< 2 Samuel 2 >

1 Dịka oge na-aga, Devid jụrụ Onyenwe anyị ase sị, “M ga-ebili gbagoo nʼotu obodo dị na Juda?” Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Gbagoo.” Devid jụkwara, “Olee ebe m ga-agbago?” Onyenwe anyị zara, “Hebrọn.”
Sometime after this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes, do it,” the Lord replied. “Which one should I go to?” David asked. “Go to Hebron,” said the Lord.
2 Devid na nwunye ya abụọ, Ahinoam onye Jezril, na Abigel nwunye ochie Nebal onye Kamel gara nʼebe ahụ.
So David moved there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel.
3 Devid kpọkwaara ndị ikom ahụ ya na ha so, onye ọbụla nʼime ha durukwaara ezinaụlọ ya, ga biri na Hebrọn na obodo ndị ọzọ gbara ya gburugburu.
He also brought the men who were with him, along with their families, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.
4 Ndị ikom Juda bịakwutere Devid na Hebrọn. Tee ya mmanụ ịbụ eze ebo Juda niile. Mgbe Devid nụrụ na ọ bụ ndị ikom Jebesh Gilead liri Sọl,
Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king of the people of Judah. When David found out that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,
5 o zigaara ha ndị ozi ka ha sị ha, “Ka Onyenwe anyị gọzie unu nʼihi obiọma unu gosiri site nʼili Sọl, nna unu ukwu, nʼụzọ kwesiri ekwesi.
he sent messengers to them, saying, “May the Lord bless you, because you demonstrated your loyal love to Saul your master, and you buried him properly.
6 Ka Onyenwe anyị gosikwa unu obiọma na ikwesi ntụkwasị obi. Mụ onwe m ga-egosikwa unu otu ụdị amara a, nʼihi ihe a unu mere.
Now may the Lord show you loyal love and trustworthiness, and I will also be good to you because of what you did for Saul.
7 Ma ugbu a, bụrụnụ dike na dimkpa, nʼihi na Sọl nna unu ukwu anwụọla. Ọzọkwa, ndị Juda niile eteela m mmanụ ịbụ eze ha.”
So be strong and be brave, for even though Saul your master is dead, the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
8 Ma Abna nwa Nea, ọchịagha ndị agha Sọl edurularịị Ishboshet, nwa Sọl, dubata ya nʼobodo Mahanaim.
However, Abner, son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbosheth, son of Saul, to Mahanaim.
9 Ọ nọrọ nʼebe ahụ mee ya eze ndị Gilead, ndị Ashuri na ndị Jezril; na ndị Ifrem, ndị Benjamin na Izrel niile.
There he set up Ishbosheth as king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, in fact over all Israel.
10 Ishboshet nwa Sọl gbara iri afọ anọ mgbe ọ ghọrọ eze ndị Izrel. Ọ chịkwara afọ abụọ. Ma otu ọ dị, ndị Juda niile nọgidere nʼokpuru Devid.
Ishbosheth, son of Saul, was forty when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. However, the people of Judah were on David's side.
11 Ogologo oge niile Devid chịrị dịka eze ndị Juda na Hebrọn bụ afọ asaa na ọnwa isii.
David ruled in Hebron as king over the people of Judah for seven years and six months.
12 Otu ụbọchị, Abna nwa Nea, duuru ndị agha Ishboshet nwa Sọl site na Mahanaim jee Gibiọn.
One day Abner and Ishbosheth's men left Mahanaim and went to the town of Gibeon.
13 Ma Joab, nwa Zeruaya dukwaara ndị agha Devid pụọ izute ha nʼọdọ mmiri Gibiọn. Otu ndị nọdụrụ ala nʼotu akụkụ ọdọ mmiri, ndị nke ọzọ nʼakụkụ ọzọ nke ọdọ mmiri ahụ. Ha cherịtara onwe ha ihu.
Joab, son of Zeruiah, and David's men set off and met them at the pool of Gibeon, where they all sat down, facing each other across the pool.
14 Abna gwara Joab sị, “Ka ụfọdụ ụmụ okorobịa pụta nʼihu anyị maa aka mgba.” Joab sịrị, “Ka ha pụta.”
Abner said to Joab, “Why not let's have some of the men fight in hand to hand combat before us.” “Fine,” Joab agreed.
15 Ha pụtara ka a gụpụtachara ha. Ha dị mmadụ iri na abụọ site nʼetiti ndị agha Benjamin na Ishboshet nwa Sọl, mmadụ iri na abụọ site nʼetiti ndị agha Devid.
So twelve men came forward from each side—twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth, and twelve for David.
16 Nwoke ọbụla jidere ibe ya nʼisi were mma agha ya manye ya nʼakụkụ, si otu a wetara onwe ha ọnwụ. Ọ bụ nke a mere e ji kpọọ ebe ahụ dị na Gibiọn, Helkat Hazurim, nke pụtara Ala mma agha.
Each man grabbed his opponent's head and drove his sword into his opponent's side so that they all fell down dead together. That's why this place in Gibeon is called the Field of Sword-edges.
17 Agha siri ike dara nʼụbọchị ahụ. Ma ndị agha Devid lụgburu Abna na ndị agha Izrel.
The battle that followed was hard-fought, but eventually Abner and his men were defeated by David's men.
