David is received and anointed king of Juda. Isboseth the son of Saul reigneth over the rest of Israel. A battle between Abner and Joab.

 1 And after these things David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? And the Lord said to him: Go up. And David said: Whither shall I go up? And he answered him: Into Hebron.
Igitur post haec consuluit David Dominum, dicens : Num ascendam in unam de civitatibus Juda? Et ait Dominus ad eum : Ascende. Dixitque David : Quo ascendam? Et respondit ei : In Hebron.

 2 So David went up, and his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel:
Ascendit ergo David, et duae uxores ejus, Achinoam Jezraelites, et Abigail uxor Nabal Carmeli :

 3 And the men also that were with him, David brought up every man with his household: and they abode in the towns of Hebron.
sed et viros, qui erant cum eo, duxit David singulos cum domo sua : et manserunt in oppidis Hebron.

 4 And the men of Juda came, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Juda. And it was told David, that the men of Jabes Galaad had buried Saul.
Veneruntque viri Juda, et unxerunt ibi David, ut regnaret super domum Juda. Et nuntiatum est David, quod viri Jabes Galaad sepelissent Saul.

 5 David therefore sent messengers to the men of Jabes Galaad, and said to them: Blessed be you to the Lord, who have shewn this mercy to your master Saul, and have buried him.
Misit ergo David nuntios ad viros Jabes Galaad, dixitque ad eos : Benedicti vos Domino, qui fecistis misericordiam hanc cum domino vestro Saul, et sepelistis eum.

 6 And now the Lord surely will render you mercy and truth, and I also will, requite you for this good turn, because you have done this thing.
Et nunc retribuet vobis quidem Dominus misericordiam et veritatem : sed et ego reddam gratiam, eo quod fecistis verbum istud.

 7 Let your hands be strengthened, and be ye men of valour: for although your master Saul be dead, yet the house of Juda hath anointed me to be their king.
Confortentur manus vestrae, et estote filii fortitudinis : licet enim mortuus sit dominus vester Saul, tamen me unxit domus Juda in regem sibi.

 8 But Abner the son of Ner, general of Saul's army, took Isboseth the son of Saul, and led him about through the camp?
Abner autem filius Ner princeps exercitus Saul, tulit Isboseth filium Saul, et circumduxit eum per castra,

 9 And made him king over Galaad, and, over Gessuri, and over Jezrahel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
regemque constituit super Galaad, et super Gessuri, et super Jezrael, et super Ephraim, et super Benjamin, et super Israel universum.

 10 Isboseth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over, Israel, and he reigned two years: and only the house of Juda followed David.
Quadraginta annorum erat Isboseth filius Saul cum regnare coepisset super Israel, et duobus annis regnavit : sola autem domus Juda sequebatur David.

 11 And the number of the days that David abode, reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda, was seven years and six months.
Et fuit numerus dierum, quos commoratus est David, imperans in Hebron super domum Juda, septem annorum, et sex mensium.

 12 And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Isboseth the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gabaon.
Egressusque est Abner filius Ner, et pueri Isboseth filii Saul, de castris in Gabaon.

 13 And Joab the son of Sarvia, and the servants of David went out, and met them by the pool of Gabaon. And when they were come together, they sat down over against one another: the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side.
Porro Joab filius Sarviae, et pueri David egressi sunt, et occurrerunt eis juxta piscinam Gabaon. Et cum in unum convenissent, e regione sederunt : hi ex una parte piscinae, et illi ex altera.

 14 And Abner said to Joab: Let the young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise.
Dixitque Abner ad Joab : Surgant pueri et ludant coram nobis. Et respondit Joab : Surgant.

 15 Then there arose and went over twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Isboseth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
Surrexerunt ergo, et transierunt numero duodecim de Benjamin, ex parte Isboseth filii Saul, et duodecim de pueris David.

 16 And every one catching his fellow, by the head, thrust his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the name of the place was called: The field of the valiant, in Gabaon.
Apprehensoque unusquisque capite comparis sui, defixit gladium in latus contrarii, et ceciderunt simul : vocatumque est nomen loci illius : Ager robustorum, in Gabaon.

