and, the name of Saul's wife, was Ahinoam, daughter of Ahimaaz, - and the name of the prince of his host, Abner, son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

And, Kish, was Saul's father, and, Ner, Abner's father, was son of Abiel.

And, when Saul saw David going forth to meet the Philistine, he said unto Abner, prince of the host, Whose son is the young man, Abner? And Abner said, By the life of thy soul, O king! I know not.

And, when David returned from smiting the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul, - with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

yea the king sat down on his seat, as at other times, by the seat against the wall, and, when Jonathan arose, Abner seated himself by the side of Saul, - but David's place was empty.

So then David arose, and came to the place where Saul had encamped, and David saw the place where Saul was lying, with Abner, son of Ner, prince of his host, - and, Saul, was lying within the circular trench, with, the people, encamped round about him.

So David came, with Abishai, unto the people by night, and lo! Saul lying asleep, within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground, at his head, - and Abner and the people lying round about him.

And David cried aloud unto the people, and unto Abner son of Ner, saying, Wilt thou not answer, Abner? Then answered Abner, and said, Who art thou, that hast cried aloud unto the king?

And David said unto Abner - Art not thou, a man? Who indeed is like thee, in Israel? Wherefore, then, hast thou not kept watch over thy lord, the king? For one of the people hath entered, to destroy the king - thy lord.

But, Abner son of Ner, prince of the host that pertained unto Saul, took Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

And Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, came out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

Then said Abner unto Joab, Let the young men arise, I pray thee, and make sport before us. And Joab said - Let them arise.

So the battle became exceeding obstinate, on that day, - and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.

And Asahel pursued Abner, - and turned not, in going, to the right hand or to the left, from pursuing Abner.

Then Abner looked behind him, and said - Art thou Asahel? And he said - I am.

Then Abner said to him - Turn thee aside, to thy right hand, or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from pursuing him.

And Abner said, yet again, unto Asahel, Turn thee aside from pursuing me, - wherefore should I smite thee to the earth? how then should I lift up my face unto Joab, thy brother?

Howbeit he refused to turn aside, wherefore Abner smote him with the hinder end of the spear, in the belly, that the spear came out behind him, and he fell there, and died on the spot, - and so it was, that, as many as came up to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still.

Then Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, - but, the sun, had gone in by the time, they, had come as far as the hill of Ammah, that overlooketh Giah, by way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

And, when the sons of Benjamin had gathered themselves together after Abner, and become one band, - and had taken their stand on the top of a certain hill,

then Abner cried aloud unto Joab, and said - To the uttermost, must the sword devour? Dost thou not well know that, bitter, shall it be, in the latter end? How long, then, wilt thou not bid the people turn back from pursuing their own brethren?

And, Abner and his men, journeyed through the waste plain all that night, - and crossed the Jordan, and went through all the Bithron, and entered Mahanaim.

And, Joab, returned from pursuing Abner, and, when he had gathered together all the people, there were missing of the servants of David - nineteen men, and Asahel;

but, the servants of David, had smitten of Benjamin, of the men of Abner, - so that three hundred and sixty men, had died.

And it came to pass, while the war continued between the house of Saul and the house of David, that, Abner, shewed himself courageous for the house of Saul.

Now, Saul, had a concubine, whose name, was Rizpah daughter of Aiah, - and Ish-bosheth said unto Abner, Why, wentest thou in, unto my father's concubine?

And it provoked Abner greatly, on account of the words of Ish-bosheth, and he said - Am I, the head of the dogs, that pertain unto Judah? To-day, would I deal in lovingkindness with the house of Saul thy father, towards his brethren, and towards his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, - and yet thou hast charged upon me the transgression of the woman, today.

So, may God do unto Abner, and, so, may he add to him, - if, as Yahweh hath sworn unto David, even so, I deal not with him;

And he could no further answer Abner, a word, - because he feared him.

So Abner sent messengers unto David, on the spot, saying - Whose, is the land? Saying also - Solemnise thy covenant with me; and lo! my hand, shall be with thee, to bring round unto thee, all Israel.

And her husband went along with her, weeping as he went behind her, as far as Behurim, - when Abner said unto him - Go, return. And he returned.

Then had Abner, speech, with the elders of Israel, saying, - In times past, ye were seeking David, to be king over you.

And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin, - and Abner also went to speak in the ears of David, in Hebron, all that was pleasing in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin.

So, when Abner came in unto David, in Hebron, and, with him, twenty men, David made, for Abner, and for the men who were with him, a banquet.

Then said Abner unto David - I will verily arise and go, and gather together unto my lord the king, all Israel - that they may solemnise with thee a covenant, so shalt thou reign over all that thy soul desireth. And David let Abner go, and he departed in peace.

And lo! the servants of David, and Joab, came in from a raid, and, great spoil, brought they in with them; but, Abner, was not with David in Hebron, for he had let him go, and he had departed in peace.

When, Joab, and all the host that was with him, had come in, then told they Joab, saying, Abner son of Ner hath been in unto the king, and he hath let him go, and he hath departed in peace.

Then Joab came in unto the king, and said - What hast thou done? Lo! Abner came in unto thee. Wherefore is it that thou didst let him go, so that he is clean departed?

Thou knowest Abner son of Ner, that, to deceive thee, he came, - and to take knowledge of thy going out, and thy coming in, and to take knowledge of all that thou art doing.

And, when Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and brought him back from the well of Sirah, - but, David, knew it not.

So Abner returned to Hebron, and Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate, to speak with him quietly, - and then smote him there, in the belly, that he died, for the blood of Asahel the brother of Joab.

And, when David heard of it, after that, he said - Guiltless, am I and my kingdom before Yahweh, unto times age-abiding, - of the blood of Abner son of Ner.

Thus, Joab and Abishai his brother, slew Abner, - because he had caused the death of Asahel their brother, in Gibeon, in the battle.

And David said unto Joab, and unto all the people who were with him, - Rend your clothes, and gird you with sackcloth, and lament aloud before Abner. And, King David himself, was following the bier.

And they buried Abner in Hebron, - and the king lifted up his voice and wept, at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept.

And the king addressed his dirge unto Abner, and said, - As a base man dieth, should Abner have died?

So then all the people, and all Israel, took note, that day, that it was not of the king, to cause the death of Abner son of Ner.

Now, when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his hands became feeble, - and, all Israel, were dismayed.

David therefore commanded the young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands, and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool, in Hebron, - but, the head of Ish-bosheth, took they, and buried in the grave of Abner, in Hebron.

Moreover also, thou, knowest what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with two generals of the armies of Israel - with Abner son of Ner, and with Amasa son of Jether - both of whom he slew, shedding the blood of war in peace, - and putting the blood of war upon his girdle that was on his loins, and upon his sandals, that were on his feet.

thus will Yahweh bring back his blood upon his own head, in that he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it, - even Abner son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, general of the army of Judah;

And, all that Samuel the seer, and Saul son of Kish, and Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah, had hallowed, whosoever had hallowed anything, it was under the direction of Shelomoth, and his brethren.

Of the half of Manasseh, in Gilead, Iddo, son of Zechariah. Of Benjamin, Jaasiel, son of Abner.