¹Zvino kwakanga kunokurwa nguva huru pakati peimba yaSauro neimba yaDhavhidhi; Dhavhidhi akaramba achiwedzerwa simba, asi imba yaSauro yakaramba ichitorerwa simba.

¹And the war is long between the house of Saul and the house of David, and David is going on and [is] strong, and the house of Saul are going on and [are] weak.

²Dhavhidhi akaberekerwa vanakomana paHebhuroni; dangwe rake raiva Amunoni, mwanakomana waAhinowami muJezereeri;

²And there are born to David sons in Hebron, and his first-born is Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,

³wechipiri waiva Kireabhi, mwanakomana waAbhigairi, waiva mukadzi waNabhari muKarimeri; wechitatu waiva Abhusaromu, mwanakomana waMaaka, mukunda waTarimai, mambo weGeshuri;

³and his second [is] Chileab, of Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite, and the third [is] Absalom son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur,

⁴wechina waiva Adhonia, mwanakomana waHagiti; wechishanu waiva Shefatia, mwanakomana waAbhitari,

⁴and the fourth [is] Adonijah son of Haggith, and the fifth [is] Shephatiah son of Abital,

⁵wechitanhatu waiva Itireami, mwanakomana waEgira mukadzi waDhavhidhi. Ndivo vakaberekerwa Dhavhidhi paHebhuroni.

⁵and the sixth [is] Ithream, of Eglah wife of David; these have been born to David in Hebron.

⁶Zvino kurwa kwakati kuripo pakati peimba yaSauro neimba yaDhavhidhi, Abhineri akazvisimbisa paimba yaSauro.

⁶And it cometh to pass, in the war being between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner hath been strengthening himself in the house of Saul,

⁷Zvino Sauro wakange anomurongo, wainzi Rizipa, mukunda waAya; Ishibhosheti akati kuna Abhineri, Wapindireiko kumurongo wababa vangu?

⁷and Saul hath a concubine, and her name [is] Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and [Ish-Bosheth] saith unto Abner, `Wherefore hast thou gone in unto the concubine of my father?`

⁸Ipapo Abhineri akatsamwa kwazvo namashoko aIshibhosheti, akati, Ndiri musoro wembwa yokwaJudha here? Iko nhasi ndinoitira imba yaSauro, baba vako, navanin'ina vake, nehama dzake zvakanaka, newe handina kukuisa paruoko rwaDhavhidhi; kunyange zvakadaro, unondipomera mhaka nhasi pamusoro pomukadzi uyu.

⁸And it is displeasing to Abner exceedingly, because of the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he saith, `The head of a dog [am] I — that in reference to Judah to-day I do kindness with the house of Saul thy father, unto his brethren, and unto his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David — that thou chargest against me iniquity concerning the woman to-day?

⁹Mwari ngaarove Abhineri, arambe achidaro, kana ndisingaitiri Dhavhidhi sezvakapika Jehovha kwaari;

⁹thus doth God to Abner, and thus He doth add to him, surely as Jehovah hath sworn to David — surely so I do to him:

¹⁰achiti uchatamisa ushe paimba yaSauro, amutse chigaro choushe chaDhavhidhi pakati paIsiraeri naJudha, kubva paDhani kusvikira paBheerishebha.

¹⁰to cause the kingdom to pass over from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba.`

¹¹Akasagona kupindura Abhineri kunyange shoko rimwe, nekuti wakange achimutya.

¹¹And he is not able any more to turn back Abner a word, because of his fearing him.

¹²Zvino Abhineri akatuma nhume kuna Dhavhidhi kwaakanga ari, akati, Nyika iyi ndeyaniko? Akati, Ita sungano neni, ruoko rwangu ruve newe, ndiuyise vaIsiraeri vose kwauri.

¹²And Abner sendeth messengers unto David for himself, saying, `Whose [is] the land?` saying, `Make thy covenant with me, and lo, my hand [is] with thee, to bring round unto thee all Israel.`

¹³Akati, Zvakanaka, ndichaita sungano newe, asi ndinokuudza chinhu chimwe, kuti haungaoni chiso changu, kana usingauyi naMikari, mukunda waSauro, kana uchiuya kuzoona chiso changu.

¹³And he saith, `Good — I make with thee a covenant; only, one thing I am asking of thee, that is, Thou dost not see my face, except thou dost first bring in Michal, daughter of Saul in thy coming into see my face.`

¹⁴Dhavhidhi akatuma nhume kuna Ishibhosheti, mwanakomana waSauro, akati, Ndipe Mikari mukadzi wangu, wandakanyenga nezvikanda zvapamberi zvavaFirisitia zvine zana.

