16¹ And David hath passed on a little from the top, and lo, Ziba, servant of Mephibosheth—to meet him, and a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred 'of' summer-fruit, and a bottle of wine. ² And the king saith unto Ziba, 'What—these to thee?' and Ziba saith, 'The asses for the household of the king to ride on, and the bread and the summer-fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine for the wearied to drink in the wilderness.' ³ And the king saith, 'And where 'is' the son of thy lord?' and Ziba saith unto the king, 'Lo, he is abiding in Jerusalem, for he said, To-day do the house of Israel give back to me the kingdom of my father.' ⁴ And the king saith to Ziba, 'Lo, thine 'are' all that Mephibosheth hath;' and Ziba saith, 'I have bowed myself—I find grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king.'

⁵ And king David hath come in unto Bahurim, and lo, thence a man is coming out, of the family of the house of Saul, and his name 'is' Shimei, son of Gera, he cometh out, coming out and reviling; ⁶ and he stoneth David with stones, and all the servants of king David, and all the people, and all the mighty men on his right and on his left. ⁷ And thus said Shimei in his reviling, 'Go out, go out, O man of blood, and man of worthlessness! ⁸ Jehovah hath turned back on thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned, and Jehovah doth give the kingdom in to the hand of Absalom thy son; and lo, thou 'art' in thine evil, for a man of blood thou 'art'.' ⁹ And Abishai son of Zeruiah saith unto the king, 'Why doth this dead dog revile my lord the king? let me pass over, I pray thee, and I turn aside his head.' ¹⁰ And the king saith, 'What—to me and to you, O sons of Zeruiah? for—let him revile; even because Jehovah hath said to him, Revile David; and who saith, Wherefore hast Thou done so?' ¹¹ And David saith unto Abishai, and unto all his servants, 'Lo, my son who came out of my bowels is seeking my life, and also surely now the Benjamite; leave him alone, and let him revile, for Jehovah hath said 'so' to him; ¹² it may be Jehovah doth look on mine affliction, and Jehovah hath turned back to me good for his reviling this day.' ¹³ And David goeth with his men in the way, and Shimei is going at the side of the hill over-against him, going on, and he revileth, and stoneth with stones over-against him, and hath dusted with dust. ¹⁴ And the king cometh in, and all the people who 'are' with him, wearied, and they are refreshed there.

¹⁵ And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, have come in to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him, ¹⁶ and it cometh to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, hath come unto Absalom, that Hushai saith unto Absalom, 'Let the king live! let the king live!' ¹⁷ And Absalom saith unto Hushai, 'This thy kindness with thy friend! why hast thou not gone with thy friend?' ¹⁸ And Hushai saith unto Absalom, 'Nay, for he whom Jehovah hath chosen, and this people, even all the men of Israel, his I am, and with him I abide; ¹⁹ and secondly, for whom do I labour? is it not before his son? as I served before thy father so am I before thee.' ²⁰ And Absalom saith unto Ahithophel, 'Give for you counsel what we do.' ²¹ And Ahithophel saith unto Absalom, 'Go in unto the concubines of thy father, whom he left to keep the house, and all Israel hath heard that thou hast been abhorred by thy father, and the hands of all who 'are' with thee have been strong.' ²² And they spread out for Absalom the tent on the roof, and Absalom goeth in unto the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel. ²³ And the counsel of Ahithophel which he counselled in those days 'is' as 'when' one inquireth at the word of God; so 'is' all the counsel of Ahithophel both to David and to Absalom.

3¹ And the war is long between the house of Saul and the house of David, and David is going on and 'is' strong, and the house of Saul are going on and 'are' weak.

David's Sons Born at Hebron

² And there are born to David sons in Hebron, and his first-born is Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, ³ and his second 'is' Chileab, of Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite, and the third 'is' Absalom son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, ⁴ and the fourth 'is' Adonijah son of Haggith, and the fifth 'is' Shephatiah son of Abital, ⁵ and the sixth 'is' Ithream, of Eglah wife of David; these have been born to David in Hebron.

