2.Samuel 2 | Bibelen på hverdagsdansk

David bliver konge over Juda

1 David spurgte nu Herren: „Skal jeg rejse tilbage til Judas land?” Herren svarede: „Ja!” „Hvilken by skal jeg slå mig ned i?” „Hebron,” svarede Herren. 2 Så tog David sine koner, Ahinoam fra Jizre’el, og Abigajil, Nabals enke fra Karmel, 3 samt sine trofaste mænd med deres familier, og de bosatte sig i Hebron og omegn. 4 Derefter kom Judas ledere til David og salvede ham til konge over Juda. Da David fik at vide, at indbyggerne i Jabesh i Gilead havde begravet Saul, 5 sendte han dem følgende budskab: „Må Herren velsigne jer, fordi I har været trofaste overfor jeres konge ved at give ham en anstændig begravelse. 6 Må Herren i sin trofasthed belønne jer for jeres storsind. Men også jeg vil gøre godt imod jer, fordi I gjorde dette. 7 Selvom Saul nu er død, må I ikke lade hænderne synke eller tabe modet. Judas stamme har allerede udråbt mig til konge.”

Ishboshet bliver konge over Nordriget

8 Men Abner, Sauls hærfører, bragte Sauls søn, Ishboshet, til Mahanajim og udråbte ham til konge over Nordriget. 9 Han kom til at regere over Gilead, Asher, Jizre’el, Efraim og Benjamins stamme, ja, hele Israel* bortset fra Judas område. 10 Ishboshet var 40 år gammel, da han blev konge, og han regerede ud fra Mahanajim i to år. David regerede over Judas land i syv et halvt år fra Hebron.

Krigen mellem David og Ishboshet

12 En dag tog Abner nogle af Ishboshets mænd med sig fra Mahanajim og kom til Gibeon. 13 Davids hærfører, Joab, Zerujas søn, gik dem i møde med nogle af Davids mænd. De to hære slog lejr på hver sin side af Gibeondammen. 14 Da foreslog Abner, at de unge krigere skulle åbne slaget med tvekamp. Joab gik med på idéen, 15 hvorefter man udpegede 12 mænd fra Benjamins stamme til at kæmpe for Ishboshet og 12 fra Judas stamme til at kæmpe for David. 16 Opgaven gik ud på at gribe modstanderen i håret og støde sværdet i siden på ham. På den måde blev samtlige 24 mænd dræbt. Siden har man kaldt dette sted ved Gibeon for „Sværdkampens mark”. 17 Derefter gik de to hære løs på hinanden med det resultat, at Abner samme dag måtte erkende sit nederlag til Joab og Davids mænd og tage flugten. 18 Joabs brødre, Abishaj og Asael, deltog også i slaget. Da Asael var hurtigløber, 19 satte han efter Abner uden at lade sig distrahere af noget som helst undervejs. 20 Da Abner så sig tilbage, var Asael ved at hale ind på ham. „Er det dig, Asael?” råbte Abner. „Ja, det er!” svarede Asael. 21 „Find et andet offer!” råbte Abner advarende. „Der er nok af unge krigere, du kan afvæbne!” Men Asael ville have fat i Abner. 22 Da råbte Abner: „Hold op med at forfølge mig! Hvis jeg slår dig ihjel, vil jeg aldrig kunne se din bror Joab i øjnene igen!” 23 Asael lod sig imidlertid ikke ryste af. Pludselig standsede Abner, jog sit spyd bagud og ramte sin forfølger i maven med en sådan kraft, at spydspidsen kom ud på den anden side. Da styrtede Asael omkuld og døde, og alle, som kom til stedet, hvor han lå, standsede op for at kigge på ham. 24 Nu satte både Joab og Abishaj efter Abner, og ved solnedgang nåede de frem til Amma-højen øst for Gia ved vejen til Gibeons ørken. 25 På toppen af højen samlede alle krigerne fra Benjamins stamme sig bag Abner, 26 og Abner råbte ned til Joab: „Skal vi blive ved med at dræbe hinanden? Hvor længe skal det vare, før du befaler dine mænd at holde op med at jagte deres landsmænd?” 27 Joab råbte tilbage: „Jeg sværger ved den levende Gud, at hvis du ikke havde sagt noget, ville vi have jagtet jer til i morgen tidlig!” 28 Så afblæste han forfølgelsen, og mændene standsede kampen. 29 Samme nat begav Abner og hans mænd sig på hjemvejen. De gik op gennem Jordandalen, krydsede floden og nåede næste morgen frem til Mahanajim. 30 Også Joab og hans mænd vendte hjem. Da Joab opgjorde tabene, fandt han ud af, at ud over Asael manglede der kun 19 mand, 31 hvorimod Abner havde mistet 360 mand, alle af Benjamins stamme. 32 Joab og hans mænd bar Asaels lig til Betlehem og begravede ham ved hans fars side. Derefter gik de hele natten og nåede frem til Hebron ved daggry.

English Standard Version

David Anointed King of Judah

1 After 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.” 2 So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 3 And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. 4 And 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,” 5 David 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. 6 Now may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing. 7 Now 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.”

Ish-bosheth Made King of Israel

8 But Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim, 9 and he made him king over Gilead and the Ashurites and Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin and all Israel. 10 Ish-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. 11 And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

The Battle of Gibeon

12 Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. 13 And 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. 14 And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.” 15 Then they arose and passed over by number, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David. 16 And 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,* which is at Gibeon. 17 And the battle was very fierce that day. And Abner and the men of Israel were beaten before the servants of David. 18 And the three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Now Asahel was as swift of foot as a wild gazelle. 19 And Asahel pursued Abner, and as he went, he turned neither to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. 20 Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is it you, Asahel?” And he answered, “It is I.” 21 Abner 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. 22 And 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?” 23 But 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. 24 But 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. 25 And the people of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one group and took their stand on the top of a hill. 26 Then 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?” 27 And 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.” 28 So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men stopped and pursued Israel no more, nor did they fight anymore. 29 And Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, and marching the whole morning, they came to Mahanaim. 30 Joab 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. 31 But the servants of David had struck down of Benjamin 360 of Abner’s men. 32 And 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.

2.Samuel 2 | Bibelen på hverdagsdansk English Standard Version