1   There was made therefore long strife betwen the house of Saul, and betwen the house of Dauid: Dauid prospering and alwaies stronger then himself, but the house of Saul decreasing daily.

2   And there were sonnes borne to Dauid in Hebron: and his first begotten was Amnon of Achinoam the Iezrahelite.

3   And after him Cheleab of Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel: moreouer the third Absalom the sonne of Maacha the daughter of Tolmai king of Gessur.

4   And the fourth Adonias, the sonne of Haggith: and the fifth Saphathia, the sonne of Abital.

5   The sixt also Iethraam of Egla the wife of Dauid. these were borne to Dauid in Hebron

6   Therefore when there was battel betwen the house of Saul and house of Dauid, Abner the sonne of Ner ruled the house of Saul.

7   And Saul had a concubine named Respha, the daughter of Aia. And Isboseth said to Abner:

8   Why diddest thou go in to my fathers concubine? Who being wrath exceedingly for the wordes of Isboseth, said: What ^note am I a dogges head against Iuda this day, which haue done mercie vpon the house of Saul thy father, and vpon his brethren and neerest freinds, & haue not deliuered thee into the hands of Dauid, & hast thou sought against me that thou mightest charge me for a woman to day?

9   These things do God to Abner, and these things adde he to him, vnlesse as our Lord hath sworne to Dauid, so I doe truth to him.

10   That the kingdom be transferred from the house of Saul, and the throne of Dauid be exalted ouer Israel, and ouer Iuda, from Dan to Bersabee.

11   And he could not answer him any thing, because he feared him.

12   Abner therefore sent messengers to Dauid for himself saying: Whose is the land? And that they should say: Make amitie with me, & my hand shal be with thee: and I wil reduce vnto thee al Israel.

13   Who said: Very wel: I wil make amitie

Dauid. with thee: but one thing I desire of thee, saying: Thou shalt not see my face before thou bring Michol the daughter of Saul: and so thou shalt come, and see me.

14   And Dauid sent messengers to Isboseth the sonne of Saul, saying: Restore my wife Michol, which I betrothed to me for an hundred prepuces of the Philisthijms.

15   Isboseth therefore sent, and tooke her from her husband Phaltiel, the sonne of Lais.

16   And her husband folowed her, weeping as farre as Bahurim: and Abner said to him: Goe, and returne. Who returned.

17   Abner also spake to the ancients of Israel, saying: Both yesterday and the day before you sought Dauid that he might reigne ouer you.

18   Now therefore do so: because our Lord hath spoken to Dauid, saying: In the hand of my seruant Dauid I wil saue my people Israel from the hands of the Philistijms, and of al their enemies.

19   And Abner spake also to Beniamin. And he went to speake vnto Dauid in Hebron al things which pleased Israel, and al Beniamin.

20   And he came to Dauid into Hebron with twentie men: and Dauid made a feast to Abner, and to his men that came with him.

21   And Abner sayd to Dauid: I wil rise, that I may gather vnto thee my lord king al Israel, and may enter a league with thee, and thou mayst reigne ouer al, as thy soule desireth. When Dauid therefore had brought Abner on the way, and he was gone in peace,

22   forthwith Dauids seruantes and Ioab came, hauing slayne the robbers, with a praye exceding great: and Abner was not with Dauid in Hebron, Because he had now dismissed him, and he was departed in peace.

23   And Ioab, and al the armie which were with him, came afterward: it was therefore told Ioab, that Abner the sonne of Ner came to the king, and he dismissed him, and he departed in peace.

24   And Ioab went in to the king, and said: What hast thou done? Behold Abner came to thee: why didst thou dismisse him and he is gone and departed?

25   knowest thou not Abner the sonne of Ner, that to this end he came to thee, that he might deceiue thee, and might know thy going out, and thy coming in, and vnderstand al things that thou doest?

26   Ioab therfore being gone from Dauid, sent messengers after Abner, and brought him backe from the cesterne Sira, Dauid being ignorant therof.

27   And when Abner was returned into Hebron, Ioab brought him aside to the middes of the gate, to spake vnto him in guile: and stroke him there in the priuie

Dauid. partes, and he died, in reuenge of the bloud of Asael his brother.

28   Which when Dauid had heard, that the thing was now done, he said: I am innocent, and my kingdom before God for euer from the bloud of Abner the sonne of Ner,

29   and come it vpon the head of Ioab, and vpon al his fathers house: neither let there fayle of the house of Ioab one hauing a fluxe of seede, and a leper, and houlding the distaffe, and falling by the sword, lacking bread.

30   Ioab therefore and Abisai his brother slewe Abner, because he had killed Asael their brother in Gabaon in the battel.

31   And Dauid said to Ioab, and to al the people, that were with him: Rent your garmentes, and be girded with sacke clothes, and mourne before the funeral of Abner. Moreouer king Dauid folowed the beere.

32   And when they had buried Abner in Hebron, king Dauid lifted vp his voice, and wept vpon the graue of Abner: and al the people also wept.

33   And the king mourning and lamenting Abner, sayd: Not as cowardes are wont to die, hath Abner died.

34   Thy handes were not bound, and thy feete were not loden with fetters: but as men are wont to fal before the children of iniquitie, so art thou fallen. And al the people dubling it wept vpon him.

35   And when al the multitude was come to take meate with Dauid, when it was yet cleere day Dauid sware, saying: These thinges do God to me, and these adde he, if before sunne set I shal tast bread or any thing els.

36   And al the people heard, and al thinges pleased them which the king did in the sight of al the people.

37   And al the people knewe, and al Israel in that day that it was not the kinges doing, that Abner the sonne of Ner was slayne.

38   The king also said to his seruantes: Are you ignorant that a prince and the greatest is slayne this day in Israel?

39   But I as yet ^note delicate, and annointed king: moreouer the the sonnes of Saruia are hard to me: our Lord reward him that doth euil according to his malice.

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