2 USamuyeli 2
1 Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uDavida wabuza uThixo wathi, “Ngingaya yini kwelinye lamadolobho akoJuda na?” UThixo wathi, “Hamba.” UDavida wabuza wathi, “Ngiye ngaphi na?” UThixo waphendula wathi, “EHebhroni.”
It happened after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" The LORD said to him, "Go up." David said, "Where shall I go up?" He said, "To Hebron."
2 Ngakho uDavida waya khonale labafazi bakhe ababili, u-Ahinowama waseJezerili lo-Abhigeli, umfelokazi kaNabhali waseKhameli.
So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite,
3 UDavida wathatha amadoda ayelaye, leyo laleyo labendlu yayo, bayahlala eHebhroni lasemizini yakhona.
and the men who were with him, everyone with his household. And they lived in Hebron.
4 Ngakho abantu bakoJuda bafika eHebhroni bamgcobela khona uDavida ukuba yinkosi yendlu kaJuda. Kwathi uDavida esetsheliwe ukuthi abantu baseJabheshi Giliyadi yibo ababengcwabe uSawuli,
Then the men of Judah came, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When David was told that the men of Jabesh Gilead buried Saul,
5 wathuma izithunywa ebantwini baseJabheshi Giliyadi ukuba bayekuthi kubo, “UThixo kalibusise ngokubonakalisa umusa lo kuSawuli inkosi yenu ngokumgcwaba.
then he sent messengers to the lords of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, since you showed loyalty towards your lord, Saul, and have buried him.
6 Sengathi khathesi uThixo angalitshengisa umusa lokwethembeka, njalo lami futhi ngizalitshengisa lona lolothando ngoba lenze lokhu.
Now may the LORD show loving kindness and truth to you. I also will reward you for this kindness, because you have done this thing.
7 Khathesi-ke qinani libe lesibindi, ngoba uSawuli inkosi yenu usefile, njalo indlu yakoJuda isigcobe mina ukuba yinkosi yabo.”
Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."
8 Ngalesisikhathi, u-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, umlawuli webutho likaSawuli, wayethethe u-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli wamletha ngaseMahanayimi.
Now Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbaal the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9 Wamenza waba yinkosi yaseGiliyadi, e-Ashuri kanye leJezerili, eyako-Efrayimi, lakoBhenjamini kanye lo-Israyeli wonke.
and he made him king over Gilead, and over the Geshurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 U-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eleminyaka engamatshumi amane ubudala bakhe, njalo wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kodwa indlu kaJuda yalandela uDavida.
Ishbaal, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and he reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
11 Isikhathi uDavida eyinkosi yendlu yakoJuda eHebhroni saba yiminyaka eyisikhombisa lezinyanga eziyisithupha.
And the time that David ruled in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 U-Abhineri indodana kaNeri, ekanye labantu baka-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli, basuka eMahanayimi baya eGibhiyoni.
Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbaal the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 UJowabi indodana kaZeruya kanye labantu bakaDavida baphuma bayahlangana labo echibini laseGibhiyoni. Elinye ixuku lahlala phansi ngakwelinye icele lechibi kwathi elinye lalo ixuku lahlala ngakwelinye icele.
Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met them by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.
14 U-Abhineri wasesithi kuJowabi, “Ezinye zezinsizwa kazisukume zilwe mathupha phambi kwethu.” UJowabi wathi, “Kulungile, kazikwenze lokho.”
Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and compete before us." Joab said, "Let them arise."
15 Ngakho zasukuma zabalwa, abantu abalitshumi lambili bakoBhenjamini ngaku-Ishi-Bhoshethi indodana kaSawuli letshumi lambili abakoDavida.
Then they arose and went over by number: twelve of the sons of Benjamin of Ishbaal the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.
16 Indoda ngayinye yabamba lowo eyayisilwa laye ngekhanda yatshonisa inkemba yayo emhlubulweni walowo eyayisilwa laye, bawela phansi bonke. Ngakho indawo leyo eGibhiyoni yathiwa yiHelikhathi Hazurimi.
They each caught his opponent by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together. Therefore that place was called Field of Blades, which is in Gibeon.
17 Impi ngalolosuku yayinzima, njalo u-Abhineri labantu bako-Israyeli behlulwa ngabantu bakaDavida.
The battle was very severe that day, and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.
