2 Kingdoms 2
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
2 Kingdoms chapter 2 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. The translator's notes for this chapter (4) follow the text. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.
2 Kingdoms 2
1And it came to pass after this that David enquired of 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 said, To Chebron.Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐπηρώτησε Δαυὶδ ἐν Κυρίῳ, λέγων, εἰ ἀναβῶ εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων Ἰούδα; καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀνάβηθι· καὶ εἶπε Δαυὶδ, ποῦ ἀναβῶ; καὶ εἶπεν, εἰς Χεβρών.
2And David went up there to Chebron, he and both his wives, Achinaam the Jezraelitess, and Abigaia the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,Καὶ ἀνέβη ἐκεῖ Δαυὶδ εἰς Χεβρὼν, καὶ ἀμφότεραι αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτοῦ, Ἀχινάαμ ἡ Ἰεζραηλίτις, καὶ Ἀβιγαία ἡ γυνὴ Νάβαλ τοῦ Καρμηλίου,
3and the men that were with him, every one and his family; and they lived in the cities of Chebron.καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ ἕκαστος, καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ, καὶ κατῴκουν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι Χεβρών.
4And the men of Judea come, and anoint David there to reign over the house of Juda; and they reported to David, saying, The men of Jabis of the country of Galaad have buried Saul.Καὶ ἔρχονται ἄνδρες τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ χρίουσι τὸν Δαυὶδ ἐκεῖ τοῦ βασιλεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα· Καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν τῷ Δαυὶδ, λέγοντες, ὅτι οἱ ἄνδρες Ἰαβὶς τῆς Γαλααδίτιδος ἔθαψαν τὸν Σαούλ.
5And David sent messengers to the rulers of Jabis of the country of Galaad, and David said to them, Blessed be you of the Lord, because you have wrought this mercy toward your lord, even toward Saul the anointed of the Lord, and you have buried him and Jonathan his son.Καὶ ἀπέστειλε Δαυὶδ ἀγγέλους πρὸς τοὺς ἡγουμένους Ἰαβὶς τῆς Γαλααδίτιδος, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτοὺς Δαυὶδ, εὐλογημένοι ὑμεῖς τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἐποιήσατε τὸ ἔλεος τοῦτο ἐπὶ τὸν κύριον ὑμῶν, ἐπὶ Σαοὺλ τὸν χριστὸν Κυρίου, καὶ ἐθάψατε αὐτὸν καὶ Ἰωνάθαν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ.
6And now may the Lord deal in mercy and truth towards you: and I also will requite towards you this good deed, because you have done this.Καὶ νῦν ποιῆσαι Κύριος μεθʼ ὑμῶν ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθειαν· καί γε ἐγὼ ποιήσω μεθʼ ὑμῶν τὸ ἀγαθὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐποιήσατε τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο.
7And now let your hands be made strong, and be * valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and moreover the house of Juda have anointed me to be king over them.Καὶ νῦν κραταιούσθωσαν αἱ χεῖρες ὑμῶν, καὶ γίνεσθε εἰς υἱοὺς δυνατοὺς, ὅτι τέθνηκεν ὁ κύριος ὑμῶν Σαοὺλ, καί γε ἐμὲ κέχρικεν ὁ οἶκος Ἰούδα ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸν εἰς βασιλέα.
8But Abenner, the son of Ner, the commander-in-chief of Saul's army, took Jebosthe son of Saul, and brought him up from the camp to ManaemΚαὶ Ἀβεννὴρ υἱὸς Νὴρ ἀρχιστράτηγος τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἔλαβε τὸν Ἰεβοσθὲ υἱὸν Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς παρεμβολῆς εἰς Μαναὲμ,
9and † made him king over the land of Galaad, and over Thasiri, and over Jezrael, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.καὶ ἐβασίλευσεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὴν Γαλααδίτιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Θασιρὶ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰεζραὴλ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἐφραὶμ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Βενιαμὶν, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα Ἰσραήλ.
10Jebosthe, Saul's son was forty years old, when he reigned over Israel; and he reigned two years, but not over the house of Juda, who followed David.Τεσσαράκοντα ἐτῶν Ἰεβοσθὲ υἱὸς Σαοὺλ, ὅτε ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ· καὶ δύο ἔτη ἐβασίλευσε, πλὴν τοῦ οἴκου Ἰούδα, οἳ ἦσαν ὀπίσω Δαυίδ.
11And the days which David reigned in Chebron over the house of Juda were seven years and six months.Καὶ ἐγένοντο αἱ ἡμέραι ἃς Δαυὶδ ἐβασίλευσεν ἐν Χεβρὼν ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα, ἑπτὰ ἔτη καὶ μῆνας ἕξ.
