< 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 there was long war between Saul’s house and David’s house. David grew stronger and stronger, but Saul’s house grew weaker and weaker.
2 Wodzi ŋutsuviwo na David esi wònɔ Hebron. Via ŋutsu tsitsitɔe nye Amnon, ame si dadae nye Ahinoam tso Yezreel.
Sons were born to David in Hebron. His firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
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.
and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4 Eneliae nye Adoniya, ame si Hagit dzi nɛ. Via atɔ̃liae nye Sefatia eye dadae nye Abital
and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5 Adeliae nye Itream eye dadae nye Egla. Wodzi ŋutsu ade siawo na Fia David le Hebron.
and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah, David’s wife. These were born to David in Hebron.
6 Esi aʋa la nɔ edzi yim la, Abner va kpɔ ŋusẽ gã aɖe le Saul yomedzelawo dome.
While there was war between Saul’s house and David’s house, Abner made himself strong in Saul’s house.
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,
Now Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah; and Ishbosheth said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to 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?
Then Abner was very angry about Ishbosheth’s words, and said, “Am I a dog’s head that belongs to Judah? Today I show kindness to your father Saul’s house, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and yet you charge me today with a fault concerning 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,
God do so to Abner, and more also, if, as Yahweh has sworn to David, I don’t do even so 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 Saul’s house, and to set up David’s throne over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.”
11 Is Boset meɖo eŋu o elabena enɔ vɔvɔ̃m na Abner.
He could not answer Abner another word, because he was afraid of 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.
Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, “Whose is the land?” and saying, “Make your alliance with me, and behold, my hand will be with you to bring all Israel around 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.”
David said, “Good. I will make a treaty with you, but one thing I require of you. That is, you will not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul’s daughter, when you come to see my face.”
14 Ale David ɖo du ɖe Is Boset be, “Gbugbɔ srɔ̃nye Mixal nam elabena Filistitɔ alafa ɖeka ƒe agbe metsɔ na ɖe eta.”
David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, saying, “Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I was given to marry for one hundred foreskins of the Philistines.”
15 Ale Is Boset xɔ Mikal le srɔ̃a Paltiel si nye Lais vi la si.
Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, Paltiel the son of Laish.
16 Paltiel dze srɔ̃a yome nɔ avi fam va se ɖe keke Bahurim, hafi Abner na wòtrɔ yi aƒe.
Her husband went with her, weeping as he went, and followed her to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go! Return!” and he returned.
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.”
Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, “In times past, you sought for David to be king over you.
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 then do it! For Yahweh has spoken of David, saying, ‘By the hand of my servant David, I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand 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 in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron 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.
So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.
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.
Abner said to David, “I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your soul desires.” David sent Abner away; 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.
Behold, David’s servants and Joab came from a raid and brought in a great plunder with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone 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 the army who was with him had come, they told Joab, “Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away, and he has gone 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!
Then Joab came to the king and said, “What have you done? Behold, Abner came to you. Why is it that you have sent him away, and he is already gone?
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.”
You know Abner the son of Ner. He came to deceive you, and to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you do.”
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.
When Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David didn’t know 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 had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the middle of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.
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, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the 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.”
Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.”
30 Yoab kple nɔvia Abisai wowu Abner elabena ewu wo nɔviŋutsu Asahel le aʋa le Gibeon.
So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.
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.
David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, “Tear your clothes, and clothe yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn in front of Abner.” King David followed the bier.
32 Woɖi Abner ɖe Hebron eye fia la fa avi hehehe le Abner ƒe yɔdo to, nenema kee nye ameawo katã hã.
They buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at Abner’s grave; and all the people wept.
33 Fia David dzi konyifaha sia na Abner be, “Ɖe Abner aku abe yakame enea?
The king lamented for Abner, and said, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?
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 weren’t bound, and your feet weren’t put into fetters. As a man falls before the children of iniquity, so you fell.” All the people wept again over him.
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!”
All the people came to urge David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, “God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else, until the sun goes down.”
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 notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatever the king did pleased all the people.
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 all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to kill Abner the son of Ner.
38 David gblɔ na eƒe amewo be, “Kplɔla gã aɖe kple amegã aɖe ku egbe le Israel
The king said to his servants, “Don’t you know that a prince and a great man 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.”
I am weak today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evildoer according to his wickedness.”

< Samuel 2 3 >