2 Samwiri 2
1 Oluvannyuma lw’ebyo Dawudi ne yeebuuza ku Mukama nti, “Nyambuke mu kimu ku bibuga bya Yuda?” Mukama n’amuddamu nti, “Yambuka.” N’abuuza nate nti, “Ŋŋende mu kiruwa?” Mukama n’amuddamu nti, “E Kebbulooni.”
Some time after that, David asked Yahweh, “Should I go back to [live in] one of the towns in Judah?” Yahweh replied, “Yes, go up there.” Then David asked, “To which town should I go?” Yahweh replied, “To Hebron.”
2 Awo Dawudi n’agenda eyo ne bakyala be bombi, Akinoamu Omuyezuleeri ne Abbigayiri nnamwandu wa Nabali ow’e Kalumeeri.
So David went up there, taking his two wives, Ahinoam who was from Jezreel [city], and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel [city].
3 Dawudi n’atwala n’abasajja abaali naye, buli muntu n’amaka ge, ne basenga mu Kebbulooni ne mu byalo byakyo.
He also took the men who had been with him, and their families. They all started to live in villages near Hebron.
4 Awo abantu ba Yuda ne bajja mu Kebbulooni, ne bafukirako eyo Dawudi amafuta okuba kabaka w’ennyumba ya Yuda. Dawudi n’ategeezebwa nti abantu ab’e Yabesugireyaadi be baaziika Sawulo,
Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and [one of] them poured olive oil on David’s head [to show they were appointing him to be] [MTY] the king of the tribe [MTY] of Judah. When David found out that the people of Jabesh [town] in [the] Gilead [region] had buried Saul’s body,
5 n’abatumira ababaka okubagamba nti, “Mukama abawe omukisa olw’ekisa n’ekitiibwa bye mwalaga Sawulo mukama wammwe ne mumuziika.
he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh to tell them this: “I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless you for having shown, by burying the body of Saul your king, that you were loyal to him.
6 Mukama abalage ekisa n’okwagala, nange ndibalaga ky’ekimu olw’ekyo kye mukoze.
Now I also desire/hope that Yahweh will faithfully love you and be loyal to you. And I will do good things for you because of what you have done [for Saul].
7 Noolwekyo kyemunaava mubeera ab’amaanyi era abavumu, kubanga oluvannyuma olw’okufa kwa Sawulo mukama wammwe, ennyumba ya Yuda enfuseeko amafuta okubeera kabaka waabwe.”
Now, although Saul your king is dead, be strong and courageous, like the people of Judah, who have appointed me to be their king.”
8 Mu biro ebyo, Abuneeri mutabani wa Neeri, omuduumizi w’eggye lya Sawulo, n’atwala Isubosesi mutabani wa Sawulo e Makanayimu.
[While this was happening], Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ishbosheth and went across [the Jordan River] to Mahanaim [town].
9 N’amufuula kabaka w’e Gireyaadi, ow’Abasuuli, ow’e Yezuleeri, owa Efulayimu, owa Benyamini era owa Isirayiri yenna.
There Abner proclaimed that Ishbosheth was now the king of [the] Gilead [region] and of the tribe of Asher and the region of Jezreel and the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin. That meant that he was the king of all of the people of Israel.
10 Isubosesi, mutabani wa Sawulo yali wa myaka amakumi ana we yatandika okufuga Isirayiri, era n’afugira emyaka ebiri. Naye ennyumba ya Yuda ne bagoberera Dawudi.
Ishbosheth was 40 years old when he started to rule over the people of Israel. He ruled them for two years. But the tribe of Judah (was loyal to David/wanted David to be their king),
11 Ebbanga Dawudi lye yabeerera kabaka mu Kebbulooni ng’afuga ennyumba ya Yuda lyali emyaka musanvu n’emyezi mukaaga.
and he ruled them for seven and a half years while he was living in Hebron.
