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 Ndele pa li oita efimbo lile pokati kepata laSaul nepata laDavid. Ndele eenghono daDavid da ehena komesho efimbo alishe, ndelenee epata laSaul la xutuka efimbo alishe.
Ovana ovamati vaDavid va dalelwa muHebron
2 Ndele David a dalelwa ovana ovamati muHebron. Noshiveli shaye sha li Amnon, ina Ahinoam womuJisreel. 3 Nomutivali waye okwa li Kileab, ina Abigail, omwalikadi waNabal, Omukarmel. Nomutitatu oAbsalom, omona waMaaka, omona okakadona kaTalmai, ohamba yaGesur. 4 Nomutine oAdonia, omona waHaggit. Nomutitano oSefatja, omona waAbital. 5 Nomutihamano oJitream, ina Egla, omwalikadi waDavid. Vo ova dalelwa David muHebron.
Abner te liyandje kuDavid
6 Ndele fimbo pa li oita pokati kepata laSaul nepata laDavid, Abner okwe lipamekela eumbo laSaul. 7 Saul okwa li e nomwalikadi wopomunghulo, edina laye Rispa, omona waAja. Ndele Isboset okwa lombwela Abner: Omolwashike wa lile komwalikadi watate wopomunghulo? 8 Opo nee Abner okwa handuka unene omolweendjovo daIsboset ndele ta ti: “Aame omutwe wombwa yaJuda mbela? Ame handi file onghenda epata laxo Saul novamwaina nookaume kaye. Ndele inandi ku yandja momake aDavid, ndele nena eli to vele nge eembedi molwokunyona kwange nomukainhu? 9 Kalunga na handukile nge nena nokomesho, ngeenge itandi ningile David ngaashi Omwene e mu udanekela nokwaana. Osho handi ke mu ningila. 10 Ouhamba ohandi u kufa mepata laSaul ndi dike olukalwapangelo laDavid, ye a pangele Israel naJuda, okudja kuDan fiyo okuBerseba.” 11 Ndele Isboset ina shiiva okunyamukula shaAbner, osheshi e mu tila. 12 Opo nee Abner a tuma ovatumwa kuDavid apa a li va tye: Oshilongo oshalyelye? Ninga ehangano naame. Ndele tala, eke lange opo li ameke Israel ashishe kwoove. 13 Ndele ye ta ti: Eewa. Ame ohandi ka ninga ehangano naave, ndelenee oshinima shimwe handi shi pula kwoove, nokutya: Ino holoka koshipala shange okuninga to eta Mikal yaSaul pamwe naave, eshi to uya koshipala shange. 14 David okwa tuma yo ovatumwa kuIsboset yaSaul va tye: Pe nge omwalikadi wange Mikal, ou nde mu onda noipa efele limwe yeenhele doulumenhu wOvafilisti. 15 Ndele Isboset okwa tuma nokwe mu kufa komulumenhu waye Paltiel yaLais. 16 Nomulumenhu waye okwa enda pamwe naye, ndele te mu shikula, ta lili fiyo okuBahurim. Opo nee Abner ta ti kuye: Shuna! Ndele ye okwa shuna.
17 Ndele Abner okwa kundafana novakulunhu vOvaisraeli ndele ta ti: “Shito omwa li mwa hala David a ninge ohamba yeni. 18 Shi wanifeni hano, osheshi mokutonga David Omwene a tile: ‘Neke lomupiya wange David, Ame ohandi ka xupififa oshiwana shange Israel momake Ovafilisti nomomake ovatondadi vavo aveshe.’ ” 19 Ndele Abner okwa popya yo momatwi Ovabenjamin. Ndele Abner okwa ya yo kuHebron nokwa popya momatwi aDavid ashishe osho sha li shiwa momesho Ovaisraeli nomomesho epata alishe laBenjamin. 20 Abner eshi e uya kuDavid muHebron pamwe novalumenhu omilongo mbali David okwa telekela Abner novanhu vaye oshitelekela. 21 Ndele Abner ta ti kuDavid: “Ame nda hala okufikama nokwoongela Ovaisraeli aveshe komwene wange ohamba, opo va ninge ehangano naave. Opo nee to dulu okupangela ashishe osho omwenyo woye wa hala.” Opo nee David a lekela Abner ndele ye a ya nombili.
