1Nkhondo ya pakati pa banja la Sauli ndi banja la Davide inachitika nthawi yayitali. Mphamvu za Davide zinkakulirakulirabe, pamene banja la Sauli mphamvu zake zimapita zicheperachepera.
2Ana aamuna a Davide amene anabadwira ku Hebroni anali awa: Woyamba anali Amnoni, amayi ake anali Ahinoamu wa ku Yezireeli.
3Mwana wachiwiri anali Kileabu, amayi ake anali Abigayeli mkazi wamasiye wa Nabala wa ku Karimeli.
Wachitatu anali Abisalomu, amayi ake anali Maaka mwana wa Talimai mfumu ya Gesuri;
4wachinayi anali Adoniya, amayi ake anali Hagiti;
wachisanu, Sefatiya amayi ake anali Abitali;
5ndipo wachisanu ndi chimodzi anali Itireamu, amayi ake anali Egila, mkazi wa Davide.
Ana awa a Davide anabadwira ku Hebroni.
Abineri Agwirizana ndi Davide
6Pamene kunali nkhondo pakati pa banja la Sauli ndi banja la Davide, Abineri anayamba kudzipatsa yekha mphamvu pakati pa banja la Sauli. 7Sauli anali ndi mzikazi dzina lake Rizipa mwana wa Ayiwa. Ndipo Isiboseti anati kwa Abineri, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani unagona ndi mzikazi wa abambo anga?”
8Abineri anakwiya kwambiri chifukwa cha zimene Isi-Boseti ananena ndipo anamuyankha kuti “Kodi ukuyesa ndine mutu wagalu umene ali mbali ya Ayuda? Lero lino ndine wokhulupirika ku nyumba ya abambo ako, Sauli ndi banja lake ndi anzake. Ine sindinakupereke kwa Davide, koma tsopano ukundinena pa cholakwa chimene ndachita pa mkazi uyu! 9Mulungu andilange ine Abineri, andilange kwambiri, ngati sindichitira Davide zimene Yehova anamulonjeza iye mwa lumbiro. 10Ndidzachotsa ufumu ku nyumba ya Sauli ndi kukhazikitsa ufumu wa Davide pa Aisraeli onse ndi Yuda kuchokera ku Dani mpaka ku Beeriseba.” 11Isiboseti sanayerekezenso kunena mawu ena kwa Abineri, chifukwa ankamuopa.
12Kenaka Abineri anatuma amithenga kwa Davide kukanena kuti, “Kodi dzikoli ndi la yani? Uchite mgwirizano ndi ine ndipo ndidzakuthandiza kuti Aisraeli onse azikutsatira.”
13Davide anati, “Chabwino. Ine ndichita mgwirizano ndi iwe. Koma ndikukupempha chinthu chimodzi: Usabwere pamaso panga pokhapokha utabweretsa Mikala mwana wamkazi wa Sauli, ukamabwera kudzandiona.” 14Ndipo Davide anatuma amithenga kwa Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli, kumulamula kuti, “Patse mkazi wanga Mikala, amene ndinamukwatira ndi makungu 100 a msonga za mavalo a Afilisti.”
15Kotero Isi-Boseti analamulira ndipo anakamutenga kwa mwamuna wake Palitieli mwana wa Laisi. 16Koma mwamuna wake anapita naye akulira pambuyo pake njira yonse mpaka ku Bahurimu. Kenaka Abineri anati kwa iye, “Bwerera kwanu!” Ndipo anabwerera kwawo.
17Abineri anakambirana ndi akuluakulu a Israeli ndipo anati, “Kwa kanthawi mwakhala mukufuna kulonga Davide kuti akhale mfumu yanu. 18Tsopano chitani zimenezo! Pakuti Yehova analonjeza Davide kuti, ‘Kudzera mwa mtumiki wanga Davide ndidzapulumutsa anthu anga Aisraeli mʼdzanja la Afilisti ndi kuwachotsa mʼmanja mwa adani awo.’ ”
19Abineri anayankhulanso nawo yekha anthu a fuko la Benjamini. Kenaka anapita ku Hebroni kukamuwuza Davide zonse zimene Aisraeli ndi fuko lonse la Benjamini amafuna kuchita. 20Abineri, amene anali ndi anthu makumi awiri, atafika kwa Davide ku Hebroni, Davide anamukonzera phwando pamodzi ndi anthu ake. 21Ndipo Abineri anawuza Davide kuti, “Loleni kuti ndipite msanga kukasonkhanitsa Aisraeli onse kuti abwere kwa inu kuno, mbuye wanga mfumu, kuti adzachite nanu pangano, ndipo kuti muzilamulira kulikonse kumene mtima wanu ufuna.” Kotero Davide analola Abineri kuti apite, ndipo anapita mwamtendere.
Yowabu Apha Abineri
22Nthawi yomweyo ankhondo a Davide ndi Yowabu anafika kuchokera kumene anakathira nkhondo ndipo anabweretsa katundu wambiri wolanda ku nkhondo. Koma Abineri sanalinso ndi Davide ku Hebroni, chifukwa Davide anamulola kuti apite, ndipo anapita mu mtendere. 23Yowabu ndi asilikali onse amene anali naye atafika, anawuzidwa kuti Abineri mwana wa Neri anabwera kwa mfumu ndipo kuti mfumu yamulola kuti apite ndi kuti wapita ndi mtendere.
