2 USamuyeli 3
1 Kwakukhona-ke impi isikhathi eside phakathi kwendlu kaSawuli lendlu kaDavida; kodwa uDavida waya eqina, kodwa indlu kaSawuli yaya isiba buthakathaka.
There was a long war between those on the side of Saul and those on the side of David. David's side grew stronger, while Saul's side grew weaker.
2 Kwasekuzalelwa uDavida amadodana eHebroni; lezibulo lakhe lalinguAmnoni kaAhinowama umJizereyelikazi;
David's sons born at Hebron were: Amnon (firstborn), by Ahinoam from Jezreel;
3 leyesibili yakhe yayinguKileyabi kaAbigayili umkaNabali umKharmeli; eyesithathu yayinguAbisalomu indodana kaMahaka indodakazi kaTalimayi, inkosi yeGeshuri;
Chileab (second), by Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel; Absalom (third), by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur:
4 leyesine yayinguAdonija indodana kaHagithi; leyesihlanu yayinguShefathiya indodana kaAbithali;
Adonijah (fourth), by Haggith; Shephatiah (fifth), by Abital;
5 leyesithupha yayinguIthereyamu kaEgila, umkaDavida. Laba bazalelwa uDavida eHebroni.
Ithream (sixth), by David's wife Eglah. These were the sons born to David at Hebron.
6 Kwasekusithi kuselempi phakathi kwendlu kaSawuli lendlu kaDavida, uAbhineri waziqinisa endlini kaSawuli.
Abner had been strengthening his position among the supporters of Saul's dynasty during the war between those on the side of Saul and those on the side of David.
7 Njalo uSawuli wayelomfazi omncane, obizo lakhe lalinguRizipha indodakazi kaAya; uIshiboshethi wasesithi kuAbhineri: Ungeneleni emfazini omncane kababa?
Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, daughter of Aiah. One day Ishbosheth accused Abner, saying “Why have you been sleeping 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 got extremely angry at Ishbosheth accusation. “Am I a dog's head siding with Judah?” he replied. “Right up to the present day I have been loyal to your dynasty—to your father Saul, and to his brothers and friends. I haven't betrayed you to David. But now you dare to accuse me of sinning with this woman!
9 UNkulunkulu enze njalo kuAbhineri, engezelele ngokunjalo kuye, ngeqiniso, njengoba iNkosi ifungile kuDavida, qotho, ngizakwenza njalo kuye,
So now may God punish me severely if I don't help David achieve what the Lord has promised him.
10 ukudlulisa umbuso usuka endlini kaSawuli, lokumisa isihlalo sobukhosi sikaDavida phezu kukaIsrayeli laphezu kukaJuda, kusukela koDani kuze kufike eBherishebha.
I will hand over the kingdom from Saul's dynasty, and help set up David's rule over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.”
11 Njalo wayengelakumphendula uAbhineri ngalizwi futhi, ngoba wayemesaba.
Ishbosheth didn't dare to say anything else to Abner because he was frightened of 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 to speak for him to David, saying, “Who does the country belong to anyway? Make an agreement with me, and you can be sure I'll be on your side to have all of Israel follow 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.
“Fine,” David replied, “I'll make an agreement with you. But I have one condition: I won't see you unless you bring Saul's daughter Michal when you come.”
14 UDavida wasethuma izithunywa kuIshiboshethi indodana kaSawuli, esithi: Nginika umkami uMikhali engamgana ngamajwabu aphambili alikhulu amaFilisti.
Then David sent messengers tell Ishbosheth, son of Saul, “Give me back my wife Michal—I paid a dowry for her of one hundred Philistine foreskins.”
15 UIshiboshethi wasethumela, wamthatha endodeni yakhe, kuPalitiyeli indodana kaLayishi.
Ishbosheth sent for her and took her away 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 to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. Then Abner ordered him, “Go back home!” So he went home.
17 UAbhineri wasesiba lenkulumo labadala bakoIsrayeli esithi: Ngezikhathi ezidlulileyo lalifuna uDavida ukuthi abe yinkosi phezu kwenu.
Abner spoke with the elders of Israel and said, “For a while now you have wanted to have 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 is the time to do it, because the Lord promised David, ‘Through my servant David I am going to save my people Israel from the Philistines and 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 talked to the people of Benjamin, and went to Hebron to let David know everything that the Israelites and the whole tribe of Benjamin had decided to do.
20 Ngakho uAbhineri wafika kuDavida eHebroni elamadoda angamatshumi amabili; uDavida wasesenzela uAbhineri lamadoda ayelaye idili.
Abner came with twenty of his men to see David at Hebron, and David prepared 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.
