2 USamuyeli 3
1 Kwakukhona-ke impi isikhathi eside phakathi kwendlu kaSawuli lendlu kaDavida; kodwa uDavida waya eqina, kodwa indlu kaSawuli yaya isiba buthakathaka.
Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2 Kwasekuzalelwa uDavida amadodana eHebroni; lezibulo lakhe lalinguAmnoni kaAhinowama umJizereyelikazi;
And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3 leyesibili yakhe yayinguKileyabi kaAbigayili umkaNabali umKharmeli; eyesithathu yayinguAbisalomu indodana kaMahaka indodakazi kaTalimayi, inkosi yeGeshuri;
his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
4 leyesine yayinguAdonija indodana kaHagithi; leyesihlanu yayinguShefathiya indodana kaAbithali;
his fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; his fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital;
5 leyesithupha yayinguIthereyamu kaEgila, umkaDavida. Laba bazalelwa uDavida eHebroni.
and his sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron.
6 Kwasekusithi kuselempi phakathi kwendlu kaSawuli lendlu kaDavida, uAbhineri waziqinisa endlini kaSawuli.
During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had continued to strengthen his position in the house of Saul.
7 Njalo uSawuli wayelomfazi omncane, obizo lakhe lalinguRizipha indodakazi kaAya; uIshiboshethi wasesithi kuAbhineri: Ungeneleni emfazini omncane kababa?
Meanwhile, Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?”
8 UAbhineri wasethukuthela kakhulu ngenxa yamazwi kaIshiboshethi, wathi: Ngilikhanda lenja yini mina ongokaJuda? Lamuhla ngenzela indlu kaSawuli uyihlo umusa, kubafowabo, lakubangane bakhe, kangikunikelanga esandleni sikaDavida, ukuthi ungibeka icala ngowesifazana lamuhla?
Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman!
9 UNkulunkulu enze njalo kuAbhineri, engezelele ngokunjalo kuye, ngeqiniso, njengoba iNkosi ifungile kuDavida, qotho, ngizakwenza njalo kuye,
May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him:
10 ukudlulisa umbuso usuka endlini kaSawuli, lokumisa isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavida phezu kukaIsrayeli laphezu kukaJuda, kusukela koDani kuze kufike eBherishebha.
to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11 Njalo wayengelakumphendula uAbhineri ngalizwi futhi, ngoba wayemesaba.
And for fear of Abner, Ish-bosheth did not dare to say another word to him.
12 UAbhineri wasethuma izithunywa kuDavida esikhundleni sakhe, esithi: Ngelikabani ilizwe? Esithi: Yenza isivumelwano sakho lami; khangela-ke, isandla sami sizakuba lawe ukuphendulela uIsrayeli wonke kuwe.
Then Abner sent messengers in his place to say to David, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and surely my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”
13 Wasesithi: Kulungile; mina ngizakwenza isivumelwano lawe, kodwa yinye into engiyifuna kuwe, ngeyokuthi kawuyikubona ubuso bami, ngaphandle kokuthi ulethe kuqala uMikhali indodakazi kaSawuli, lapho usizabona ubuso bami.
“Good,” replied David, “I will make a covenant with you. But there is one thing I require of you: Do not appear before me unless you bring Saul’s daughter Michal when you come to see me.”
14 UDavida wasethuma izithunywa kuIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, esithi: Nginika umkami uMikhali engamgana ngamajwabu aphambili alikhulu amaFilisti.
Then David sent messengers to say to Ish-bosheth son of Saul, “Give me back my wife, Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15 UIshiboshethi wasethumela, wamthatha endodeni yakhe, kuPalitiyeli indodana kaLayishi.
So Ish-bosheth sent and took Michal from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.
16 Kodwa indoda yakhe yahamba laye, ihamba ikhala inyembezi ngemva kwakhe kwaze kwaba seBahurimi. UAbhineri wasesithi kuyo: Hamba, buyela. Yasibuyela.
Her husband followed her, weeping all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, “Go back.” So he returned home.
17 UAbhineri wasesiba lenkulumo labadala bakoIsrayeli esithi: Ngezikhathi ezidlulileyo lalifuna uDavida ukuthi abe yinkosi phezu kwenu.
Now Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “In the past you sought David as your king.
18 Khathesi-ke, kwenzeni, ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile ngoDavida ukuthi: Ngesandla senceku yami uDavida ngizakhulula abantu bami uIsrayeli esandleni samaFilisti lesandleni sazo zonke izitha zabo.
Now take action, because the LORD has said to David, ‘Through My servant David I will save My people Israel from the hands of the Philistines and of all their enemies.’”
19 UAbhineri wasekhuluma futhi endlebeni zakoBhenjamini; uAbhineri njalo wasesiyakhuluma endlebeni zikaDavida eHebroni konke okwakukuhle emehlweni akoIsrayeli lemehlweni endlu yonke yakoBhenjamini.
Abner also spoke to the Benjamites and went to Hebron to tell David all that seemed good to Israel and to the whole house of Benjamin.
20 Ngakho uAbhineri wafika kuDavida eHebroni elamadoda angamatshumi amabili; uDavida wasesenzela uAbhineri lamadoda ayelaye idili.
When Abner and twenty of his men came to David at Hebron, David held a feast for them.
21 UAbhineri wasesithi kuDavida: Ngizasukuma ngihambe, ngibuthanise uIsrayeli wonke enkosini yami, inkosi, ukuze benze isivumelwano lawe, lokuthi ubuse kukho konke umphefumulo wakho okufisayo. UDavida waseyekela uAbhineri ukuthi ahambe, wasehamba ngokuthula.
