¹And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the LORD said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.

¹Zvino shure kwaizvozvo Dhavhidhi wakabvunza Jehovha akati, Ndokwira kune rimwe guta raJudha here? Jehovha akati, Kwira. Dhavhidhi akati, Ndokwira kuneripi? Iye akati, Hebhuroni.

²So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

²Naizvozvo Dhavhidhi akakwirako, navakadzi vake vaviriwo, vana Ahinowami muJezereeri, naAbhigairi, mukadzi waNabhari muKarimeri.

³And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household: and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

³Dhavhidhi akakwirawo navanhu vake vaiva naye, mumwe nomumwe neimba yake, vakandogara pamaguta eHebhuroni.

⁴And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.

⁴Varume vaJudha vakauya vakazodza Dhavhidhi, kuti ave mambo weimba yaJudha.

⁵And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

⁵Dhavhidhi akatuma nhume kuvarume vaJabheshiGiriyadhi, akati kwavari, Muropafadzwe naJehovha, zvamakaitira ishe wenyu Sauro chinhu ichi chakanaka, mukamuviga.

⁶And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

⁶Zvino Jehovha ngaakuitireiwo zvakanaka nechokwadi; neniwo ndichakuitirai zvakanaka, zvamakaita izvozvi.

⁷Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

⁷Naizvozvo zvino, maoko enyu ngaave nesimba, muve noumhare; nekuti Sauro ishe wenyu wakafa, zvino veimba yaJudha vakandizodza, kuti ndive mambo wavo.

⁸But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;

⁸Zvino Abhineri, mwanakomana waNeri, mukuru wehondo yaSauro, wakange atora Ishibhosheti, mwanakomana waSauro, akamuisa Mahanaimu;

⁹And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

⁹akamuita mambo weGiriyadhi, nowavaAshuri, noweJezereeri, nowaEfuremu, nowaBhenjamini, nowavaIsiraeri vose.

¹⁰Ishbosheth Saul's son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

¹⁰(Ishibhosheti, mwanakomana waSauro, wakange ava namakore makumi mana nguva yokutanga kwake kubata ushe hwaIsiraeri, akabata ushe makore maviri). Asi veimba yaJudha vakatevera Dhavhidhi.

¹¹And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

¹¹Nguva yakabata Dhavhidhi ushe bweimba yaJudha paHebhuroni aiva makore manomwe nemwedzi mitanhatu.

¹²And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

¹²Zvino Abhineri, mwanakomana waNeri, navaranda valshibhosheti, mwanakomana waSauro, vakabva Mahanaimu, vakaenda Gibhioni.

¹³And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon: and they sat down, the one on the one side of the pool, and the other on the other side of the pool.

¹³NaJoabhu, mwanakomana waZeruya, navaranda vaDhavhidhi vakabudawo, vakasangana navo padziva reGibhiyoni; vakagara pasi, vamwe nechokuno kwedziva, vamwe nechemhiri kwedziva.

¹⁴And Abner said to Joab, Let the young men now arise, and play before us. And Joab said, Let them arise.

¹⁴Abhineri akati kuna Joabhu, Majaya ngaasimuke, atambe pamberi pedu. Joabhu akati, Ngavasimuke havo.

¹⁵Then there arose and went over by number twelve of Benjamin, which pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

¹⁵Ipapo vakasimuka, vakaenda namapoka; gumi navaviri kurutivi rwaBhenjamini naIshibhosheti, mwanakomana waSauro, uye gumi navaviri vavaranda vaDhavhidhi.

¹⁶And they caught every one his fellow by the head, and thrust his sword in his fellow's side; so they fell down together: wherefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim, which is in Gibeon.

¹⁶Mumwe nomumwe akabata musoro wowakatarisana naye, vakabayana neminondo kunhivi dzavo, naizvozvo vakawira pasi pamwechete; naizvozvo nzvimbo iyo yakanzi Herikatiharuzimi, iri paGibhiyoni.

¹⁷And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

¹⁷Kurwa kukanyanya kwazvo zuva iro; Abhineri navarume vaIsiraeri vakakundwa navaranda vaDhavhidhi.

