< 2 Samuel 3 >

1 Saul imkhui neh David imkhui ah caemtloek he puet om. Te vaengah David tah rhoeng tih Saul imkhui tah tattloel la a pai pah.
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 David loh Hebron ah a ca a sak rhoek tah Jezreel nu Ahinoam capa Amnon te a cacuek la om.
David's sons born at Hebron were: Amnon (firstborn), by Ahinoam from Jezreel;
3 A pabae ah Karmel Nabal yurho nu Abigal neh Kileab, A pathum ah Geshuri manghai Talmai canu Maakah capa Absalom,
Chileab (second), by Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel; Absalom (third), by Maacah, daughter of King Talmai of Geshur:
4 a pali ah Haggith capa Adonijah, a panga ah Abital capa Shephatiah,
Adonijah (fourth), by Haggith; Shephatiah (fifth), by Abital;
5 a parhuk ah David yuu Eglah capa Ithream tih, te rhoek te David loh Hebron ah a sak rhoek ni.
Ithream (sixth), by David's wife Eglah. These were the sons born to David at Hebron.
6 Saul imkhui neh David imkhui laklo ah caemtloek a om a om vaengah Abner tah Saul imkhui ah khak om.
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 Te vaengah Aiah canu a ming ah Rizpah tah Saul taengah yula la om. Tedae Abner te, “Balae tih a pa kah yula te na kun thil,” a ti nah.
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 Ishbosheth kah ol loh Abner te mat a lungoe sak tih, “Judah taengah kai he ui lu a? Tihnin ah na pa Saul imkhui ah, a paca boeina neh a baerhoep taengah sitlohnah ka tueng coeng. Te dongah David kut dongah nang kan mop pawh. Tedae tihnin ah kai he huta nethaesainah nan pup thil.
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 Pathen loh Abner te saii nawn saeh lamtah anih te khoengvoep nawn saeh. BOEIPA loh David a caeng vanbangla anih ham te ka saii van atah.
So now may God punish me severely if I don't help David achieve what the Lord has promised him.
10 A ram te Saul imkhui lamloh a puen vetih Israel neh Judah soah Dan lamloh Beersheba duela David kah ngolkhoel a hol pah ham te khaw,” a ti nah.
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 Te vaengah anih te a rhih coeng dongah Abner te ol koep a mael ham khaw huem voel pawh.
Ishbosheth didn't dare to say anything else to Abner because he was frightened of him.
12 Te phoeiah Abner loh David taengah amah yueng la puencawn a tueih tih anih kah yueng la, “Khohmuen ke u ham tloe nim? Nang neh kai moi bop pawn sih, Israel boeih te nang taengla aka maelh ham khaw ka kut he nang taengah om ta he,” a ti nah.
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 Te dongah David loh, “Then, kai loh nang taengah moi kam boh ngawn ni. Tedae ol pakhat te nang taeng lamloh tha sak ham kai loh kam bih. Ka maelhmai hmuh ham na pawk vaengah Saul canu Mikhal te nang khuen lamhma pawt atah ka maelhmai he na hmu mahpawh,” a ti nah.
“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 Te dongah David loh, “Philisti kah yanghli yakhat neh kamah ham ka bae ka yuu Mikhal te m'pae saeh, “tila voek sak ham Saul capa Ishbosheth taengah puencawn a tueih.
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 Ishbosheth a tah vanbangla huta te a va Laish capa Paltiel taeng lamloh a bong pah.
Ishbosheth sent for her and took her away from her husband Paltiel, son of Laish.
16 Tedae anih te a va loh a vai tih a caeh pah. Bahurim duela a hnukah a rhah pah hatah anih te Abner loh, “Mael lamtah cet laeh,” a ti nah tih vik mael.
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 Abner kah olka te Israel patong taengah om coeng tih, “Hlaem neh hlaemvai ah nangmih soah aka manghai la David aka toem khaw na om uh.
Abner spoke with the elders of Israel and said, “For a while now you have wanted to have David as your king.
18 Saii uh kanoek laeh, BOEIPA loh David ham a uen pah coeng tih, 'Ka sal David kut loh ka pilnam Israel he Philisti kut lamkah, a thunkha cungkuem kut lamloh a khang ni, ' a ti,” a ti nah.
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 Abner loh Benjamin kah a hna dongah khaw a thui pah. Te phoeiah Abner te Hebron kah David hna ah Israel mikhmuh neh Benjamin imkhui pum kah mikhmuh ah boeih then coeng tila thui pah ham tloekloek cet.
