1 And the war was prolonged {arukkah: extended duration} between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David kept becoming stronger {chazek: gaining in strength}, while the house of Saul kept becoming weaker.
2 Sons {banîm: royal heirs} were born to David in Hebron, and his firstborn {bechorô: genealogical priority} was Amnon to Ahinoam the Jezreelitess.
3 And his second {mishneh: next in order} was Kileab, to Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite {karmeli: from Mount Carmel}; and the third was Absalom, son of Maakah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur.
4 And the fourth {revi‘i: sequential listing} was Adonijah, son of Haggith, and the fifth was Shephatiah, son of Abital {Avital: dew of my father}.
5 And the sixth {ha-shishi: ordinal position} was Ithream to Eglah the wife of David {Dawid: Beloved King}. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 Now it came to pass, while the war was ongoing between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was growing strong {mitchazek: gaining influence by his own efforts} in the house of Saul {beit Shaul: royal household of Saul}.
7 Now Saul had a concubine {pilegesh: secondary wife} whose name was Rizpah {ritspah: pavement firmness}, the daughter of Aiah; and Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, “Why did you come to my father’s concubine?”
8 And Abner became very angry because of the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he said, “Am I a dog’s head {kelev: contemptible one} of Judah? Today I show kindness {chesed: loyal love} to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers and to his friends, and I have not delivered you into the hand of David. Yet you charge me today with the guilt of this woman!”
9 Thus may God {Elohim, Oath Enforcer} do to Abner, and thus may He add to him, for just as the LORD {YHWH, Promise Keeper} has sworn to David, so I will do for him.
10 To transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan {dan: northernmost city} to Beersheba {beersheba: southernmost city}.
11 And he was not able any longer to answer {lehashiv: reply} Abner a word because of his fear {yirah: apprehensive respect} of him.
12 And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “To whom does the land belong? Enter into your covenant {berit: binding agreement} with me, and behold my hand {yad: pledge of support} will be with you to bring over all Israel to you.”
13 And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant {berit: formal treaty} with you. But one thing {davar: stipulation} I am asking from you—‘You shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, the daughter of Saul, when you come to see my face.’”
14 And David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed {erasti: covenant vow} to myself for a hundred foreskins {orlot: enemy tokens} of Philistines.”
15 Then Ish-Bosheth {ish-boshet: man of shame} sent and took {laqach: removed by force} her from her husband, Paltiel son of Laish.
16 And her husband went with her, going and weeping after her until Bahurim {bachurim: border village}. Then Abner {avnēr: army commander} said to him, “Go, return,” and he returned.
17 And the word {davar: counsel} of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, “Both yesterday and the day before yesterday you were seeking David {David: beloved one} to be king over you.”
18 And now, act, for the LORD {YHWH, Promise-Maker} has said to David, ‘By the hand of David my servant, deliver my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines {pelishtim: sea peoples} and from the hand of all their enemies.’
19 And Abner {Abner: commander of Saul’s army} also spoke in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner also went to speak in the ears of David in Hebron about all that was good {tov: beneficial, agreeable} in the eyes of Israel and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.
20 And Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty {esrim: numerical contingent} men accompanying him, and David prepared a feast {mishteh: formal banquet} for Abner and for the men who were with him.
21 Then Abner said to David, “Let me arise and go and gather all Israel to my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and you shall reign {malakhta: exercise royal authority} over all that your soul {nafshekha: innermost being} desires.” Then David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
22 And behold, the servants of David {david: anointed king} and Joab returned from a raid, and they brought with them abundant plunder {shalal: captured goods}. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, because he had sent him away, and he went in peace.
23 And Joab and all the army {tzava: military force} who were with him came, and they reported to Joab, “Abner son of Ner has come to the king,” and he sent him away and he went in peace {shalom: relational wholeness}.
24 And Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold {hinneh: emphatic attention}, Abner has come to you. Why have you sent him away, and he has gone {halokh: departed fully}?”
25 You know Abner son of Ner; for he has come to deceive {le-fatotkha: manipulate} you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know everything that you are doing {oseh: actions}.
26 Joab went out from David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah, but David {david: kingly authority} did not know {yada: have awareness}.
27 And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the inner part of the gate to speak with him privately {basheli: in secret}. There he struck him in the abdomen {hachomesh: belly area}, and he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
28 Afterward, David heard of it and said, “My kingdom and I are innocent {naki: free from guilt} before the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} forever regarding the blood of Abner son of Ner.”
29 May it come upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s household, and may there never be cut off from the house of Joab anyone who has a discharge {zav: chronic flow} or is a leper {metzora: ritually unclean}, or who holds a spindle, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.
30 And Joab and Abishai, his brother, killed Abner on account of the fact that he had killed Asahel {asael: fleet of foot} their brother at Gibeon in the battle {milchamah: armed conflict}.
31 And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your garments {bigdei-khem: traditional signs of mourning} and put on sackcloth, and mourn {sifdu: public lamentation} before Abner.” And King David walked behind the bier.
32 And they buried Abner in Hebron {Hebron: David’s capital}, and the king lifted his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people {am: unified community} wept as well.
33 And the king lamented over Abner and said, “Should Abner {Avner: father of light} die as a fool {naval: morally senseless one} dies?”
34 Your hands were not bound, and your feet were not placed in bronze fetters; like one who falls before sons of injustice {avlah: moral perversion}, you fell. And all the people continued to weep {livkot: communal lament} over him.
35 And all the people came to refresh David with bread while it was still day. Then David swore, saying, “Thus may God {Elohim, Supreme Judge} do to me and even more if before the sun’s setting I taste bread or anything at all {me'umah: the smallest thing}.”
36 And all the people recognized {hikiru: recognized with discernment} it, and it was good {tov: beneficial, commendable} in their eyes; as everything that the king did was good in the eyes of all the people.
37 And all the people and all Israel knew {yada‘: perceived certainty} on that day that it was not from the king {mehammelekh: royal agency} to put to death Abner son of Ner.
38 Then the king {hamelekh: sovereign ruler} said to his servants, “Do you not know that a commander {sar: leader} and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?”
39 And today I am gentle {rakh: tender}, though anointed king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are harsher than I am. May the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} repay the doer of evil according to his wickedness.