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Davide Adzozedwa Kukhala Mfumu ya Yuda

Patapita nthawi, Davide anafunsa Yehova kuti, “Kodi ndipite ku umodzi mwa mizinda ya Yuda?”

Yehova anayankha kuti, “Pita.”

Davide anafunsanso kuti, “Kodi ndipite kuti?”

Yehova anayankha kuti, “Ku Hebroni.”

Choncho Davide anapita kumeneko ndi akazi ake awiri, Ahinoamu wa ku Yezireeli ndi Abigayeli mkazi wamasiye uja wa Nabala wa ku Karimeli. Davide anatenganso anthu amene anali nawo aliyense ndi banja lake, ndipo anakakhala ku midzi ya ku Hebroni. Kenaka amuna a ku Yuda anabwera ku Hebroni ndipo kumeneko anadzoza Davide kukhala mfumu ya fuko la Yuda.

Davide atawuzidwa kuti anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi ndi amene anayika mʼmanda Sauli, iye anatuma amithenga kwa anthu a ku Yabesi Giliyadi kuti akayankhule nawo kuti, “Yehova akudalitseni poonetsa kukoma mtima kwanu kwa Sauli mbuye wanu pomuyika mʼmanda. Tsopano Yehova akuonetseni kukoma mtima ndi kukhulupirika kwake ndipo inenso ndidzakukomerani mtima chifukwa munachita zimenezi. Tsopano khalani amphamvu ndi olimba mtima, pakuti Sauli mbuye wanu wafa, ndipo fuko la Yuda landidzoza kukhala mfumu yawo.”

Nkhondo Pakati pa Otsatira Davide ndi Otsatira Sauli

Pa nthawi imeneyi Abineri mwana wa Neri, wolamulira ankhondo a Sauli, anatenga Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli ndi kubwera naye ku Mahanaimu. Iye anamuyika kuti akhale mfumu yoyangʼanira Giliyadi, Asuri ndi Yezireeli, pamodzi ndi Efereimu, Benjamini ndi Israeli yense.

10 Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli anali wa zaka makumi anayi pamene anakhala mfumu ya Israeli ndipo analamulira zaka ziwiri. Koma fuko la Yuda linatsatira Davide. 11 Davide anakhala mfumu ku Hebroni akulamulira fuko la Yuda, kwa zaka zisanu ndi chimodzi ndi miyezi isanu ndi umodzi.

12 Abineri mwana wa Neri, pamodzi ndi ankhondo a Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli, anachoka ku Mahanaimu ndi kupita ku Gibiyoni. 13 Yowabu mwana wa Zeruya pamodzi ndi ankhondo a Davide anapita ndi kukakumana nawo ku dziwe la ku Gibiyoni. Gulu lina linakhala mbali ina ya dziwelo pamene gulu lina linakhala mbali inayo.

14 Kenaka Abineri anati kwa Yowabu, “Tiye tibweretse ena mwa anyamata athu kuti amenyane patsogolo pathupa.”

Yowabu anayankha, “Chabwino, amenyane.”

15 Kotero anayimirira ndipo anawawerenga: anyamata khumi ndi awiri a fuko la Benjamini ndi Isi-Boseti mwana wa Sauli ndiponso anyamata khumi ndi awiri a Davide. 16 Tsono aliyense anagwira mutu wa mnzake namubaya mnzakeyo mʼnthiti ndi mpeni ndipo onse anagwera pansi limodzi. Kotero malo amenewo ku Gibiyoni amatchedwa Helikati Hazurimu.

17 Tsiku limeneli nkhondo yake inali yoopsa kwambiri, ndipo Abineri ndi ankhondo a Israeli anagonjetsedwa ndi ankhondo a Davide.

18 Ana atatu aamuna a Zeruya, Yowabu, Abisai ndi Asaheli anali komweko. Koma Asaheli anali waliwiro ngati insa. 19 Iye anathamangitsa Abineri ndipo sanakhotere kumanja kapena kumanzere pamene amamutsatira. 20 Abineri anayangʼana mʼmbuyo ndipo anafunsa, “Kodi ndiwe Asaheli?”

Iye anayankha kuti, “Ndine.”

21 Ndipo Abineri anati kwa iye, “Khotera kumanja kapena kumanzere: tsatira mmodzi mwa anyamatawa ndipo umulande zida zake.” Koma Asaheli sanasiye kumuthamangitsa.

22 Abineri anamuchenjezanso Asaheli, “Siya kuthamangitsa ine! Kodi ndikukanthe chifukwa chiyani? Kodi ndikaonana naye bwanji mʼbale wako Yowabu?”

23 Koma iye anakana kuleka kumuthamangitsa. Choncho Abineri anabaya Asaheli mʼmimba ndi msonga ya mkondo wake ndipo mkondowo unatulukira mbali ina. Iye anagwa ndi kufera pamalo pomwepo. Ndipo munthu aliyense amayima akafika pamalo pamene anagwera ndi kufa.

