< 2 Samueli 2 >

1 Patapita nthawi, Davide anafunsa Yehova kuti, “Kodi ndipite ku umodzi mwa mizinda ya Yuda?” Yehova anayankha kuti, “Pita.” Davide anafunsanso kuti, “Kodi ndipite kuti?” Yehova anayankha kuti, “Ku Hebroni.”
Some time after that, David asked Yahweh, “Should I go back to [live in] one of the towns in Judah?” Yahweh replied, “Yes, go up there.” Then David asked, “To which town should I go?” Yahweh replied, “To Hebron.”
2 Choncho Davide anapita kumeneko ndi akazi ake awiri, Ahinoamu wa ku Yezireeli ndi Abigayeli mkazi wamasiye uja wa Nabala wa ku Karimeli.
So David went up there, taking his two wives, Ahinoam who was from Jezreel [city], and Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel [city].
3 Davide anatenganso anthu amene anali nawo aliyense ndi banja lake, ndipo anakakhala ku midzi ya ku Hebroni.
He also took the men who had been with him, and their families. They all started to live in villages near Hebron.
4 Kenaka amuna a ku Yuda anabwera ku Hebroni ndipo kumeneko anadzoza Davide kukhala mfumu ya fuko la Yuda. Davide atawuzidwa kuti anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi ndi amene anayika mʼmanda Sauli,
Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and [one of] them poured olive oil on David’s head [to show they were appointing him to be] [MTY] the king of the tribe [MTY] of Judah. When David found out that the people of Jabesh [town] in [the] Gilead [region] had buried Saul’s body,
5 iye anatuma amithenga kwa anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi kuti akayankhule nawo kuti, “Yehova akudalitseni poonetsa kukoma mtima kwanu kwa Sauli mbuye wanu pomuyika mʼmanda.
he sent messengers to the men of Jabesh to tell them this: “I desire/hope that Yahweh will bless you for having shown, by burying the body of Saul your king, that you were loyal to him.
6 Tsopano Yehova akuonetseni kukoma mtima ndi kukhulupirika kwake ndipo inenso ndidzakukomerani mtima chifukwa munachita zimenezi.
Now I also desire/hope that Yahweh will faithfully love you and be loyal to you. And I will do good things for you because of what you have done [for Saul].
7 Tsopano khalani amphamvu ndi olimba mtima, pakuti Sauli mbuye wanu wafa, ndipo fuko la Yuda landidzoza kukhala mfumu yawo.”
Now, although Saul your king is dead, be strong and courageous, like the people of Judah, who have appointed me to be their king.”
8 Pa nthawi imeneyi Abineri mwana wa Neri, wolamulira ankhondo a Sauli, anatenga Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli ndi kubwera naye ku Mahanaimu.
[While this was happening], Ner’s son Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, took Saul’s son Ishbosheth and went across [the Jordan River] to Mahanaim [town].
9 Iye anamuyika kuti akhale mfumu yoyangʼanira Giliyadi, Asuri ndi Yezireeli, pamodzi ndi Efereimu, Benjamini ndi Israeli yense.
There Abner proclaimed that Ishbosheth was now the king of [the] Gilead [region] and of the tribe of Asher and the region of Jezreel and the tribes of Ephraim and Benjamin. That meant that he was the king of all of the people of Israel.
10 Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli anali wa zaka makumi anayi pamene anakhala mfumu ya Israeli ndipo analamulira zaka ziwiri. Koma fuko la Yuda linatsatira Davide.
Ishbosheth was 40 years old when he started to rule over the people of Israel. He ruled them for two years. But the tribe of Judah (was loyal to David/wanted David to be their king),
11 Davide anakhala mfumu ku Hebroni akulamulira fuko la Yuda, kwa zaka zisanu ndi chimodzi ndi miyezi isanu ndi umodzi.
and he ruled them for seven and a half years while he was living in Hebron.
