1 The fighting between the forces supporting Saul's family and those supporting David went on for a long time. As David became stronger and stronger, his opponents became weaker and weaker.
David's Sons
2 The following six sons, in order of their birth, were born to David at Hebron: Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam, from Jezreel; 3 Chileab, whose mother was Abigail, Nabal's widow, from Carmel; Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; 4 Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith; Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital; 5 Ithream, whose mother was Eglah. All of these sons were born in Hebron.
Abner Joins David
6 As the fighting continued between David's forces and the forces loyal to Saul's family, Abner became more and more powerful among Saul's followers.
7 One day Ishbosheth son of Saul accused Abner of sleeping with Saul's concubine Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. 8 This made Abner furious. “Do you think that I would betray Saul? Do you really think I'm serving Judah?” he exclaimed. “From the very first I have been loyal to the cause of your father Saul, his brothers, and his friends, and I have kept you from being defeated by David; yet today you find fault with me about a woman! 9-10 The Lord promised David that he would take the kingdom away from Saul and his descendants and would make David king of both Israel and Judah, from one end of the country to the other. Now may God strike me dead if I don't make this come true!” 11 Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not say a word.
12 Abner sent messengers to David, who at that time was at Hebron, to say, “Who is going to rule this land? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you win all Israel over to your side.”
13 “Good!” David answered. “I will make an agreement with you on one condition: you must bring Saul's daughter Michal to me when you come to see me.” 14 And David also sent messengers to Ishbosheth to say, “Give me back my wife Michal. I paid a hundred Philistine foreskins in order to marry her.” 15 So Ishbosheth had her taken from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16 Paltiel followed her all the way to the town of Bahurim, crying as he went. But when Abner said, “Go back home,” he did.
17 Abner went to the leaders of Israel and said to them, “For a long time you have wanted David to be your king. 18 Now here is your chance. Remember that the Lord has said, ‘I will use my servant David to rescue my people Israel from the Philistines and from all their other enemies.’” 19 Abner spoke also to the people of the tribe of Benjamin and then went to Hebron to tell David what the people of Benjamin and of Israel had agreed to do.
20 When Abner came to David at Hebron with twenty men, David gave a feast for them. 21 Abner told David, “I will go now and win all Israel over to Your Majesty. They will accept you as king, and then you will get what you have wanted and will rule over the whole land.” David gave Abner a guarantee of safety and sent him on his way.
Abner Is Murdered
22 Later on Joab and David's other officials returned from a raid, bringing a large amount of loot with them. Abner, however, was no longer there at Hebron with David, because David had sent him away with a guarantee of safety. 23 When Joab and his men arrived, he was told that Abner had come to King David and had been sent away with a guarantee of safety. 24 So Joab went to the king and said to him, “What have you done? Abner came to you—why did you let him go like that? 25 He came here to deceive you and to find out everything you do and everywhere you go. Surely you know that!”
26 After leaving David, Joab sent messengers to get Abner, and they brought him back from Sirah Well; but David knew nothing about it. 27 When Abner arrived in Hebron, Joab took him aside at the gate, as though he wanted to speak privately with him, and there he stabbed him in the stomach. And so Abner was murdered because he had killed Joab's brother Asahel. 28 When David heard the news, he said, “The Lord knows that my subjects and I are completely innocent of the murder of Abner. 29 May the punishment for it fall on Joab and all his family! In every generation may there be some man in his family who has gonorrhea or a dreaded skin disease or is fit only to do a woman's work or is killed in battle or doesn't have enough to eat!” 30 So Joab and his brother Abishai took revenge on Abner for killing their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
Abner Is Buried
31 Then David ordered Joab and his men to tear their clothes, wear sackcloth, and mourn for Abner. And at the funeral King David himself walked behind the coffin. 32 Abner was buried at Hebron, and the king wept aloud at the grave, and so did all the people. 33 David sang this lament for Abner:
“Why did Abner have to die like a fool?
34 His hands were not tied,
And his feet were not bound;
He died like someone killed by criminals!”
And the people wept for him again.
