2 Samuel

大衛受膏作猶大王

1此後，大衛問耶和華說：「我上猶大的一個城去可以嗎？」耶和華說：「可以。」大衛說：「我上哪一個城去呢？」耶和華說：「上希伯崙去。」

2於是大衛和他的兩個妻－一個是耶斯列人亞希暖，一個是作過迦密人拿八妻的亞比該－都上那裏去了。

3大衛也將跟隨他的人和他們各人的眷屬一同帶上去，住在希伯崙的城邑中。

4猶大人來到希伯崙，在那裏膏大衛作猶大家的王。 有人告訴大衛說：「葬埋掃羅的是基列‧雅比人。」

5大衛就差人去見基列‧雅比人，對他們說：「你們厚待你們的主－掃羅，將他葬埋。願耶和華賜福與你們！

6你們既行了這事，願耶和華以慈愛誠實待你們，我也要為此厚待你們。

7現在你們的主－掃羅死了，猶大家已經膏我作他們的王，所以你們要剛強奮勇。」

伊施波設作以色列王

8掃羅的元帥尼珥的兒子押尼珥，曾將掃羅的兒子伊施波設帶過河，到瑪哈念，

9立他作王，治理基列、亞書利、耶斯列、以法蓮、便雅憫，和以色列眾人。

10掃羅的兒子伊施波設登基的時候年四十歲，作以色列王二年；惟獨猶大家歸從大衛。

11大衛在希伯崙作猶大家的王，共七年零六個月。

掃羅家和大衛家爭戰

12尼珥的兒子押尼珥和掃羅的兒子伊施波設的僕人從瑪哈念出來，往基遍去。

13洗魯雅的兒子約押和大衛的僕人也出來，在基遍池旁與他們相遇；一班坐在池這邊，一班坐在池那邊。

14押尼珥對約押說：「讓少年人起來，在我們面前戲耍吧！」約押說：「可以。」

15就按着定數起來：屬掃羅兒子伊施波設的便雅憫人過去十二名，大衛的僕人也過去十二名，

16彼此揪頭，用刀刺肋，一同仆倒。所以，那地叫做希利甲‧哈素林，就在基遍。

17那日的戰事凶猛，押尼珥和以色列人敗在大衛的僕人面前。

18在那裏有洗魯雅的三個兒子：約押、亞比篩、亞撒黑。亞撒黑腳快如野鹿一般；

19亞撒黑追趕押尼珥，直追趕他不偏左右。

20押尼珥回頭說：「你是亞撒黑嗎？」回答說：「是。」

21押尼珥對他說：「你或轉向左轉向右，拿住一個少年人，剝去他的戰衣。」亞撒黑卻不肯轉開不追趕他。

22押尼珥又對亞撒黑說：「你轉開不追趕我吧！我何必殺你呢？若殺你，有甚麼臉見你哥哥約押呢？」

23亞撒黑仍不肯轉開。故此，押尼珥就用槍鐏刺入他的肚腹，甚至槍從背後透出，亞撒黑就在那裏仆倒而死。眾人趕到亞撒黑仆倒而死的地方，就都站住。

24約押和亞比篩追趕押尼珥，日落的時候，到了通基遍曠野的路旁，基亞對面的亞瑪山。

25便雅憫人聚集，跟隨押尼珥站在一個山頂上。

26押尼珥呼叫約押說：「刀劍豈可永遠殺人嗎？你豈不知終久必有苦楚嗎？你要等何時才叫百姓回去、不追趕弟兄呢？」

27約押說：「我指着永生的上帝起誓：你若不說戲耍的那句話，今日早晨百姓就回去，不追趕弟兄了。」

28於是約押吹角，眾民就站住，不再追趕以色列人，也不再打仗了。

29押尼珥和跟隨他的人整夜經過亞拉巴，過約旦河，走過畢倫，到了瑪哈念。

30約押追趕押尼珥回來，聚集眾民，見大衛的僕人中缺少了十九個人和亞撒黑。

31但大衛的僕人殺了便雅憫人和跟隨押尼珥的人，共三百六十名。

32眾人將亞撒黑送到伯利恆，葬在他父親的墳墓裏。約押和跟隨他的人走了一夜，天亮的時候到了希伯崙。

1And 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.

2So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.

3And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

4And 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 Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.

5¶ And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, 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.

6And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

7Therefore 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.

8¶ But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

9And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

10Ish-bosheth 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.

11And 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 Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

13And 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.

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

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

16And 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 Helkath-hazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

17And 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.

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

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

21And 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.

22And 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?

23Howbeit 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.

24Joab 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.

26Then 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?

27And 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.

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

29And 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.

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

31But 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 Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.