< Samuel 2 3 >

1 Aʋawɔwɔ didi aɖe nɔ edzi yim le Saul ƒe aƒe kple David aƒe dome. David ƒe aƒe la nɔ ŋusẽ kpɔm ɖe edzi le esime Saul ƒe aƒe ya nɔ gbɔdzɔgbɔdzɔm ɖe edzi.
Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2 Wodzi ŋutsuviwo na David esi wònɔ Hebron. Via ŋutsu tsitsitɔe nye Amnon, ame si dadae nye Ahinoam tso Yezreel.
And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 Via ŋutsu eveliae nye Kileab, ame si Abigail, Nabal, Karmeltɔ la ƒe ahosi dzi nɛ. Via ŋutsu etɔ̃liae nye Absalom, ame si Maaka, Gesur Fia, Talmai ƒe vinyɔnu dzi nɛ.
his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
4 Eneliae nye Adoniya, ame si Hagit dzi nɛ. Via atɔ̃liae nye Sefatia eye dadae nye Abital
his fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; his fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
5 Adeliae nye Itream eye dadae nye Egla. Wodzi ŋutsu ade siawo na Fia David le Hebron.
and his sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron.
6 Esi aʋa la nɔ edzi yim la, Abner va kpɔ ŋusẽ gã aɖe le Saul yomedzelawo dome.
During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had continued to strengthen his position in the house of Saul.
7 Ewɔ nɔƒe si wòkpɔ la ŋu dɔ eye wòdɔ Saul ƒe ahiãvi aɖe si woyɔna be Rizpa, si dadaa nye Aya gbɔ. Ke esi Is Boset bia gbe Abner le nuwɔna sia ŋu la,
Meanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
8 Abner do dɔmedzoe le Is Boset ƒe nyawo ta hegblɔ bena, “Avue menye le Yuda be woanɔ ƒoyem tso afii yi afimɛa? Menyo na wò kple fofowò vɔ be nyemetsɔ mi de asi na David o. Nye fetue nye miakpɔ vodada le nye kple nyɔnu aɖe ŋua?
Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!
9 Mawu nafia fu Abner vevie ne nyemewɔ nu si Yehowa do ŋugbe, eye wòka atam ɖe edzi be mawɔ na David o,
May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
10 ne nyemexɔ fiaɖuƒe la tso Saul ƒe aƒe me eye ne nyemeɖo David ƒe fiazikpui la gɔme anyi ɖe Israel kple Yuda dzi, tso Dan va se ɖe Beerseba o.”
to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11 Is Boset meɖo eŋu o elabena enɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Abner.
And for fear of Abner, Ish-bosheth did not dare to say another word to him.
12 Abner dɔ amewo ɖe David gbɔ be woagblɔ nɛ be yeaɖe asi le Israel ƒe fiaɖuƒe ŋu nɛ ale be wòawɔ ye yeazu aʋafia gã anɔ Israelʋakɔ la kple Yudaʋakɔ la ƒe ƒuƒoƒo nu.
Then Abner sent messengers in his place to say to David, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and surely my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”
13 David ɖo eŋu be, “Enyo, melɔ̃ gake nyemawɔ nubabla aɖeke kpli wò o va se ɖe esime nàkplɔ srɔ̃nye Mixal, ame si nye Saul vinyɔnu la vɛ nam.”
“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
14 Ale David ɖo du ɖe Is Boset be, “Gbugbɔ srɔ̃nye Mixal nam elabena Filistitɔ alafa ɖeka ƒe agbe metsɔ na ɖe eta.”
Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15 Ale Is Boset xɔ Mikal le srɔ̃a Paltiel si nye Lais vi la si.
So Ish-bosheth sent and took Michal from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.
16 Paltiel dze srɔ̃a yome nɔ avi fam va se ɖe keke Bahurim, hafi Abner na wòtrɔ yi aƒe.
Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he returned home.
17 Abner wɔ takpekpe kple Israel ƒe kplɔlawo eye wòɖo ŋku edzi na wo be, “Miedi be David nanye miaƒe fia ɣeyiɣi didi aɖee nye esi.”
Now Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “In the past you sought David as your king.
18 Egblɔ na wo be, “Azã la su azɔ elabena Yehowa do ŋugbe na David be, ‘Nye dɔla, David dzie mato aɖe nye dukɔ, Israel tso Filistitɔwo kple woƒe futɔ bubuawo ƒe asi me!’”
Now take action, because the LORD has said to David, ‘Through My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’”
19 Abner ƒo nu kple Benyamin ƒe viwo ƒe kplɔlawo hã. Emegbe la, eyi Hebron eye wògblɔ ale si wòwɔ nya la ŋu dɔ kple Israelviwo kple Benyamin ƒe viwo la na David.
Abner also spoke to the Benjamites and went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
20 Esi Abner kplɔ ame blaeve ɖe asi va David gbɔ le Hebron la, David xɔ wo nyuie eye wòɖo kplɔ̃ na wo.
When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.
