< 2 Samuel 2 >

1 Dịka oge na-aga, Devid jụrụ Onyenwe anyị ase sị, “M ga-ebili gbagoo nʼotu obodo dị na Juda?” Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Gbagoo.” Devid jụkwara, “Olee ebe m ga-agbago?” Onyenwe anyị zara, “Hebrọn.”
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 Devid na nwunye ya abụọ, Ahinoam onye Jezril, na Abigel nwunye ochie Nebal onye Kamel gara nʼebe ahụ.
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 Devid kpọkwaara ndị ikom ahụ ya na ha so, onye ọbụla nʼime ha durukwaara ezinaụlọ ya, ga biri na Hebrọn na obodo ndị ọzọ gbara ya gburugburu.
He also took the men who had been with him, and their families. They all started to live in villages near Hebron.
4 Ndị ikom Juda bịakwutere Devid na Hebrọn. Tee ya mmanụ ịbụ eze ebo Juda niile. Mgbe Devid nụrụ na ọ bụ ndị ikom Jebesh Gilead liri Sọl,
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 o zigaara ha ndị ozi ka ha sị ha, “Ka Onyenwe anyị gọzie unu nʼihi obiọma unu gosiri site nʼili Sọl, nna unu ukwu, nʼụzọ kwesiri ekwesi.
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 Ka Onyenwe anyị gosikwa unu obiọma na ikwesi ntụkwasị obi. Mụ onwe m ga-egosikwa unu otu ụdị amara a, nʼihi ihe a unu mere.
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 Ma ugbu a, bụrụnụ dike na dimkpa, nʼihi na Sọl nna unu ukwu anwụọla. Ọzọkwa, ndị Juda niile eteela m mmanụ ịbụ eze ha.”
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 Ma Abna nwa Nea, ọchịagha ndị agha Sọl edurularịị Ishboshet, nwa Sọl, dubata ya nʼobodo Mahanaim.
[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 Ọ nọrọ nʼebe ahụ mee ya eze ndị Gilead, ndị Ashuri na ndị Jezril; na ndị Ifrem, ndị Benjamin na Izrel niile.
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 Ishboshet nwa Sọl gbara iri afọ anọ mgbe ọ ghọrọ eze ndị Izrel. Ọ chịkwara afọ abụọ. Ma otu ọ dị, ndị Juda niile nọgidere nʼokpuru Devid.
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 Ogologo oge niile Devid chịrị dịka eze ndị Juda na Hebrọn bụ afọ asaa na ọnwa isii.
and he ruled them for seven and a half years while he was living in Hebron.
12 Otu ụbọchị, Abna nwa Nea, duuru ndị agha Ishboshet nwa Sọl site na Mahanaim jee Gibiọn.
[One day] Abner and the officials of Isbosheth went from Mahanaim [across the Jordan River] to Gibeon [city].
13 Ma Joab, nwa Zeruaya dukwaara ndị agha Devid pụọ izute ha nʼọdọ mmiri Gibiọn. Otu ndị nọdụrụ ala nʼotu akụkụ ọdọ mmiri, ndị nke ọzọ nʼakụkụ ọzọ nke ọdọ mmiri ahụ. Ha cherịtara onwe ha ihu.
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 Abna gwara Joab sị, “Ka ụfọdụ ụmụ okorobịa pụta nʼihu anyị maa aka mgba.” Joab sịrị, “Ka ha pụta.”
Abner said to Joab, “Let’s tell some of our young men to fight each other!” Joab replied, “Okay!”
15 Ha pụtara ka a gụpụtachara ha. Ha dị mmadụ iri na abụọ site nʼetiti ndị agha Benjamin na Ishboshet nwa Sọl, mmadụ iri na abụọ site nʼetiti ndị agha Devid.
So twelve men from the tribe of Benjamin fought for Ishbosheth, against twelve of David’s soldiers.
16 Nwoke ọbụla jidere ibe ya nʼisi were mma agha ya manye ya nʼakụkụ, si otu a wetara onwe ha ọnwụ. Ọ bụ nke a mere e ji kpọọ ebe ahụ dị na Gibiọn, Helkat Hazurim, nke pụtara Ala mma agha.
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 Agha siri ike dara nʼụbọchị ahụ. Ma ndị agha Devid lụgburu Abna na ndị agha Izrel.