Joab ta dipaa Abner
22 Opo tuu opo ovapiya vaDavid naJoab va aluka okushinga oita, ndele va eta oixuulwa ihapu pamwe navo. Ndelenee Abner ina hangika vali puDavid muHebron, osheshi ye e mu lekela nokwa ya nombili. 23 Joab netanga alishe lovakwaita ovo va li pamwe naye, eshi ve uya keumbo, Joab okwa shiivifilwa kutya, Abner yaNer e uya kohamba, ndele yo ye mu lekela nokwa ya nombili. 24 Opo nee Joab e uya kohamba ndele ta ti: Ove wa ninga ngahelipi? Tala, Abner e uya kwoove. Omolwashike we mu efa a ye ashike ngaha? 25 Abner yaNer ou mu shii nokutya, okwa ile pwoove e ku pukife, opo a shiive okudja kwoye nokuuya po kwoye, heeno, opo a shiive ashishe ove to shi ningi. 26 Joab eshi a dja po puDavid okwa tuma ovatumwa va ka shikule Abner. Vo ve mu alula komufima waHassira. Ndelenee David ina shiiva sha. 27 Abner eshi e uya kuHebron, Joab e mu twala pomunghulo meni loshikololo shoshivelo a popye naye mongumitila, ndele te mu tu medimo, ndele ta fi, omolwomumwaina Asahel. 28 David eshi e shi uda ta ti: Ame noshilongo shange, katu netimba lohonde yaAbner yaNer fiyo alushe koshipala shOmwene. 29 Nali wile komutwe waJoab nokombada yepata laye alishe, ndele meumbo laJoab mu nokukala omunhu ou e na eshisho lomaxu ile oudu woshilundu ile ou ta endele keemhani ile ou ta dipawa keongamukonda ile ou a hepa omungome. 30 Osho ngaha Joab nomumwaina Abisai va dipaa Abner, shaashi ye okwa dipaele omumwaina Asahel molwoodi puGibeon. 31 David okwa lombwela vali Joab novanhu aveshe ava va kala puye ta ti: Pombauleni oikutu yeni mu djale oikutu yeefya mu lile Abner. Nohamba David ya enda konima yolutala lomudimba. 32 Vo eshi va paka Abner muHebron, ohamba ya yelula ondaka yayo ndele tai lili pombila yaAbner. Ovanhu aveshe va lila yo. 33 Nohamba ya tota eimbilo leenghali omolwaAbner ndele tai ti:
“Abner okwa li tuu e nokufya efyo lelai?
34 Omake oye inaa mangwa
nomaulu oye inaa tulwa mo momalyenge oshikushu.
Ove wa fya ngaashi omunhu ta fi
komake ovakolokoshi.”
Novanhu aveshe ve mu lila nokulililila pombada. 35 Opo nee ovanhu aveshe ve uya, fimbo ku yela va fininike David a lye omungome. Ndelenee David okwa ana ndele ta ti: Kalunga na handukile nge nena nokomesho ngeenge handi makele omungome ile shimwe shi lili etango fimbo inali ningina. 36 Novanhu aveshe ve shi dimbulukwa ndele oshe va wapalela. Ngaashi ashishe osho ohamba ya ninga sha wapalela ovanhu. 37 Novanhu aveshe naIsrael ashishe ve shi dimbulukwa efiku tuu olo nokutya, edipao laAbner yaNer inali dja kohamba. 38 Ohamba ya lombwela vali ovapiya vayo, tai ti: “Inamu shiiva nokutya, nena omukulunhu nomulumenhu munene womuIsrael a fya? 39 Ndelenee ame oshingone natango, nande nda vaekwa ndi ninge ohamba, ndele ovalumenhu ovo, ovana ovamati vaSeruja otava nyenge nge molwoukukutu wavo. Omwene na alulile omukolokoshi paukolokoshi waye!”
