1 This battle was the beginning of a long war between the followers of Saul and the followers of David. Saul's power grew weaker, but David's grew stronger.
David's Sons Born in Hebron
(1 Chronicles 3.1-4)2-5 Several of David's sons were born while he was living in Hebron. His oldest son was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel. David's second son was Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, who had been married to Nabal from Carmel. Absalom was the third. His mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur. The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital. The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, another one of David's wives.
Abner Decides To Help David
6 As the war went on between the families of David and Saul, Abner was gaining more power than ever in Saul's family. 7 He had even slept with a wife of Saul by the name of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah. But Saul's son Ishbosheth told Abner, “You shouldn't have slept with one of my father's wives!”
8 Abner was very angry because of what Ishbosheth had said, and he told Ishbosheth:
Am I some kind of worthless dog from Judah? I've always been loyal to your father's family and to his relatives and friends. I haven't turned you over to David. And yet you talk to me as if I've committed a crime with this woman.
9 I ask God to punish me if I don't help David get what the Lord promised him! 10 God said that he wouldn't let anyone in Saul's family ever be king again and that David would be king instead. He also said that David would rule both Israel and Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.
11 Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not even answer.
12 Abner sent some of his men to David with this message: “You should be the ruler of the whole nation. If you make an agreement with me, I will persuade everyone in Israel to make you their king.”
13 David sent this message back: “Good! I'll make an agreement with you. But before I will even talk with you about it, you must get Saul's daughter Michal back for me.”
14 David sent a few of his officials to Ishbosheth to give him this message: “Give me back my wife Michal! I killed 100 Philistines so I could marry her.”
15 Ishbosheth sent some of his men to take Michal away from her new husband, Paltiel the son of Laish. 16 Paltiel followed Michal and the men all the way to Bahurim, crying as he walked. But he went back home after Abner ordered him to leave.
17 Abner talked with the leaders of the tribes of Israel and told them, “You've wanted to make David your king for a long time now. 18 So do it! After all, God said he would use his servant David to rescue his people Israel from their enemies, especially from the Philistines.”
19 Finally, Abner talked with the tribe of Benjamin. Then he left for Hebron to tell David everything that the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of the people of Israel wanted to do. 20 Abner took 20 soldiers with him, and when they got to Hebron, David gave a big feast for them.
21 After the feast, Abner said, “Your Majesty, let me leave now and bring Israel here to make an agreement with you. You'll be king of the whole nation, just as you've been wanting.”
David told Abner he could leave, and he left without causing any trouble.
Joab Kills Abner
22 Soon after Abner had left Hebron, Joab and some of David's soldiers came back, bringing a lot of things they had taken from an enemy village. 23 Right after they arrived, someone told Joab, “Abner visited the king, and the king let him go. Abner even left without causing any trouble.”
24 Joab went to David and said, “What have you done? Abner came to you, and you let him go. Now he's long gone! 25 You know Abner—he came to trick you. He wants to find out how strong your army is and to know everything you're doing.”
26 Joab left David, then he sent some messengers to catch up with Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah, but David did not know anything about it. 27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pretended he wanted to talk privately with him. So he took Abner into one of the small rooms that were part of the town gate and stabbed him in the stomach. Joab killed him because Abner had killed Joab's brother Asahel.
Abner's Funeral
28 David heard how Joab had killed Abner, and he said, “I swear to the Lord that I am completely innocent of Abner's death! 29 Joab and his family are the guilty ones. I pray that Joab's family will always be sick with sores and other skin diseases. May they all be cowards, and may they die in war or starve to death.”
30 Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31 David told Joab and everyone with him, “Show your sorrow by tearing your clothes and wearing sackcloth! Walk in front of Abner's body and cry!”
David walked behind the stretcher on which Abner's body was being carried. 32 Abner was buried in Hebron, while David and everyone else stood at the tomb and cried loudly. 33 Then the king sang a funeral song about Abner:
Abner, why should you
have died like an outlaw?
34 No one tied your hands
or chained your feet,
yet you died as a victim
of murderers.
Everyone started crying again. 35 Then they brought some food to David and told him he would feel better if he had something to eat. It was still daytime, and David said, “I swear to God that I won't take a bite of bread or anything else until sunset!”
