< 2 Samweli 2 >

1 Ikawa baada ya haya Daudi akamuuliza Yahwe, “Je naweza kuupandia mmojawapo wa miji ya Yuda?” Yahweh akamjibu, “Panda.” Daudi akauliza, “Niuendee mji upi? Yahwe akajibu, “Hebroni”
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 Hivyo Daudi akakwea pamoja na wake zake wawili, Ahinoamu wa Yezreeli, na Abigaili wa Karmeli, mjane wa Nabali.
So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 Daudi akawaleta watu waliokuwa pamoja naye, na kila mmoja akaleta familia yake katika mji wa Hebroni walipoanza kuishi.
David brought up his men who were with him, every man with his household. They lived in the cities of Hebron.
4 Kisha watu wa Yuda wakaja na kumtia Daudi mafuta kuwa mfalme juu ya nyumba ya Yuda. Wakamwambia Daudi, “Watu wa Yabeshi Gileadi wamemzika Sauli.”
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 Hivyo Daudi akatuma wajumbe kwa watu wa Yabeshi Gileadi akawambia, “Mbarikiwe na Yahwe, kwa kuwa mmeonesha utiifu huu kwa bwana wenu Sauli mliyemzika.
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 Sasa Yahwe awadhihirishie utiifu na uaminifu wa kiagano. Nami pia nitawaonesha wema kwa sababu ya yale mliyoyafanya.
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 Sasa basi, mikono yenu itiwe nguvu; mwe jasiri kwa maana Sauli bwana wenu amekufa, na nyumba yote ya Yuda imenitia mafuta niwe mfalime wao.
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 Lakini Abneri mwana wa Neri, mkuu wa jeshi la Sauli, akamchukuwa Ishboshethi mwana wa Sauli akamleta Mahanaimu.
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 Akamfanya Ishboshethi mfalme juu ya Gileadi, Asheri, Yezreeli, Efraimu, Benjamini na juu ya Israeli yote.
He made him king over Gilead, over the Ashurites, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Ishiboshethi mwana wa Sauli alikuwa na umri wa miaka arobaini alipoanza kutawala juu ya Israeli, akatawala miaka miwili. Lakini nyumba ya Yuda ikaambatana na Daudi.
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 Muda ambao Daudi alikuwa mfalme juu ya nyumba ya Yuda huko Hebroni ni miaka saba na miezi sita.
The time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Abneri mwana wa Neri na watumishi wa Ishboshethi mwana wa Sauli walitoka Mahanaimu kwenda Gibeoni.
Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 Yoabu mwana wa Seruya na watumishi wa Daudi wakatoka na kukutana nao katika bwawa la Gibeoni. Wakakaa pale, kundi moja upande huu wa bwawa na kundi lingine upande wa pili.
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 Abneri akamwambia Yoabu, “haya, vijana na wainuke na kushindana mbele yetu.” Yoabu akajibu, “haya na wainuke.”
Abner said to Joab, “Please let the young men arise and compete before us!” Joab said, “Let them arise!”
15 Ndipo vijana walipoinuka na kukutana, kumi na wawili kwa ajili ya Banjamini na Ishboshethi mwana wa Sauli, na kumi na wawili kutoka kwa watumishi wa Daudi.
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 Kila mtu akakamata kichwa cha adui yake na kupiga upanga wake katika ubavu wa adui yake, wakaanguka chini pamoja. Kwa hiyo mahali pale pakaitwa kwa Kiebrania, “Helkath Hazzurim,” yaani “konde la upanga,” lililopo Gibeoni.
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 Vita ikawa kali sana siku ile na Abneri na watu wa Israeli wakashindwa na watumishi wa Daudi.
The battle was very severe that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before David’s servants.
18 Wana watatu wa Seruya walikuwepo pale: Yoabu, Abishai na Asaheli.
The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 Asaheli alikuwa mwepesi miguuni kama paa. Akamfuatilia Abneri kwa karibu bila kugeuka upande wowote.
Asahel pursued Abner. He did not turn to the right hand or to the left from following Abner.
20 Abneri akaangalia nyuma yake na kusema, “Ni wewe Asaheli?” Akajibu, “ni mimi.”
Then Abner looked behind him and said, “Is that you, Asahel?” He answered, “It is.”
21 Abneri akamwambia, “Geuka upande wako wa kuria au kushoto umshike mmojawapo wa vijana na kuchukua silaha yake.” Lakini Asaheli hakugeuka.
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 Ndipo Abneri alipomwambia tena Asaheli, “Simama usinifuate. Kwa nini nikupige hata chini? Nitautazamaje uso wa Yoabu ndugu yako?”
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 Lakini Asaheli hakukubari kugeuka. na hivyo Abneri akamchoma kwa nchi ya mkuki wake, hata ukatokea upande wa pili. Asaheli akaanguka chini akafa. Hata ikawa kila mmoja aliyefika mahali pale Asaheli alipoanguka na kufa, alisimama hapo hapo.
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 Lakini Yoabu na Abishai wakamfuatilia Abneri. Wakati jua linazama walikuwa wamefika mlima wa Amma, uliopo karibu na Gia katika njia ielekeayo nyika ya Gibeoni.
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 Wabenjamini wakajikusanya nyuma ya Abneri na kusimama juu ya kilima.
The children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner and became one band, and stood on the top of a hill.
26 Kisha Abneri akamwita Yoabu na kusema, “Je ni lazima upanga uendelee kurarua daima? Je haujui kwamba mwisho wake utakuwa mchungu? Hata line ndipo uwaambie watu wako waache kuwafuatia ndugu zao?”
Then Abner called to Joab, and said, “Shall the sword devour forever? Do not 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 Yoabu akajibu, “Kama Mungu aishivyo, usingesema hivyo, askari wangu wangewafuatia ndugu zao hata asubuhi!”
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 Ndipo Yoabu akapiga tarumbeta, na watu wake wote wakasimama na hawakuendelea kuwafuata Israeli tena wala hawakupigana tena.
So Joab blew the trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued Israel no more, and they fought no more.
29 Abneri na watu wake wakasafiri usiku wote kupitia Araba. Wakavuka Yordani, wakatembea asubuhi yote iliyofuata, na hata wakafika Mahanaimu.
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 Yoabu akarudi kutoka katika kumfuatia Abneri. Akawakusanya watu wake wote, ambopo Asahali na askari wengine kumi na tisa wa Daudi walipungua.
Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, nineteen men of David’s and Asahel were missing.
31 Lakini watu wa Daudi walikuwa wameua watu 360 wa Benjamini na Abneri.
But David’s servants had struck Benjamin Abner’s men so that three hundred sixty men died.
32 Kisha wakamchukua Asahali na kumzika katika kaburi la baba yake, lililokuwapo Bethlehemu. Yoabu na watu wake wakasafiri usiku wote, kukacha wakati wanafika Hebroni.
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.

< 2 Samweli 2 >