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 Ụmụ Zeruaya atọ nọ nʼebe ahụ, ya bụ, Joab, na Abishai na Asahel. Asahel bụ nwoke na-agba ọsọ dịka mgbada.
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 Ọ chụwara Abna ọsọ, ọ dịghị mgbe ọ tụgharịrị gaa nʼaka nri maọbụ nʼaka ekpe mgbe ọ nọ na-achụ ya ọsọ.
Asahel started to pursue Abner. He ran straight toward Abner, without stopping.
20 Mgbe Abna lere anya nʼazụ hụ ya ka ọ na-abịa, ọ kpọrọ ya oku sị ya, “Ọ bụ gị Asahel?” Asahel zara sị, “Ọ bụ m.”
Abner looked behind him, and said “Is that you, Asahel?” Asahel replied, “Yes!”
21 Abna gwara ya okwu sị ya, “Tụgharịa nʼakụkụ aka nri maọbụ aka ekpe, jide otu nʼime ụmụ okorobịa ndị a. Napụ ya ngwa agha ya niile.” Ma Asahel akwụsịghị ịchụ ya ọsọ.
Abner yelled at him, “Turn to one side or the other, [and pursue someone else]!” But Asahel would not stop pursuing Abner.
22 Abna gwara Asahel ọzọ sị, “Laghachi azụ. Kwụsị ịchụ m ọsọ! Gịnị mere m ga-eji tigbuo gị? Olee otu m ga-esi lekwasị nwanne gị Joab anya nʼihu ma m gbuo gị?”
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 Ma Asahel jụrụ ịlaghachi azụ. Nʼihi ya, Abna weere isi ùbe ya mapuo ya afọ. Ùbe ahụ sikwa ya nʼazụ pụta. Ọ dara nʼala, nwụọ otu mgbe ahụ. Ndị niile bịaruru ebe ahụ ọ dara nwụọ kwụsịrị. Ha agakwaghị nʼihu ịchụ ndị ọzọ.
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 Ma Joab na Abishai chụgidere Abna ọsọ. Anwụ adaala mgbe ha bịarutere nʼugwu nta Ama, nke dị Gịa nso, nʼụzọ e si aga nʼọzara Gibiọn.
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 Ndị ikom Benjamin chịkọtara onwe ha ọnụ dịnyere Abna. Ha niile guzooro nʼelu otu ugwu dịka otu usuu ndị agha.
The men from the tribe of Benjamin gathered around Abner in one group, and stood at the top of a hill.
26 Mgbe ahụ, Abna kpọrọ Joab oku sị ya, “Ọ bụ ruo ole mgbe ka anyị ga na-eji mma agha na-egburita onwe anyị? Olee mgbe ị ga-akpọghachi ndị gị ka ha hapụ ịchụ na igbu ụmụnne ha? Ị maghị na ihe dị otu a ga-eweta obi ilu?”
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 Joab zara sị, “Eji m aha Chineke ṅụọ iyi na-asị na ọ bụrụ na i gbara nkịtị, ndị a gaara achụso ụmụnna ha ọsọ na-akwụsịghị ruo nʼụtụtụ echi.”
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 Mgbe ahụ, Joab fụrụ opi ike ya. Nke a mere ka ndị ya kwụsị ịchụ ndị Izrel. Ha kwụsịkwara ibu agha.
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 Nʼabalị ahụ, Abna na ndị ikom ya jere ije gafee ndagwurugwu Jọdan, gabigakwa osimiri Jọdan, jee ije nʼụtụtụ echi ya tutu ha eruo Mahanaim.
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 Joab kwụsịrị ịchụ Abna ọsọ, ọ chịkọtara ndị agha niile. Mgbe ọ gụrụ ha ọnụ, ọ chọpụtara na mmadụ iri na itoolu nʼime ndị ikom Devid, tinyere Asahel nwanne ya, bụ ndị na-alọtaghị agha.
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 Ma ndị ikom Devid gburu narị ndị agha Benjamin atọ na iri isii, bụ ndị so Abna.
But David’s soldiers had killed 360 of Abner’s men, all from the tribe of Benjamin.
32 Emesịa, Joab na ndị agha ya buuru ozu Asahel gaa lie ya na Betlehem, nʼili nna ya. Ha jere ije abalị ahụ niile tutu ha erute Hebrọn mgbe chi bidoro ịbọ.
[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 Samuel 2 >