2 Samuel 3
1 Saul imkhui neh David imkhui ah caemtloek he puet om. Te vaengah David tah rhoeng tih Saul imkhui tah tattloel la a pai pah.
There was a long war between those who wanted Saul’s son to be their king and those who wanted David to be their king. But more and more people began to want David to be the king, while the number of people who wanted Saul’s son to be the king continued to become smaller.
2 David loh Hebron ah a ca a sak rhoek tah Jezreel nu Ahinoam capa Amnon te a cacuek la om.
David’s wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel [city].
3 A pabae ah Karmel Nabal yurho nu Abigail neh Kileab, A pathum ah Geshuri manghai Talmai canu Maakah capa Absalom,
The next one was Kileab, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal, from Carmel [city]. The next one was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of [the] Geshur [region].
4 a pali ah Haggith capa Adonijah, a panga ah Abital capa Shephatiah,
The next one was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith. The next one was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
5 a parhuk ah David yuu Eglah capa Ithream tih, te rhoek te David loh Hebron ah a sak rhoek ni.
The youngest one was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, [another one of] David’s wives. Those sons of David were all born in Hebron.
6 Saul imkhui neh David imkhui laklo ah caemtloek a om a om vaengah Abner tah Saul imkhui ah khak om.
While those who wanted Saul’s son to rule over them and those who wanted David to rule over them continued to fight against each other, Abner was becoming more influential among those who wanted Saul’s son to be the king.
7 Te vaengah Aiah canu a ming ah Rizpah tah Saul taengah yula la om. Tedae Abner te, “Balae tih a pa kah yula te na kun thil,” a ti nah.
When Saul was alive, he had as one of his wives a slave woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. [But one day Abner had sexual relations with her]. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you had sexual relations with [EUP] my father’s slave wife?”
8 Ishbosheth kah ol loh Abner te mat a lungoe sak tih, “Judah taengah kai he ui lu a? Tihnin ah na pa Saul imkhui ah, a paca boeina neh a baerhoep taengah sitlohnah ka tueng coeng. Te dongah David kut dongah nang kan mop pawh. Tedae tihnin ah kai he huta neh thaesainah nan pup thil.
Abner became very angry about what Ishbosheth said to him. He said to Ishbosheth, “(Do you think that I am a [worthless] dog [MET] from Judah?/You are treating me as though I am a [worthless] dog [MET] from Judah.) [RHQ] From the beginning, I have been loyal to Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends. And I have prevented you from being defeated by David’s army. So now (why are you criticizing me about [what I have done with] some woman?/you should not be criticizing me about [what I have done with] some woman.) [RHQ]
9 Pathen loh Abner te saii nawn saeh lamtah anih te khoengvoep nawn saeh. BOEIPA loh David a caeng vanbangla anih ham te ka saii van atah.
Yahweh solemnly promised that he would not allow Saul and his descendants to continue to rule. He promised that he would cause David to rule over all the tribes of Israel and Judah, from Dan [city] far in the north to Beersheba [city] far in the south. So I hope/desire that God will punish me severely [HYP] if I do not enable that to happen!”
10 A ram te Saul imkhui lamloh a puen vetih Israel neh Judah soah Dan lamloh Beersheba duela David kah ngolkhoel a hol pah ham te khaw,” a ti nah.
11 Te vaengah anih te a rhih coeng dongah Abner te ol koep a mael ham khaw huem voel pawh.
Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything in reply to Abner.
12 Te phoeiah Abner loh David taengah amah yueng la puencawn a tueih tih anih kah yueng la, “Khohmuen ke u ham tloe nim? Nang neh kai moi bop pawn sih, Israel boeih te nang taengla aka maelh ham khaw ka kut he nang taengah om ta he,” a ti nah.
Then Abner sent messengers to David [when he was at Hebron], to say to him, “[Either you or I] should be [RHQ] the ruler of this entire nation, [but not Isbosheth. However, ] if you make an agreement with me, I will help you by encouraging all the people of Israel to (be want you to be their king/start to support) you.”
13 Te dongah David loh, “Then, kai loh nang taengah moi kam boh ngawn ni. Tedae ol pakhat te nang taeng lamloh tha sak ham kai loh kam bih. Ka maelhmai hmuh ham na pawk vaengah Saul canu Mikhal te nang khuen lamhma pawt atah ka maelhmai he na hmu mahpawh,” a ti nah.