¹⁴And David sendeth messengers unto Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, saying, `Give up my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.`

¹⁵Ipapo Ishibhosheti akatuma nhume kundomutora kumurume wake Paritieri, mwanakomana waRaishi.

¹⁵And Ish-Bosheth sendeth, and taketh her from a man, from Phaltiel son of Laish,

¹⁶Murume wake akamutevera achingochema, kusvikira paBhahurimu. Ipapo Abhineri akati kwaari, Enda udzoke; iye akadzoka hake.

¹⁶and her husband goeth with her, going on and weeping behind her, unto Bahurim, and Abner saith unto him, `Go, turn back;` and he turneth back.

¹⁷Abhineri akarangana navakuru vaIsiraeri akati, Kare makanga muchitsvaka Dhavhidhi kuti ave mambo wenyu.

¹⁷And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, `Heretofore ye have been seeking David for king over you,

¹⁸Naizvozvo zvino chiitai henyu kudaro, nekuti Jehovha wakataura pamusoro paDhavhidhi, akati, Noruoko rwomuranda wangu Dhavhidhi ndichaponesa vanhu vangu vaIsiraeri pamaoko avaFirisitia, napamaoko avavengi vavo vose.

¹⁸and now, do [it], for Jehovah hath spoken of David saying, By the hand of David my servant — to save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.`

¹⁹Abhineri akataurawo navaBhenjamini, Abhineri akaenda akataurawo naDhavhidhi, zvose zvakanga zvichifadza Isiraeri neimba yose yaBhenjamini.

¹⁹And Abner speaketh also in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner goeth also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that [is] good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin,

²⁰Naizvozvo Abhineri akasvika kuna Dhavhidhi paHebhuroni, ana varume vana makumi maviri. Dhavhidhi akaitira Abhineri navanhu vakanga vanaye mutambo.

²⁰and Abner cometh in unto David, to Hebron, and with him twenty men, and David maketh for Abner, and for the men who [are] with him, a banquet.

²¹Abhineri akati kuna Dhavhidhi, Ndichasimuka, ndikaenda kundounganidzira ishe wangu mambo vaIsiraeri vose, kuti vaite sungano nemi, mubate ushe pose pamunoda napo nomoyo wenyu. Dhavhidhi akaendisa Abhineri, akaenda norugare.

²¹And Abner saith unto David, `I arise, and go, and gather unto my lord the king the whole of Israel, and they make with thee a covenant, and thou hast reigned over all that thy soul desireth;` and David sendeth away Abner, and he goeth in peace.

²²Zvino varanda vaDhavhidhi naJoabhu vakadzoka pakundopambara, vakauya nezvakapambwa zvizhinji; asi Abhineri wakange asipo kuna Dhavhidhi paHebhuroni, nekuti wakange amuendisa, akaenda hake norugare.

²²And lo, the servants of David, and Joab, have come from the troop, and much spoil have brought with them, and Abner is not with David in Hebron, for he hath sent him away, and he goeth in peace;

²³Zvino Joabhu nehondo yose yakanga inaye vakati vasvika, Joabhu akaudzwa, zvichinzi, Abhineri, mwanakomana waNeri, wakasvika kuna mambo, akaendiswa hake norugare.

²³and Joab and all the host that [is] with him have come, and they declare to Joab, saying, `Abner son of Ner hath come unto the king, and he sendeth him away, and he goeth in peace.`

²⁴ipapo Joabhu akaenda kuna mambo, akati, Maiteiko? Tarirai, Abhineri wakange asvika kwamuri, mamuregereiko achienda, zvino waenda chose?

²⁴And Joab cometh unto the king, and saith, `What hast thou done? lo, Abner hath come unto thee! why [is] this — thou hast sent him away, and he is really gone?

²⁵Munoziva Abhineri mwanakomana waNeri, kuti wakange auya kuzokunyengerai, azive kubuda kwenyu nokupinda kwenyu, nokuziva zvose zvamunoita.

²⁵Thou hast known Abner son of Ner, that to deceive thee he came, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou art doing.`

²⁶Joabhu akati abuda kuna Dhavhidhi, akatuma nhume dzitevere Abhineri, idzo dzikamudzora patsime reSira; asi Dhavhidhi wakange asingazvizivi.

²⁶And Joab goeth out from David, and sendeth messengers after Abner, and they bring him back from the well of Sirah, and David knew not.

