Parallel Bible results for "2 samuel 3"

2 Samuel 3

Common English Bible CEB

1 The war between Saul's house and David's house was long and drawn out. David kept getting stronger, while Saul's house kept getting weaker.

2 David's sons were born in Hebron. His oldest son was Amnon, by Ahinoam from Jezreel;

3 the second was Chileab, by Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel; the third was Absalom, by Maacah, who was the daughter of Geshur's King Talmai;

4 the fourth was Adonijah, by Haggith; the fifth was Shephatiah, by Abital;

5 and the sixth was Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. These are David's sons that were born in Hebron.

6 Throughout the war between Saul's house and David's house, Abner was gaining power in Saul's house.

7 Now Saul had a secondary wife named Rizpah, Aiah's daughter. Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you had sex with my father's secondary wife?"

8 Abner got very angry over what Ishbosheth had said. "Am I some sort of dog's head?" Abner asked. "I've been nothing but loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his brothers and his friends. I haven't handed you over to David, but today you accuse me of doing something wrong with this woman.

9 May God deal harshly with me, Abner, and worse still if I don't do for David exactly what the LORD swore to him—

10 removing the kingdom from Saul's house and securing David's throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan all the way to Beer-sheba!"

11 Ishbosheth couldn't say a single word in reply to Abner because he was afraid of him.

12 Abner sent messengers to represent him to David and to say, "Who will own the land? Make a covenant with me, then I'll help bring all Israel over to your side."

13 "Good!" David replied. "I will make a covenant with you, but on one condition: don't show yourself in my presence unless you bring Saul's daughter Michal when you come to see me."

14 Then David sent messengers to Saul's son Ishbosheth. "Give me my wife Michal," he demanded. "I became engaged to her at the cost of one hundred Philistine foreskins."

15 Ishbosheth then sent for Michal and took her from her husband Paltiel, Laish's son.

16 Her husband went with her all the way to Bahurim, crying as he followed her. "Go home!" Abner told him. So he went home.

17 Abner then sent word to Israel's elders. "You've wanted David to be your king for some time now," he said.

18 "It's time to act because the LORD has said about David: I will rescue my people Israel from the power of the Philistines and all their enemies through my servant David."

19 Abner also spoke directly to the Benjaminites. He then went to inform David in person at Hebron regarding everything that all Israel and the house of Benjamin were willing to do.

20 When Abner, along with twenty others, reached David at Hebron, David threw a celebration for Abner and his men.

21 Then Abner said to David, "Please let me get going so I can assemble all Israel for my master the king. Then they can make a covenant with you, and you will rule over everything your heart desires." At that, David sent Abner off in peace.

22 Right then, David's soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing a great deal of loot with them. Abner was no longer with David in Hebron because David had sent him off in peace.

23 When Joab and all the troops with him returned, Joab was told that Abner, Ner's son, had come to the king and that David had sent him off in peace.

24 Joab went to the king and asked, "What have you done? Abner came to you here! Why did you send him off? Now he's gotten away!

25 Don't you know the evil ways of Abner, Ner's son? He came to trick you, to find out where you come and go, and to learn everything you do!"

26 Joab left David and sent messengers after Abner. They brought him back from the well at Sirah, but David didn't know anything of this.

27 When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside next to the gate to speak with him in private. But instead Joab stabbed Abner in the stomach, and he died for shedding the blood of Asahel, Joab's brother.

28 When David heard about this later, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the shedding of the blood of Abner, Ner's son.

29 May it fall upon the head of Joab and his entire family tree! May Joab's family never be without someone with a discharge or a skin disease, someone who uses a crutch, someone who dies by the sword, or someone who is hungry!"

30 So that is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.

31 Then David ordered Joab and all the troops who were with him, "Tear your clothes and put on funeral clothes! Mourn for Abner!" King David himself walked behind the body.

32 They buried Abner in Hebron. The king wept loudly at Abner's grave. All the troops cried too.

33 Then the king sang this funeral song for Abner: "Should Abner have died like a fool dies?

34 Your hands weren't bound, your feet weren't chained, but you have fallen like someone falls before the wicked." Then the troops cried over Abner again.

35 Then all the soldiers came to urge David to eat something while it was still day, but David swore, "May God deal harshly with me and worse still if I eat bread or anything else before the sun goes down."

36 All the troops took notice of this and were pleased by it. Indeed, everything that the king did pleased them.

37 So on that day all the troops and all Israel knew that it wasn't the king's idea to kill Abner, Ner's son.

38 The king told his soldiers, "Don't you know that a prince and a great man in Israel has fallen today?

39 And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak. These men, Zeruiah's sons, are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the one who does evil according to the evil they did!"