¹⁸And there were three sons of Zeruiah there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

¹⁸Vanakomana vatatu vaZeruya vakanga varipo, vana Joabhu, naAbhishai, naAshaheri; Ashaheri waigona kumhanya sechengu.

¹⁹And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

¹⁹Ashaheri akateverera Abhineri; zvino pakumhanya kwake haana kutsaukira kurudyi kana kuruboshwe pakuteverera Abhineri.

²⁰Then Abner looked behind him, and said, Art thou Asahel? And he answered, I am.

²⁰Abhineri akacheuka, akati, Ndiwe Ashaheri here? Akapindura, akati, Ndini.

²¹And Abner said to him, Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armor. But Asahel would not turn aside from following of him.

²¹Abhineri akati kwaari, Tsaukira hako kurudyi kana kuruboshe, ubate hako rimwe ramajaya, utore nhumbi dzake dzokurwa nadzo. Asi Ashaheri wakaramba kutsauka pakumuteverera.

²²And Abner said again to Asahel, Turn thee aside from following me: wherefore should I smite thee to the ground? how then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?

²²Abhineri akatizve kuna Ashaheri, Tsauka hako pakunditeverera; ndichakuurayireiko? Ndingazondoonana sei naJoabhu mukuru wako?

²³Howbeit he refused to turn aside: wherefore Abner with the hinder end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place: and it came to pass, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still.

²³Asi wakaramba kutsauka; naizvozvo Abhineri wakamubaya nomudumbu nechireya chepfumo, pfumo rikabuda neseri kwake; akawira pasi ipapo, akafirapo; zvino vanhu vose vakati vachisvika pakanga pawira Ashaheri pasi pakufa kwake, vakamira.

²⁴Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner: and the sun went down when they were come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁴Asi Joabhu naAbhishai vakateverera Abhineri, zuva rikavira pakusvika kwavo pachikomo cheAma, vaiva pamberi peGiya panzira yerenje inoenda Gibhiyoni.

²⁵And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together after Abner, and became one troop, and stood on the top of an hill.

²⁵Zvino vana vaBhenjamini vakaungana kuzotevera Abhineri, vakaita boka rimwe, vakamira pamusoro pechikomo,

²⁶Then Abner called to Joab, and said, Shall the sword devour for ever? knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? how long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren?

²⁶Abhineri akashevedzera kuna Joabhu akati, Ko munondo ucharamba uchingoparadza nokusingaperi here? Hauzivi kuti zvichavava pakupedzisira here? Uchanonoka kusvikira rinhiko kuraira vanhu kuti vadzoke pakuteverera hama dzavo?

²⁷And Joab said, As God liveth, unless thou hadst spoken, surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother.

²⁷Joabhu akati, NaMwari mupenyu, dai usina kutaura, zvirokwazvo vanhu vangadai varega mangwana kuteverera mumwe nomumwe hama yake.

²⁸So Joab blew a trumpet, and all the people stood still, and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

²⁸Naizvozvo Joabhu akaridza hwamanda, vanhu vose vakamira, vakarega kuzoteverera Isiraeri, vakasazorwazve.

²⁹And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over Jordan, and went through all Bithron, and they came to Mahanaim.

²⁹Abhineri navanhu vake vakagura neArabha usiku uhwo hwose, vakayambuka Joridhani, vakagura neBhitironi yose, vakasvika Mahanaimu.

³⁰And Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

³⁰Ipapo Joabhu akadzoka pakuteverera Abhineri; zvino wakati aunganidza vanhu vose, varume vane gumi navapfumbamwe naAshaheri vakashaikwa kuvaranda vaDhavhidhi.

³¹But the servants of David had smitten of Benjamin, and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

³¹Asi varanda vaDhavhidhi vakanga vauraya varume vana mazana matatu namakumi matatu vavaBhenjamini navarume vaAbhineri.

³²And they took up Asahel, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

³²Vakasimudza Ashaheri, vakandomuviga muhwiro hwababa vake, hwaiva paBheterehemu. Joabhu navanhu vake vakafamba usiku hwose, utonga hwukatsvuka pakusvika kwavo paHebhuroni.