1 Now there was long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker. 2 Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; 4 and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; 5 and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 While there was war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner made himself strong in Saul’s house. 7 Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?"
8 Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, "Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to your father Saul’s house, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman! 9 God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him: 10 to transfer the kingdom from Saul’s house, and to set up David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba."
11 He could not answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of him.
12 Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose is the land?" and saying, "Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel around to you."
13 David said, "Good. I will make a treaty with you, but one thing I require of you. That is, you will not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face." 14 David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, "Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I was given to marry for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines."
15 Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go! Return!" and he returned.
17 Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "In times past, you sought for David to be king over you. 18 Now then do it! For Yahweh 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 Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin. 20 So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast. 21 Abner said to David, "I will arise and go, and will 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." David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.
22 Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23 When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has 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 have sent him away, and he is already gone? 25 You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do."
26 When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn’t know it. 27 When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 Afterward, when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. 29 Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who 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 David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner." King David followed the bier. 32 They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner’s grave; and all the people wept. 33 The king lamented for Abner, and said, "Should Abner die as a fool dies? 34 Your hands weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell."
All the people wept again over him. 35 All the people came to urge David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, "God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, until the sun goes down."
36 All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people. 37 So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner. 38 The king said to his servants, "Don’t you know that a prince and a great man has fallen today in Israel? 39 I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness."
1 扫罗家和大卫家之间的战争相持很久。大卫家逐渐兴盛， 扫罗家却日趋衰微。
2 大卫在希伯仑生了几个儿子： 他的长子暗嫩， 是耶斯列人亚希暖所生的。
3 次子基利押， 是作过迦密人拿八的妻子亚比该所生的。三子押沙龙， 是基述王达买的女儿玛迦所生的。
4 四子亚多尼雅， 是哈及所生的。五子示法提雅， 是亚比他所生的。
5 六子以特念， 是大卫妻子以格拉所生的。这些儿子都是大卫在希伯仑所生的。
6 当扫罗家和大卫家交战的时候， 押尼珥在扫罗家的权势日渐强大。
7 扫罗有一个妃子， 名叫利斯巴， 是爱亚的女儿。伊施波设对押尼珥说： "你为什么亲近我父亲的妃子呢？"
8 押尼珥因伊施波设的话非常忿怒， 说： "我是犹大的狗头吗？今天我厚待你的父亲扫罗家、他的兄弟和他的朋友， 没有把你交在大卫的手中； 可是， 今天你竟为了这女人的事来找我的错！
9 我若不按着耶和华向大卫所起誓应许的去行： 废去扫罗家的王国， 建立大卫的王位， 使他统治以色列和犹大， 从但直到别是巴， 愿 神降罚押尼珥， 重重地降罚他。"
11 伊施波设因为惧怕押尼珥， 就连一句话也不敢回答他。
12 押尼珥差派使者代表他去见大卫， 说： "这地是属谁的呢？"又说： "你与我立约， 我就必帮助你， 使全以色列都归顺你。"
13 大卫说： "好！ 我与你立约。不过， 我要求你一件事： 你来见我面的时候， 首先要把扫罗的女儿米甲带来， 否则你必不得见我的面。"
14 后来， 大卫差派使者去见扫罗的儿子伊施波设， 说： "请你把我的妻子米甲还给我， 她是我从前用一百个非利士人的包皮聘下的。"
15 于是伊施波设派人去， 把米甲从拉亿的儿子她丈夫帕铁那里接回来。
16 米甲的丈夫与她一起去， 跟在她后面， 一边走、一边哭， 一直跟到巴户琳。押尼珥对他说： "你去吧！ 回去吧！ "他只好回去了。
17 押尼珥与以色列的长老商议说： "从前你们希望大卫作你们的王。
18 现在可以实现了！ 因为耶和华曾经论到大卫说： ‘我要借着我的仆人大卫的手， 把我的子民以色列从非利士人和他们所有敌人的手中拯救出来。’"
19 押尼珥也把这话说给便雅悯人听， 然后又去希伯仑， 把以色列人和便雅悯全都同意的一切事说给大卫听。
20 押尼珥带着二十个人， 来到希伯仑见大卫的时候， 大卫就为押尼珥和与他同来的人摆设筵席。
21 后来， 押尼珥对大卫说： "让我去把以色列众人召集到我主我王这里来， 好叫他们与你立约， 这样你就可以照着自己的心愿统治所有的人。"于是大卫打发押尼珥回去， 他就平平安安地走了。
22 那时， 大卫的臣仆和约押攻击敌人回来， 带回许多的战利品。当时， 押尼珥不在希伯仑大卫那里， 因为大卫已经打发他离去， 他也平平安安地走了。
23 约押和跟随他的全军一到达， 就有人告诉约押， 尼珥的儿子押尼珥曾经来见过王。王打发他离去， 他已经平平安安地走了。
24 约押进去见王， 说： "你作了什么事？尼珥的儿子押尼珥来见你， 你为什么把他送走？现在他已经平平安安地走了。
25 你认识尼珥的儿子押尼珥， 他来是要欺骗你， 是要了解你的起居行动和你所作的一切事。"
26 约押从大卫那里出来， 就差派使者去追赶押尼珥， 使者从西拉的水井那里把他带回来。可是， 大卫一点都不知道。
27 押尼珥回到了希伯仑， 约押就拉他到城门旁边与他密谈。约押就在那里刺透他的肚子， 他就死了。这样， 他替自己的兄弟亚撒黑报了血仇。
28 事后大卫听到了， 就说： "关于尼珥的儿子押尼珥的血案， 我和我的国家， 在耶和华面前永远是无辜的。
29 愿这流人血的罪归到约押的头上和他父亲的全家！ 又愿约押家不断有患血漏病的、长痲风的、拿拐杖的、倒毙在剑下的和缺乏粮食的。"
30 因押尼珥在基遍的战场上， 杀死了他们的兄弟亚撒黑， 约押和他的兄弟亚比筛就杀了押尼珥。
31 大卫对约押和与他在一起的众人说： "你们要撕裂衣服， 腰束麻布， 在押尼珥面前哀哭！ "大卫王也走在棺木后面。
32 他们把押尼珥埋葬在希伯仑。王在押尼珥的墓旁放声大哭， 众人也都哭了。
33 王又为押尼珥作了哀歌， 说： "难道押尼珥死去， 要像愚妄的人死去一样吗？
34 你的手没有被绳索绑住， 你的脚也没有被铜链锁住， 你倒毙， 好像人在暴徒面前倒毙一样！ "于是， 众民又为押尼珥哀哭。
35 还在白天的时候， 众人都来劝大卫吃点饭； 大卫起誓说： "我若在日落以前吃饭或吃什么东西， 愿 神降罚我， 重重地降罚我。"
36 众人看见了， 就都喜悦。王所作的一切， 他们都很喜悦。
37 那一天众人和全以色列都知道， 杀死尼珥的儿子押尼珥， 并不是出于王的意思。
38 王对他的臣仆说： "你们不知道今天在以色列中， 有一位将领和伟人倒毙了吗？
39 今天我虽然受膏为王， 但我还是幼弱的。洗鲁雅的两个儿子太强了， 非我所能应付。愿耶和华照着恶人所行的恶， 报应恶人。"