35 All day long the people tried to get David to eat something, but he made a solemn promise, “May God strike me dead if I eat anything before the day is over!” 36 They took note of this and were pleased. Indeed, everything the king did pleased the people. 37 All of David's people and all the people in Israel understood that the king had no part in the murder of Abner. 38 The king said to his officials, “Don't you realize that this day a great leader in Israel has died? 39 Even though I am the king chosen by God, I feel weak today. These sons of Zeruiah are too violent for me. May the Lord punish these criminals as they deserve!”
1 Nu pa kara ovita orure pokati konganda ya Saul noya David; nu David wa ririra ko omunamasa, nonganda ya Saul ya ngundiparera ko.
Ovazandu va David mba kwaterwa mOhebron
2 David wa pandukirwa ovazandu mba mOhebron: Otjiveri tje wa ri Amnon ngwa zire mu ina Ahinoam wa Jesreel; 3 outjavari wa ri Kilab waina Abigail, omuhepundu wa Nabal, Omukarmel; outjatatu wa ri Absalom, omuzandu wa Maaka, omusuko wa Talmai, ombara ya Gesur; 4 outjaine wa ri Adonija waina Hagit; outjatano wa ri Sefatia waina Abital; 5 outjahamboumwe wa ri Itream waina Egla, omukazendu wa David. Ovazandu avehe va David mba va pandukirwa mOhebron.
Abner me rikutu kuna David
6 Nu ngunda ape novita pokati konganda ya Saul noya David, Abner tjandje ma ririre ko omunauvara monganda ya Saul.
7 Saul wa ri nomukazendu omumbanda wena Rispa, omusuko wa Aja. Neyuva rimwe Isboset wa pura Abner a tja: “Okutjavi tji wa karara pomukazendu omumbanda wa tate?” 8 Abner otja ṱomazenge tjinene mena romambo wa Isboset na tja: “Indu owami ombwa mOjuda are? Ami mbi raisa ondjingonekero konganda yaiho Saul na kovazamumwe we na komapanga we, nu hi ku isire okuwira momake wa David; nove ndino mo ndji kuminine omukazendu! 9 Nambano Ndjambi nga vere ami Abner, tji mbi hi nokutjita ihi Muhona tja yanena David. 10 Muhona wa yanena onganda ya Saul okuiyeka ouhona, nokuzika David a rire ombara ya Israel noya Juda, okuza kOdan nga kOberseba.” 11 Isboset ka sorere okuzira embo nangarire rimwe, tjinga aa tira Abner.
12 Abner otja hinda ovatumwa ku David nombuze ndji: “Owaṋi ngu ma honaparere ehi ndi? Ngatu tjite omazuvasaneno, nami me ku vatere okueta Israel atjihe kove.”
13 David wa zira a tja: “Osemba, ami me tjiti omazuvasaneno na ove; nungwari otjiṋa tjimwe tji me hepa kove, otjo hi: Tji mo ya komurungu wandje, orondu tji wa eterere Mikal, omusuko wa Saul.” 14 David wina wa tuma ovahindwa ku Isboset, omuzandu wa Saul, ve katje nai: “Ndji kotorera omukazendu wandje Mikal ngu mba suta nomikova vyomasukarekero vyOvafilisti esere rimwe.” 15 Isboset arire tja hindi ovatumwa ve kaisepo Mikal pomurumendu we Paltiel, omuzandu wa Laish. 16 Nu Paltiel wa kongorera omukazendu we nga kObahurim, ama riri ondjira aihe. Abner arire tja tja ku ye: “Yaruka koyoye.” Neye otja yaruka.
17 Abner wa ya okukazuvasana novanane vOvaisrael na tja: “Oruveze orure eṋe mwe rizerira David kutja a rire ombara yeṋu. 18 Nambano tjiteye nao, Muhona tjinga a hungirira David nai: ‘Neke romukarere wandje David ami me kutura otjiwaṋa tjandje Israel mouvara wOvafilisti nowovanavita na tjo.’ ” 19 Abner wa hungira puna Ovabenjamin wina, na i kOhebron okukaraera David imbi Ovaisrael nOvabenjamin mbi va zuvasanene okutjita.