21 Esi Abner nɔ dzodzom la, edo ŋugbe na David be, “Ne meɖo aƒe la, mayɔ Israelviwo katã aƒo ƒu na nye aƒetɔ fia la, eye mana woatia wò woƒe fiae abe ale si nèdi xoxoxo ene.” Ale David na Abner trɔ dzo dedie.
Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
22 Esi Abner trɔ dzo teti ko la, Yoab kple David ƒe aʋawɔla aɖewo gbɔ tso nuwo haƒe eye wotsɔ afunyinuwo gbɔe.
Just then David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing with them a great plunder. But Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had sent him on his way in peace.
23 Esi wògblɔ na Yoab be Abner, Ner vi, va kpɔ Fia la ɖa eye wòtrɔ dzo dedie le ŋutifafa me eteƒe medidi o la,
When Joab and all his troops arrived, he was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, who sent him on his way in peace.”
24 Yoab yi Fia la gbɔ eye wògblɔ be, “Nu kae nye esi nèwɔ? Kpɔ ɖa, Abner va gbɔwò. Nu ka ta nèɖe asi le eŋu? Fifia edzo!
So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he is getting away!
25 Ènya Abner, Ner ƒe vi, nyuie; ɖe wòva be yeable wò, yealé ŋku ɖe wò afɔɖeɖewo ŋu eye yeanya nu sia nu si wɔm nèle.”
Surely you realize that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to track your movements and all that you are doing.”
26 Yoab dɔ amewo ɖa be woana Abner natrɔ agbɔ. Ame dɔdɔawo tu Abner le Sira ƒe vudo la gbɔ eye wòtrɔ gbɔ kpli wo. Ke David menya naneke tso nu sia ŋu o.
As soon as Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David was unaware of it.
27 Esi Abner va ɖo Hebron la, Yoab ɖe kpɔe le dua ƒe agbonu abe nya ɣaɣla aɖee wòbe yeagblɔ nɛ ene, ke eɖe adekpui eye wòwui abe hlɔ̃biabiae ɖe nɔvia Asahel, ame si Abner wu la ta ene.
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.
28 Emegbe, esi David se nu tso nu sia ŋu la, egblɔ be “Nye kple nye fiaɖuƒe la, míeɖi fɔ le Ner ƒe vi, Abner ƒe ʋu ŋuti le Yehowa ŋkume o yi ɖe mavɔ me.
Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
29 Eƒe ʋu nava Yoab kple fofoa ƒe aƒe la katã ƒe ta dzi. Na be ame si ŋu abi makumaku alo kpodɔ le alo nuwɔamitɔ alo ame si tsi yinu loo alo dɔwuitɔ magbe Yoab ƒe aƒemenɔnɔ gbeɖe o.”
May it whirl over the heads of Joab and the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”
30 Yoab kple nɔvia Abisai wowu Abner elabena ewu wo nɔviŋutsu Asahel le aʋa le Gibeon.
(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
31 David gblɔ na Yoab kple ame siwo katã le eŋu la be, “Midze miaƒe awuwo, mita akpanya eye mifa na Abner.” Fia David ŋutɔ dze amekukuɖaka la yome yi ameɖiƒe.
Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.
32 Woɖi Abner ɖe Hebron eye fia la fa avi hehehe le Abner ƒe yɔdo to, nenema kee nye ameawo katã hã.
When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.
33 Fia David dzi konyifaha sia na Abner be, “Ɖe Abner aku abe yakame enea?
And the king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner die the death of a fool?
34 Womebla wò asiwo hafi o. Womede ga wò afɔwo hafi o. Èku abe ale si wokuna le ŋutasẽlawo ƒe asi me ene.” Eye ameawo katã gafa avi nɛ.
Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As a man falls before the wicked, so also you fell.” And all the people wept over him even more.
35 Ale wo katã wova eye woƒoe ɖe David nu be wòaɖu nane esi zã medo haɖe o. Ke David ka atam be, “Mawu nafiam, agafiam ɖe edzi ne made abolo alo nu bubu aɖe nu me hafi ɣe naɖo to!”
Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
36 Ameawo katã de dzesi nya sia eye wokpɔ ŋudzedze le eŋu; le nyateƒe me la, nu sia nu si fia la wɔ la dze wo ŋu.
All the people took note and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.
37 Ale dukɔ blibo la, Yuda kple Israel siaa nya to David ƒe nuwɔnawo me be eƒe asi menɔ Abner ƒe ku la me o.
So on that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38 David gblɔ na eƒe amewo be, “Kplɔla gã aɖe kple amegã aɖe ku egbe le Israel
Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel?
39 eye togbɔ be menye Mawu ƒe amesiamina hã la, nyemate ŋu awɔ naneke kple Zeruya ƒe vi eve siawo o. Yehowa naɖo vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi teƒe na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo.”
And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!”

< Samuel 2 3 >