12 Abuneeri mutabani wa Neeri n’abasajja ba Isubosesi mutabani wa Sawulo, ne bava e Makanayimu ne bagenda e Gibyoni.
[One day] Abner and the officials of Isbosheth went from Mahanaim [across the Jordan River] to Gibeon [city].
13 Yowaabu mutabani wa Zeruyiya n’abasajja ba Dawudi ne bagenda okubasisinkana ku kidiba eky’e Gibyoni. Ekibinja ekimu ne kituula ku luuyi olumu olw’ekidiba, n’ekirala ne kituula ku luuyi olulala.
Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, and some of David’s officials [went from Hebron to Gibeon, and] met at the pool there. They all sat down, the one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side.
14 Awo Abuneeri n’agamba Yowaabu nti, “Abamu ku basajja bagolokoke beegezeemu mu maaso gaffe.” Yowaabu n’amuddamu nti, “Kale bagolokoke.”
Abner said to Joab, “Let’s tell some of our young men to fight each other!” Joab replied, “Okay!”
15 Ne bagolokoka, kkumi na babiri ne babalibwa okuva ku ludda lwa Benyamini ne Isubosesi mutabani wa Sawulo, n’ababala kkumi na babiri okuva ku ludda lwa Dawudi.
So twelve men from the tribe of Benjamin fought for Ishbosheth, against twelve of David’s soldiers.
16 Buli omu n’akwatagana ne gwe yali atunuuliganye naye, ne banyolegana emitwe, ne bafumitigana amafumu, ne bagwira wamu. Era ekifo ekyo mu Gibyoni ne kituumibwa Kerukasu-Kazzulimu.
Each of them grabbed the head of the man against whom he was fighting, and thrust his sword into that man’s side. The result was that all 24 of them fell down dead. So that area in Gibeon is now called ‘Field of Swords’.
17 Olutalo ne lweyongerera ddala, Abuneeri n’abasajja be ne bawangulwa abasajja ba Dawudi.
Then [the others started to fight]. It was a very fierce battle. Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers.
18 Batabani ba Zeruyiya abasatu Yowaabu, Abisaayi, ne Asakeri baaliyo, era Asakeri yali muwenyusi wa misinde ng’empeewo ey’omu ttale.
Zeruiah’s three sons were there [on that day]: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was able to run very fast; he could run as fast as a wild gazelle/antelope.
19 Asakeri n’agoba Abuneeri emisinde, obutatunula ku mukono ogwa ddyo wadde ogwa kkono.
Asahel started to pursue Abner. He ran straight toward Abner, without stopping.
20 Awo Abuneeri bwe yatunula emabega we, n’abuuza nti, “Ye ggwe Asakeri?” N’addamu nti, “Ye nze.”
Abner looked behind him, and said “Is that you, Asahel?” Asahel replied, “Yes!”
21 Abuneeri n’amugamba nti, “Tunula ku mukono gwo ogwa ddyo oba ku mukono gwo ogwa kkono ogye ku omu ku bavubuka akuli okumpi ekyokulwanyisa kye.” Naye Asakeri n’atalekaayo kumugoba.
Abner yelled at him, “Turn to one side or the other, [and pursue someone else]!” But Asahel would not stop pursuing Abner.
22 Abuneeri n’addamu okumulabula ng’agamba nti, “Bw’oleka okungoba! Lwaki ondeetera okukutta? Muganda wo Yowaabu nnaamudda wa?”
So Abner yelled at him again, “Stop (chasing after/pursuing) me! (Why should I kill you?/It would not be good for me to kill you!) [RHQ] If I did that, (how could I (face/be reconciled with) your brother Joab?/it would be very difficult for me to (face/be reconciled with) your brother Joab.) [RHQ]”
23 Naye Asakeri ne yeeyongera bweyongezi okumugoba; Abuneeri kwe kumufumita mu lubuto n’omuwunda gw’effumu, effumu ne liggukira mu mugongo, n’agwa wansi era n’afiirawo.