Abner told David, “Let me go immediately and summon all of Israel to come together for my lord the king, so they may make an agreement with you, and that you may rule over all you would wish.” Then David sent Abner safely on his way.
22 Khangela-ke, izinceku zikaDavida loJowabi bafika bevela ekuhlaseleni beza belempango enkulu. Kodwa uAbhineri wayengekho kuDavida eHebroni, ngoba wayemyekele ukuthi ahambe, wahamba ngokuthula.
Soon after Joab and David's men came back from a raid, bringing with them a large amount of plunder. However, Abner wasn't there with David in Hebron because David had already sent him safely 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 the army that was with him arrived, he was told, “Abner, son of Ner, came to see the king, who sent him safely on his way.”
24 UJowabi wasesiya enkosini, wathi: Wenzeni? Khangela, uAbhineri ubefikile kuwe; pho, umyekeleleni ukuthi ahambe, wahamba lokuhamba?
Joab went to the king and asked, “What do you think you're doing? Here's Abner, who came to see you. Why on earth did you send him on his way? Now he's got clean away!
25 Uyamazi uAbhineri indodana kaNeri ukuthi ulande ukukukhohlisa, lokwazi ukuphuma kwakho lokungena kwakho, lokwazi konke okwenzayo.
You do see that Abner, son of Ner, came here to trick you, to spy on the movements of your army, and to find out everything you're doing!”
26 Esephumile uJowabi kuDavida wathuma izithunywa ukulandela uAbhineri, ezambuyisa emthonjeni weSira; kodwa uDavida wayengakwazi lokho.
When Joab left David, he sent messengers after Abner. They met up with him at the well of Sirah and brought him back, but David didn't know anything about 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 arrived back in Hebron, Joab took him aside into the town gatehouse as if he was going to talk with him in private. But Joab stabbed him in the belly, killing him in revenge for killing Joab's brother Asahel.
28 Kwathi uDavida esekuzwile emva kwalokho wathi: Mina lombuso wami kasilacala phambi kweNkosi kuze kube nininini ngegazi likaAbhineri indodana kaNeri.
When David heard about this later he said, “I and my kingdom are totally innocent before the Lord regarding the death 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 the guilt for his death fall on Joab and his family! May Joab's descendants always have someone who has running sores or leprosy or is crippled or who is killed by the sword or who is starving.”
30 Ngokunjalo uJowabi loAbishayi umfowabo bambulala uAbhineri, ngoba wayebulele umfowabo uAsaheli eGibeyoni empini.
(This is why Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel during 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 everyone who was there, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn for Abner.” King David himself followed the body as it was carried to the grave.
32 UAbhineri basebemngcwabela eHebroni; inkosi yasiphakamisa ilizwi layo yakhala inyembezi engcwabeni likaAbhineri, labantu bonke bakhala inyembezi.
They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king cried loudly at the grave, along with all the people.
33 Inkosi yamenzela uAbhineri isililo yathi: Afe uAbhineri njengokufa kwesithutha yini?
The king sang this lament for Abner: “Did Abner deserve to die like a criminal?
34 Izandla zakho bezingabotshwanga, lenyawo zakho bezingafakwanga emaketaneni; njengowela phambi kwabantu ababi uwile. Bonke abantu basebephinda bemkhalela inyembezi.
Your hands were not tied together, your feet were not in shackles. But just like a murderer's victim, you too were killed.” All the people cried for 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 people came to David and tried to persuade him to have something to eat during the day. But David swore an oath, saying, “May God punish me severely if I eat bread or anything else before sunset!”
36 Kwathi bonke abantu bekunanzelela, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo; njengakho konke eyakwenzayo inkosi, kwaba kuhle emehlweni abo bonke abantu.
Everyone saw this and thought it was the right thing to do, in the same way that they thought everything the king did was the right thing to do.
37 Ngoba bonke abantu loIsrayeli wonke bazi ngalolosuku ukuthi kwakungeyisikho okwenkosi ukubulala uAbhineri indodana kaNeri.
That day everyone in Judah and throughout Israel realized that David had not ordered Abner's murder.
38 Inkosi yasisithi encekwini zayo: Kalazi yini ukuthi kuwe induna lomkhulu koIsrayeli lamuhla?
Then the king said to his officers, “Don't you recognize that a commander and a truly great man has fallen in Israel today?
39 Lami lamuhla ngibuthakathaka, njalo ngigcotshwe ngaba yinkosi; lalamadoda, amadodana kaZeruya, alukhuni kulami. INkosi izavuza umenzi wobubi njengobubi bakhe.
I am weak right now, even though I'm anointed as king and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too powerful for me. But may the Lord repay the evil man according to the evil he has done.”
