2 Samuelsboken 2
nuBibeln (Swedish Contemporary Bible)
Juda kröner David till kung
2 Efter en tid frågade David Herren: ”Ska jag flytta tillbaka till Juda?” ”Ja”, svarade Herren. ”Till vilken stad ska jag flytta?” frågade David. Herren svarade: ”Till Hebron.”
2 David flyttade då dit med sina båda hustrur, Achinoam från Jisreel och Avigajil, Navals änka från Karmel. 3 Han tog också med sig sina män och deras familjer och de bosatte sig i städerna runt Hebron. 4 Männen i Juda kom sedan dit och smorde David till kung över hela Juda.
När David hörde att männen i Javesh i Gilead hade begravt Saul, 5 skickade han dem detta budskap: ”Herren ska välsigna er för den trohet ni visat mot er herre Saul genom att begrava honom. 6 Herren ska vara nådig och trofast mot er. Också jag ska belöna er, eftersom ni handlat som ni gjort. 7 Fortsätt vara starka och modiga! Saul är död, men Juda har smort mig till sin kung.”
David blir kung över Israel
8 Men Avner, Ners son och Sauls överbefälhavare för hären, hade fört Sauls son Ish-Boshet till Machanajim 9 och gjort honom till kung över Gilead, Asher, Jisreel, Efraim, Benjamins stam och över hela Israel. 10 Han var fyrtio år gammal när han blev kung och han regerade i två år. Under denna tid förblev endast Judas stam trogen David 11 och han regerade över Juda i Hebron i sju år och sex månader.
Inbördeskrig
12 Avner, Ners son, drog ut med Sauls son Ish-Boshets trupper från Machanajim till Givon. 13 Joav, Serujas son, drog ut med Davids trupper. De möttes vid Givons damm och slog sig ner på var sin sida om dammen. 14 Då sa Avner till Joav: ”Vi låter några av våra unga soldater mötas man mot man inför oss!”[a]
Joav gick med på det, 15 och tolv män ställde upp från Benjamins stam för Ish-Boshet och tolv män för David. 16 Var och en grep sin motståndare i huvudet och stack sitt svärd i hans sida. Samtliga dog. Denna plats i Givon har sedan dess kallats Svärdseggarnas åker.
17 Striden som då började blev mycket hård, men Avner och Israels män besegrades av Davids trupper. 18 Serujas tre söner, Joav, Avishaj och Asael, var också med i striden. Asael kunde springa snabbt som en gasell på fältet, 19 och han förföljde Avner utan att vika från honom åt något håll. 20 Avner vände sig om och ropade: ”Är det du, Asael?”
”Ja, det är det”, ropade Asael tillbaka. 21 ”Jaga någon annan, angrip någon av de yngre och ta hans rustning!” skrek Avner. Men Asael fortsatte att förfölja honom.
22 Då ropade Avner: ”Ge dig iväg härifrån! Jag skulle aldrig kunna se din bror Joav i ögonen om jag var tvungen att döda dig!”
23 Men Asael vägrade vända om och då genomborrade Avner honom i buken med bakänden av sitt spjut. Det gick rakt igenom hans kropp och kom ut i ryggen. Asael föll till marken och dog omedelbart. Alla stannade upp när de passerade platsen där han låg.
24 Men Joav och Avishaj förföljde Avner. Solen höll just på att gå ner när de kom till Ammakullen nära Giach längs vägen till Givons öken. 25 Avners trupper från Benjamins stam grupperade sig bakom honom på kullens topp 26 och Avner ropade ner till Joav: ”Måste vi fortsätta att döda varandra i all evighet? Förstår du inte att det kommer att sluta med katastrof? Hur länge ska du vänta innan du befaller dina män att sluta döda sina bröder?”
27 Joav ropade tillbaka: ”Så sant Gud lever, om du inte hade sagt något skulle de ha fortsatt att jaga sina bröder ända till morgonen!”
28 Han blåste sedan i sitt horn och hans män slutade jaga Israels trupper och striden upphörde.
29 Den natten återvände Avner och hans män genom Jordandalen och gick över floden. De marscherade hela förmiddagen ända till Machanajim. 30 Joav och hans män återvände också hem och när de räknade styrkorna saknades bara nitton man, förutom Asael. 31 Men själva hade de dödat 360 män från Benjamins stam som hade varit med Avner.
