1Então David perguntou ao SENHOR: “Deverei voltar para Judá?” O SENHOR respondeu-lhe: “Sim.” Perguntou ainda: “Para que cidade devo ir?” E o SENHOR respondeu: “Para Hebrom.”2David e as suas mulheres, Ainoã de Jezreel e Abigail, a viúva de Nabal do Carmelo,3mais os seus homens com as respetivas famílias, mudaram-se para Hebrom.4Os líderes de Judá vieram dar-lhe as boas vindas e consagraram-no rei sobre o povo de Judá. Ao saber que os homens de Jabes-Gileade tinham tido o cuidado de fazer o enterro de Saul,5mandou-lhes uma mensagem: “Que o SENHOR vos abençoe por terem honrado dessa maneira a memória do vosso rei, fazendo-lhe um funeral digno.6Que o SENHOR vos trate com bondade e fidelidade! Eu também vos retribuirei o bem que praticaram.7Agora peço-vos que aceitem ser meus fortes e fiéis súbditos, visto que Saul já está morto. A tribo de Judá também já me designou como seu rei.”
Guerra entre os exércitos de David e de Saul
8No entanto Abner, comandante das tropas de Saul, foi a Maanaim para fazer de Isbosete rei.9O seu território era Gileade, Asuri, Jezreel, Efraim, a tribo de Benjamim e o restante Israel.10Isbosete tinha 40 anos nessa altura. Reinou em Israel durante dois anos. Mas a tribo de Judá manteve-se leal a David.11Entretanto, David reinava em Hebrom. Durante sete anos e meio foi rei do povo de Judá.12Um dia, o general Abner levou as tropas de Isbosete de Maanaim até Gibeão.13Joabe, filho de Zeruía, general de David, levou as suas tropas ao encontro das primeiras. Ficaram frente a frente junto ao poço de Gibeão, uns do lado de cá e os outros do lado oposto.14Abner sugeriu a Joabe o seguinte: “Vamos pôr alguns dos nossos moços a defrontarem-se à espada diante de nós!” E Joabe acedeu.15Foram escolhidos doze combatentes de cada lado para se confrontarem mortalmente.16O combate começou e cada um, pegando na cabeça do outro, enfiou-lhe a espada no corpo, acabando todos por morrer assim. Aquele lugar ficou conhecido como o Campo das Espadas.17Os dois exércitos começaram então a luta. No final do dia, Abner e os seus homens tinham sido derrotados por Joabe.18Abisai e Asael, irmãos de Joabe, também se encontravam na batalha. Asael era um grande corredor; corria como uma gazela.19Este foi em perseguição de Abner, correndo sem descanso, absolutamente determinado a apanhá-lo.20A certa altura, Abner olhou para trás, viu-o e perguntou-lhe: “Tu és Asael?” Ao que lhe respondeu: “Sim, sou!”21“Aviso-te que não venhas atrás de mim. Vai antes em perseguição dum soldado qualquer e fica com os despojos.” Mas Asael não desistiu e continuou no seu encalço.22Abner tornou a gritar-lhe: “Sai de trás de mim! Eu nunca mais poderia aparecer ao teu irmão Joabe, se te matasse!”23Asael recusou-se a desistir. Então Abner trespassou-lhe o ventre com a extremidade mais grossa da sua lança que lhe saiu do outro lado. Asael ficou ali estendido e toda a gente que passava parava para ver o corpo morto.24Joabe e Abisai puseram-se, por sua vez, em perseguição de Abner. Estava já o Sol a pôr-se quando chegaram ao outeiro de Amá, em frente de Giá, no caminho para o deserto de Gibeão.25As tropas de Abner, formadas por contingentes de soldados de Benjamim, reagruparam-se no cimo da colina.26Dali Abner gritou para Joabe no vale: “Será que as nossas tropas hão de continuar a matar-se umas às outras? Quando é que pensas dizer à tua gente que deixe de perseguir os irmãos?”27“Garanto-te, diante de Deus, que mesmo que não tivesses falado, os homens teriam continuado a persergui-los até a manhã nascer”, respondeu-lhe Joabe.28Tocou a trombeta e os seus homens pararam de correr atrás das tropas de Israel.29Nessa noite, Abner e os seus soldados retiraram-se através da planície do Jordão. Atravessaram o rio, caminharam durante toda a manhã seguinte, até que chegaram a Maanaim.30As tropas de Joabe também se retiraram para a sua terra. Quando contaram as baixas verificaram que tinham perdido apenas 19 homens, além de Asael.31Da parte de Abner tinha havido 360 perdas, todas da tribo de Benjamim.32Os soldados de Joabe levaram o corpo de Asael para Belém e enterraram-no na sepultura do seu pai. Depois marcharam toda a noite e chegaram a Hebrom ao romper do dia.
1After this David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” (Js 14:13; 1 Sm 22:10)2So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. (1 Sm 25:42)3And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. (1 Sm 27:2; 1 Sm 30:1; 1 Cr 12:1)4And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, “It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,” (1 Sm 31:11; 2 Sm 5:5)5David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, “May you be blessed by the Lord, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him. (Rt 2:20)6Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing.7Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them.” (2 Sm 2:4)
Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel
8But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, (Js 13:26; 1 Sm 14:50)9and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel.10Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he 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. (2 Sm 2:4; 2 Sm 5:5; 1 Rs 2:11)
The Battle of Gibeon
12Abner 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 them at 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. (Jr 41:12)14And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”15Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.16And each caught his opponent by the head and thrust his sword in his opponent’s side, so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Helkath-hazzurim,[1] which is at Gibeon.17And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David.18And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. (1 Sm 26:6; 2 Sm 22:34; 1 Cr 2:16; 1 Cr 12:8; Sl 18:33; Ct 2:17; Ct 8:14; Hc 3:19)19And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.20Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.”21Abner said to him, “Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and seize one of the young men and take his spoil.” But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.22And Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I lift up my face to your brother Joab?”23But he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner struck him in the stomach with the butt of his spear, so that the spear came out at his back. And he fell there and died where he was. And all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stood still. (2 Sm 3:27; 2 Sm 4:6; 2 Sm 20:10)24But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. And as the sun was going down they came to the hill of Ammah, which lies before Giah on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.25And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill.26Then Abner called to Joab, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter? How long will it be before you tell your people to turn from the pursuit of their brothers?”27And Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely the men would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning.” (2 Sm 2:14; Pv 17:14)28So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore.29And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. (Dt 1:1; Js 13:26; 2 Sm 2:8)30Joab returned from the pursuit of Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David’s servants nineteen men besides Asahel.31But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men.32And they took up Asahel and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was at Bethlehem. And Joab and his men marched all night, and the day broke upon them at Hebron.