s widow from Carmel.
The third son was Absalom. His mother was Maakah. She was the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur.
4The fourth son was Adonijah. His mother was Haggith.
The fifth son was Shephatiah. His mother was Abital.
5The sixth son was Ithream. His mother was David’s wife Eglah.
Those sons were born to David in Hebron.
Abner Goes Over to David’s Side
6The fighting continued between David’s royal house and Saul’s royal house. Abner gained more and more power in the royal house of Saul. 7While Saul was still alive, he had a concubine named Rizpah. She was the daughter of Aiah. Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
8Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So Abner answered, “Do you think I’m only a dog’s head? Am I on Judah’s side? To this day I’ve been faithful to the royal house of your father Saul. I’ve been faithful to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. But now you claim that I’ve sinned with this woman! 9I will do for David what the Lord promised him. If I don’t, may God punish me greatly. 10I’ll take the kingdom away from Saul’s royal house. I’ll set up the throne of David’s kingdom over Israel and Judah. He will rule from Dan all the way to Beersheba.” 11Ish-Bosheth didn’t dare to say another word to Abner. He was much too afraid of him.
12Then Abner sent messengers to David to speak for him. They said, “Who will rule over this land? Make a covenant with me. Then I’ll help you bring all the Israelites over to your side.”
13“Good,” said David. “I will make a covenant with you. But there’s one thing I want you to do. Bring Saul’s daughter Michal to me. Don’t come to see me unless she’s with you.” 14Then David sent messengers to Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth. He ordered them to say, “Give me my wife Michal. She was promised to me. I paid for her the price that was demanded. I paid for her with the skins of 100 circumcised Philistines.”
15So Ish-Bosheth gave the order. He sent men who took Michal away from her husband Paltiel. Paltiel was the son of Laish. 16But her husband followed her to Bahurim. He was crying all the way. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he did.
17Abner talked with the elders of Israel. He said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18Now do it! The Lord made a promise to David. He said, ‘I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philistines. I will also rescue them from all their enemies. I will rescue them through my servant David.’ ”
19Abner also spoke to the people of Benjamin in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything. He told him what Israel and all the people of Benjamin wanted to do. 20Abner had 20 men with him. They came to David at Hebron. So David prepared a feast for Abner and his men. 21Then Abner said to David, “Let me go right now. I’ll gather together all the Israelites for you. After all, you are now my king and master. The people can make a covenant with you. Then you can rule over everyone you want to.” So David sent Abner away. And he went in peace.
Joab Murders Abner
22Just then David’s men and Joab came back from attacking their enemies. They brought with them the large amount of goods they had taken. But Abner wasn’t with David in Hebron anymore. That’s because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived. Then he was told that Abner, the son of Ner, had come to see the king. He was told that the king had sent Abner away. He was also told that Abner had gone in peace.
24So Joab went to the king. He said, “What have you done? Abner came to you. Why did you let him get away? Now he’s gone! 25You know what Abner, the son of Ner, is like. He came to trick you. He wanted to watch your every move. He came to find out everything you are doing.”
26Then Joab left David. He sent messengers to get Abner. They brought Abner back from the well of Sirah. But David didn’t know about it. 27When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him to one side. He brought him into an inside room. Joab acted as if he wanted to speak to him in private. But he really wanted to get even with him. That’s because Abner had spilled the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel. So Joab stabbed Abner in the stomach, and he died.
28Later on, David heard about it. He said, “I and the people of my kingdom aren’t guilty of spilling the blood of Abner, the son of Ner. We are free of blame forever in the sight of the Lord. 29May Joab and his whole family line be held accountable for spilling Abner’s blood! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has an open sore or skin disease. May his family never be without someone who has to use a crutch to walk. May his family never be without someone who gets killed by a sword. And may his family never be without someone who doesn’t have enough to eat.”
30Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner. They did it because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31David spoke to Joab and all the people with him. He said, “Tear your clothes. Put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. Mourn when you walk in front of Abner’s body.” King David himself walked behind it. 32Abner’s body was buried in Hebron. The king wept out loud at Abner’s tomb. So did the rest of the people.
