2 USamuyeli 2
1 Kwasekusithi emva kwalokho uDavida wabuza eNkosini esithi: Ngenyukele yini komunye wemizi yakoJuda? INkosi yasisithi kuye: Yenyuka. UDavida wasesithi: Ngiye ngaphi? Yasisithi: EHebroni.
After this, 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 wenyukela lapho, kanye labafazi bakhe bobabili, uAhinowama umJizereyelikazi loAbigayili umkaNabali umKharmeli.
So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 UDavida wasesenyusa abantu bakhe ababelaye, ngulowo lalowo labendlu yakhe; basebehlala emizini yeHebroni.
David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.
4 Kwasekufika abantu bakoJuda, bamgcoba khona uDavida waba yinkosi phezu kwendlu yakoJuda. Basebemtshela uDavida besithi: Abantu beJabeshi-Gileyadi yibo abangcwaba uSawuli.
The men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. They told David, “The men of Jabesh Gilead were those who buried Saul.”
5 UDavida wasethumela izithunywa ebantwini beJabeshi-Gileyadi, wathi kibo: Kalibusiswe yiNkosi, ngoba lenze lumusa enkosini yenu, kuSawuli, lamngcwaba.
David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and said to them, “Blessed are you by the LORD, that you have shown this kindness to your lord, even to Saul, and have buried him.
6 Khathesi-ke, iNkosi kayilenzele umusa leqiniso; mina lami ngizalenzela lokhu okuhle, ngoba lenze loludaba.
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 kaziqine izandla zenu libe ngamadodana amaqhawe; ngoba inkosi yenu uSawuli ifile; njalo lendlu yakoJuda ingigcobile mina ukuba yinkosi phezu kwabo.
Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant; for Saul your lord is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.”
8 Kodwa uAbhineri indodana kaNeri, induna yebutho uSawuli ayelalo, wathatha uIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, wamchaphisela eMahanayimi,
Now Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s army, had taken Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.
9 wambeka waba yinkosi phezu kweGileyadi, laphezu kwamaAshuri, laphezu kweJizereyeli, laphezu kukaEfrayimi, laphezu kukaBhenjamini, laphezu kukaIsrayeli wonke.
He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 UIshiboshethi, indodana kaSawuli, wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amane esiba yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli, wabusa iminyaka emibili. Kodwa indlu yakoJuda yalandela uDavida.
Ishbosheth, 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 Lenani lensuku uDavida owaba yinkosi ngazo eHebroni phezu kwendlu yakoJuda laliyiminyaka eyisikhombisa lenyanga eziyisithupha.
The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 UAbhineri indodana kaNeri wasephuma, lenceku zikaIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, basuka eMahanayimi baya eGibeyoni.
Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 UJowabi indodana kaZeruya lenceku zikaDavida basebephuma bahlangana ndawonye echibini leGibeyoni; bahlala, abanye ngapha kwechibi labanye ngale kwechibi.
Joab the son of Zeruiah and David’s servants 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 UAbhineri wasesithi kuJowabi: Amajaha ake asukume adlale phambi kwethu. UJowabi wasesithi: Kawasukume.
Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!”
15 Kwasekusukuma kwedlula ngenani abalitshumi lambili koBhenjamini lakoIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, letshumi lambili lenceku zikaDavida.
Then they arose and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and for Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of David’s servants.
16 Basebebamba ngulowo lalowo ikhanda lomunye, wagwazangenkemba yakhe ehlangothini lomunye; ngokunjalo bawa ndawonye. Ngakho leyondawo bayibiza ngokuthi yiHelekati-Hasurimi eseGibeyoni.
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 in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.
17 Njalo kwaba lempi enzima kakhulu ngalolosuku, loAbhineri wehlulwa lamadoda akoIsrayeli phambi kwenceku zikaDavida.
The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants.