36 Everyone noticed what David did, and they liked it, just as they always liked what he did. 37 Now the people of Judah and Israel were certain that David had nothing to do with killing Abner.
38 David said to his officials, “Don't you realize that today one of Israel's great leaders has died? 39 I am the chosen king, but Joab and Abishai have more power than I do. So God will have to pay them back for the evil thing they did.”
Abnērs pāriet pie Dāvida
1 Karš starp Saula namu un Dāvida namu bija ilgs. Dāvids pieauga spēkā, bet Saula nams kļuva aizvien vājāks.
2 Hebronā Dāvidam dzima dēli. Viņa pirmdzimtais bija Amnons no jizreēlietes Ahīnoamas, 3 otrais – Kilābs no karmelieša Nābāla atraitnes Abīgailas, trešais – Abšāloms, Gešūras ķēniņa Talmaja meitas Maahas dēls, 4 ceturtais – Adonījāhu, Hagītas dēls, piektais – Šefatja, Abītalas dēls, 5 un sestais – Jitreāms no Dāvida sievas Eglas. Šie Dāvidam piedzima Hebronā.
6 Kamēr bija karš starp Saula namu un Dāvida namu, Abnērs nostiprināja savu ietekmi Saula namā. 7 Saulam bija blakussieva, vārdā Ricpa, Ajas meita. Īš-Bošets teica Abnēram: “Kāpēc tu esi gājis pie mana tēva blakussievas?” 8 Abnērs briesmīgi aizsvilās par Īš-Bošeta vārdiem un teica: “Vai es kāds suņagalva, kas pieder pie Jūdas? Vai tad man jābūt uzticamam tava tēva Saula namam, viņa brāļiem un viņa tuvākajiem!? Es taču tevi nenodevu Dāvida rokās, bet tu man šodien pārmet vainu par šo sievu! 9 Lai Dievs dara Abnēram tā un vēl vairāk, ja es nedarīšu Dāvidam tā, kā Kungs viņam zvērējis – 10 ka viņš no Saula nama pārņems ķēniņvalsti un cels tronī Dāvidu pār Israēlu un Jūdu no Dāna līdz Bēršebai!” 11 Un Īš-Bošets nespēja Abnēram vairs bilst ne vārda, jo baidījās no viņa.
Kauja pie Gibeonas
12 Abnērs savā vārdā sūtīja vēstnešus pie Dāvida, sacīdams: “Kam gan pieder zeme? Slēdz ar mani derību, un, redzi, mana roka būs ar tevi, lai pievērstu tev visu Israēlu.” 13 Un viņš atbildēja: “Labi, es slēgšu ar tevi derību, tikai vienu lietu es tev prasu, proti, tu mani neredzēsi, ja neatvedīsi pie manis Saula meitu Mīhalu, kad nāksi pie manis.”
14 Un Dāvids sūtīja vēstnešus pie Saula dēla Īš-Bošeta, sacīdams: “Atdod manu sievu Mīhalu, kas bija man saderēta par simts filistiešu priekšādām.” 15 Un Īš-Bošets lika, lai viņu atved no tās vīra Paltiēla , Lajiša dēla. 16 Un viņas vīrs gāja tai nopakaļ raudādams līdz pat Bahūrīmai. Tad Abnērs viņam sacīja: “Ej atpakaļ!” – un tas atgriezās. 17 Abnēram bija saruna ar Israēla vecajiem, un viņš teica: “Jau iepriekš jūs gribējāt sev par ķēniņu Dāvidu. 18 Tad nu rīkojieties! Jo Kungs ir sacījis Dāvidam: ar mana kalpa Dāvida rokām no filistiešiem un visiem tās ienaidniekiem tiks glābta mana Israēla tauta.” 19 Abnērs runāja arī ar benjāminiešiem, un tad Abnērs devās pie Dāvida uz Hebronu runāt ar viņu par visu to, ko grib Israēls un Benjāmina nams. 20 Abnērs ar divdesmit vīriem atnāca pie Dāvida uz Hebronu, un Dāvids Abnēram un viņa vīriem sarīkoja dzīres. 21 Abnērs teica Dāvidam: “Es celšos, iešu un sapulcināšu manam kungam, ķēniņam, visu Israēlu, lai tie slēdz ar tevi derību, un tu varēsi valdīt pār visu, kā tev tīk.” Dāvids atlaida Abnēru, un viņš aizgāja ar mieru.