The Message Bible MSG

1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David dragged on and on. The longer it went on the stronger David became, with the house of Saul getting weaker.

2 During the Hebron years, sons were born to David: Amnon, born of Ahinoam of Jezreel - the firstborn;

3 Kileab, born of Abigail of Carmel, Nabal's widow - his second; Absalom, born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur - the third;

4 Adonijah, born of Haggith - the fourth; Shephatiah, born of Abital - the fifth;

5 Ithream, born of Eglah - the sixth. These six sons of David were born in Hebron.

6 Abner took advantage of the continuing war between the house of Saul and the house of David to gain power for himself.

7 Saul had had a concubine, Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. One day Ish-Bosheth confronted Abner: "What business do you have sleeping with my father's concubine?"

8 Abner lost his temper with Ish-Bosheth, "Treat me like a dog, will you! Is this the thanks I get for sticking by the house of your father, Saul, and all his family and friends? I personally saved you from certain capture by David, and you make an issue out of my going to bed with a woman!

9 What God promised David, I'll help accomplish - transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and make David ruler over the whole country, both Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba. If not, may God do his worst to me."

10

11 Ish-Bosheth, cowed by Abner's outburst, couldn't say another word.

12 Abner went ahead and sent personal messengers to David: "Make a deal with me and I'll help bring the whole country of Israel over to you."

13 "Great," said David. "It's a deal. But only on one condition: You're not welcome here unless you bring Michal, Saul's daughter, with you when you come to meet me."

14 David then sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul: "Give me back Michal, whom I won as my wife at the cost of a hundred Philistine foreskins."

15 Ish-Bosheth ordered that she be taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.

16 But Paltiel followed her, weeping all the way, to Bahurim. There Abner told him, "Go home." And he went home.

17 Abner got the elders of Israel together and said, "Only yesterday, it seems, you were looking for a way to make David your king.

18 So do it - now! For God has given the go-ahead on David: 'By my servant David's hand, I'll save my people Israel from the oppression of the Philistines and all their other enemies.'"

19 Abner took the Benjaminites aside and spoke to them. Then he went to Hebron for a private talk with David, telling him everything that Israel in general and Benjamin in particular were planning to do.

20 When Abner and the twenty men who were with him met with David in Hebron, David laid out a feast for them.

21 Abner then said, "I'm ready. Let me go now to rally everyone in Israel for my master, the king. They'll make a treaty with you, authorizing you to rule them however you see fit." Abner was sent off with David's blessing.

22 Soon after that, David's men, led by Joab, came back from a field assignment. Abner was no longer in Hebron with David, having just been dismissed with David's blessing.

23 As Joab and his raiding party arrived, they were told that Abner the son of Ner had been there with David and had been sent off with David's blessing.

24 Joab went straight to the king: "What's this you've done? Abner shows up, and you let him walk away scot-free?

25 You know Abner son of Ner better than that. This was no friendly visit. He was here to spy on you, figure out your comings and goings, find out what you're up to."

26 Joab left David and went into action. He sent messengers after Abner; they caught up with him at the well at Sirah and brought him back. David knew nothing of all this.

27 When Abner got back to Hebron, Joab steered him aside at the gate for a personal word with him. There he stabbed him in the belly, killed him in cold blood for the murder of his brother Asahel.

28 Later on, when David heard what happened, he said, "Before God I and my kingdom are totally innocent of this murder of Abner son of Ner.

29 Joab and his entire family will always be under the curse of this bloodguilt. May they forever be victims of crippling diseases, violence, and famine."

30 (Joab and his brother, Abishai, murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel at the battle of Gibeon.)

31 David ordered Joab and all the men under him, "Rip your cloaks into rags! Wear mourning clothes! Lead Abner's funeral procession with loud lament!" King David followed the coffin.

32 They buried Abner in Hebron. The king's voice was loud in lament as he wept at the side of Abner's grave. All the people wept, too.

33 Then the king sang this tribute to Abner: Can this be? Abner dead like a nameless bum?

34 You were a free man, free to go and do as you wished - Yet you fell as a victim in a street brawl. And all the people wept - a crescendo of crying!

35 They all came then to David, trying to get him to eat something before dark. But David solemnly swore, "I'll not so much as taste a piece of bread, or anything else for that matter, before sunset, so help me God!"

36 Everyone at the funeral took notice - and liked what they saw. In fact everything the king did was applauded by the people.

37 It was clear to everyone that day, including all Israel, that the king had nothing to do with the death of Abner son of Ner.

38 The king spoke to his servants: "You realize, don't you, that today a prince and hero fell victim of foul play in Israel?

39 And I, though anointed king, was helpless to do anything about it. These sons of Zeruiah are too much for me. God, requite the criminal for his crime!"