David sent back this reply: “Good! I am willing to make an agreement with you. But before that happens, there is one thing that you must do. When you come to see me, you must bring my wife Michal, Saul’s daughter.”
14 Te dongah David loh, “Philisti kah yanghli yakhat neh kamah ham ka bae ka yuu Mikhal te m'pae saeh,” tila voek sak ham Saul capa Ishbosheth taengah puencawn a tueih.
Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, to say to him, “I [had to kill] 100 men from Philistia [and cut off] their foreskins to give to Saul to pay for Michal [to be my wife]. So now give her back to me!”
15 Ishbosheth a tah vanbangla huta te a va Laish capa Paltiel taeng lamloh a bong pah.
So Ishbosheth sent some men to take Michal from her husband Palti. But [when they took her, ] her husband followed them all the way to Bahurim [town], crying as he went.
16 Tedae anih te a va loh a vai tih a caeh pah. Bahurim duela a hnukah a rhah pah hatah anih te Abner loh, “Mael lamtah cet laeh,” a ti nah tih vik mael.
Then Abner [turned and] said to him, “Go back [home]!”, so he did.
17 Abner kah olka te Israel patong taengah om coeng tih, “Hlaem neh hlaemvai ah nangmih soah aka manghai la David aka toem khaw na om uh.
Abner went to the Israeli leaders and talked with them. He said, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king.
18 Saii uh kanoek laeh, BOEIPA loh David ham a uen pah coeng tih, ‘Ka sal David kut loh ka pilnam Israel he Philisti kut lamkah, a thunkha cungkuem kut lamloh a khang ni,’ a ti,” a ti nah.
So now you have an opportunity to do that. Keep in mind that Yahweh promised this: ‘With the help of David, who serves me [well], I will rescue my people from the people of Philistia, and from the power [MTY] of all their other enemies’.”
19 Abner loh Benjamin kah a hna dongah khaw a thui pah. Te phoeiah Abner te Hebron kah David hna ah Israel mikhmuh neh Benjamin imkhui pum kah mikhmuh ah boeih then coeng tila thui pah ham tloekloek cet.
Abner also spoke to the people of the tribe of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron, to tell David what all the people of Israel and the people of the tribe of Benjamin had agreed to do.
20 Abner loh a taengkah hlang pakul neh Hebron kah David te a paan. Te dongah David loh Abner neh anih taengkah hlang rhoek ham buhkoknah a saii pah.
When Abner came with 20 of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.
21 Abner loh David taengah, “Ka thoo mai saeh lamtah ka cet mai eh. Ka boeipa manghai ham Israel pum te ka coi eh. Te daengah ni namah taengah paipi a saii uh vetih na hinglu loh a ngaih sarhui bangla na manghai thil eh,” a ti nah. Te dongah David loh Abner te a tueih tih ngaimong la cet.
Afterwards, Abner said to David, “Sir/Your majesty, I will now go and encourage all the people of Israel to accept you to be their king, as you have desired.” Then Abner left, peacefully.
22 Te vaengah David kah sal rhoek neh Joab tah caem lamloh pakcak ha pawk uh. Amih te kutbuem neh muep ha pawk uh. Tedae Abner tah a tueih coeng tih ngaimong la a caeh coeng dongah Hebron kah David taengah om voel pawh.
Soon after that, Joab and some of David’s other soldiers returned [to Hebron] after raiding [one of their enemies’ villages], bringing with them a lot of things that they had captured. But Abner was not there at Hebron, because David had sent him safely home.
23 Joab neh amah taengkah caempuei te boeih ha pawk uh vaengah Ner capa Abner tah manghai taengla kun tih anih te a tueih dongah ngaimong la a caeh te Joab taengla a puen pa uh tih a thui pa uh.
When Joab and the soldiers who were with him arrived, someone told him that Abner had come there and talked with the king, and that the king allowed to go home safely.
24 Te dongah Joab loh manghai taengla kun tih, “Balae na saii he, namah taengla Abner ha pawk te ba ham lae anih te na tueih tih a caeh khaw a caeh rhoe.
So Joab went to the king and said, “Why have you done that? Listen to me! Abner [is your enemy, but] when he came to you, you allowed him [RHQ] to leave!
25 Ner capa Abner te nang hloih ham ha pai tila na ming. Te dongah na thoengnah neh na kunnah, na aelnah aka dawn ham, na saii boeih te a dawn ham ni,” a ti nah.
Do you not know that he came to you to deceive you and to find out everything that you are doing, and all the places that you go to?”
