¹Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David: and David grew stronger and stronger, but the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

¹Rat između Šaulove kuće i Davidove kuće potrajao je još dugo vremena, ali je David sve više jačao, a Šaulova kuća postajala sve slabija.

²To David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

²Davidu se rodiše sinovi u Hebronu. Prvenac mu je bio Amnon, od Ahinoame Jizreelke;

³and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

³drugi mu je bio Kileab, od Abigajile, žene Nabalove iz Karmela; treći Abšalom, sin Maake, kćeri gešurskoga kralja Tolmaja;

⁴and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

⁴četvrti Adonija, sin Hagitin; peti Šefatja, sim Abitalin;

⁵and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁵šesti Jitream, od Egle, Davidove žene. Ti se Davidu rodiše u Hebronu.

⁶It happened, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong in the house of Saul.

⁶Dok je trajao rat između Šaulove kuće i Davidove kuće, Abner je malo-pomalo prisvajao svu vlast u Šaulovoj kući.

⁷Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah: and Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”

⁷A u kući bijaše Šaulova inoča po imenu Rispa, kći Ajina: nju Abner uze sebi. A Išbaal upita Abnera: "Zašto si se približio inoči moga oca?"

⁸Then was Abner very angry for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me this day with a fault concerning this woman!

⁸Na te Išbaalove riječi Abner se razgnjevi i reče: "Zar sam ja pasja glava u Judi? Do danas sam samo dobro činio domu tvoga oca Šaula, njegovoj braći i njegovim prijateljima; nisam dopustio da padneš u Davidove ruke, a ti me danas prekoravaš zbog obične žene!

⁹God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don’t do even so to him;

⁹Neka Abneru Bog učini ovo zlo i neka mu doda drugo ako ne izvršim kako se Jahve zakleo Davidu:

¹⁰to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”

¹⁰da će oduzeti kraljevstvo Šaulovoj kući i da će utvrditi Davidov prijesto nad Izraelom i nad Judom od Dana pa do Beer Šebe!"

¹¹He could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

¹¹Išbaal se ne usudi odgovoriti ni riječi Abneru jer ga se bojaše.

¹²Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” and saying, “Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand shall be with you, to bring all Israel around to you.”

¹²Nato Abner posla glasnike k Davidu i poruči mu: "Čija je zemlja?" Htio je reći: "Učini savez sa mnom i moja će ti ruka pomoći da okupiš oko sebe svega Izraela."

¹³He said, “Good; I will make a treaty 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.”

¹³David odgovori Abneru: "Dobro! Učinit ću savez s tobom! Ali samo jedno tražim od tebe: ne smiješ mi doći na oči ako ne dovedeš sa sobom Mikalu, Šaulovu kćer, kad dođeš da vidiš moje lice."

¹⁴David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I pledged to be married to me for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”

¹⁴Ujedno posla David glasnike i k Išbaalu, Šaulovu sinu, s porukom: "Vrati mi moju ženu Mikalu, koju sam stekao stotinom filistejskih obrezaka."

¹⁵Ishbosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish.

¹⁵Išbaal posla po nju i uze je od njezina muža Paltiela, Lajiševa sina.

¹⁶Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go! Return!” and he returned.

¹⁶A njezin muž pođe s njom i pratio ju je plačući sve do Bahurima. Tada mu Abner reče: "Hajde, vrati se sada kući!" I on se vrati.

¹⁷Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.

¹⁷Abner je već bio razgovarao s Izraelovim starješinama i rekao im: "Već odavna želite Davida za svoga kralja.

¹⁸Now then do it; for Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.’”

¹⁸Učinite to sada, jer je Jahve rekao o Davidu ovo: 'Rukom svoga sluge Davida izbavit ću svoj narod Izraela iz ruke filistejske i iz ruku svih njegovih neprijatelja.'"

¹⁹Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and to the whole house of Benjamin.

¹⁹Tako je Abner govorio i Benjaminovim sinovima, a onda je otišao u Hebron da javi Davidu sve što se svidjelo Izraelu i domu Benjaminovu.

²⁰So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

²⁰Kad je Abner došao k Davidu u Hebron, i s njim dvadeset ljudi, David priredi gozbu Abneru i ljudima koji bijahu s njim.

²¹Abner 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 soul desires.” David sent Abner away; and he went in peace.