18 Ayekhona-ke lapho amadodana amathathu kaZeruya, oJowabi, loAbishayi loAsaheli. Njalo uAsaheli wayelesiqubu ezinyaweni njengomunye wemiziki yeganga.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 UAsaheli wasexotshana loAbhineri; njalo ekuhambeni kwakhe kaphambukelanga ngakwesokunene langakwesokhohlo ekulandeleni uAbhineri.
Asahel pursued Abner. He didn’t turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
20 UAbhineri wasenyemukula, wathi: Nguwe uAsaheli yini? Wasesithi: Yimi.
Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is.”
21 UAbhineri wasesithi kuye: Phambukela wena ngakwesokunene loba ngakwesokhohlo, uzibambele elinye lamajaha, uzithathele izikhali zalo. Kodwa uAsaheli kavumanga ukuphambuka ekumlandeleni.
Abner said to him, “Turn away to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor.” But Asahel would not turn away from following him.
22 UAbhineri wasebuya futhi esithi kuAsaheli: Phambuka wena ekungilandeleni; ngizakutshayelelani emhlabathini? Pho, ngingaphakamisa njani ubuso bami kuJowabi umfowenu?
Abner said again to Asahel, “Turn away from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then could I look Joab your brother in the face?”
23 Kodwa wala ukuphambuka; ngakho uAbhineri wamtshaya ngesidindi somkhonto kubambo lwesihlanu, umkhonto waze waphuma emuva kwakhe; wasewela phansi lapho, wafela kuleyondawo. Kwasekusithi bonke abafika endaweni lapho uAsaheli awela wafa khona, bema.
However, he refused to turn away. 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. As many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.
24 UJowabi laye loAbishayi baxotshana loAbhineri; ilanga laselitshona, bona befika eqaqeni lweAma, olungaphambi kweGiya endleleni yenkangala yeGibeyoni.
But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner. 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 Abantwana bakoBhenjamini basebebuthana ngemva kukaAbhineri, baba lixuku linye, bema phezu koqaqa oluthile.
The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
26 UAbhineri wasememeza kuJowabi wathi: Inkemba izakudla njalonjalo yini? Kawazi yini ukuthi kuzakuba yikubaba ekucineni? Koze kube nini ungabatsheli abantu ukuthi babuye ekulandeleni abafowabo?
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Don’t you know that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long will it be then, before you ask the people to return from following their brothers?”
27 UJowabi wasesithi: Kuphila kukaNkulunkulu, ngaphandle kokuthi ubukhulumile, isibili ngalesosikhathi kusukela ekuseni abantu ngabe benyukile, ngulowo lalowo esuka ekulandeleni umfowabo.
Joab said, “As God lives, if you had not spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone away, and not each followed his brother.”
28 UJowabi wasevuthela uphondo, bonke abantu basebesima, kababe besaxotshana loIsrayeli, futhi kababe besalwa njalo.
So Joab blew the shofar; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, and they fought no more.
29 UAbhineri labantu bakhe bahamba bedabula amagceke bonke lobobusuku, bachapha iJordani, badabula iBhithironi yonke, bafika eMahanayimi.
Abner and his men went all that night through the Arabah; and they passed over the Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and came to Mahanaim.
30 UJowabi wasebuya ekulandeleni uAbhineri; esebuthanisile bonke abantu, encekwini zikaDavida kwasilela abalitshumi labayisificamunwemunye, loAsaheli.
Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men of David’s and Asahel were missing.
31 Kodwa izinceku zikaDavida zazitshayile koBhenjamini lemadodeni akaAbhineri; amadoda angamakhulu amathathu lamatshumi ayisithupha afa.
But David’s servants had struck Benjamin Abner’s men so that three hundred sixty men died.
32 Basebemthatha uAsaheli, bamngcwaba engcwabeni likayise elaliseBhethelehema. UJowabi labantu bakhe basebehamba ubusuku bonke, kwasa beseHebroni.
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.
