David Becomes King of Judah
1 Later, David asked the Lord, “Should I go back to one of the towns of Judah?”
The Lord answered, “Yes.”
David asked, “Which town should I go to?”
“Go to Hebron,” the Lord replied.
2 David went to Hebron with his two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail. Ahinoam was from Jezreel, and Abigail was the widow of Nabal from Carmel. 3 David also told his men and their families to come and live in the villages near Hebron.
4 The people of Judah met with David at Hebron and poured olive oil on his head to show that he was their new king. Then they told David, “The people from Jabesh in Gilead buried Saul.”
5 David sent messengers to tell them:
The Lord bless you! You were kind enough to bury Saul your ruler, 6 and I pray that the Lord will be kind and faithful to you. I will be your friend because of what you have done. 7 Saul is dead, but the tribe of Judah has made me their king. So be strong and have courage.
Ishbosheth Becomes King of Israel
8 Abner the son of Ner had been the general of Saul's army. He took Saul's son Ishbosheth across the Jordan River to Mahanaim 9 and made him king of Israel, including the areas of Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin. 10 Ishbosheth was 40 years old at the time, and he ruled for two years. But the tribe of Judah made David their king, 11 and he ruled from Hebron for seven and a half years.
The War between David and Ishbosheth
12 One day, Abner and the soldiers of Ishbosheth left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon. 13 Meanwhile, Joab the son of Zeruiah was leading David's soldiers, and the two groups met at the pool in Gibeon. Abner and his men sat down on one side of the pool, while Joab and his men sat on the other side. 14 Abner yelled to Joab, “Let's get some of our best soldiers to stand up and fight each other!”
Joab agreed, 15 and twelve of Ishbosheth's men from the tribe of Benjamin got up to fight twelve of David's men. 16 They grabbed each other by the hair and stabbed each other in the side with their daggers. They all died right there! That's why the place in Gibeon is called “Field of Daggers.” 17 Then everyone started fighting. Both sides fought very hard, but David's soldiers defeated Abner and the soldiers of Israel.
18 Zeruiah's three sons were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel could run as fast as a deer in an open field, 19 and he ran straight after Abner, without looking to the right or to the left.
20 When Abner turned and saw him, he said, “Is that you, Asahel?”
Asahel answered, “Yes it is.”
21 Abner said, “There are soldiers all around. Stop chasing me and fight one of them! Kill him and take his clothes and weapons for yourself.”
But Asahel refused to stop.
22 Abner said, “If you don't turn back, I'll have to kill you! Then I could never face your brother Joab again.”
23 But Asahel would not turn back, so Abner struck him in the stomach with the back end of his spear. The spear went all the way through and came out of his back. Asahel fell down and died. Everyone who saw Asahel lying dead just stopped and stood still. 24 But Joab and Abishai went after Abner. Finally, about sunset, they came to the hill of Ammah, not far from Giah on the road to Gibeon Desert. 25 Abner brought the men of Benjamin together in one group on top of a hill, and they got ready to fight.
26 Abner shouted to Joab, “Aren't we ever going to stop killing each other? Don't you know that the longer we keep on doing this, the worse it's going to be when it's all over? When are you going to order your men to stop chasing their own relatives?”
27 Joab shouted back, “I swear by the living God, if you hadn't spoken, my men would have chased their relatives all night!” 28 Joab took his trumpet and blew the signal for his soldiers to stop chasing the soldiers of Israel. At once, the fighting stopped.
29 Abner and his troops marched through the Jordan River valley all that night. Then they crossed the river and marched all morning until they arrived back at Mahanaim.
30 As soon as Joab stopped chasing Abner, he got David's troops together and counted them. There were 19 missing besides Asahel. 31 But David's soldiers had killed 360 of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin. 32 Joab and his troops carried Asahel's body to Bethlehem and buried him in the family burial place. Then they marched all night and reached Hebron before sunrise.
O'ba Dawidi ro 'Bädri'ba ro Yuda Dri
1 Ono vosi Dawidi eji OPI te ekye: “Inye'do moyi teri 'ba'desi alo aza Yuda ro ya ya?”
Ago OPI zatadri ndaro te ekye: “Nyoyi ri.”
Ago Dawidi eji tate ekye: “Moyina eŋwani ya ayani ya?” Ndi Opi atate ekye: “Eberona ya.” 2 Ago Dawidi oyite Eberona ya ndi 'ditoko ritu ndaro, Ainoama se ni Jezerela yasi, ndi Abigaila ävuzi Nabala ro se ni Karemela yasi ana be. 3 Dawidi ru lidri ndaro se nda be kai te, vona cini ndi katidri iro be; ago ànya riyite 'ba'desii se Eberona ya iyi yasi. 4 Ago lidri Yuda ro ikyite, ago ànya äṛuyi Dawidi te lau 'bädri'ba ro Yuda dri.
Ondro iti tate Dawidi ri ekye, lidri Jabesa Gilada ro seyi Saulo ni oko, 5 nda zo lazo'bai te lazo ono be lidri Jabesa Gilada ro ri ekye: “OPI käṛu ami, tana nyaka'da taoro te 'desi amiro Saulo ri nda ose si! 6 Ka'do inye yauono OPI kaka'da ŋgalu 'duro ndaro ndi ta'diri ndaro be ämiri! Ago ma modo mayena takado ndi ämiri tase miyebe ono ta. 7 Nyà'do mbara ro, ago turiako. Yauono Saulo 'desi amiro drate, ago lidri Yuda ro äṛu ma te a'done 'bädri'ba ro ànya dri.”
O'ba Iseboseta ro 'Bädri'ba ro Yisaraele ya.