12 Abineri mwana wa Neri, pamodzi ndi ankhondo a Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli, anachoka ku Mahanaimu ndi kupita ku Gibiyoni.
[One day] Abner and the officials of Isbosheth went from Mahanaim [across the Jordan River] to Gibeon [city].
13 Yowabu mwana wa Zeruya pamodzi ndi ankhondo a Davide anapita ndi kukakumana nawo ku dziwe la ku Gibiyoni. Gulu lina linakhala mbali ina ya dziwelo pamene gulu lina linakhala mbali inayo.
Joab, whose mother was Zeruiah, and some of David’s officials [went from Hebron to Gibeon, and] met at the pool there. They all sat down, the one group on one side of the pool and the other group on the other side.
14 Kenaka Abineri anati kwa Yowabu, “Tiye tibweretse ena mwa anyamata athu kuti amenyane patsogolo pathupa.” Yowabu anayankha, “Chabwino, amenyane.”
Abner said to Joab, “Let’s tell some of our young men to fight each other!” Joab replied, “Okay!”
15 Kotero anayimirira ndipo anawawerenga: anyamata khumi ndi awiri a fuko la Benjamini ndi Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli ndiponso anyamata khumi ndi awiri a Davide.
So twelve men from the tribe of Benjamin fought for Ishbosheth, against twelve of David’s soldiers.
16 Tsono aliyense anagwira mutu wa mnzake namubaya mnzakeyo mʼnthiti ndi mpeni ndipo onse anagwera pansi limodzi. Kotero malo amenewo ku Gibiyoni amatchedwa Helikati Hazurimu.
Each of them grabbed the head of the man against whom he was fighting, and thrust his sword into that man’s side. The result was that all 24 of them fell down dead. So that area in Gibeon is now called ‘Field of Swords’.
17 Tsiku limeneli nkhondo yake inali yoopsa kwambiri, ndipo Abineri ndi ankhondo a Israeli anagonjetsedwa ndi ankhondo a Davide.
Then [the others started to fight]. It was a very fierce battle. Abner and the men of Israel were defeated by David’s soldiers.
18 Ana atatu aamuna a Zeruya, Yowabu, Abisai ndi Asaheli anali komweko. Koma Asaheli anali waliwiro ngati insa.
Zeruiah’s three sons were there [on that day]: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was able to run very fast; he could run as fast as a wild gazelle/antelope.
19 Iye anathamangitsa Abineri ndipo sanakhotere kumanja kapena kumanzere pamene amamutsatira.
Asahel started to pursue Abner. He ran straight toward Abner, without stopping.
20 Abineri anayangʼana mʼmbuyo ndipo anafunsa, “Kodi ndiwe Asaheli?” Iye anayankha kuti, “Ndine.”
Abner looked behind him, and said “Is that you, Asahel?” Asahel replied, “Yes!”
21 Ndipo Abineri anati kwa iye, “Khotera kumanja kapena kumanzere: tsatira mmodzi mwa anyamatawa ndipo umulande zida zake.” Koma Asaheli sanasiye kumuthamangitsa.
Abner yelled at him, “Turn to one side or the other, [and pursue someone else]!” But Asahel would not stop pursuing Abner.
22 Abineri anamuchenjezanso Asaheli, “Siya kuthamangitsa ine! Kodi ndikukanthe chifukwa chiyani? Kodi ndikaonana naye bwanji mʼbale wako Yowabu?”
So Abner yelled at him again, “Stop (chasing after/pursuing) me! (Why should I kill you?/It would not be good for me to kill you!) [RHQ] If I did that, (how could I (face/be reconciled with) your brother Joab?/it would be very difficult for me to (face/be reconciled with) your brother Joab.) [RHQ]”
23 Koma iye anakana kuleka kumuthamangitsa. Choncho Abineri anabaya Asaheli mʼmimba ndi msonga ya mkondo wake ndipo mkondowo unatulukira mbali ina. Iye anagwa ndi kufera pamalo pomwepo. Ndipo munthu aliyense amayima akafika pamalo pamene anagwera ndi kufa.