But Asahel refused to stop pursuing Abner. So Abner [suddenly turned and] thrust the butt end of his spear into Asahel’s stomach. Because he thrust it very strongly, that end of the spear [went though Asahel’s body and] came out at his back, and he fell to the ground, dead. All the other soldiers who came to the place where his body was lying stopped and stood there, [stunned].
24 Naye Yowaabu ne Abisaayi ne bagoba Abuneeri. Enjuba bwe yali eneetera okugwa, ne batuuka ku lusozi Amma, oluliraanye Giya mu kkubo ery’eddungu ery’e Gibyoni.
But Joab and Abishai continued to pursue Abner. At sunset they came to Ammah Hill, which is east of Giah, along the road to the desert near Gibeon.
25 Awo abasajja b’e Benyamini ne beekola ekibinja kimu, ne badda ku luuyi lwa Abuneeri, ne bayimirira ku lusozi olumu.
The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered around Abner in one group, and stood at the top of a hill.
26 Abuneeri n’akoowoola Yowaabu n’ayogera nti, “Ekitala kirirya ennaku zonna? Tolaba nti enkomerero ya byonna buliba bukyayi bwereere? Kale kiki ekikulobera okulagira abantu bo balekeraawo okucocca baganda baabwe?”
Then Abner called out to Joab, saying “Are we going to continue to fight forever [RHQ]? Do you not realize that [if we continue fighting], the result will be very bad [RHQ]? We are all descendants of Jacob. [So we should stop fighting each other] (How long will it be until you tell your soldiers to stop pursuing us?/Tell your soldiers to stop pursuing us.)” [RHQ]
27 Yowaabu n’addamu nti, “Katonda nga bw’ali omulamu, ne bwe watandikyogedde, obudde bwe bwandikeeredde ng’abasajja balekeddaawo okugoba baganda baabwe.”
Joab replied, “Just as surely as God lives, if you had not said that, my soldiers would have continued pursuing your men until tomorrow morning!”
28 Awo Yowaabu n’afuuwa ekkondeere, abasajja bonna ne bayimirira, ne balekeraawo okugoba Isirayiri, era n’okubalwanyisa.
So Joab blew a trumpet [to signal that they should stop fighting]. So all his men did that. They did not pursue the soldiers of Israel any more, and they stopped fighting.
29 Ekiro ekyo kyonna Abuneeri n’abasajja be ne batambula ne bayita mu Alaba, ne basomoka Yoludaani, ne batambula mu kiseera eky’oku makya kyonna ne batuuka e Makanayimu.
That night Abner and his soldiers went through the Jordan [River] Valley. They crossed the Jordan [River] and marched all the next morning, and they finally arrived at Mahanaim.
30 Awo Yowaabu n’addayo ng’alese okugoba Abuneeri, n’akuŋŋaanya abasajja be. Bwe baababala, ne basanga ng’abasajja kkumi na mwenda be baali bafudde, okwo nga tobaliddeeko Asakeri.
Joab [and his soldiers] stopped pursuing Abner. And when he gathered all his soldiers together, he found out that in addition to Asahel, only 19 of them had been killed in the battle.
31 Naye abasajja ba Dawudi baali basse Ababenyamini ebikumi bisatu mu nkaaga ku abo abaali ne Abuneeri.
But David’s soldiers had killed 360 of Abner’s men, all from the tribe of Benjamin.
32 Ne batwala omulambo gwa Asakeri ne bamuziika ku biggya bya kitaawe e Besirekemu. N’oluvannyuma Yowaabu n’abasajja be ne batambula ekiro kyonna, ne batuuka e Kebbulooni enkeera.
[Some of Joab’s soldiers] took Asahel’s body and buried it in the tomb where his father had been buried, in Bethlehem. Then they marched all during the night, and at dawn they arrived [back home] at Hebron.
