1The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2Sons were born to David in Hebron:
His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel;
the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.
These were born to David in Hebron.
Abner Goes Over to David
6During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And 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 he answered, “Am I a dog’s head—on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman! 9May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised him on oath 10and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.” 11Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
12Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”
13“Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.” 14Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.
17Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18Now do it! For the Lord promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.’ ”
19Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin wanted to do. 20When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men. 21Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
Joab Murders Abner
22Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.
24So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.”
26Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.
28Later, when David heard about this, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy3:29 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.”
30(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
31Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.” King David himself walked behind the bier. 32They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.
33The king sang this lament for Abner:
“Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered.
You fell as one falls before the wicked.”
And all the people wept over him again.
35Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
36All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”
押尼珥之死
1扫罗和大卫两家长期争战，大卫家的势力越来越强，扫罗家却日益衰微。
2大卫在希伯仑生的儿子有耶斯列人亚希暖所生的长子暗嫩， 3迦密人拿八的遗孀亚比该所生的次子基利押，基述王达买的女儿玛迦所生的三子押沙龙， 4哈及所生的四子亚多尼雅，亚比她所生的五子示法提雅， 5大卫的妻子以格拉所生的六子以特念。大卫的这些儿子都是在希伯仑生的。
6在扫罗和大卫两家争战期间，押尼珥在扫罗家权势日增。 7他跟扫罗的一个妃嫔、爱亚的女儿利斯巴通奸，伊施·波设问他：“你为什么睡我父亲的妃嫔呢？” 8押尼珥听了非常愤怒，说：“难道我是犹大的走狗吗？我至今还这样厚待你父亲扫罗家和他的亲戚朋友，没有把你交给大卫，今天你竟为了这个女人来责备我！ 9-10倘若我不照着耶和华应许大卫的誓言，把扫罗的江山夺过来交给大卫，让他统治全以色列和犹大，从但到别示巴，愿耶和华重重地惩罚我！”
11伊施·波设一句话也不敢答，因为他害怕押尼珥。
12押尼珥派使者送信给大卫，说：“这是谁的土地呢？如果你与我立约，我必帮助你统一以色列。” 13大卫回答说：“好，我与你立约，但有一个要求：你一定要把扫罗的女儿米甲带来才能见我。” 14于是，大卫派使者去见扫罗的儿子伊施·波设说：“请把我的妻子米甲送回来，因为她是我用一百个非利士人的包皮作聘礼娶来的。” 15伊施·波设就派人把米甲从她丈夫、拉亿的儿子帕铁那里接回来。 16帕铁一路跟着米甲，边走边哭，一直到巴户琳。押尼珥对他说：“你回去吧！”他就回去了。
17押尼珥和以色列的长老商量说：“你们以前一直都希望大卫做你们的王， 18现在是时候了，因为耶和华曾说要借着祂仆人大卫的手，从非利士人和其他所有敌人手中拯救祂的以色列子民。” 19押尼珥也跟便雅悯人商谈，然后到希伯仑把以色列人和便雅悯人的愿望告诉大卫。 20当时，他带了二十个人前往希伯仑见大卫，大卫就设宴款待他们。 21押尼珥对大卫说：“我要去招聚所有以色列人到我主我王这里，好跟你立约，你便可以如愿以偿，统治全以色列。”于是大卫为他送行，他就平安地回去了。
22大卫送押尼珥平安离开后不久，约押就率领大卫的军队袭敌归来，并带回许多战利品。 23约押率领全军回来后，有人告诉他：“尼珥的儿子押尼珥刚才来朝见王，王送他平安地离去了。” 24约押听后，就去见王，说：“你这做的是什么事？押尼珥来见你，你为什么放他走呢？ 25你要知道，尼珥的儿子押尼珥想来骗你，探听你的虚实。”
26约押从大卫那里出来，派使者去追押尼珥，他们在西拉井追上了他，把他带了回来。大卫对这件事一无所知。 27押尼珥回到希伯仑的时候，约押就把他带到城门的瓮洞，装作与他密谈，乘机用短剑刺入他的肚子，把他杀死了，为他兄弟亚撒黑报了仇。 28后来，大卫听到消息就说：“我和我的国在耶和华面前永远跟尼珥的儿子押尼珥的死无关。 29约押和他全家要承担这罪，愿他的后代永远有长疮的、患皮肤病的、拄拐杖的、被刀剑所杀的或挨饿的。” 30约押和他兄弟亚比筛之所以杀押尼珥，是因为押尼珥在基遍杀了他们的兄弟亚撒黑。
31大卫对约押和部下说：“你们要撕裂衣服，腰束麻布，在押尼珥棺前哭丧！”大卫王也跟在棺后送葬。 32他们就把押尼珥葬在希伯仑。大卫王和众人在墓旁大哭一场。 33大卫王哀悼押尼珥，说：
“押尼珥啊！
你怎能死得糊里糊涂3:33 “糊里糊涂”希伯来文是“像愚笨人”。呢？
34你的手没有被捆，
你的脚没有被锁，
你是死在奸恶之人的手里啊！”
于是众人都为押尼珥哀哭。 35大卫整天没有进食，众人来劝他吃一点东西，但他起誓说：“我若在日落以前吃任何东西，愿上帝重重地惩罚我！” 36众人听见了，都很喜悦，王做的每一件事都令他们喜悦。 37那天全以色列的人都看出尼珥的儿子押尼珥的死与大卫无关。 38大卫王对他的随从说：“你们难道不知道今天以色列损失了一位伟大的将领吗？ 39今天我虽然是被膏立的王，但仍势单力薄，无法对付洗鲁雅的两个儿子，愿耶和华报应他们的恶行。”