32 Joav och hans män tog med sig Asaels kropp till Betlehem och begravde honom i hans fars grav. Sedan gick de hela natten och nådde fram till Hebron i gryningen.
Footnotes
- 2:14 Tvekamp, eller kamp mellan ett begränsat antal soldater, var ett vanligt sätt att avgöra strider i det här området. Se 1 Sam 17:4, där David mötte Goljat.
2 Samuel 2
New Life Version
David Is Made King over Judah
2 After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go up to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” So David said, “Where should I go?” And He said, “To Hebron.” 2 So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail who had been the wife of Nabal of Carmel. 3 David brought up his men who were with him, each one with those of his family. They lived in the cities of Hebron. 4 Then the men of Judah came and there they chose David to be king over the family of Judah.
They told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul.” 5 So David sent men with news to the men of Jabesh-gilead, saying, “May the Lord bring good to you. Because you have shown kindness to your king Saul, and have buried him. 6 Now may the Lord show loving-kindness and truth to you. And I will do good to you, because you have done this. 7 So now let your hands be strong. Have strength of heart. For your king Saul is dead. And those of the family of Judah have chosen me to be their king.”
Ish-bosheth Is Made King over Israel
8 But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-bosheth to Mahanaim. 9 He made him king of Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel. 10 Saul’s son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king of Israel. He was king for two years. But the family of Judah followed David. 11 David was king in Hebron over the family of Judah for seven years and six months.
War between Israel and Judah
12 Now Abner the son of Ner went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon with the servants of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth. 13 And Zeruiah’s son Joab and the servants of David went out and met them by the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool, and the other group on the other side. 14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men get up and have a test of strength in front of us.” And Joab said, “Let them get up.” 15 So they stood up and went over by number. There were twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 Each one of them took hold of the head of the one fighting against him, and put his sword into the other’s side. So they fell down together. That is why that place was called field of swords, which is in Gibeon. 17 The battle was very bad that day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten by the servants of David. 18 Now the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel. Asahel was as fast as a wild deer. 19 And Asahel ran after Abner. He did not turn to the right or the left from following him. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 So Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right or left. Take hold of one of the young men, and take for yourself what belongs to him.” But Asahel was not willing to turn aside from following him. 22 Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I make you fall? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?” 23 But he would not turn aside. So Abner hit him in the stomach with the end of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. He fell there and died where he fell. And all who came to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still.
24 But Joab and Abishai went after Abner. When the sun was going down, they came to the hill of Ammah, which is before Giah by the way of the desert of Gibeon. 25 The sons of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became one army. They stood on the top of a hill. 26 Abner called to Joab and said, “Should the sword destroy forever? Do you not know that it will be bad in the end? How long will you keep from telling the people to stop following their brothers?” 27 Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, for sure the people would have stopped going after their brothers in the morning.” 28 So Joab sounded the horn, and all the people stopped and went after Israel no longer. And they did not fight any more. 29 Abner and his men went all night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, walked all morning, and came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab returned from following Abner, and gathered all the people together. Added to Asahel, nineteen of David’s servants were missing. 31 But the servants of David had killed many of Benjamin and Abner’s men, so that 360 men died. 32 They picked up Asahel and buried him in his father’s grave in Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men walked all night and came to Hebron early the next morning.
2 Samuel 2
Easy-to-Read Version
David Is Anointed King of Judah
2 Later David asked the Lord for advice. David said, “Should I take control[a] of any of the cities of Judah?”
The Lord said to David, “Yes.”
David asked, “Where should I go?”
The Lord answered, “To Hebron.”
2 So David and his two wives moved to Hebron. (His wives were Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, who had been the wife of Nabal from Carmel.) 3 David also brought his men and their families. All of them made their homes in Hebron and the towns nearby.
4 The men of Judah came to Hebron and anointed David to be the king of Judah. Then they told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead buried Saul.”
5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead. These messengers told the men in Jabesh: “The Lord bless you, because you have shown kindness to your lord Saul by burying him.[b] 6 The Lord will be kind and true to you, and so will I. 7 Now be strong and brave. Your lord, Saul, is dead, but the tribe of Judah has anointed me to be their king.”
