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”
Now after this, David, questioning the Lord, said, Am I to go up into any of the towns of Judah? And the Lord said to him, Go up. And David said, Where am I to go? And 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 there, taking with him his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
3 Daudi akawaleta watu waliokuwa pamoja naye, na kila mmoja akaleta familia yake katika mji wa Hebroni walipoanza kuishi.
And David took all his men with him, every man with his family: and they were living in the towns round 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.”
And the men of Judah came there, and with the holy oil made David king over the people of Judah. And word came to David that it was the men of Jabesh-gilead who put Saul's body in its last resting-place.
5 Hivyo Daudi akatuma wajumbe kwa watu wa Yabeshi Gileadi akawambia, “Mbarikiwe na Yahwe, kwa kuwa mmeonesha utiifu huu kwa bwana wenu Sauli mliyemzika.
And David sent to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, May the Lord give you his blessing, because you have done this kind act to Saul your lord, and have put his body to rest!
6 Sasa Yahwe awadhihirishie utiifu na uaminifu wa kiagano. Nami pia nitawaonesha wema kwa sababu ya yale mliyoyafanya.
May the Lord be good and true to you: and I myself will see that your kind act is rewarded, 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.
Then let your hands be strong, and have no fear: though Saul your lord is dead, the people of Judah have made me their king.
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 Saul's son Ish-bosheth over to Mahanaim,
9 Akamfanya Ishboshethi mfalme juu ya Gileadi, Asheri, Yezreeli, Efraimu, Benjamini na juu ya Israeli yote.
And made him king over Gilead and the Asherites and over Jezreel and Ephraim and Benjamin, that is, 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.
(Saul's son Ish-bosheth was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he was ruler for two years.) But Judah was on the side of David.
11 Muda ambao Daudi alikuwa mfalme juu ya nyumba ya Yuda huko Hebroni ni miaka saba na miezi sita.
And the time when David was king in Hebron over the people of Judah was seven years and six months.
12 Abneri mwana wa Neri na watumishi wa Ishboshethi mwana wa Sauli walitoka Mahanaimu kwenda Gibeoni.
And Abner, the son of Ner, with the servants of Saul's son Ish-bosheth, 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.
And Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out and came face to face with them by the pool of Gibeon; and they took up their position, facing one another on opposite sides of the pool.
14 Abneri akamwambia Yoabu, “haya, vijana na wainuke na kushindana mbele yetu.” Yoabu akajibu, “haya na wainuke.”
And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men give a test of their strength before us. And Joab said, Let them do so.
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.
So they got up and went over by number: twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth and twelve of the servants of David.
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.
And every one got the other by the head, driving his sword into the other's side, so they all went down together: and that place was named the Field of Sides, and it is in Gibeon.
17 Vita ikawa kali sana siku ile na Abneri na watu wa Israeli wakashindwa na watumishi wa Daudi.
And there was hard fighting that day; and Abner and the men of Israel gave way before the servants of David.
18 Wana watatu wa Seruya walikuwepo pale: Yoabu, Abishai na Asaheli.
There were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab and Abishai and Asahel: and Asahel was as quick-footed as a roe of the fields.
19 Asaheli alikuwa mwepesi miguuni kama paa. Akamfuatilia Abneri kwa karibu bila kugeuka upande wowote.
Asahel went running after Abner, not turning to the right or to the left.
20 Abneri akaangalia nyuma yake na kusema, “Ni wewe Asaheli?” Akajibu, “ni mimi.”
Then Abner, looking back, said, Is it you, Asahel? And he said, It is I.
21 Abneri akamwambia, “Geuka upande wako wa kuria au kushoto umshike mmojawapo wa vijana na kuchukua silaha yake.” Lakini Asaheli hakugeuka.
And Abner said, Then go to the right or to the left and put your hands on one of the fighting-men and take his arms. But Asahel would not be turned away from going after Abner.
22 Ndipo Abneri alipomwambia tena Asaheli, “Simama usinifuate. Kwa nini nikupige hata chini? Nitautazamaje uso wa Yoabu ndugu yako?”
Then again Abner said to Asahel, Go to one side, do not keep on coming after me: why will you make me put an end to you? for then I will be shamed before your brother Joab.
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.
But still he did not go to one side: so Abner gave him a back blow in the stomach with his spear, so that the spear came out at his back; and he went down on the earth, wounded to death: and all those who came to the place where Asahel went down dead, came to a stop.
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 went after Abner: and the sun went down when they came to the hill of Ammah, which is to the east of the road through the waste land of Geba.
25 Wabenjamini wakajikusanya nyuma ya Abneri na kusimama juu ya kilima.
And the men of Benjamin came together after Abner in one band, and took their places 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 crying out to Joab, Abner said, Are fighting and destruction to go on for ever? do you not see that the end will only be bitter? how long will it be before you send the people back and make them give up attacking their countrymen?
27 Yoabu akajibu, “Kama Mungu aishivyo, usingesema hivyo, askari wangu wangewafuatia ndugu zao hata asubuhi!”
And Joab said, By the living God, if you had not given the word, the people would have gone on attacking their countrymen till the morning.
28 Ndipo Yoabu akapiga tarumbeta, na watu wake wote wakasimama na hawakuendelea kuwafuata Israeli tena wala hawakupigana tena.
So Joab had a horn sounded, and all the people came to a stop, and gave up going after Israel and fighting them.
29 Abneri na watu wake wakasafiri usiku wote kupitia Araba. Wakavuka Yordani, wakatembea asubuhi yote iliyofuata, na hata wakafika Mahanaimu.
And all that night Abner and his men went through the Arabah; they went over Jordan and 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.
And Joab came back from fighting Abner: and when he had got all his men together, it was seen that nineteen of David's men, in addition to Asahel, were not with them.
31 Lakini watu wa Daudi walikuwa wameua watu 360 wa Benjamini na Abneri.
But David's men had put to death three hundred and sixty of the men of Benjamin and of Abner's men
32 Kisha wakamchukua Asahali na kumzika katika kaburi la baba yake, lililokuwapo Bethlehemu. Yoabu na watu wake wakasafiri usiku wote, kukacha wakati wanafika Hebroni.
And they took Asahel's body and put it in the last resting-place of his father in Beth-lehem. And Joab and his men, travelling all night, came to Hebron at dawn.