12And Abenner the son of Ner went forth, and the servants of Jebosthe the son of Saul, from Manaem to Gabaon.Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ἀβεννὴρ υἱὸς Νὴρ, καὶ οἱ παῖδες Ἰεβοσθὲ υἱοῦ Σαοὺλ ἐκ Μαναὲμ εἰς Γαβαών·
13And Joab the son of Saruia, and the servants of David, went forth from Chebron, and met them at the fountain of Gabaon, at the same place: and these sat down by the fountain on this side, and those by the fountain on that side.Καὶ Ἰωὰβ υἱὸς Σαρουία, καὶ οἱ παῖδες Δαυὶδ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ Χεβρὼν, καὶ συναντῶσιν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὴν κρήνην τὴν Γαβαὼν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, καὶ ἐκάθισαν οὗτοι ἐπὶ τὴν κρήνην ἐντεῦθεν, καὶ οὗτοι ἐπὶ τὴν κρήνην ἐντεῦθεν.
14And Abenner said to Joab, Let now the young men arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἀβεννὴρ πρὸς Ἰωὰβ, ἀναστήτωσαν δὴ τὰ παιδάρια, καὶ παιξάτωσαν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν· καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωὰβ, ἀναστήτωσαν.
15And there arose and passed over by number twelve of the children of Benjamin, belonging to Jebosthe the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.Καὶ ἀνέστησαν καὶ παρῆλθον ἐν ἀριθμῷ τῶν παίδων Βενιαμὶν δώδεκα τῶν Ἰεβοσθὲ υἱοῦ Σαοὺλ, καὶ δώδεκα ἐκ τῶν παίδων Δαυίδ
16And they seized every one the head of his neighbor with his hand, and his sword was thrust into the side of his neighbor, and they fall down together: and the name of that place was called The portion of the treacherous ones, which is in Gabaon.Καὶ ἐκράτησαν ἕκαστος τῇ χειρὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ μάχαιρα αὐτοῦ εἰς πλευρὰν τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ, καὶ πίπτουσι κατὰ τὸ αὐτό· καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου, μερὶς τῶν ἐπιβούλων, ἥ ἐστιν ἐν Γαβαών.
17And the battle was very severe on that day; and Abenner and the men of Israel were worsted before the servants of David.Καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ πόλεμος σκληρὸς ὥστε λίαν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· καὶ ἔπταισεν Ἀβεννὴρ καὶ ἄνδρες Ἰσραὴλ ἐνώπιον παίδων Δαυίδ.
18And there were there the three sons of Saruia, Joab, and Abessa, and Asael: and Asael was swift in his feet as a roe in the field.Καὶ ἐγένοντο ἐκεῖ τρεῖς υἱοὶ Σαρουία, Ἰωὰβ, καὶ Ἀβεσσὰ, καὶ Ἀσαήλ· καὶ Ἀσαὴλ κοῦφος τοῖς ποσὶν αὐτοῦ· ὡσεὶ μία δορκὰς ἐν ἀγρῷ.
19And Asael followed after Abenner, and turned not to go to the right hand or to the left from following Abenner.Καὶ κατεδίωξεν Ἀσαὴλ ὀπίσω Ἀβεννὴρ, καὶ οὐκ ἐξέκλινε τοῦ πορεύεσθαι εἰς δεξιὰ οὐδὲ εἰς ἀριστερὰ κατόπισθεν Ἀβεννήρ.
20And Abenner looked behind him, and said, Are you Asael himself? and he said, I am.Καὶ ἐπέβλεψεν Ἀβεννὴρ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν, εἰ σὺ εἶ αὐτὸς Ἀσαήλ; καὶ εἶπεν, ἐγώ εἰμι.
21And Abenner said to him, Turn you to the right hand or to the left, and lay hold for yourself on one of the young men, and take to yourself his armor: but Asel would not turn back from following him.Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἀβεννὴρ, ἔκκλινον σὺ εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ ἢ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερὰ, καὶ κατάσχε σεαυτῷ ἓν τῶν παιδαρίων, καὶ λάβε σεαυτῷ τὴν πανοπλίαν αὐτοῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν Ἀσαὴλ ἐκκλῖναι ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν αὐτοῦ.
22And Abenner said yet again to Asael, Stand aloof from me, lest I strike you to the ground? and how should I lift up my face to Joab?Καὶ προσέθετο ἔτι Ἀβεννὴρ λέγων τῷ Ἀσαὴλ, ἀπόστηθι ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, ἵνα μὴ πατάξω σε εἰς τὴν γῆν· καὶ πῶς ἀρῶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου πρὸς Ἰωάβ;
23And what does this mean? return to Joab your brother? But he would not stand aloof; and Abenner smites him with the hinder end of the spear on the loins, and the spear went out behind him, and he falls there and dies ‡ on the spot: and it came to pass that every one that came to the place where Asael fell and died, stood still.Καὶ ποῦ ἐστι ταῦτα; ἐπίστρεφε πρὸς Ἰωὰβ τὸν ἀδελφόν σου. Καὶ οὐκ ἐβούλετο τοῦ ἀποστῆναι· καὶ τύπτει αὐτὸν Ἀβεννὴρ ἐν τῷ ὀπίσω τοῦ δόρατος ἐπὶ τὴν ψόαν, καὶ διεξῆλθε τὸ δόρυ ἐκ τῶν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ πίπτει ἐκεῖ καὶ ἀποθνήσκει ὑποκάτω αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐγένετο πᾶς ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἕως τοῦ τόπου οὗ ἔπεσεν ἐκεῖ Ἀσαὴλ καὶ ἀπέθανε, καὶ ὑφίστατο.