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 Abner loh a taengkah hlang pakul neh Hebron kah David te a paan. Te dongah David loh Abner neh anih taengkah hlang rhoek ham buhkoknah a saii pah.
Abner came with twenty of his men to see David at Hebron, and David prepared a feast for them.
21 Abner loh David taengah, “Ka thoo mai saeh lamtah ka cet mai eh. Ka boeipa manghai ham Israel pum te ka coi eh. Te daengah ni namah taengah paipi a saii uh vetih na hinglu loh a ngaih sarhui bangla na manghai thil eh?,” a ti nah. Te dongah David loh Abner te a tueih tih ngaimong la cet.
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 Te vaengah David kah sal rhoek neh Joab tah caem lamloh pakcak ha pawk uh. Amih te kutbuem neh muep ha pawk uh. Tedae Abner tah a tueih coeng tih ngaimong la a caeh coeng dongah Hebron kah David taengah om voel pawh.
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 Joab neh amah taengkah caempuei te boeih ha pawk uh vaengah Ner capa Abner tah manghai taengla kun tih anih te a tueih dongah ngaimong la a caeh te Joab taengla a puen pa uh tih a thui pauh.
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 Te dongah Joab loh manghai taengla kun tih, “Balae na saii he, namah taengla Abner ha pawk te ba ham lae anih te na tueih tih a caeh khaw a caeh rhoe.
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 Ner capa Abner te nang hloih ham ha pai tila na ming. Te dongah na thoengnah neh na kunnah, na aelnah aka dawn ham, na saii boeih te a dawn ham ni,” a ti nah.
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 Te phoeiah Joab te David taeng lamloh coe tih Abner hnukah puencawn a tueih. Te dongah Abner te Sirah tuito lamloh a mael puei uh dae David loh ming pawh.
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 Hebron la Abner ha mael vaengah anih te Joab loh vongka khui la duem a mawt. Te phoeiah a bung ah pahoi a thun tih Joab kah a manuca Asahel kah thii a yueng la Abner khaw duek.
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 Te phoei lamkah te David loh a yaak tih, “Ner capa Abner thii kawng dongah kamah neh ka ram he kumhal duela BOEIPA taengah ommongsitoe la om saeh.
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 Joab lu so neh a napa imkhui boeih soah phuei uh saeh. Joab imkhui ah a thi a hnai neh aka pahuk, conghol dongah aka kuitung khaw, cunghang neh aka rhu, buh ka nai khaw pat boel saeh,” a ti.
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 Gibeon caem vaengah a manuca Asahel a ngawn pah dongah Joab neh a mana Abishai loh Abner te a ngawn rhoi.
(This is why Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel during the battle at Gibeon.)
31 David loh Joab neh a taengkah pilnam boeih taengah, “Na himbai phen uh, tlamhni vah uh, Abner hmai ah rhaengsae uh,” a ti nah tih, manghai David te baiphaih taengah cet.
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 Abner te Hebron ah a up uh. Manghai loh a ol a huel tih Abner phuel ah rhap. Te vaengah pilnam khaw boeih rhap uh.
They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king cried loudly at the grave, along with all the people.
33 Abner ham manghai te rhaengsae tih, “Hlang ang a duek bang lam a Abner a duek eh?,
The king sang this lament for Abner: “Did Abner deserve to die like a criminal?
34 Na kut ham pin pawh, na kho khaw rhohum dongah man bal pawh, dumlai hlang kah mikhmuh ah a cungku uh bangla na cungku,” a ti. Anih te pilnam boeih loh a rhaep la a rhah.
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 Kho om vaengah David te buh cah ham pilnam pum loh a paan. Tedae David loh a toemngam tih, “Pathen loh kai taengah han saii saeh lamtah khomik a khum hlanah buh khaw khat khat khaw ka tuep atah amah loh ng'koei nawn saeh,” a ti.
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 Pilnam pum loh a hmat uh tih a mik ah cop uh. Manghai loh a saii boeih tah pilnam mik ah boeih cop.
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 Ner capa Abner a ngawn ham te manghai taeng lamkah a om moenih tila tekah khohnin ah pilnam pum neh Israel pum loh a ming.
That day everyone in Judah and throughout Israel realized that David had not ordered Abner's murder.
38 Te vaengah manghai loh a sal rhoek te, “Mangpa neh hlangtang he na ming uh moenih a? Tihnin ah Israel lakli ah a cungku he.
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 Tihnin ah ka mongkawt cakhaw manghai la ng'koelh tih Zeruiah koca tongpa rhoek lakah ka ning. Thae aka saii taengah a boethae bangla BOEIPA loh thuung saeh,” a ti nah.
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.”

< 2 Samuel 3 >