Abner Plans a League with David

⁶ And it cometh to pass, in the war being between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner hath been strengthening himself in the house of Saul,

⁷ and Saul hath a concubine, and her name 'is' Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and 'Ish-Bosheth' saith unto Abner, 'Wherefore hast thou gone in unto the concubine of my father?' ⁸ And it is displeasing to Abner exceedingly, because of the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he saith, 'The head of a dog 'am' I—that in reference to Judah to-day I do kindness with the house of Saul thy father, unto his brethren, and unto his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David—that thou chargest against me iniquity concerning the woman to-day? ⁹ thus doth God to Abner, and thus He doth add to him, surely as Jehovah hath sworn to David—surely so I do to him: ¹⁰ to cause the kingdom to pass over from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba.' ¹¹ And he is not able any more to turn back Abner a word, because of his fearing him. ¹² And Abner sendeth messengers unto David for himself, saying, 'Whose 'is' the land?' saying, 'Make thy covenant with me, and lo, my hand 'is' with thee, to bring round unto thee all Israel.' ¹³ And he saith, 'Good—I make with thee a covenant; only, one thing I am asking of thee, that is, Thou dost not see my face, except thou dost first bring in Michal, daughter of Saul in thy coming into see my face.' ¹⁴ And David sendeth messengers unto Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, saying, 'Give up my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.' ¹⁵ And Ish-Bosheth sendeth, and taketh her from a man, from Phaltiel son of Laish, ¹⁶ and her husband goeth with her, going on and weeping behind her, unto Bahurim, and Abner saith unto him, 'Go, turn back;' and he turneth back. ¹⁷ And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, 'Heretofore ye have been seeking David for king over you, ¹⁸ and now, do 'it', for Jehovah hath spoken of David saying, By the hand of David my servant—to save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.' ¹⁹ And Abner speaketh also in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner goeth also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that 'is' good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin, ²⁰ and Abner cometh in unto David, to Hebron, and with him twenty men, and David maketh for Abner, and for the men who 'are' with him, a banquet. ²¹ And Abner saith unto David, 'I arise, and go, and gather unto my lord the king the whole of Israel, and they make with thee a covenant, and thou hast reigned over all that thy soul desireth;' and David sendeth away Abner, and he goeth in peace.

Joab Kills Abner

²² And lo, the servants of David, and Joab, have come from the troop, and much spoil have brought with them, and Abner is not with David in Hebron, for he hath sent him away, and he goeth in peace; ²³ and Joab and all the host that 'is' with him have come, and they declare to Joab, saying, 'Abner son of Ner hath come unto the king, and he sendeth him away, and he goeth in peace.' ²⁴ And Joab cometh unto the king, and saith, 'What hast thou done? lo, Abner hath come unto thee! why 'is' this—thou hast sent him away, and he is really gone? ²⁵ Thou hast known Abner son of Ner, that to deceive thee he came, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou art doing.' ²⁶ And Joab goeth out from David, and sendeth messengers after Abner, and they bring him back from the well of Sirah, and David knew not. ²⁷ And Abner turneth back to Hebron, and Joab turneth him aside unto the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smiteth him there in the fifth 'rib'—and he dieth—for the blood of Asahel his brother. ²⁸ And David heareth afterwards and saith, 'Acquitted 'am' I, and my kingdom, by Jehovah, unto the age, from the blood of Abner son of Ner; ²⁹ it doth stay on the head of Joab, and on all the house of his father, and there is not cut off from the house of Joab one having an issue, and leprous, and laying hold on a staff, and falling by a sword, and lacking bread.' ³⁰ And Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because that he put to death Asahel their brother, in Gibeon, in battle. ³¹ And David saith unto Joab, and unto all the people who 'are' with him, 'Rend your garments, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner;' and king David is going after the bier. ³² And they bury Abner in Hebron, and the king lifteth up his voice, and weepeth at the grave of Abner, and all the people weep; ³³ and the king lamenteth for Abner, and saith:—'As the death of a fool doth Abner die? ³⁴ Thy hands not bound, And thy feet to fetters not brought nigh! As one falling before sons of evil—Thou hast fallen!' and all the people add to weep over him. ³⁵ And all the people come to cause David to eat bread while yet day, and David sweareth, saying, 'Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add, for—before the going in of the sun, I taste no bread or any other thing.' ³⁶ And all the people have discerned 'it', and it is good in their eyes, as all that the king hath done is good in the eyes of all the people; ³⁷ and all the people know, even all Israel, in that day, that it hath not been from the king—to put to death Abner son of Ner. ³⁸ And the king saith unto his servants, 'Do ye not know that a prince and a great one hath fallen this day in Israel? ³⁹ and I to-day 'am' tender, and an anointed king: and these men, sons of Zeruiah, 'are' too hard for me; Jehovah doth recompense to the doer of the evil according to his evil.'