But Asahel refused to stop pursuing Abner. So Abner [suddenly turned and] thrust the butt end of his spear into Asahel’s stomach. Because he thrust it very strongly, that end of the spear [went though Asahel’s body and] came out at his back, and he fell to the ground, dead. All the other soldiers who came to the place where his body was lying stopped and stood there, [stunned].
24 Koma Yowabu ndi Abisai anathamangitsa Abineri, ndipo dzuwa likulowa, anafika ku phiri la Ama, pafupi ndi Giya pa njira yopita ku chipululu cha ku Gibiyoni.
But Joab and Abishai continued to pursue Abner. At sunset they came to Ammah Hill, which is east of Giah, along the road to the desert near Gibeon.
25 Pamenepo anthu a fuko la Benjamini anasonkhana kudzathandiza Abineri. Iwo anapanga gulu ndipo anayima pamwamba pa phiri.
The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered around Abner in one group, and stood at the top of a hill.
26 Abineri anayitana Yowabu, “Kodi tipitirize kumenyana mpaka kalekale? Kodi sukuzindikira kuti mathero ake kudzakhala kuwawidwa mitima? Kodi udzawaletsa liti ankhondo ako kuthamangitsa abale awo?”
Then Abner called out to Joab, saying “Are we going to continue to fight forever [RHQ]? Do you not realize that [if we continue fighting], the result will be very bad [RHQ]? We are all descendants of Jacob. [So we should stop fighting each other] (How long will it be until you tell your soldiers to stop pursuing us?/Tell your soldiers to stop pursuing us.)” [RHQ]
27 Yowabu anayankha kuti, “Pali Yehova wamoyo, ukanapanda kuyankhula, ankhondo anga akanapitiriza kuthamangitsa abale awo mpaka mmawa.”
Joab replied, “Just as surely as God lives, if you had not said that, my soldiers would have continued pursuing your men until tomorrow morning!”
28 Chomwecho Yowabu analiza lipenga, ndipo ankhondo onse anayima. Iwo analeka kuthamangitsa Aisraeli kapena kumenyana nawo.
So Joab blew a trumpet [to signal that they should stop fighting]. So all his men did that. They did not pursue the soldiers of Israel any more, and they stopped fighting.
29 Usiku wonsewo Abineri ndi ankhondo ake anayenda kudutsa Araba. Iwo anawoloka Yorodani, napitirira mpaka kudutsa dera lonse la Bitironi ndipo anafika ku Mahanaimu.
That night Abner and his soldiers went through the Jordan [River] Valley. They crossed the Jordan [River] and marched all the next morning, and they finally arrived at Mahanaim.
30 Choncho Yowabu anabwerera kuchokera kothamangitsa Abineri ndipo anasonkhanitsa ankhondo ake onse. Kupatula Asaheli, panali ankhondo khumi ndi anayi a Davide amene anasowa.
Joab [and his soldiers] stopped pursuing Abner. And when he gathered all his soldiers together, he found out that in addition to Asahel, only 19 of them had been killed in the battle.
31 Koma ankhondo a Davide anapha ankhondo a fuko la Benjamini 360 amene anali ndi Abineri.
But David’s soldiers had killed 360 of Abner’s men, all from the tribe of Benjamin.
32 Iwo anatenga Asaheli ndi kukamuyika mʼmanda a abambo ake ku Betelehemu. Ndipo Yowabu ndi ankhondo ake anayenda usiku wonse ndi kufika ku Hebroni kukucha.
[Some of Joab’s soldiers] took Asahel’s body and buried it in the tomb where his father had been buried, in Bethlehem. Then they marched all during the night, and at dawn they arrived [back home] at Hebron.

< 2 Samueli 2 >