fra Biblica1Den episode var begyndelsen på en lang og opslidende strid mellem Sauls og Davids tilhængere. Men det var en kendsgerning, at David blev stærkere og stærkere, og at hans modstandere blev svagere og svagere.
Davids sønner, født i Hebron
2Mens David opholdt sig i Hebron, fik han seks sønner. Den ældste hed Amnon, og hans mor var Ahinoam fra Jizre’el.3Den næstældste hed Kilab, og hans mor var Abigajil, som var enke efter Nabal fra Karmel. Den tredje hed Absalom, og hans mor var Ma’aka, en datter af kong Talmaj af Geshur.4Den fjerde hed Adonija, og hans mor var Haggit. Den femte hed Shefatja, og hans mor var Abital.5Den sjette hed Jitream, og hans mor var Egla.
Abner slutter sig til David
6Som striden tilspidsedes, fik Abner større og større magt blandt Sauls tilhængere.7Han mente derfor, at han kunne tillade sig visse friheder, blandt andet at gå i seng med en af Sauls medhustruer, en pige ved navn Ritzpa, en datter af Ajja. Men da Ishboshet irettesatte ham for det,8blev han rasende. „Hvad regner du mig for?” råbte han. „En omstrejfende hund? Her kommer du og kritiserer mig for et lille sidespring med en kvinde! Er det den tak, jeg får for min trofasthed overfor din far? Er det lønnen for ikke at have udleveret dig til David for længst?9-10Må Gud straffe mig, om jeg ikke gør, hvad jeg kan for at tage kongemagten fra dig og gøre David til konge over både Nordriget og Juda, fra Dan i nord til Be’ersheba i syd, sådan som Herren har lovet ham.”11Ishboshet blev stum af skræk, da han hørte de ord.12Derpå sendte Abner bud til David: „Lad os slutte fred. Så vil jeg hjælpe dig til at blive konge over hele Israel.”13„Godt,” svarede David, „men jeg vil ikke forhandle med dig, medmindre du kommer med min første kone Mikal, Sauls datter.”14Samtidig sendte David følgende besked til Ishboshet: „Giv mig min kone Mikal tilbage! Jeg slog 100 filistre ihjel for at få hende!”15Ishboshet sendte straks sine mænd af sted for at hente Mikal hos Paltiel, søn af Lajish, som hun var blevet gift med i mellemtiden.16Manden fulgte grædende efter hende helt til Bahurim. Dér bad Abner ham vende om og gå hjem, og det gjorde han.17I mellemtiden forhandlede Abner med Nordrigets ledere. Han mindede dem om, at de i lang tid havde ønsket David som konge.18„Husk i den forbindelse, hvordan Herren lovede, at David ville redde Israels folk fra filistrene[1] og alle vores andre fjender!” sagde han. „Nu har I chancen for at gøre løftet til virkelighed!” (1.Sam 9,16)19Abner forhandlede også med lederne af Benjamins stamme, hvorefter han tog til Hebron for at informere David om resultatet af sine forhandlinger.20Han havde taget 20 mænd med sig, og David holdt en fest til ære for Abner og hans mænd.21Inden Abner rejste hjem, gav han David følgende løfte: „Så snart jeg kommer hjem, vil jeg kalde alle Nordrigets ledere sammen og få dem til at slutte op om dig, så du kan blive konge over hele riget, sådan som du gerne vil!” Så sendte David ham af sted med ønsket om en god rejse.
Joabs hævn over Abner
22Kort efter at Abner var taget af sted, vendte Joab hjem fra et vellykket plyndringstogt sammen med nogle af Davids mænd.23Joab fik nu at vide, at Abner netop havde været på et fredeligt besøg hos kongen.24-25Straks løb han ind til kongen og udbrød: „Hvad i alverden har du gjort? Du har jo ladet manden slippe væk, selv om du må have været klar over, at han kom for at udspionere os!”26Derpå sendte Joab, uden at David vidste det, nogle sendebud af sted efter Abner med besked om, at han skulle komme tilbage. Sendebudene indhentede ham ved Siras vandreservoir, og Abner vendte tilbage sammen med dem.27Da Abner ankom til Hebron, trak Joab ham til side i byporten under foregivende af, at han ville tale privat med ham, men i stedet trak han sin daggert og myrdede ham som hævn for, at Abner havde dræbt hans bror Asael.28Da David hørte om mordet på Abner, erklærede han: „Jeg sværger ved Herren på, at jeg og min slægt er uskyldige i denne forbrydelse!29Joab og hans familie må tage det fulde ansvar for mordet. Må Joabs børn blive ramt af sygdom og ulykke, så de falder i kamp eller bliver invalide eller dør af sygdom eller sult!”30Joab og hans bror Abishaj myrdede altså Abner for at tage hævn over deres bror Asael, som var blevet dræbt af Abner i slaget ved Gibeon.31-32Derefter befalede David, at Joab og alle hans mænd skulle flænge deres tøj og klæde sig i sæk og aske for at vise deres sorg over Abners død. Kongen ledsagede personligt ligbåren til det sted i Hebron, hvor Abner blev begravet. Mens de stod ved graven, brast David og alle hans mænd i gråd,33og David sang følgende sørgesang over Abner: Ak, Abner, du blev narret i døden.34Man bandt ikke engang dine hænder eller lagde dine fødder i lænker! Du blev myrdet af voldsmænd. Bagefter græd hele folket igen.35-36David nægtede at tage føde til sig på begravelsesdagen. Alle opfordrede ham til at spise, men David aflagde ed på, at han ville faste indtil solnedgang, en gestus, som folket lagde mærke til og syntes om, og som var med til at øge deres respekt for ham.37Det overbeviste både Judas og Nordrigets folk om, at David ikke var skyld i Abners død.38Endvidere sagde David til sine mænd: „Mon I forstår, at det er en af Israels store ledere, vi har begravet i dag!39Selv om jeg er Guds udvalgte konge, kan jeg intet stille op over for de to gerningsmænd, Zerujas[2] sønner. De er mig for stærke. Må Herren selv straffe dem for deres ondskab!”