24And Joab and Abessa pursued after Abenner, and the sun went down: and they went as far as the hill of Amman, which is in the front of Gai, by the § desert way of Gabaon.Καὶ κατεδίωξεν Ἰωὰβ καὶ Ἀβεσσὰ ὀπίσω Ἀβεννὴρ, καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ἔδυνε· καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰσῆλθον ἕως τοῦ βουνοῦ Ἀμμὰν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ προσώπου Γαῒ, ὁδὸν ἔρημον Γαβαών.
25And the children of Benjamin who followed Abenner gather themselves together, and they formed themselves into one body, and stood on the top of a hill.Καὶ συναθροίζονται οἱ υἱοὶ Βενιαμὶν οἱ ὀπίσω Ἀβεννὴρ, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν εἰς συνάντησιν μίαν, καὶ ἔστησαν ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν βουνοῦ ἑνός.
26And Abenner called Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour perpetually? know you not that it will be bitter at last? How long then will you refuse to tell the people to turn from following our brethren?Καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἀβεννὴρ Ἰωὰβ, καὶ εἶπε, μὴ εἰς νῖκος καταφάγεται ἡ ῥομφαία; ἢ οὐκ οἴδας ὅτι πικρὰ ἔσται εἰς τὰ ἔσχατα; καὶ ἕως πότε οὐ μὴ εἴπῃς τῷ λαῷ ἀποστρέφειν ἀπὸ ὄπισθε τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἡμῶν;
27And Joab said, As the Lord lives, if you had not spoken, even from the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.Καὶ εἶπεν Ἰωὰβ, ζῇ Κύριος, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἐλάλησας, διότι τότε ἐκ πρωϊόθεν ἀνέβη ἂν ὁ λαὸς ἕκαστος κατόπισθε τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ.
28And Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the people departed, and did not pursue after Israel, and did not fight any longer.Καὶ ἐσάλπισεν Ἰωὰβ τῇ σάλπιγγι, καὶ ἀπέστησαν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς, καὶ οὐ κατεδίωξαν ὀπίσω τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ οὐ προσέθεντο ἔτι τοῦ πολεμεῖν.
29And Abenner and his men departed at evening, and went all that night, and crossed over Jordan, and went along the whole adjacent country, and they come to the camp.Καὶ Ἀβεννὴρ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθον εἰς δυσμὰς ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ἐκείνην, καὶ διέβαινον τὸν Ἰορδάνην, καὶ ἐπορεύθησαν ὅλην τὴν παρατείνουσαν, καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς τὴν παρεμβολήν.
30And Joab returned from following Abenner, and he assembled all the people, and there were missing of the people of David, nineteen men, and Asael.Καὶ Ἰωὰβ ἀνέστρεψεν ὄπισθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀβεννὴρ, καὶ συνήθροισε πάντα τὸν λαὸν, καὶ ἐπεσκέπησαν τῶν παίδων Δαυὶδ ἐννεακαίδεκα ἄνδρες,
31And the servants of David struck of the children of Benjamin, of the men of Abenner, three hundred and sixty men belonging to him.καὶ Ἀσαήλ. Καὶ οἱ παῖδες Δαυὶδ ἐπάταξαν τῶν υἱῶν Βενιαμὶν τῶν ἀνδρῶν Ἀβεννὴρ τριακοσίους ἑξήκοντα ἄνδρας παρʼ αὐτοῦ.
32And they take up Asael, and bury him in the tomb of his father in Bethleem. And Joab and the men with him went all the night, and the morning rose upon them in Chebron.Καὶ αἴρουσι τὸν Ἀσαὴλ, καὶ θάπτουσιν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ τάφῳ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἐν Βηθλεέμ· καὶ ἐπορεύθη Ἰωὰβ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες οἱ μετʼ αὐτοῦ ὅλην τὴν νύκτα, καὶ διέφαυσεν αὐτοῖς ἐν Χεβρών.
Translator's Notes
These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.
- v. 7*Gr. mighty sons.
- v. 9†Observe the active use of ἐβασίλευσεν, common in LXX.
- v. 23‡A literal version of the Hebrew חחחו q.d. sur le champ.
- v. 24§See Acts 8:26.