²¹Tada Abner reče Davidu: "Hajdemo! Ja ću skupiti svega Izraela oko gospodara moga kralja: oni će sklopiti s tobom savez i ti ćeš kraljevati nad svim što budeš želio." David otpusti Abnera, koji ode u miru.

²²Behold, the servants of David and Joab came from a foray, and brought in a great spoil with them: but Abner was not with David in Hebron; for he had sent him away, and he was gone in peace.

²²I gle, Davidovi se ljudi s Joabom upravo vraćali sa četovanja, noseći sa sobom bogat plijen, a Abner nije više bio kod Davida u Hebronu, jer ga David bijaše otpustio te je on otišao u miru.

²³When Joab and all the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he is gone in peace.

²³Kad stiže Joab i sva vojska što je išla s njim, javiše Joabu da je Abner, Nerov sin, bio došao kralju i da ga je kralj otpustio da ode u miru.

²⁴Then Joab came to the king, and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is quite gone?

²⁴Tada Joab dođe kralju i reče mu: "Što si učinio? Abner je došao k tebi, zašto si ga otpustio da ode u miru?

²⁵You know Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.”

²⁵Zar ne znaš Abnera, Nerova sina? Došao je da te prevari, da dozna tvoje korake, da dozna sve što činiš!"

²⁶When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn’t know it.

²⁶Potom izađe Joab od Davida i posla glasnike za Abnerom, koji ga vratiše, od studenca Sire, a David nije znao ništa o tome.

²⁷When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁷Kad se Abner vratio u Hebron, odvede ga Joab u stranu iza vrata, kao da želi s njim nesmetano govoriti, i ondje ga smrtno rani u slabine da se osveti za krv svoga brata Asahela.

²⁸Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

²⁸Kad je David to poslije čuo, reče: "Ja i moje kraljevstvo nevini smo pred Jahvom dovijeka za krv Abnera, sina Nerova.

²⁹Let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has an issue, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”

²⁹Neka padne na Joabovu glavu i na sav njegov očinski dom! Nikad ne ponestalo u Joabovu domu ljudi bolesnih od gnojenja ili od gube, ljudi koji se laćaju vretena ili padaju od mača, ljudi koji nemaju kruha!" -

³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

³⁰Joab i njegov brat Abišaj ubili su Abnera jer je on pogubio njihova brata Asahela u boju kod Gibeona. -

³¹David said to Joab, and to all the people who were with him, Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. King David followed the bier.

³¹Nato David reče Joabu i svoj vojsci koja je bila s njim: "Razderite svoje haljine, obucite kostrijet i naričite za Abnerom!" I kralj David pođe za nosilima.

³²They buried Abner in Hebron: and the king lifted up his voice, and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

³²Kad su ukopali Abnera u Hebronu, udari kralj u glasan plač na grobu Abnerovu, a plakao je i sav narod.

³³The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?

³³Tada kralj ispjeva ovu tužaljku za Abnerom: "Zar morade umrijeti Abner kako umire luda?

³⁴Your hands were not bound, nor your feet put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.” All the people wept again over him.

³⁴Ruke tvoje ne bijahu vezane, noge tvoje ne bijahu okovane. Pao si kao što se pada od zlikovaca!" Tada sav narod još ljuće zaplaka za njim.

³⁵All the people came to cause 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, until the sun goes down.”

³⁵Nato pristupi sav narod nutkajući Davida da jede dok je još dana, ali se David zakle ovako: "Neka mi Bog učini ovo zlo i neka mi doda drugo zlo ako okusim kruha ili što drugo prije zalaska sunca!"

³⁶All the people took notice of it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people.

³⁶Sav je narod to čuo, i bilo mu je po volji, kao što je narod i sve drugo odobravao što god je kralj činio.

³⁷So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.

³⁷Toga dana sav narod i sav Izrael spozna da kralj nije kriv u umorstvu Abnera, sina Nerova.

³⁸The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that there a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel?

³⁸Nato kralj reče svojim dvoranima: "Ne znate li da je danas pao knez i velik čovjek u Izraelu?

³⁹I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

³⁹Ali ja sam sada još slab, iako sam pomazani kralj, a ovi ljudi, Sarvijini sinovi, jači su od mene. Neka Jahve plati zločincu po njegovoj zloći!"