18 Ụmụ Zeruaya atọ nọ nʼebe ahụ, ya bụ, Joab, na Abishai na Asahel. Asahel bụ nwoke na-agba ọsọ dịka mgbada.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like a gazelle racing across the open countryside.
19 Ọ chụwara Abna ọsọ, ọ dịghị mgbe ọ tụgharịrị gaa nʼaka nri maọbụ nʼaka ekpe mgbe ọ nọ na-achụ ya ọsọ.
He chased after Abner with single-minded determination.
20 Mgbe Abna lere anya nʼazụ hụ ya ka ọ na-abịa, ọ kpọrọ ya oku sị ya, “Ọ bụ gị Asahel?” Asahel zara sị, “Ọ bụ m.”
Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it's me,” Asahel replied.
21 Abna gwara ya okwu sị ya, “Tụgharịa nʼakụkụ aka nri maọbụ aka ekpe, jide otu nʼime ụmụ okorobịa ndị a. Napụ ya ngwa agha ya niile.” Ma Asahel akwụsịghị ịchụ ya ọsọ.
Abner told him, “Leave me alone! Go and fight somebody else and take his weapons for yourself!” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
22 Abna gwara Asahel ọzọ sị, “Laghachi azụ. Kwụsị ịchụ m ọsọ! Gịnị mere m ga-eji tigbuo gị? Olee otu m ga-esi lekwasị nwanne gị Joab anya nʼihu ma m gbuo gị?”
Abner warned Asahel again. “Stop chasing me!” he shouted. “Why do you want me to kill you? How could I ever face your brother Joab?”
23 Ma Asahel jụrụ ịlaghachi azụ. Nʼihi ya, Abna weere isi ùbe ya mapuo ya afọ. Ùbe ahụ sikwa ya nʼazụ pụta. Ọ dara nʼala, nwụọ otu mgbe ahụ. Ndị niile bịaruru ebe ahụ ọ dara nwụọ kwụsịrị. Ha agakwaghị nʼihu ịchụ ndị ọzọ.
But Asahel wouldn't stop chasing him, so Abner drove the handle of his spear into his belly. It came out the back, and he fell down dead right there. Everyone who passed by stopped at the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
24 Ma Joab na Abishai chụgidere Abna ọsọ. Anwụ adaala mgbe ha bịarutere nʼugwu nta Ama, nke dị Gịa nso, nʼụzọ e si aga nʼọzara Gibiọn.
But Joab and Abishai set off to chase after Abner. By the time the sun went down they had got as far as the hill of Ammah near Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 Ndị ikom Benjamin chịkọtara onwe ha ọnụ dịnyere Abna. Ha niile guzooro nʼelu otu ugwu dịka otu usuu ndị agha.
Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin rallied to him there, forming a tight group around him standing at the top of the hill.
26 Mgbe ahụ, Abna kpọrọ Joab oku sị ya, “Ọ bụ ruo ole mgbe ka anyị ga na-eji mma agha na-egburita onwe anyị? Olee mgbe ị ga-akpọghachi ndị gị ka ha hapụ ịchụ na igbu ụmụnne ha? Ị maghị na ihe dị otu a ga-eweta obi ilu?”
Abner shouted to Joab: “Do we have to keep killing each other forever? Don't you realize that if we go on it'll only get worse? How long are you going to wait before you order your men to stop chasing their brothers?”
27 Joab zara sị, “Eji m aha Chineke ṅụọ iyi na-asị na ọ bụrụ na i gbara nkịtị, ndị a gaara achụso ụmụnna ha ọsọ na-akwụsịghị ruo nʼụtụtụ echi.”
“As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not said anything, my men would have continued chasing their brothers until the morning.”
28 Mgbe ahụ, Joab fụrụ opi ike ya. Nke a mere ka ndị ya kwụsị ịchụ ndị Izrel. Ha kwụsịkwara ibu agha.
Joab blew the horn so all the men stopped—they didn't continue chasing or fighting the Israelites.
29 Nʼabalị ahụ, Abna na ndị ikom ya jere ije gafee ndagwurugwu Jọdan, gabigakwa osimiri Jọdan, jee ije nʼụtụtụ echi ya tutu ha eruo Mahanaim.
All through the night Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and continued all morning until they arrived back at Mahanaim.
30 Joab kwụsịrị ịchụ Abna ọsọ, ọ chịkọtara ndị agha niile. Mgbe ọ gụrụ ha ọnụ, ọ chọpụtara na mmadụ iri na itoolu nʼime ndị ikom Devid, tinyere Asahel nwanne ya, bụ ndị na-alọtaghị agha.
When Joab got back from chasing Abner, he gathered all the men together. Nineteen of David's men were missing in addition to Asahel.
31 Ma ndị ikom Devid gburu narị ndị agha Benjamin atọ na iri isii, bụ ndị so Abna.
However, they had killed three hundred and sixty of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin.
32 Emesịa, Joab na ndị agha ya buuru ozu Asahel gaa lie ya na Betlehem, nʼili nna ya. Ha jere ije abalị ahụ niile tutu ha erute Hebrọn mgbe chi bidoro ịbọ.
They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Then they marched all through the night and reached Hebron at dawn.

< 2 Samuel 2 >