8 Abinera ŋgwa Nera ro, otaozo'ba 'desi kyila'bai Saulo ro ro, ru Iseboseta ŋgwa Saulo rote, ago ezi nda te Mahanaima ya. 9 Ago Abinera 'ba Iseboseta te 'bädri'ba ro Gilada, Asera, Jezerela, Eperaima, Benjamina ndi Yisaraele cini be dri. 10 Iseboseta, ŋgwa Saulo ro ka ori 'bädri'ba ro Yisaraele dri oko ndroa ndaro te orivoya 'butesu, ago nda mirite ndroa na ritu.
Oko katidri Yuda ro sote Dawidi vo. 11 Ago Dawidi rite 'bädri'ba ro Eberona ya Yuda dri ndroa na njidrieri ago imba njidrialo.
Kyila Lakole Yuda ro Yisaraele be ya.
12 Abinera ŋgwa Nera ro, ndi kyila'bai Iseboseta ŋgwa Saulo ro robe, oyiyite ni Mahanaima yasi 'bakici Gibeona ya. 13 Ago Yoaba ŋgwa Zeruya ro, ndi kyila'bai Dawidi robe, oyiyite ago tayi iyi te cece Gibeona roya, ago ànya riyite vuru, gboko alo aza rite cece kala nosi ago aza rite cece kala nasi. 14 Ago Abinera atate Yoaba ri ekye: Mi'ba mano ombato'dii azaka koŋga kojiyi robe kyila oye si ama kandra.
Ago Yoaba atate ekye: “Mi'ba ànya koŋga.”
15 'Dooko ànya ŋgayite, ni lidri Benjamina ro ndi Iseboseta ŋgwa Saulo ro robe lakosi orivoya 'butealo foritu, ago 'butealo foritu ni lidri Dawidi ro lakosi. 16 Ago mano alo ru drio'beazi ndaro te drî yasi ago 'di drio'beazi ndaro te lama ya bando ndaro si, ago ànya cini 'deyite vuru troalo avo ro. Tana ta'doro vogi Gibeona ya ana äzi ävuruna te Lowo si bando ro ro. 17 Tu ana si kyila rritiro a'dote, ago lidri Dawidi ro peyi Abinera ndi lidri Yisaraele robe te ṛe.
18 Ago ŋgwàagoro nätu Zeruya ro, Yoaba, Abisai ndi Asaele be orivoya lau. Ago Asaele ka umu oso yaŋga vocowa ro ronye. 19 Ago Asaele sote Abinera vo, ago osovoya Abinera vo nda diru kote drigwo ya ca gaṛi ya. 20 'Dooko Abinera ndrevote kundu ndaro ya ago atate ekye: “'Do mi owo ya Asaele?”
Ago Nda zatadrite ekye: “Owo ma owo.”
21 Ago Abinera atate ndäri ekye: “Midiru drigwo miro ya kode gaṛi miro ya, ago miru alo aza agoànji iyi ro ago mipa ŋga ndaro ayani.” Oko Asaele gazo ruodine ni osovoya si nda vo. 22 Ago Abinera atate Asaele ri ekye: “Midiru ni osovoya mavo, ukyi mäfu mi 'da.” Mandrena vo mi ädrupi miro Yoaba roya eŋwanyeya? 23 Oko Asaele gazo ruodine, ta'doro Abinera 'di nda te ya ya äzupiṛi ndaro si ago äzu fote äbi kundu ndaro yasi. Ago Asaele 'dete vuru, ago drate dori. Ago 'dise cini kesabe vose Asaele ku'dube avo ro kigye ana ya ana edrete 'du lau.
24 Oko Yoaba ndi Abisai be soyite Abinera vo; ago kitu ocivoya oko ànya sayite lutu Ama roya, se orivoya 'buzele Gia roya ogone liti vocowa Gibeona ro driro. 25 Ago Benjamina'bai otoyikalate Abinera re kpa to'dina, ago a'doyite lowa alo ro, ago edreyite lutu Ama ro dri. 26 'Dooko Abinera zi Yoaba te ekye: “Inye'do muguna kyila oye ndi rriro ya? Inye'do mini ṛo ko äduro koye a'done rritiro ya? Inye'do miri ogone lidri miro uzine kovole ni osovoyasi ädrupii ànyaro vo i'do ya?”
27 Ago Yoaba atate ekye: “Ma ruäṛu Lu lidriidriro si, ondro ka'do aba nyata ko, endaro lidri maro uguna oso ndi ädrupii ànyaro vo madale ondo kyenoŋbo.” 28 Ndi Yoaba vo cekuṛe te; ago kyila'bai cini ndaro edrete, soyi kote Yisaraele'bai vo ago kyila edrete.
29 Ago Abinera ndi mànoago ndaro be oyiyite ŋgäkyi ana si raa Araba yasi; ànya zayidri Golo Yaradene rote, ago abayite kitu zwi ago ikyiyite Mahanaima ya.
30 Ondro Yoaba kegote ni osovoya Abinera vo oko, nda otokala lidri cini rote voaloya, ago usu lidri Dawidi ro se i'do orivoya 'butealo fonjidriesu teinye Asaele otiako kigye owo. 31 Lidri Dawidi ro fuyi Benjamina'bai se orivoya Abinera be ana te kama nätu 'bute njidrialo (360). 32 Ago Yoaba ndi lidri ndaro be ŋgyiyi avo Asaele ro te, ago seyi nda te 'budri täpi ndaro roya Beteleme ya. Ago Yoaba ndi lidri ndaro be abayite ŋgäkyi raa, ago volaya ànya te Eberona ya.