26 Te phoeiah Joab te David taeng lamloh coe tih Abner hnukah puencawn a tueih. Te dongah Abner te Sirah tuito lamloh a mael puei uh dae David loh ming pawh.
After Joab left David, he sent some messengers to get Abner. They found him at Sirah Well, and brought him back to Hebron, but David did not know that they had done that.
27 Hebron la Abner ha mael vaengah anih te Joab loh vongka khui la duem a mawt. Te phoeiah a bung ah pahoi a thun tih Joab kah a manuca Asahel kah thii a yueng la Abner khaw duek.
So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city gate, and took him aside as though he wanted to speak with him privately. Then he stabbed Abner in the stomach [with his knife/sword]. In that way he murdered Abner because Abner had killed [MTY] Joab’s brother Asahel.
28 Te phoei lamkah te David loh a yaak tih, “Ner capa Abner thii kawng dongah kamah neh ka ram he kumhal duela BOEIPA taengah ommongsitoe la om saeh.
Later, after David heard what had happened, he said, “Yahweh knows that I and the people of my kingdom are not at all (responsible for/guilty of) murdering [MTY] Abner.
29 Joab lu so neh a napa imkhui boeih soah phuei uh saeh. Joab imkhui ah a thi a hnai neh aka pahuk, conghol dongah aka kuitung khaw, cunghang neh aka rhu, buh ka nai khaw pat boel saeh,” a ti.
I hope/desire that Joab and all his family will be punished [MTY] for doing that! I hope/desire that there will always be someone in his family who has sores, or someone who is a leper, or some man who is forced to do women’s work, or someone who is killed in a battle, or someone who does not have enough food to eat!”
30 Gibeon caem vaengah a manuca Asahel a ngawn pah dongah Joab neh a mana Abishai loh Abner te a ngawn rhoi.
That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
31 David loh Joab neh a taengkah pilnam boeih taengah, “Na himbai phen uh, tlamhni vah uh, Abner hmai ah rhaengsae uh,” a ti nah tih, manghai David te baiphaih taengah cet.
Then David said to Joab and to all Joab’s soldiers, “Tear your clothes and put on coarse cloth [to show that you are sad], and mourn for Abner!” And [at the funeral], King David walked behind [the men who were carrying] the coffin.
32 Abner te Hebron ah a up uh. Manghai loh a ol a huel tih Abner phuel ah rhap. Te vaengah pilnam khaw boeih rhap uh.
They buried Abner’s body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.
33 Abner ham manghai te rhaengsae tih, “Hlang ang a duek bang lam a Abner a duek eh?
David sang this sad song to lament for Abner: “It is not right that [RHQ] Abner died like outlaws die!
34 Na kut ham pin pawh, na kho khaw rhohum dongah man bal pawh, dumlai hlang kah mikhmuh ah a cungku uh bangla na cungku,” a ti. Anih te pilnam boeih loh a rhaep la a rhah.
No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, [like they do to criminals]. No, he was murdered by wicked men!”
35 Kho om vaengah David te buh cah ham pilnam pum loh a paan. Tedae David loh a toemngam tih, “Pathen loh kai taengah han saii saeh lamtah khomik a khum hlanah buh khaw, khat khat khaw, ka tuep atah amah loh ng'koei nawn saeh,” a ti.
Then many [HYP] people came to David to tell him to eat some food before sunset, but David refused. He said, “I hope/desire that God will punish me severely [HYP] if I eat any food before the sun goes down!”
36 Pilnam pum loh a hmat uh tih a mik ah cop uh. Manghai loh a saii boeih tah pilnam mik ah boeih cop.
All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
37 Ner capa Abner a ngawn ham te manghai taeng lamkah a om moenih tila tekah khohnin ah pilnam pum neh Israel pum loh a ming.
So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
38 Te vaengah manghai loh a sal rhoek te, “Mangpa neh hlangtang he na ming uh moenih a? Tihnin ah Israel lakli ah a cungku he.
The king said to his officials, “(Do you not realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel?/You should realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel.) [RHQ]
39 Tihnin ah ka mongkawt cakhaw manghai la ng'koelh tih Zeruiah koca tongpa rhoek lakah ka ning. Thae aka saii taengah a boethae bangla BOEIPA loh thuung saeh,” a ti nah.
Even though Yahweh appointed me to be the king, today I feel weak. These two sons of Zeruiah, [Joab and Abishai], are very violent; I cannot control them. So I hope/desire that Yahweh will punish them severely in return for this wicked thing that they have done!”
