2 Samuel 3 There was longe warre betwene the howse of Saul, and the howse of Dauid. But Dauid waxed stronger and stronger, & the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

Great⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ There was longe warre betwene the howse of Saul, and the howse of Dauid. But Dauid waxed stronger and stronger, & the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker. ² And vnto Dauid were chyldren borne in Hebron: his eldest sonne also was Ammon, of Ahinoam the Iezrahelite: ³ the seconde Cheleab, of Abigail the wyfe of Nabal the Carmelite: the thyrde Absalom, the sonne of Maachah the daughter of Thalmai, the kynge of Gessur: ⁴ the fourth, Adonia, the sonne of Hagith: the fyfte, Sephatia the sonne of Abital: ⁵ the sixte Iethream by Egla Dauids wyfe. These were borne to Dauid in Hebron. ⁶ And it fortuned, that whyle there was warre betwene the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, Abner helde vp the house of Saul. ⁷ And Saul had a concubyne named Rizpa, the daughter of Aia. And Isboseth sayde to Abner: Wherfore hast thou gone into my fathers concubyne? ⁸ Then was Abner very wroth for the wordes of Isboseth, & sayde: Am I not a dogges heed, which agaynst Iuda do shewe mercye thys daye vnto the house of Saul thy father, & to his brethren and frendes, and haue not delyuered the into the hande of Dauid: and thou fyndest a fault in me this daye for this woman? ⁹ So and so do God to Abner. For as the Lorde hath sworne to Dauid, so wyll I be on hys syde, ¹⁰ to bryng the kyngdom from the house of Saul, that the throne of Dauid maye be stablysshed ouer Israel, and ouer Iuda euen from Dan to Bersabe. ¹¹ And he coulde geue Abner neuer a woorde to answer, because he feared hym. ¹² And Abner sent messengers to Dauid secretely, saying: Whose is the lande? Make a bonde with me, and beholde, my hande is wyth the, to bryng all Israel vnto the. ¹³ He sayde: It is good, that I make a bonde with the. But one thyng I requyre of the, that thou se not my face, except thou fyrst bring Michol Sauls daughter, when thou comest to se me. ¹⁴ And Dauid sent messengers to Isboseth Sauls sonne, saying, delyuer me my wife Michol, which I maryed with an hundred forskynnes of the Philistines. ¹⁵ And Isboseth sent, and toke her from her husbande Paltiel the sonne of Lais. ¹⁶ And her husband went with her, and cam wepyng behynde her, tyll they cam to Bahurim. Then sayde Abner vnto hym, go and returne. And he returned ¹⁷ And Abner had communicacyon with the elders of Israel, sayeng: ye sought for Dauid in tymes past, that he might be your kyng. ¹⁸ Now then do it: for the Lorde hath sayd of Dauid: By the hand of my seruaunt Dauid, I will saue my people Israel, out of the handes of the Philistines, and out of the hande of all their enemyes. ¹⁹ And Abner spake in the eares of Beniamin, and went to tell in the eares of Dauid in Hebron, all that Israell was content wyth, and the whole house of Beniamin. ²⁰ And so Abner came to Dauid to Hebron, hauyng twentye men wt hym, & Dauid made him & the men that were with him a feast. ²¹ And Abner sayde vnto Dauid: I wyll vp, and go geather all Israell vnto my Lorde the kyng, that they maye make an appoyntment wyth the, and that thou mayst commaunde all, as thyne hart desyreth. And whan Dauid had lett Abner departe, he went in peace. ²² And beholde, the seruauntes of Dauid, & Ioab came from chasyng the robbers, and brought a great praye with them. But Abner was not with Dauid in Hebron: for he had sent him awaye to depart in peace. ²³ When Ioab and all the host that was with hym, were come, men tolde Ioab saying: Abner the sonne of Ner came to the kyng, and he hath sent hym awaye, that he is gone in peace. ²⁴ Then Ioab came to the kynge, and sayde: what hast thou done? Beholde, Abner cam vnto the: & why hast thou sent hym awaye, that he shulde skape quyte? ²⁵ Thou knowest Abner the sonne of Ner, for he came to disceaue the, & to know thy outgoing & ingoing, and to know all that thou doest. ²⁶ And when Ioab was come out from Dauid, he sent messengers after Abner, which brought him agayne from the well of Sira, vnknowyng to Dauid. ²⁷ And when Abner was come agayne to Hebron, Ioab toke hym a syde in the gate to speake with him secretly, & smote him vnder the short rybbes that he dyed, for the bloud of Asahel his brother. ²⁸ And when after warde it cam to Dauids eare, he sayd. I and my kyngdom are giltlesse before the Lorde for euer concernyng the bloude of Abner the sonne of Ner. ²⁹ Let the bloude remayne on the heed of Ioab & on all his fathers house that the house of Ioab be neuer wythout one or other that hath runnyng issues or leper, and that leaneth on a staff, and that doth fal on the swerde, & lacketh breed. ³⁰ And the cause why Ioab and Abisai slue Abner was, that Abner had slayne their brother Asahel at Gibeon in battell. ³¹ And Dauid sayd to Ioab, and to all the people that were with hym. Rent youre clothes, and put on sacke cloth, and mourne before Abner. And king Dauid him self folowed the corse. ³² And when they buried Abner in Hebron, the kyng lifte vp his voyce, & vepte besyde the sepulchre of Abner, and so dyd all the people. ³³ And the kyng lamented ouer Abner, and sayde: died Abner as a foole dieth? ³⁴ thy handes were not bounde, ner thy fete brought into cheynes: but as a man falleth before wicked children, so fellest thou. And all they that were of the people, wept yet moare ouer hym. ³⁵ And when all the people cam to eate meate with Dauid, while it was yet daye, Dauid sware saying: So & so do God to me, yf I tast breed or ought elles, tyll the sonne be downe. ³⁶ And the people wist it, and it pleased them. And whatsoeuer the kyng dyd, it pleased all the people. ³⁷ For all the people & all Israel vnderstode that day, how that it was not the kynges dede, that Abner the sonne of Ner was slayne. ³⁸ And the kyng sayde vnto his seruauntes: know ye not, how that there is a lorde and a great man fallen this daye in Israel? ³⁹ And I am this daye tender, and anoynted king. And these men the sonnes of Zaruia be to hard for me. The Lorde rewarde the doer of euel, accordynge to his wykednesse.