Then Abner said to David, “Let me go at once, and I will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.” So David dismissed Abner, and he went in peace.
22 Khangela-ke, izinceku zikaDavida loJowabi bafika bevela ekuhlaseleni beza belempango enkulu. Kodwa uAbhineri wayengekho kuDavida eHebroni, ngoba wayemyekele ukuthi ahambe, wahamba ngokuthula.
Just then David’s soldiers and Joab returned from a raid, bringing with them a great plunder. But Abner was not with David in Hebron because David had sent him on his way in peace.
23 Esefikile uJowabi lebutho lonke elalilaye, bamtshela uJowabi besithi: UAbhineri indodana kaNeri ubefikile enkosini, imyekele wahamba; wahamba ngokuthula.
When Joab and all his troops arrived, he was informed, “Abner son of Ner came to see the king, who sent him on his way in peace.”
24 UJowabi wasesiya enkosini, wathi: Wenzeni? Khangela, uAbhineri ubefikile kuwe; pho, umyekeleleni ukuthi ahambe, wahamba lokuhamba?
So Joab went to the king and said, “What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you dismiss him? Now he is getting away!
25 Uyamazi uAbhineri indodana kaNeri ukuthi ulande ukukukhohlisa, lokwazi ukuphuma kwakho lokungena kwakho, lokwazi konke okwenzayo.
Surely you realize that Abner son of Ner came to deceive you and to track your movements and all that you are doing.”
26 Esephumile uJowabi kuDavida wathuma izithunywa ukulandela uAbhineri, ezambuyisa emthonjeni weSira; kodwa uDavida wayengakwazi lokho.
As soon as Joab had left David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David was unaware of it.
27 UAbhineri esebuyile eHebroni, uJowabi wamphambulela eceleni phakathi kwesango ukuze akhulume laye ngasese; wasemtshaya lapho kubambo lwesihlanu waze wafa, ngenxa yegazi likaAsaheli umfowabo.
When Abner returned to Hebron, Joab pulled him aside into the gateway, as if to speak to him privately, and there Joab stabbed him in the stomach. So Abner died on account of the blood of Joab’s brother Asahel.
28 Kwathi uDavida esekuzwile emva kwalokho wathi: Mina lombuso wami kasilacala phambi kweNkosi kuze kube nininini ngegazi likaAbhineri indodana kaNeri.
Afterward, David heard about this and said, “I and my kingdom are forever guiltless before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.
29 Kalihlale phezu kwekhanda likaJowabi lendlini yonke kayise. Kakungaqunywa endlini kaJowabi ogobhozayo, kumbe umlephero, kumbe odondolozelayo, kumbe owa ngenkemba, kumbe oswela ukudla.
May it whirl over the heads of Joab and the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who leans on a staff or falls by the sword or lacks food.”
30 Ngokunjalo uJowabi loAbishayi umfowabo bambulala uAbhineri, ngoba wayebulele umfowabo uAsaheli eGibeyoni empini.
(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)
31 UDavida wasesithi kuJowabi lakubo bonke abantu ababelaye: Dabulani izigqoko zenu, libhince amasaka, lilile phambi kukaAbhineri. Inkosi uDavida yasilandela ithala.
Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.
32 UAbhineri basebemngcwabela eHebroni; inkosi yasiphakamisa ilizwi layo yakhala inyembezi engcwabeni likaAbhineri, labantu bonke bakhala inyembezi.
When they buried Abner in Hebron, the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb, and all the people wept.
33 Inkosi yamenzela uAbhineri isililo yathi: Afe uAbhineri njengokufa kwesithutha yini?
And the king sang this lament for Abner: “Should Abner die the death of a fool?
34 Izandla zakho bezingabotshwanga, lenyawo zakho bezingafakwanga emaketaneni; njengowela phambi kwabantu ababi uwile. Bonke abantu basebephinda bemkhalela inyembezi.
Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. As a man falls before the wicked, so also you fell.” And all the people wept over him even more.
35 Bonke abantu basebesiza ukumenza uDavida ukuthi adle ukudla kusesemini; kodwa uDavida wafunga esithi: Kenze njalo uNkulunkulu kimi engezelele ngokunjalo, uba nginambitha ukudla loba okunye nje lingakatshoni ilanga.
Then all the people came and urged David to eat something while it was still day, but David took an oath, saying, “May God punish me, and ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!”
36 Kwathi bonke abantu bekunanzelela, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo; njengakho konke eyakwenzayo inkosi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo bonke abantu.
All the people took note and were pleased. In fact, everything the king did pleased them.
37 Ngoba bonke abantu loIsrayeli wonke bazi ngalolosuku ukuthi kwakungeyisikho okwenkosi ukubulala uAbhineri indodana kaNeri.
So on that day all the troops and all Israel were convinced that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38 Inkosi yasisithi encekwini zayo: Kalazi yini ukuthi kuwe induna lomkhulu koIsrayeli lamuhla?
Then the king said to his servants, “Do you not realize that a great prince has fallen today in Israel?
39 Lami lamuhla ngibuthakathaka, njalo ngigcotshwe ngaba yinkosi; lalamadoda, amadodana kaZeruya, alukhuni kulami. INkosi izavuza umenzi wobubi njengobubi bakhe.
And I am weak this day, though anointed as king, and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too fierce for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil!”