Abnērs tiek nodevīgi nogalināts
22 Redzi, Joābs un Dāvida kalpi bija pārnākuši no sirojuma un atnesuši pamatīgu laupījumu. Abnērs tad vairs nebija pie Dāvida, jo viņš to bija atlaidis un tas bija aizgājis ar mieru. 23 Kad Joābs un viss viņa karapulks pārnāca, Joābam tika pastāstīts: “Pie ķēniņa bija atnācis Abnērs, Nēra dēls, un viņš to ir atlaidis, un tas ir aizgājis ar mieru.” 24 Joābs nu dodas pie ķēniņa un saka: “Ko tu esi izdarījis! Redzi, Abnērs bija atnācis pie tevis, kāpēc gan tu viņu atlaidi? Nu viņš ir prom! 25 Tu taču pazīsti Abnēru, Nēra dēlu, – viņš bija nācis tevi apkrāpt un izpētīt, kad tu nāc, kur tu ej un ko tu dari.” 26 Joābs iznāca no Dāvida nama, sūtīja vēstnešus pakaļ Abnēram un lika viņam atgriezties no Sīras avota. Bet Dāvids to nezināja. 27 Kad Abnērs atgriezās Hebronā, Joābs viņu ieveda vārtrūmē, lai aprunātos ar viņu zem četrām acīm. Tur viņš tam iedūra vēderā, atriebdams sava brāļa Asā-Ēla asinis, un tas nomira. 28 Kad Dāvids vēlāk to uzzināja, viņš teica: “Es un mana ķēniņvalsts uz mūžiem esam nevainīgi Kunga priekšā par Abnēra, Nēra dēla, asinīm. 29 Lai tās nāk pār Joāba galvu un pār visu viņa tēva namu! Lai netrūkst Joāba namā nedz tādu, kam tecēšana, nedz spitālīgu, nedz tādu, kas atspiežas uz kruķa, nedz no zobena kritušo, nedz tādu, kam nav maizes!” 30 Bet Joābs un viņa brālis Abīšajs nokāva Abnēru tāpēc, ka tas bija nogalinājis viņu brāli Asā-Ēlu kaujā pie Gibeonas.
31 Dāvids teica Joābam un visiem viņa ļaudīm: “Saplēsiet savas drānas, apjoziet maisus un apraudiet Abnēru!” Un ķēniņš Dāvids gāja aiz nestuvēm. 32 Kad Abnēru Hebronā apbedīja, ķēniņš skaļi raudāja pie Abnēra kapa, un raudāja arī visi ļaudis.
33 Ķēniņš dziedāja raudu dziesmu par Abnēru:
“Vai nelgas nāvē bija Abnēram mirt! –
34 Tev nebija sasietas ne rokas, ne kājas,
tās nebija sapītas vara važās,
kā no ļaundara rokas tu esi kritis!”
Un visi ļaudis vēl vairāk raudāja par viņu.
35 Visi nāca pie Dāvida, lai pierunātu viņu kaut ko ieēst, kamēr vēl diena, bet Dāvids zvērēja: “Lai Dievs man dara tā un vēl vairāk, ja es baudīšu maizi vai ko citu, pirms saule norietējusi.” 36 Visi to ievēroja, tas ļaudīm patika, jo viss, ko ķēniņš darīja, ļaudīm patika. 37 Visi ļaudis, viss Israēls todien dabūja zināt, ka no ķēniņa nebija nākusi pavēle nonāvēt Abnēru, Nēra dēlu.
38 Ķēniņš teica saviem kalpiem: “Vai gan nezināt, ka varens karavadonis šodien kritis Israēlā! 39 Bet es šobrīd esmu vājš, kaut arī svaidīts par ķēniņu, un šie vīri, Cerūjas dēli, ir spēcīgāki par mani. Lai Kungs atmaksā ļauna darītājiem pēc viņu ļaundarības!”