20 Abner tje ya ku David mOhebron puna ovarumendu omirongo vivari, David otje ve zepera omukandi. 21 Abner wa tja ku David: “Ami me vanga okukaworonganisira Ovaisrael avehe pomuhona wandje ombara kutja ve tjite omazuvasaneno na ove; otji mo sora okuhonapara kombanda yehi arihe otja pu wa vanga.” David arire tja isa Abner a yende; neye wa ya mohange.
Abner ma ṱu
22 Kombunda yanao Joab novarwe wovita ovakwao va David va kotoka kokukahuura, nave eterere ovihuurwa ovingi, Abner tjandje ke ri puna David mOhebron, David tjinga e mu esa kutja a yende mohange. 23 Joab tje ya konganda puna ovarwe avehe wovita, wa raerwa nai: “Abner, omuzandu wa Ner, we ere kombara, noyo ye mu esa okuyenda, notja ya mohange.” 24 Nu Joab wa ya kombara na katja nai ku yo: “Ove wa ungura tjike? Tara, Abner weya kove, nu okutjavi tji we mu esa kutja a yende nao uriri? 25 Ove mo tjiwa kutja Abner, omuzandu wa Ner, weya okukutikura nokuyekutjiwa omapitiro nomahitiro woye, na atjihe tji movanga okutjita.”
26 Tjazumba Joab wa zapo pu David na ka hinda ovatumwa okutezera Abner, nowo ve kemukotorera pondjombo ya Sira, David ngunda e hi nokutjiwa. 27 Abner tja kotoka kOhebron, Joab we mu twara posi yomuvero aayo ma vanga okuhungira na ye mongumumu. Neye we mu twera mezumo; komuhingo mbwi Abner otja ṱa mena rokutja wa zepa Asahel, omuangu wa Joab. 28 David tja zuva otjiṋa hi, wa tja nai: “Ami notjiwaṋa tjandje katu nondjo komurungu wa Muhona nga aruhe nombinḓu ya Abner, omuzandu wa Ner. 29 Ombinḓu ye ngai wire ku Joab na keṱunḓu re arihe. Onganda ya Joab aruhe ngai kare nomutjise wotjikamuha poo wongana poo novandu oviṱeṱu poo novandu mbu mave ṱengaruvyo poo mbu mave ṱondjara.” 30 OoJoab nomuangu we Abisai otji va zepa Abner mena rokutja eye wa zepa omuangu wawo Asahel movita vya Gibeon.
Abner ma pakwa
31 Tjazumba David wa tja ku Joab na kovarumendu, mba ri pu ye: “Nyondororeye ozombanda zeṋu, mu rivarange ovipiriko nu mu rorere Abner ondoro!” Nombara David omuini wa kongorera oruara. 32 Abner tja pakwa mOhebron, ombara ya rira tjinene peyendo re, notjiwaṋa atjihe tja rira puna yo. 33 Nombara David arire tja tangununa Abner na tja:
“Abner indu wa sokuṱa otja omurumendu omurunde are?
34 Omake woye kaye pandekerwe,
nozombaze zoye kaze kutirwe nouketanga wongoporo;
ove wa ṱa otja umwe ngwa ṱovapunde.”
Notjiwaṋa atjihe tje mu rira tjinene komurungu.
35 Otjiwaṋa atjihe tja kondjisa David kutja a rye okaṋa ngunda e ri omutenya, nungwari David wa yana a tja: “Ndjambi nge ndji vere, tji mba ri omboroto poo otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe, eyuva ngunda ari hiya hita.” 36 Otjiwaṋa atjihe tji tja muna otjiṋa hi, otji tja kara nohange. Avihe mbya tjitwa i ombara David, vya tjata kotjiwaṋa. 37 Otjiwaṋa atjihe nOvaisrael avehe meyuva ndo va muna kutja okuṱa kwa Abner, omuzandu wa Ner, kaku zire mombara. 38 Norukwao ombara ya tja nai kovahongore vayo: “Kamu nokutjiwa kutja ndino mwa ṱu omuhongore omunene mOisrael are? 39 Nungwari hiya ninga omasa, nandarire kutja mba twirisiwa okurira ombara; novarumendu mbo, ovazandu va Seruja, owo ovatwe pu ami. Muhona nga sutise ingwi omutjite wouvi otja kouvi we.”