33King David sang a song of sadness over Abner. He said,
“Should Abner have died as sinful people do?
34His hands were not tied.
His feet were not chained.
He died as if he had been killed by evil people.”
All the people mourned over Abner again.
35Then all of them came and begged David to eat something. They wanted him to eat while it was still day. But David made a promise. He said, “I won’t taste bread or anything else before the sun goes down. If I do, may God punish me greatly!”
36All the people heard his promise and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them. 37So on that day all the people there and all the Israelites understood. They knew that the king didn’t have anything to do with the murder of Abner, the son of Ner.
38The king spoke to his men. He said, “Don’t you realize that a great commander has died in Israel today? 39I’m the anointed king. But today I’m weak. These sons of Zeruiah are too powerful for me. May the Lord pay back the one who killed Abner! May he pay him back for the evil thing he has done!”
1اين سرآغاز يک جنگ طولانی بين پيروان شائول و افراد داوود بود. داوود روزبهروز نيرومندتر میشد و خاندان شائول روزبهروز ضعيفتر.
پسران داوود
2در مدتی كه داوود در حبرون زندگی میكرد، صاحب پسرانی شد. پسر اول داوود امنون از زنش اخينوعم، 3پسر دوم او كيلاب از زنش ابيجايل (بيوهٔ نابال كرملی)، پسر سوم او ابشالوم پسر معكه (دختر تلمای پادشاه جشور)، 4پسر چهارم او ادونيا از حجيت، پسر پنجم او شفطيا از ابيطال 5و پسر ششم او يِتَرعام از زنش عجله بودند.
ابنير به داوود ملحق میشود
6در زمانی كه جنگ بين خاندان شائول و خاندان داوود ادامه داشت، ابنير خاندان شائول را تقويت مینمود. 7يک روز ايشبوشت پسر شائول ابنير را متهم كرد كه با يكی از كنيزان شائول به نام رصفه، دختر اَيه، همبستر شده است. 8ابنير خشمگين شد و فرياد زد: «آيا فكر میكنی من به شائول خيانت میكنم و از داوود حمايت مینمايم؟ پس از آن همه خوبیهایی كه در حق تو و پدرت كردم و نگذاشتم به چنگ داوود بيفتی، حالا به خاطر اين زن به من تهمت میزنی؟ آيا اين است پاداش من؟
9-10«پس حالا خوب گوش كن. خدا مرا لعنت كند اگر هر چه در قدرت دارم به کار نبرم تا سلطنت را از تو گرفته به داوود بدهم تا همانطور كه خداوند فرموده بود داوود در سراسر اسرائيل و يهودا پادشاه شود.» 11ايشبوشت در جواب ابنير چيزی نگفت چون از او میترسيد.
12آنگاه ابنير قاصدانی را با اين پيغام نزد داوود فرستاد: «چه كسی بايد بر اين سرزمين حكومت كند؟ اگر تو با من عهد دوستی ببندی من تمام مردم اسرائيل را به سوی تو برمیگردانم.»
13داوود پاسخ داد: «بسيار خوب، ولی به شرطی با تو عهد میبندم كه همسرم ميكال دختر شائول را با خود نزد من بياوری.» 14سپس داوود اين پيغام را برای ايشبوشت فرستاد: «همسرم ميكال را به من پس بده، زيرا او را به قيمت كشتن صد فلسطينی خريدهام.»
15پس ايشبوشت، ميكال را از شوهرش فلطئيل3:15 نگاه کنيد به اول سموئيل 25:44. پس گرفت. 16فلطئيل گريهكنان تا بحوريم به دنبال زنش رفت. در آنجا ابنير به او گفت: «حالا ديگر برگرد.» فلطئيل هم برگشت.
