Mar 6 - 2 Samuel 1-3
2 Samuel
1Now it happened that, after Saul died, David returned from the slaughter of Amalek, and he remained for two days at Ziklag2Then, on the third day, a man appeared, arriving from the camp of Saul, with his garments torn and dust sprinkled on his head. And when he came to David, he fell on his face, and he reverenced3And David said to him, "Where have you come from?" And he said to him, "I have fled from the camp of Israel.4And David said to him: "What is the word that has happened? Reveal it to me." And he said: "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people have fallen and died. Moreover, Saul and his son Jonathan have passed away.5And David said to the youth who was reporting to him, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan have died?6And the youth, who was reporting it to him, said: "I arrived by chance on mount Gilboa. And Saul was lying upon his spear. Then the chariots and horsemen drew near to him7And turning behind his back and seeing me, he called to me. And when I had responded, "I am here,8he said to me, "Who are you?" And I said to him, "I am an Amalekite.9And he said to me: "Stand over me, and kill me. For anguish has taken hold of me, and still my whole life is in me.10And standing over him, I killed him. For I knew that he was not able to live after the fall. And I took the diadem that was on his head, and the bracelet from his arm, and I have brought them here to you, my lord.11Then David, taking hold of his garments, tore them, with all the men who were with him12And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening, over Saul and over his son Jonathan, and over the people of the Lord and over the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword13And David said to the youth who had reported it to him, "Where are you from?" And he responded, "I am the son of a man who is a new arrival from the Amalekites.14And David said to him, "Why were you not afraid to put forth your hand, so that you would kill the Christ of the Lord?15And calling one of his servants, David said, "Draw near and rush against him" And he struck him, and he died16And David said to him: "Your blood is upon your own head. For your own mouth has spoken against you, saying: ‘I have killed the Christ of the Lord.’ 17Then David mourned a lamentation over Saul and over his son Jonathan, in this way18(And he instructed that they should teach the sons of Judah the bow, just as it is written in the Book of the Just.) And he said: "Consider, O Israel, on behalf of those who are dead, wounded upon your heights19The illustrious of Israel have been killed upon your mountains. How could the valiant have fallen20Do not choose to announce it in Gath, and do not announce it in the crossroads of Ashkelon. Otherwise, the daughters of the Philistines may rejoice; otherwise, the daughters of the uncircumcised may exult21O mountains of Gilboa, let neither dew, nor rain fall over you, and may these not be the fields of the first-fruits. For in that place, the shield of the valiant was cast away, the shield of Saul, as if he had not been anointed with oil22From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the strong, the arrow of Jonathan never turned back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty23Saul and Jonathan, worthy to be loved, and stately in their life: even in death they were not divided. They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions24O daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you with scarlet finery, who offered ornaments of gold for your adornment25How could the valiant have fallen in battle? How could Jonathan have been slain on the heights26I grieve over you, my brother Jonathan: exceedingly stately, and worthy to be loved above the love of women. As a mother loves her only son, so also did I love you27How could the robust have fallen, and the weapons of war have perished?
1And so, after these things, David consulted the Lord, saying, "Shall I ascend to one of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, "Ascend." And David said, "To where shall I ascend?" And he responded to him, "To Hebron.2Therefore, David ascended with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel3And as for the men who were with him, David led forth each man with his household. And they stayed in the towns of Hebron4And the men of Judah went and anointed David there, so that he would reign over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul5Therefore, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and he said to them: "Blessed are you to the Lord, who has accomplished this mercy with your lord Saul, so that you would bury him6And now, certainly, the Lord will repay to you mercy and truth. But I also will act with favor, because you have accomplished this word7Let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of fortitude. For even though your lord Saul has died, still the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.8Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of the army of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and he led him around, throughout the camp9And he appointed him as king over Gilead, and over Geshuri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel10Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he had begun to rule over Israel. And he reigned for two years. For only the house of Judah followed David11And the number of the days, during which David was staying and ruling in Hebron over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months12And Abner, the son of Ner, and the youths of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gibeon13Therefore, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the youths of David, went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had convened together, they sat down opposite one another: these on one side of the pool, and those on the other side14And Abner said to Joab, "Let the youths rise up and play before us." And Joab answered, "Let them rise up.15Therefore, they rose up and crossed over, twelve in number of Benjamin, from the side of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the youths of David16And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon17And a very harsh war rose up on that day. And Abner, with the men of Israel, was put to flight by the youths of David18Now the three sons of Zeruiah were in that place: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was a very swift runner, like one of the deer that lives in the forest19And Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right, nor to the left, to cease in the pursuit of Abner20And so, Abner looked behind his back, and he said, "Are you not Asahel?" And he responded, "I am.21And Abner said to him, "Go to the right, or to the left, and apprehend one of the youths, and take his spoils for yourself." But Asahel was not willing to cease from pursuing him closely22And again, Abner said to Asahel: "Withdraw, and do not choose to follow me. Otherwise, I will be compelled to stab you to the ground, and I will not be able to lift up my face before your brother, Joab.23But he disdained to heed him, and he was not willing to turn aside. Therefore, turning, Abner struck him with his spear in the groin, and he pierced him through, and he died in the same place. And all those who would pass by the place, in which Asahel had fallen and died, would stand still24Now while Joab and Abishai were pursuing Abner as he fled, the sun set. And they went as far as the Hill of the Aqueduct, which is opposite the valley on the way of the desert in Gibeon25And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves to Abner. And being joined in one battle line, they stood at the summit of a hill26And Abner cried out to Joab, and he said: "Will your sword rage unto utter destruction? Are you ignorant that it is perilous to act in desperation? How long will you not tell the people to cease from the pursuit of their brothers?27And Joab said: "As the Lord lives, if you had spoken in the morning, the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers.28Therefore, Joab sounded the trumpet, and the entire army stood still, and they did not pursue after Israel any more, and they did not engage in conflict29Then Abner and his men went away, all that night, through the plains. And they crossed the Jordan, and having roamed throughout all of Beth-horon, they arrived in the camp30But Joab, returning after he had released Abner, gathered together all the people. And of David’s youths, they were missing nineteen men, aside from Asahel31But of Benjamin and of the men who were with Abner, the servants of David had struck three hundred and sixty, who also died32And they took Asahel, and they buried him in the sepulcher of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men who were with him, walked throughout the night, and they arrived in Hebron at the very break of day
1Then a long struggle occurred between the house of Saul and the house of David, with David prospering and growing ever stronger, but the house of Saul decreasing daily2And sons were born to David in Hebron. And his firstborn son was Amnon, from Ahinoam the Jezreelite3And after him, there was Chileab, from Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel. Then the third was Absalom, the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur4Then the fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith. And the fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital5Also, the sixth was Ithream, from Eglah, the wife of David. These were born to David at Hebron6Then, while there was a battle between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner, the son of Ner, was reigning over the house of Saul7Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner8"Why did you enter to the concubine of my father?" But he, being exceedingly angry at the words of Ishbosheth, said: "Am I the head of a dog against Judah this day? I have shown mercy to the house of Saul, your father, and to his brothers and friends. And I have not delivered you into the hands of David. And yet today you have sought me, so that you might rebuke me over a woman9May God do these things to Abner, and may he add these other things, if, in the same way that the Lord swore to David, I do not do so with him10that the kingdom be transferred from the house of Saul, and that the throne of David be elevated over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.11And he was not able to respond anything to him, because he was in fear of him12Therefore, Abner sent messengers to David for himself, saying, "Whose is the land?" and so that they would say, "Make a friendship with me, and my hand will be with you, and I will lead back all of Israel to you.13And he said: "It is best. I will make a friendship with you. But one thing I ask of you, saying: You shall not see my face before you bring Michal, the daughter of Saul. And in this way, you shall come, and see me.14Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, saying, "Restore my wife Michal, whom I espoused to myself for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.15Therefore, Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel, the son of Laish16And her husband was following her, weeping, as far as Bahurim. And Abner said to him, "Go and return." And he returned17Likewise, Abner sent word to the elders of Israel, saying: "As much yesterday as the day before, you were seeking David, so that he might reign over you18Therefore, accomplish it now. For the Lord has spoken to David, saying: ‘By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’ 19Then Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And he went away, so that he might speak to David in Hebron all that would be pleasing to Israel and to all of Benjamin20And he went to David in Hebron with twenty men. And David made a feast for Abner, and for his men who had arrived with him21And Abner said to David, "I will rise up, so that I may gather all of Israel to you, my lord the king, and so that I may enter into a pact with you, and so that you may reign over all, just as your soul desires." Then, when David had led Abner away, and he had departed in peace22immediately the servants of David and of Joab arrived, after having slain robbers, with exceedingly great spoils. But Abner was not with David in Hebron. For by then he had sent him away, and he had set out in peace23And Joab, and the entire army that was with him, had arrived afterward. And so, it was reported to Joab, explaining that Abner, the son of Ner, went to the king, and he dismissed him, and he went away in peace24And Joab entered to the king, and he said: "What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him, so that he has gone and departed25Do you not know, about Abner, the son of Ner, that he came to you for this, so that he might deceive you, and might know of your departure and your return, and so that he might know all that you do?26And so, Joab, going out from David, sent messengers after Abner, and he brought him back from the cistern of Sirah, without David knowing27And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him alone to the middle of the gate, so that he might speak to him, but with deceit. And there, he stabbed him in the groin, and he died, in revenge for the blood of Asahel, his brother28And when David had heard of it, now that the matter was done, he said: "I and my kingdom are clean before the Lord, even forever, of the blood of Abner, the son of Ner29And may it fall upon the head of Joab, and upon the entire house of his father. And may there not fail to be, in the house of Joab, one who suffers from a flow of seed, or one who is leprous, or one who is effeminate, or one who falls by the sword, or one who is in need of bread.30And so, Joab and his brother Abishai killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon, during the battle31Then David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before the funeral procession of Abner." Moreover, king David himself was following the casket32And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king David lifted up his voice, and he wept over the burial mound of Abner. And all the people also wept33And the king, mourning and lamenting Abner, said: "By no means has Abner died the way that cowards usually die34Your hands are not bound, and your feet are not weighed down with fetters. But just as men often fall before the sons of iniquity, so you have fallen." And while repeating this, all the people wept over him35And when the entire multitude had arrived to take food with David, while it was still broad daylight, David swore, saying, "May God do these things to me, and may he add these other things, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets.36And all the people heard it, and everything that the king did in the sight of the entire people was pleasing to them37And every common person, and all of Israel, realized on that day that the killing of Abner, the son of Ner, had not been done by the king38The king also said to his servants: "Could you be ignorant that a leader and a very great man has fallen today in Israel39But I am still tender, and yet anointed king. And these men of the sons of Zeruiah are too harsh for me. May the Lord repay whoever does evil in accord with his malice.