24 Koma Yowabu ndi Abisai anathamangitsa Abineri, ndipo dzuwa likulowa, anafika ku phiri la Ama, pafupi ndi Giya pa njira yopita ku chipululu cha ku Gibiyoni. 25 Pamenepo anthu a fuko la Benjamini anasonkhana kudzathandiza Abineri. Iwo anapanga gulu ndipo anayima pamwamba pa phiri.

26 Abineri anayitana Yowabu, “Kodi tipitirize kumenyana mpaka kalekale? Kodi sukuzindikira kuti mathero ake kudzakhala kuwawidwa mitima? Kodi udzawaletsa liti ankhondo ako kuthamangitsa abale awo?”

27 Yowabu anayankha kuti, “Pali Yehova wamoyo, ukanapanda kuyankhula, ankhondo anga akanapitiriza kuthamangitsa abale awo mpaka mmawa.”

28 Chomwecho Yowabu analiza lipenga, ndipo ankhondo onse anayima. Iwo analeka kuthamangitsa Aisraeli kapena kumenyana nawo.

29 Usiku wonsewo Abineri ndi ankhondo ake anayenda kudutsa Araba. Iwo anawoloka Yorodani, napitirira mpaka kudutsa dera lonse la Bitironi ndipo anafika ku Mahanaimu.

30 Choncho Yowabu anabwerera kuchokera kothamangitsa Abineri ndipo anasonkhanitsa ankhondo ake onse. Kupatula Asaheli, panali ankhondo khumi ndi anayi a Davide amene anasowa. 31 Koma ankhondo a Davide anapha ankhondo a fuko la Benjamini 360 amene anali ndi Abineri. 32 Iwo anatenga Asaheli ndi kukamuyika mʼmanda a abambo ake ku Betelehemu. Ndipo Yowabu ndi ankhondo ake anayenda usiku wonse ndi kufika ku Hebroni kukucha.

David Anointed King Over Judah

In the course of time, David inquired(A) of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,”(B) the Lord answered.

So David went up there with his two wives,(C) Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail,(D) the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David also took the men who were with him,(E) each with his family, and they settled in Hebron(F) and its towns. Then the men of Judah came to Hebron,(G) and there they anointed(H) David king over the tribe of Judah.

When David was told that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead(I) who had buried Saul, he sent messengers to them to say to them, “The Lord bless(J) you for showing this kindness to Saul your master by burying him. May the Lord now show you kindness and faithfulness,(K) and I too will show you the same favor because you have done this. Now then, be strong(L) and brave, for Saul your master is dead, and the people of Judah have anointed me king over them.”

War Between the Houses of David and Saul(M)

Meanwhile, Abner(N) son of Ner, the commander of Saul’s army, had taken Ish-Bosheth(O) son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim.(P) He made him king over Gilead,(Q) Ashuri(R) and Jezreel, and also over Ephraim, Benjamin and all Israel.(S)

10 Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned two years. The tribe of Judah, however, remained loyal to David. 11 The length of time David was king in Hebron over Judah was seven years and six months.(T)

12 Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.(U) 13 Joab(V) son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.

14 Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.”

“All right, let them do it,” Joab said.

15 So they stood up and were counted off—twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David. 16 Then each man grabbed his opponent by the head and thrust his dagger(W) into his opponent’s side, and they fell down together. So that place in Gibeon was called Helkath Hazzurim.[a]

17 The battle that day was very fierce, and Abner and the Israelites were defeated(X) by David’s men.(Y)

18 The three sons of Zeruiah(Z) were there: Joab,(AA) Abishai(AB) and Asahel.(AC) Now Asahel was as fleet-footed as a wild gazelle.(AD) 19 He chased Abner, turning neither to the right nor to the left as he pursued him. 20 Abner looked behind him and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“It is,” he answered.

21 Then Abner said to him, “Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons.” But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

22 Again Abner warned Asahel, “Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?”(AE)

23 But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel’s stomach,(AF) and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.(AG)

24 But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon. 25 Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

26 Abner called out to Joab, “Must the sword devour(AH) forever? Don’t you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their fellow Israelites?”

27 Joab answered, “As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued pursuing them until morning.”

28 So Joab(AI) blew the trumpet,(AJ) and all the troops came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

29 All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah.(AK) They crossed the Jordan, continued through the morning hours[b] and came to Mahanaim.(AL)

30 Then Joab stopped pursuing Abner and assembled the whole army. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David’s men were found missing. 31 But David’s men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner. 32 They took Asahel and buried him in his father’s tomb(AM) at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 2:16 Helkath Hazzurim means field of daggers or field of hostilities.
  2. 2 Samuel 2:29 See Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.