²⁷Zvino Abhineri wakati adzoswa Hebhuroni, Joabhu akaenda naye vari voga pakati pesuwo, kuti ataurirane naye vari voga, akamubayapo nomudumbu, akafa, nokuda kweropa romunin'ina wake Ashaheri.

²⁷And Abner turneth back to Hebron, and Joab turneth him aside unto the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smiteth him there in the fifth [rib] — and he dieth — for the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁸Pashure Dhavhidhi wakati achizvinzwa, akati, Ini noushe hwangu hatine mhosva pamberi paJehovha nokusingaperi pamusoro peropa raAbhineri mwanakomana waNeri;

²⁸And David heareth afterwards and saith, `Acquitted [am] I, and my kingdom, by Jehovah, unto the age, from the blood of Abner son of Ner;

²⁹ngazvive pamusoro waJoabhu napamusoro peimba yose yababa vake; imba yaJoabhu igare ina vanhu vane hosha yokuyerera, kana vane maperembudzi, kana vanodonzva nomudonzvo, kana vanourawa nomunondo, kana vanoshaiwa zvokudya.

²⁹it doth stay on the head of Joab, and on all the house of his father, and there is not cut off from the house of Joab one having an issue, and leprous, and laying hold on a staff, and falling by a sword, and lacking bread.`

³⁰Naizvozvo Joabhu naAbhishai nomunin'ina wake vakauraya Abhineri, nekuti wakange auraya munin'ina wavo Ashaheri pakurwa paGibhiyoni.

³⁰And Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because that he put to death Asahel their brother, in Gibeon, in battle.

³¹Zvino Dhavhidhi akati kuna Joabhu, nokuna vanhu vose vakanga vanavo, Bvarurai nguvo dzenyu, musimire magumbu pazviuno zvenyu, mucheme pamberi paAbhineri. Mambo Dhavhidhi akatevera hwanyanza.

³¹And David saith unto Joab, and unto all the people who [are] with him, `Rend your garments, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner;` and king David is going after the bier.

³²Vakaviga Abhineri paHebhuroni, mambo akachema kwazvo pahwiro hwaAbhineri; navanhu vose vakachema.

³²And they bury Abner in Hebron, and the king lifteth up his voice, and weepeth at the grave of Abner, and all the people weep;

³³Mambo akachema Abhineri, akati, Abhineri waifanira kufa nomufiro webenzi here?

³³and the king lamenteth for Abner, and saith: — `As the death of a fool doth Abner die?

³⁴Maoko ako akanga asina kusungwa, namakumbo ako akanga asina kupinzwa mumatare; lwe wakafa sokufa komunhu pamberi pavana vezvakaipa. Vanhu vose vakamuchemazve.

³⁴Thy hands not bound, And thy feet to fetters not brought nigh! As one falling before sons of evil — Thou hast fallen!` and all the people add to weep over him.

³⁵Zvino vanhu vose vakauya kuzokuridzira Dhavhidhi kudya zvokudya achiri masikati; asi Dhavhidhi wakapika, akati, Mwari ngaandirove, arambe achidaro, kana ndikaravira chingwa kana chimwe chinhu zuva richigere kuvira.

³⁵And all the people come to cause David to eat bread while yet day, and David sweareth, saying, `Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add, for — before the going in of the sun, I taste no bread or any other thing.`

³⁶Vanhu vose vakazviona, vakafara nazvo, nekuti zvose zvinenge zvakanga zvichiitwa namambo zvakafadza vanhu vose.

³⁶And all the people have discerned [it], and it is good in their eyes, as all that the king hath done is good in the eyes of all the people;

³⁷Naizvozvo vanhu vose navaIsiraeri vose vakaziva kuti wakange asi mambo wakaraira kuti Abhineri mwanakomana waNeri aurawe.

³⁷and all the people know, even all Israel, in that day, that it hath not been from the king — to put to death Abner son of Ner.

³⁸Zvino mambo akati kuvaranda vake, Hamuzivi here kuti nhasi muchinda nomunhu mukuru wafa pakati paIsiraeri?

³⁸And the king saith unto his servants, `Do ye not know that a prince and a great one hath fallen this day in Israel?

³⁹Ini nhasi handine simba, kunyange ndiri mambo wakazodzwa; varume ava vanakomana vaZeruya vanondikurira; Jehovha ngaatsive muiti wezvakaipa zvakafanira kuipa kwake.

³⁹and I to-day [am] tender, and an anointed king: and these men, sons of Zeruiah, [are] too hard for me; Jehovah doth recompense to the doer of the evil according to his evil.`