1There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul became weaker and weaker.2And sons were born to David at Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam of Jezreel; (1.Sam 25,42; 1.Krøn 3,1)3and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; (1.Sam 27,8; 2.Sam 3,2; 2.Sam 13,37; 2.Sam 14,32; 2.Sam 15,8)4and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; (1.Kong 1,5)5and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.6While there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner was making himself strong in the house of Saul.7Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ish-bosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?” (2.Sam 16,21; 2.Sam 21,8)8Then Abner was very angry over the words of Ish-bosheth and said, “Am I a dog’s head of Judah? To this day I keep showing steadfast love to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not given you into the hand of David. And yet you charge me today with a fault concerning a woman. (1.Sam 17,43)9God do so to Abner and more also, if I do not accomplish for David what the Lord has sworn to him, (Ruth 1,17; 1.Sam 15,28; 1.Sam 16,1; 1.Sam 16,12; 1.Sam 28,17; 2.Sam 3,35; 1.Krøn 12,23)10to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” (Dom 20,1; 1.Sam 3,20; 2.Sam 17,11; 2.Sam 24,2; 2.Sam 24,15; 1.Kong 4,25)11And Ish-bosheth could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.12And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf,[1] saying, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you to bring over all Israel to you.”13And he said, “Good; I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you; that is, you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.” (1.Mos 43,3; 1.Sam 14,49)14Then David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Give me my wife Michal, for whom I paid the bridal price of a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.” (1.Sam 18,25; 1.Sam 18,27)15And Ish-bosheth sent and took her from her husband Paltiel the son of Laish.16But her husband went with her, weeping after her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go, return.” And he returned. (2.Sam 16,5; 2.Sam 17,18; 2.Sam 19,16; 1.Kong 2,8)17And Abner conferred with the elders of Israel, saying, “For some time past you have been seeking David as king over you.18Now then bring it about, for the Lord has promised David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines, and from the hand of all their enemies.’” (2.Sam 3,9)19Abner also spoke to Benjamin. And then Abner went to tell David at Hebron all that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin thought good to do. (1.Krøn 12,29)20When Abner came with twenty men to David at Hebron, David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him.21And Abner said to David, “I will arise and go and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires.” So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace. (2.Sam 3,12; 1.Kong 11,37)22Just then the servants of David arrived with Joab from a raid, bringing much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David at Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.23When Joab and all the army that was with him came, it was told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has let him go, and he has gone in peace.”24Then Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, so that he is gone?25You know that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing.” (1.Sam 29,6)
Joab Murders Abner
26When Joab came out from David’s presence, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern of Sirah. But David did not know about it.27And when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him privately, and there he struck him in the stomach, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. (2.Sam 2,23; 2.Sam 20,9; 1.Kong 2,5; 1.Kong 2,32)28Afterward, when David heard of it, he said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the Lord for the blood of Abner the son of Ner.29May it fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father’s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who falls by the sword or who lacks bread!” (3.Mos 14,2; 3.Mos 15,2; 2.Sam 1,16)30So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had put their brother Asahel to death in the battle at Gibeon. (2.Sam 2,23)
David Mourns Abner
31Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and mourn before Abner.” And King David followed the bier. (1.Mos 37,34; Josva 7,6; 1.Kong 20,31)32They buried Abner at Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.33And the king lamented for Abner, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies? (2.Sam 1,17; 2.Sam 13,12; 2.Krøn 35,25; Præd 2,16)34Your hands were not bound; your feet were not fettered; as one falls before the wicked you have fallen.” And all the people wept again over him.35Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” (Ruth 1,17; 2.Sam 1,12; 2.Sam 12,17)36And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people.37So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner.38And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?39And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!” (2.Sam 16,10; 2.Sam 19,22; Salm 28,4; 2.Tim 4,14)