18 Amadodana amathathu kaZeruya ayekhona: uJowabi, lo-Abhishayi kanye lo-Asaheli. U-Asaheli wayelejubane njengomziki.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was as quick on his feet as a wild gazelle.
19 Waxotshana lo-Abhineri, engaphambukeli kwesokudla loba kwesenxele lapho emxhuma.
Asahel pursued after Abner, and as he went he did not turn to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.
20 U-Abhineri wakhangela emuva kwakhe wabuza wathi, “Kanti nguwe, Asaheli?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Yimi.”
Then Abner looked behind him, and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" He answered, "It is I."
21 U-Abhineri wasesithi kuye, “Phambukela eceleni kwesokudla loba kwesenxele; ubambe enye yezinsizwa uyithathele izikhali zayo.” Kodwa u-Asaheli kayekelanga ukuxotshana laye.
Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor." But Asahel would not stop from pursuing him.
22 U-Abhineri wamxwayisa futhi wathi, “Yekela ukuxotshana lami. Kungani kumele ngikulahle phansi na? Ngingamkhangela njani ebusweni umfowethu uJowabi na?”
Abner said again to Asahel, "Stop pursuing me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?"
23 Kodwa u-Asaheli wala ukuyekela ukuxotshana laye; ngakho u-Abhineri wamgwaza esiswini ngomcijo womkhonto wakhe, umkhonto waze wayathutsha emhlane wakhe. Wawela khonapho, wafela khonapho. Amadoda afika ema nxa efika endaweni lapho u-Asaheli ayewe wafela kuyo.
But he refused to stop. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. And it came about that all who came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died, stopped there.
24 Kodwa uJowabi lo-Abhishayi baxotshana lo-Abhineri, kwathi ilanga selitshona bafika eqaqeni lwase-Ama, eduzane leGiya endleleni yenkangala yaseGibhiyoni.
But Joab and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lies before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 Lapho-ke abantu bakoBhenjamini bema ngemva kuka-Abhineri. Benza ixuku bayajama phezu koqaqa.
The sons of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and formed a single group, and stood on the top of a hill.
26 U-Abhineri wabiza uJowabi wathi, “Kanti inkemba sekumele idle kokuphela na? Kawuboni ukuthi kuzaphetha kabuhlungu na? Koze kube nini phambi kokuba ulaye abantu bakho ukuba bayekele ukuxotshana labafowabo na?”
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, "Shall the sword devour forever? Do you not know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, before you ask the people to stop pursuing their brothers?"
27 UJowabi waphendula wathi, “Ngeqiniso njengoba uNkulunkulu ekhona, aluba kawukhulumanga, amadoda la abezaxotshana labafowabo kuze kube sekuseni.”
Joab said, "As the LORD lives, if you had not spoken, surely the people would not have given up the pursuit of their brothers until the morning."
28 Ngakho uJowabi watshaya icilongo, bonke abantu bakhe basebesima, kabasaxotshananga lo-Israyeli, kumbe babuye balwe futhi.
So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stopped, and no longer chased after Israel, and they no longer fought.
29 Ngalobobusuku bonke u-Abhineri labantu bakhe bahamba badabula i-Arabha. Bachapha iJodani, baqhubeka bedabula iBhethironi yonke baze bayafika eMahanayimi.
Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and marched the whole morning, and came to Mahanaim.
30 UJowabi waphenduka ekuxotshaneni lo-Abhineri wasebuthanisa abantu bakhe bonke. Ngaphandle kuka-Asaheli abantu bakaDavida abalitshumi lasificamunwemunye batholakala bengekho.
Joab returned from pursuing Abner. And when he had gathered all the people together, there were missing from David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.
31 Kodwa abantu bakaDavida babebulele abakoBhenjamini ababelo-Abhineri abangamakhulu amathathu lamatshumi ayisithupha.
But the servants of David had struck of the people of Benjamin, from the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men who died.
32 Bathatha u-Asaheli bayamngcwaba ethuneni likayise eBhethilehema. Emva kwalokho uJowabi labantu bakhe bahamba ubusuku bonke bafika eHebhroni emadabukakusa.
They took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron.