24Choncho Yowabu anapita kwa mfumu ndipo anati, “Mwachita chiyani? Taonani, Abineri anabwera kwa inu. Nʼchifukwa chiyani mwamulola kuti apite? Tsopanotu wapitadi! 25Inu mukumudziwa bwino Abineri mwana wa Neri. Iye anabwera kudzakunamizani ndi kudzaona mayendedwe anu ndiponso kudzaona zonse zimene mukuchita.”
26Kenaka Yowabu anachoka pamaso pa Davide ndipo anatumiza amithenga kutsatira Abineri, ndipo anabwera naye kuchokera ku chitsime cha Sira. Koma Davide sanadziwe zimenezi. 27Tsono Abineri atabwerera ku Hebroni, Yowabu anamutengera pambali ku chipata, kukhala ngati akufuna kuyankhula naye mwamseri. Ndipo kumeneko pobwezera imfa ya mʼbale wake Asaheli, Yowabu analasa iyeyo mʼmimba, ndipo anafa.
28Patapita nthawi, Davide atamva zimenezi anati, “Ine ndi ufumu wanga tidzakhala osalakwa pamaso pa Yehova pa imfa ya Abineri mwana wa Neri. 29Mlandu umenewu ukhala pa Yowabu ndi banja lonse la abambo ake! Mʼbanja la Yowabu musadzasowe munthu wodwala matenda a chizonono kapena khate, kapena wolumala woyendera ndodo kapena wophedwa ndi lupanga, kapena wosowa chakudya.”
30(Yowabu ndi mʼbale wake Abisai anapha Abineri chifukwa iye anapha mʼbale wawo Asaheli ku nkhondo ku Gibiyoni).
31Ndipo Davide anati kwa Yowabu ndi anthu onse amene anali nawo, “Ngʼambani zovala zanu ndipo muvale ziguduli, muyende mukulira patsogolo pa Abineri.” Mfumu Davide mwini anayenda motsatira chitandacho. 32Iwo anamuyika Abineri mʼmanda ku Hebroni ndipo mfumu inalira mokweza pa manda a Abineri. Ndipo anthu onse analiranso.
33Mfumu inayimba nyimbo iyi ya maliro a Abineri:
“Abineri nʼkufa motere monga mmene chimafera chitsiru.
34Manja ako anali osamanga,
mapazi ako anali osakulungidwa.
Iwe wafa monga mmene amafera anthu pamaso pa anthu oyipa.”
Ndipo anthu onse analiranso kulirira Abineri.
35Kenaka onse anabwera kwa Davide kumuwumiriza kuti adye kusanade. Koma Davide analumbira kuti, “Mulungu andilange ine, andilange kwambiri, ngati ndilawe buledi kapena chilichonse dzuwa lisanalowe!”
36Anthu onse anadziwa zimenezi ndipo zinawakondweretsa ndithu. Zonse zimene mfumu inachita zinawakondweretsa. 37Kotero tsiku limeneli anthu onse ndi Aisraeli onse anadziwa kuti sikunali kufuna kwa mfumu kuti Abineri mwana wa Neri aphedwe.
38Ndipo mfumu inati kwa ankhondo ake, “Kodi inu simukudziwa kuti lero mu Israeli mwagwa kalonga ndi munthu wamkulu? 39Ndipo lero, ngakhale ine ndine mfumu yodzozedwa, ndilibe mphamvu ndipo ana awa a Zeruya ndi amphamvu kwa ine. Yehova abwezere woyipa molingana ndi zoyipa zake!”
1The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.
2Sons were born to David in Hebron:
his firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;
3his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel;
the third, Absalom the son of Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
4the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith;
the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;
5and the sixth, Ithream the son of David’s wife Eglah.
These were born to David in Hebron.
Abner goes over to David
6During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul. 7Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, ‘Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?’
8Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said. So he answered, ‘Am I a dog’s head – on Judah’s side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven’t handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offence involving this woman! 9May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised him on oath 10and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.’ 11Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.
12Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, ‘Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.’
13‘Good,’ said David. ‘I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.’ 14Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, ‘Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.’
15So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish. 16Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, ‘Go back home!’ So he went back.
17Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, ‘For some time you have wanted to make David your king. 18Now do it! For the Lord promised David, “By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.” ’
19Abner also spoke to the Benjaminites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole tribe of Benjamin wanted to do. 20When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men. 21Then Abner said to David, ‘Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires.’ So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.
Joab murders Abner
22Just then David’s men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. 23When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.
24So Joab went to the king and said, ‘What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone! 25You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing.’
26Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the cistern at Sirah. But David did not know it. 27Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into an inner chamber, as if to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.
28Later, when David heard about this, he said, ‘I and my kingdom are for ever innocent before the Lord concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner. 29May his blood fall on the head of Joab and on his whole family! May Joab’s family never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy3:29 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin. or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food.’
30(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle of Gibeon.)
31Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, ‘Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner.’ King David himself walked behind the bier. 32They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner’s tomb. All the people wept also.
33The king sang this lament for Abner:
‘Should Abner have died as the lawless die?
34Your hands were not bound,
your feet were not fettered.
You fell as one falls before the wicked.’
And all the people wept over him again.
35Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, ‘May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!’
36All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them. 37So on that day all the people there and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.
38Then the king said to his men, ‘Do you not realise that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? 39And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!’
