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 cometh to pass afterwards, that David asketh at Jehovah, saying, `Do I go up into one of the cities of Judah?` and Jehovah saith unto him, `Go up.` And David saith, `Whither do I go up?` and He saith, `To Hebron.`

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

²And David goeth up thither, and also his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite;

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

³and his men who [are] with him hath David brought up — a man and his household — and they dwell in the cities of Hebron.

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

⁴And the men of Judah come, and anoint there David for king over the house of Judah; and they declare to David, saying, `The men of Jabesh-Gilead [are] they who buried Saul.`

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

⁵And David sendeth messengers unto the men of Jabesh-Gilead, and saith unto them, `Blessed [are] ye of Jehovah, in that ye have done this kindness with your lord, with Saul, that ye bury him.

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

⁶`And, now, Jehovah doth with you kindness and truth, and also, I do with you this good 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.

⁷and now, are your hands strong, and be ye for sons of valour, for your lord Saul. [is] dead, and also — me have the house of Judah anointed for king over them.`

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

⁸And Abner, son of Ner, head of the host which Saul hath, hath taken Ish-Bosheth, son of Saul, and causeth him to pass over to Mahanaim,

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

⁹and causeth him to reign over Gilead, and over the Ashurite, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over Israel — all of it.

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

¹⁰A son of forty years, [is] Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, in his reigning over Israel, and two years he hath reigned, only the house of Judah have been after David.

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

¹¹And the number of the days that David hath been king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, is seven years and six months.

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

¹²And Abner son of Ner goeth out, and servants of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

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

¹³And Joab son of Zeruiah, and servants of David, have gone out, and they meet by the pool of Gibeon together, and sit down, these by the pool on this [side], and these by the pool on that.

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

¹⁴And Abner saith unto Joab, `Let the youths rise, I pray thee, and they play before us;` and Joab saith, `Let them rise.`

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

¹⁵And they rise and pass over, in number twelve of Benjamin, even of Ish-Bosheth 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 lay hold, each on the head of his companion, and his sword [is] in the side of his companion, and they fall together, and [one] calleth that place Helkath-Hazzurim, which [is] in Gibeon,

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

¹⁷and the battle is very hard on that day, and Abner is smitten, 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 are there three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, and Asahel [is] light on his feet, as one of the roes which [are] in the field,

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

¹⁹And Asahel pursueth after Abner, and hath not turned aside to go to the right or to the left, from after Abner.

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

²⁰And Abner looketh behind him, and saith, `Art thou he — Asahel?` and he saith, `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 saith to him, `Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and seize for thee one of the youths, and take to thee his armour;` and Asahel hath not been willing to turn aside from after him.

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

²²And Abner addeth again, saying unto Asahel, `Turn thee aside from after me, why do I smite thee to the earth? and how do I lift up my face unto 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.

²³And he refuseth to turn aside, and Abner smiteth him with the hinder part of the spear unto the fifth [rib], and the spear cometh out from behind him, and he falleth there, and dieth under it; and it cometh to pass, every one who hath come unto the place where Asahel hath fallen and dieth — they stand still.

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

²⁴And Joab and Abishai pursue after Abner, and the sun hath gone in, and they have come in unto the height of Ammah, which [is] on the front of Giah, the way of the wilderness of Gibeon.

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

²⁵And the sons of Benjamin gather themselves together after Abner, and become one troop, and stand on the top of a certain height,

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?

²⁶and Abner calleth unto Joab, and saith, `For ever doth the sword consume? hast thou not known that it is bitterness in the latter end? and till when dost thou not say to the people to turn back from after their brethren?`

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

²⁷And Joab saith, `God liveth! for unless thou hadst spoken, surely then from the morning had the people gone up each from after his brother.`

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

²⁸And Joab bloweth with a trumpet, and all the people stand still, and pursue no more after Israel, nor have they added any more to fight.

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

²⁹And Abner and his men have gone through the plain all that night, and pass over the Jordan, and go on [through] all Bithron, and come in to Mahanaim.

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

³⁰And Joab hath turned back from after Abner, and gathereth all the people, and there are lacking of the servants of David nineteen men, and Asahel;

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

³¹and the servants of David have smitten of Benjamin, even among the men of Abner, three hundred and sixty men — they died.

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

³²And they lift up Asahel, and bury him in the burying-place of his father, which [is] in Beth-Lehem, and they go all the night — Joab and his men — and it is light to them in Hebron.