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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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?

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?

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.