大衛做猶大王

這事以後,大衛求問耶和華:「我可以回到猶大的城邑嗎?」耶和華說:「可以。」大衛又問:「我應該回到哪一座城呢?」耶和華說:「希伯崙。」 大衛就帶著他的兩個妻子耶斯列人亞希暖和迦密人拿八的遺孀亞比該,一起上到希伯崙。 他還把部下和他們的家屬一起帶去,住在希伯崙地區的城邑。 猶大人到希伯崙膏立大衛做猶大支派的王。

大衛聽說是基列·雅比人埋葬了掃羅, 就派人去告訴他們:「你們這樣厚待你們的主人掃羅,把他安葬,願耶和華賜福給你們! 願耶和華以慈愛和信實待你們,我也會厚待你們,因為你們做了這事。 現在你們的主掃羅已經死了,猶大支派已經膏立我做他們的王,你們要剛強勇敢。」

大衛家與掃羅家爭戰

那時,掃羅的元帥尼珥的兒子押尼珥帶著掃羅的兒子伊施波設過河來到瑪哈念, 立他為王統治基列、亞書利、耶斯列、以法蓮、便雅憫和以色列其餘的地方。 10 掃羅的兒子伊施波設四十歲登基,統治以色列兩年。猶大支派則跟隨大衛。 11 大衛在希伯崙做王統治猶大支派七年半。

12 有一次,尼珥的兒子押尼珥帶領掃羅的兒子伊施波設的軍隊,從瑪哈念前往基遍。 13 洗魯雅的兒子約押帶領大衛的軍隊出來,在基遍池與他們相遇。一方坐在池這邊,一方坐在池那邊。 14 押尼珥對約押說:「讓雙方的青年起來在我們面前較量一下吧。」約押說:「好啊。」 15 於是,雙方都選了十二人出來, 16 他們各自抓住對方的頭髮,用刀刺對方的肋旁,同歸於盡。於是基遍的那個地方叫「刀田」。 17 那天,兩軍惡戰,押尼珥和以色列人被大衛的人馬殺敗。 18 當時,洗魯雅的三個兒子約押、亞比篩和亞撒黑都在場。亞撒黑跑得飛快如鹿, 19 他跟在押尼珥後面,不偏不離,窮追不捨。 20 押尼珥回頭問道:「你是亞撒黑嗎?」亞撒黑說:「正是。」 21 押尼珥說:「你去追趕別人,奪取他的兵器吧。」但亞撒黑還是窮追不捨。 22 押尼珥又對他說:「快走開吧,非逼我殺你嗎?我若殺了你,還有何顏面見你哥哥約押呢?」 23 但亞撒黑還是不肯甘休。押尼珥就用槍柄刺入他的肚腹,穿透了他的後背,他便倒地身亡。眾人趕到那裡,都停了下來。

24 但約押和亞比篩卻繼續追趕押尼珥。太陽落山時,他們追到了基亞附近的亞瑪山,通往基遍曠野的路旁。 25 便雅憫人在押尼珥的帶領下聚集在一個山頭上。 26 押尼珥向約押喊道:「我們非要無休止地殺下去嗎?難道你不知道這樣下去必有苦果嗎?你什麼時候才命你的人停止追殺自己的同胞呢?」 27 約押說:「我憑永活的上帝起誓,你要是不這樣說,我們會一直追到天亮。」 28 於是,約押吹響號角,所有的人便停止了戰鬥,不再追趕以色列的軍隊。

29 押尼珥和隨從連夜趕路,穿過了亞拉巴,過了約旦河,第二天又馬不停蹄地走了一個上午,回到瑪哈念。 30 約押追趕押尼珥回來後細點人數,發現除亞撒黑外還損失了十九個人。 31 大衛的軍隊殺了三百六十個跟隨押尼珥的便雅憫人。 32 約押和他的隨從把亞撒黑送到伯利恆,葬在他父親的墳墓裡。然後,他們整夜趕路,黎明的時候回到了希伯崙。

David, King of Judah

Some time later, David enquired of the Lord:(A) ‘Should I go to one of the towns of Judah? ’

The Lord answered him, ‘Go.’

Then David asked, ‘Where should I go? ’

‘To Hebron,’(B) the Lord replied.

So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite.(C) In addition, David brought the men who were with him, each one with his family, and they settled in the towns near Hebron.(D) Then the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.(E) They told David, ‘It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.’(F)

David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, ‘The Lord bless you because you have shown this kindness to Saul your lord when you buried him. Now, may the Lord show kindness and faithfulness to you, and I will also show the same goodness to you because you have done this deed. Therefore, be strong[a] and valiant, for though Saul your lord is dead, the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.’

Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army,(G) took Saul’s son Ish-bosheth[b][c] and moved him to Mahanaim. He made him king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin – over all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel; he reigned for two years. The house of Judah, however, followed David. 11 The length of time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.(H)

12 Abner son of Ner and soldiers of Ish-bosheth son of Saul marched out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 So Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s soldiers marched out and met them by the pool of Gibeon.(I) The two groups took up positions on opposite sides of the pool.

14 Then Abner said to Joab, ‘Let’s have the young men get up and compete in front of us.’

‘Let them get up,’ Joab replied.

15 So they got up and were counted – twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth son of Saul, and twelve from David’s soldiers. 16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his sword into his opponent’s side so that they all died together. So this place, which is in Gibeon, is named Field of Blades.[d]

17 The battle that day was extremely fierce, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers. 18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel.(J) Asahel was a fast runner, like one of the wild gazelles.(K) 19 He chased Abner and did not turn to the right or the left in his pursuit of him. 20 Abner glanced back and said, ‘Is that you, Asahel? ’

‘Yes it is,’ Asahel replied.

21 Abner said to him, ‘Turn to your right or left, seize one of the young soldiers, and take whatever you can get from him.’ But Asahel would not stop chasing him. 22 Once again, Abner warned Asahel, ‘Stop chasing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How could I ever look your brother Joab in the face? ’(L)

23 But Asahel refused to turn away, so Abner hit him in the stomach with the butt of his spear. The spear went through his body, and he fell and died right there. As they all came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, they stopped,(M) 24 but Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. By sunset, they had gone as far as the hill of Ammah, which is opposite Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 The Benjaminites rallied to Abner; they formed a unit and took their stand on top of a hill. 26 Then Abner called out to Joab, ‘Must the sword devour for ever? Don’t you realise this will only end in bitterness? How long before you tell the troops to stop pursuing their brothers? ’

27 ‘As God lives,’ Joab replied, ‘if you had not spoken up, the troops wouldn’t have stopped pursuing their brothers until morning.’(N) 28 Then Joab blew the ram’s horn, and all the troops stopped; they no longer pursued Israel or continued to fight. 29 So Abner and his men marched through the Arabah all that night. They crossed the Jordan, marched all morning,[e] and arrived at Mahanaim.(O)

30 When Joab had turned back from pursuing Abner, he gathered all the troops. In addition to Asahel, nineteen of David’s soldiers were missing, 31 but they had killed 360 of the Benjaminites and Abner’s men. 32 Afterwards, they carried Asahel to his father’s tomb in Bethlehem and buried him. Then Joab and his men marched all night and reached Hebron at dawn.

Footnotes

  1. 2:7 Lit Therefore, strengthen your hands
  2. 2:8 Some LXX mss read Ishbaal; 1Ch 8:33; 9:39
  3. 2:8 = Man of Shame
  4. 2:16 Or Helkath-hazzurim
  5. 2:29 Or marched through the Bithron

And it came to pass after this, that David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

And now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10 Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13 And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

14 And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

15 Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

16 And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

17 And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

18 And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

19 And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.

21 And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

22 And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

23 Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

24 Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.

26 Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

27 And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

30 And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

31 But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

32 And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

David Anointed King Over Judah

In the course of time, David inquired(A) of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,”(B) the Lord answered.

So David went up there with his two wives,(C) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail,(D) the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David also took the men who were with him,(E) each with his family, and they settled in Hebron(F) and its towns. Then the men of Judah came to Hebron,(G) and there they anointed(H) David king over the tribe of Judah.

When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead(I) who had buried Saul, he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless(J) you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness,(K) and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. Now then, be strong(L) and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

War Between the Houses of David and Saul(M)

Meanwhile, Abner(N) son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth(O) son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.(P) He made him king over Gilead,(Q) Ashuri(R) and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.(S)

10 Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. 11 The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.(T)

12 Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.(U) 13 Joab(V) son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.”

“All right, let them do it,” Joab said.

15 So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. 16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger(W) into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.[a]

17 The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated(X) by David’s men.(Y)

18 The three sons of Zeruiah(Z) were there: Joab,(AA) Abishai(AB) and Asahel.(AC) Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.(AD) 19 He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. 20 Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“It is,” he answered.

21 Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

22 Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?”(AE)

23 But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach,(AF) and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.(AG)

24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. 25 Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

26 Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour(AH) forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”

27 Joab answered, “As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until morning.”

28 So Joab(AI) blew the trumpet,(AJ) and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

29 All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah.(AK) They crossed the Jordan, continued through the morning hours[b] and came to Mahanaim.(AL)

30 Then Joab stopped pursuing Abner and assembled the whole army. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David’s men were found missing. 31 But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. 32 They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb(AM) at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 2:16 Helkath Hazzurim means field of daggers or field of hostilities.
  2. 2 Samuel 2:29 See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.