17در ضمن، ابنير با بزرگان اسرائيل مشورت كرده، گفت: «مدتهاست كه میخواهيد داوود را پادشاه خود بسازيد. 18حالا وقتش است! زيرا خداوند فرموده است كه بوسيلهٔ داوود قوم خود را از دست فلسطينیها و ساير دشمنانشان نجات خواهد داد.» 19ابنير با قبيلهٔ بنيامين نيز صحبت كرد. آنگاه به حبرون رفت و توافقهايی را كه با اسرائيل و قبيلهٔ بنيامين حاصل نموده بود، به داوود گزارش داد. 20بيست نفر همراه او بودند و داوود برای ايشان ضيافتی ترتيب داد.
21ابنير به داوود قول داده، گفت: «وقتی برگردم، همهٔ مردم اسرائيل را جمع میكنم تا تو را چنانكه خواستهای، به پادشاهی خود انتخاب كنند.» پس داوود او را به سلامت روانه كرد.
22به محض رفتن ابنير، يوآب و عدهای از سپاهيان داوود از غارت بازگشتند و غنيمت زيادی با خود آوردند. 23وقتی به يوآب گفته شد كه ابنير نزد پادشاه آمده و به سلامت بازگشته است، 24-25با عجله به حضور پادشاه رفت و گفت: «چه كردهای؟ چرا گذاشتی ابنير سالم برگردد؟ تو خوب میدانی كه او برای جاسوسی آمده بود و نقشه كشيده كه برگردد و به ما حمله كند!»
26پس يوآب چند نفر را به دنبال ابنير فرستاد تا او را برگردانند. آنها در كنار چشمهٔ سيره به ابنير رسيدند و او با ايشان برگشت. اما داوود از اين جريان خبر نداشت. 27وقتی ابنير به دروازهٔ شهر حبرون رسيد، يوآب به بهانهٔ اينكه میخواهد با او محرمانه صحبت كند، وی را به كناری برد و خنجر خود را كشيده، به انتقام خون برادرش عسائيل، او را كشت.
28داوود چون اين را شنيد، گفت: «من و قوم من در پيشگاه خداوند از خون ابنير تا به ابد مبرا هستيم. 29خون او به گردن يوآب و خانوادهاش باشد. عفونت و جذام هميشه دامنگير نسل او باشد. فرزندانش عقيم شوند و از گرسنگی بميرند يا با شمشير كشته شوند.» 30پس بدين ترتيب يوآب و برادرش ابيشای، ابنير را كشتند چون او برادرشان عسائيل را در جنگ جبعون كشته بود.
31داوود به يوآب و همهٔ كسانی كه با او بودند دستور داد كه لباس خود را پاره كنند و پلاس بپوشند و برای ابنير عزا بگيرند، و خودش همراه تشييعكنندگان جنازه به سر قبر رفت. 32ابنير را در حبرون دفن كردند و پادشاه و همراهانش بر سر قبر او با صدای بلند گريستند.
33-34پادشاه اين مرثيه را برای ابنير خواند:
«چرا ابنير بايد با خفت و خواری بميرد؟
ای ابنير، دستهای تو بسته نشد،
پاهايت را در بند نگذاشتند؛
تو را ناجوانمردانه كشتند.»
و همهٔ حضار بار ديگر با صدای بلند برای ابنير گريه كردند.
35-36داوود در روز تشييعجنازه چيزی نخورده بود و همه از او خواهش میكردند كه چيزی بخورد. اما داوود قسم خورده، گفت: «خدا مرا بكشد اگر تا غروب آفتاب لب به غذا بزنم.» اين عمل داوود بر دل مردم نشست، در واقع تمام كارهای او را مردم میپسنديدند.
37تمام قوم، يعنی هم اسرائيل و هم يهودا، دانستند كه پادشاه در كشتن ابنير دخالت نداشته است. 38داوود به افرادش گفت: «امروز در اسرائيل يک مرد، يک سردار بزرگ، كشته شده است. 39هر چند من به پادشاهی برگزيده شدهام، ولی نمیتوانم از عهدهٔ اين دو پسر صرويه برآيم. خداوند، عاملان اين شرارت را به سزای اعمالشان برساند.»