 17 And there was a very fierce battle that day: and Abner was put to flight, with the men of Israel, by the servants of David.
Et ortum est bellum durum satis in die illa : fugatusque est Abner, et viri Israel a pueris David.

 18 And there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asael: now Asael was a most swift runner, like one of the roes that abide in the woods.
Erant autem ibi tres filii Sarviae, Joab, et Abisai, et Asael : porro Asael cursor velocissimus fuit, quasi unus de capreis quae morantur in silvis.

 19 And Asael pursued after Abner, and turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
Persequebatur autem Asael Abner, et non declinavit ad dextram neque ad sinistram omittens persequi Abner.

 20 And Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou Asael? And he answered: I am.
Respexit itaque Abner post tergum suum, et ait : Tune es Asael? Qui respondit : Ego sum.

 21 And Abner said to him: Go to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take thee his spoils. But Asael would not leave off following him close.
Dixitque ei Abner : Vade ad dexteram, sive ad sinistram et apprehende unum de adolescentibus, et tolle tibi spolia ejus. Noluit autem Asael omittere quin urgeret eum.

 22 And again Abner said to Asael: Go off, and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to stab thee to the ground, and I shall not be able to hold up my face to Joab thy brother.
Rursumque locutus est Abner ad Asael : Recede, noli me sequi, ne compellar confodere te in terram, et levare non potero faciem meam ad Joab fratrem tuum.

 23 But he refused to hearken to him, and would not turn aside: wherefore Abner struck him with his spear with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died upon the spot: and all that came to the place where Asael fell down and died stood still.
Qui audire contempsit, et noluit declinare : percussit ergo eum Abner aversa hasta in inguine, et transfodit, et mortuus est in eodem loco : omnesque qui transibant per locum illum, in quo ceciderat Asael, et mortuus erat, subsistebant.

 24 Now while Joab and Abisai pursued after Abner, the sun went down: and they came as far as the hill of the aqueduct, that lieth over against the valley by the way of the wilderness in Gabaon.
Persequentibus autem Joab, et Abisai fugientem Abner, sol occubuit : et venerunt usque ad collem aquaeductus, qui est ex adverso vallis itineris deserti in Gabaon.

 25 And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together to Abner: and being joined in one body, they stood on the top of a hill.
Congregatique sunt filii Benjamin ad Abner : et conglobati in unum cuneum, steterunt in summitate tumuli unius.

 26 And Abner cried out to Joab, and said: Shall thy sword rage unto utter destruction? knowest thou not that it is dangerous to drive people to despair? how long dost thou defer to bid the people cease from pursuing after their brethren?
Et exclamavit Abner ad Joab, et ait : Num usque ad internecionem tuus mucro desaeviet? an ignoras quod periculosa sit desperatio? Usquequo non dicis populo ut omittat persequi fratres suos?

 27 And Joab said: As the Lord liveth, if thou hadst spoke sooner, even in the morning the people should have retired from pursuing after their brethren.
Et ait Joab : Vivit Dominus, si locutus fuisses, mane recessisset populus persequens fratrem suum.

 28 Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the army stood still, and did not pursue after Israel any farther, nor fight any more.
Insonuit ergo Joab buccina, et stetit omnis exercitus, nec persecuti sunt ultra Israel, neque iniere certamen.

 29 And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plains: and they passed the Jordan, and having gone through all Beth-horon, came to the camp.
Abner autem et viri ejus abierunt per campestria, tota nocte illa : et transierunt Jordanem, et lustrata omni Beth-horon, venerunt ad castra.

 30 And Joab returning, after he had left Abner, assembled all the people: and there were wanting of David's servants nineteen men, beside Asael.
Porro Joab reversus, omisso Abner, congregavit omnem populum : et defuerunt de pueris David decem et novem viri, excepto Asaele.

 31 But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred and sixty, who all died.
Servi autem David percusserunt de Benjamin, et de viris qui erant cum Abner, trecentos sexaginta, qui et mortui sunt.

 32 And they took Asael, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem, and Joab, and the men that were with him, marched all the night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.
Tuleruntque Asael, et sepelierunt eum in sepulchro patris sui in Bethlehem : et ambulaverunt tota nocte Joab et viri qui erant cum eo, et in ipso crepusculo pervenerunt in Hebron.