Ish Bosheth Becomes King
8 Abner son of Ner was the captain of Saul’s army. Abner took Ish Bosheth[c] son of Saul to Mahanaim 9 and made him king of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel.[d]
10 Ish Bosheth son of Saul was 40 years old when he began to rule over Israel. He ruled Israel two years, but the tribe of Judah followed David. 11 David ruled over the tribe of Judah from Hebron for seven years and six months.
The Deadly Contest
12 Abner son of Ner and the officers of Ish Bosheth son of Saul left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. 13 Joab, Zeruiah’s son, and the officers of David also went to Gibeon. They met Abner and Ish Bosheth’s officers at the pool of Gibeon. Abner’s group sat on one side of the pool. Joab’s group sat on the other side.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have the young soldiers get up and have a contest here.”
Joab said, “Yes, let’s have a contest.”
15 So the young soldiers got up. The two groups counted their men for the contest. They chose twelve men from the tribe of Benjamin to fight for Ish Bosheth son of Saul, and they chose twelve men from David’s officers. 16 Each of the men grabbed his opponent’s head and stabbed him in the side with his sword, and then they fell down together. That is why this place in Gibeon is called “The Field of the Sharp Knives.”[e] 17 That contest turned into a terrible battle and David’s officers defeated Abner and the Israelites that day.
Abner Kills Asahel
18 Zeruiah had three sons, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, as fast as a wild deer. 19 Asahel ran straight toward Abner and began chasing him. 20 Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”
Asahel said, “Yes, it’s me.”
21 Abner didn’t want to hurt Asahel, so he said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me—go after one of the young soldiers. You could easily take his armor for yourself.” But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner.
22 Abner again said to Asahel, “Stop chasing me, or I will have to kill you. Then I will not be able to look your brother Joab in the face again.”
23 But Asahel refused to stop chasing Abner. So Abner used the back end of his spear and pushed it into Asahel’s stomach. The spear went deep into Asahel’s stomach and came out of his back. Asahel died right there.
Joab and Abishai Chase Abner
Asahel’s body lay on the ground. Everyone who came that way stopped to look at Asahel, 24 but Joab and Abishai[f] continued chasing Abner. The sun was just going down when they came to Ammah Hill. (Ammah Hill is in front of Giah on the way to the desert of Gibeon.) 25 The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered around Abner at the top of the hill.
26 Abner shouted to Joab and said, “Must we fight and kill each other forever? Surely you know that this will only end in sadness. Tell the people to stop chasing their own brothers.”
27 Then Joab said, “As surely as God is alive, if you had not said something, people would still be chasing their brothers in the morning.” 28 So Joab blew a trumpet, and his people stopped chasing the Israelites. They did not try to fight the Israelites anymore.
29 Abner and his men marched all night through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River and then marched all day until they came to Mahanaim.
30 Joab stopped chasing Abner and turned back. Joab had gathered his men and learned that 19 of David’s officers were missing, including Asahel. 31 But David’s officers had killed 360 of Abner’s men from the tribe of Benjamin. 32 David’s officers took Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father at Bethlehem.
Joab and his men marched all night. The sun came up just as they reached Hebron.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 2:1 take control Literally, “go up against.”
- 2 Samuel 2:5 burying him The bodies of both Saul and Jonathan were burned and their bones were buried. See 1 Sam. 31:12.
- 2 Samuel 2:8 Ish Bosheth In the ancient Greek version and 1 Chron. 8:33; 9:39, his name is Ish Baal or Eshbaal. Later Hebrew scribes substituted Bosheth (“shame”) for Baal (“Lord”), because Baal was also the name for a Canaanite god.
- 2 Samuel 2:9 Israel Sometimes this means the whole country, Judah and Israel. Here, it means only the tribes that were not united with Judah.
- 2 Samuel 2:16 The Field of the Sharp Knives Or “Helkath Hazzurim.”
- 2 Samuel 2:24 Joab and Abishai Brothers of Asahel, the man who Abner killed. See verse 18.
Swedish Contemporary Bible (nuBibeln) Copyright © 2015 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International