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

¹And the war was long between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David became continually stronger, and the house of Saul became continually weaker.

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

²And to David were sons born in Hebron: his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jizreelitess;

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

³and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maachah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

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

⁴and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

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

⁵and the sixth, Ithream, of Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

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

⁶And it came to pass while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

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

⁷And Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And [Ishbosheth] said to Abner, Why hast thou gone in to my father's concubine?

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.

⁸Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, I who against Judah do shew kindness this day to the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou reproachest me this day with the fault of this woman?

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

⁹So do God to Abner, and more also, if, as Jehovah has sworn to David, I do not so to him;

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

¹⁰to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba!

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

¹¹And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared 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 sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, Whose is the land? saying [also], Make thy covenant with me, and behold, my hand shall be with thee, to turn all Israel to thee.

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 said, Well, I will make a covenant with thee; only I require one thing of thee, that is, Thou shalt not see my face, except thou first bring Michal Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face.

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

¹⁴And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.

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

¹⁵And Ishbosheth sent, and took her from [her] husband, from Phaltiel the son of Laish.

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

¹⁶And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner to him, Go, return. And he returned.

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

¹⁷Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David aforetime to be 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 has spoken of David, saying, By my servant David will I 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 also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.

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

²⁰So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a repast.

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 said to David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thy heart desires. And David sent Abner away; and he went 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 behold, the servants of David and Joab came from an expedition, and brought in a great spoil with them; but Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone 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 was with him came; and they told Joab, saying, Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he has sent him away; and he is gone in peace.

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

²⁴Then Joab came to the king, and said, What hast thou done? behold, Abner came to thee; why is it [that] thou hast sent him away, and he is gone?

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

²⁵Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest.

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

²⁶And when Joab was come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him again from the well of Sirah; but David did not know it.

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 when Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him secretly, and smote him there in the belly, that he died, 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 afterwards David heard [it], and he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before Jehovah for ever from the blood of Abner the 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.

²⁹let it fall on the head of Joab, and on all his father's house; and let there not fail from the house of Joab one that has an issue, or that is a leper, or that leans on a staff, or that falls by the sword, or that lacks bread!

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

³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the 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 said to Joab, and to all the people that were with him, Rend your garments, and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner. And king David followed the bier.

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

³²And they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

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

³³And the king lamented over Abner, and said, Should Abner die as a fool dieth?

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

³⁴Thy hands were not bound, Nor thy feet put into fetters; As a man falleth before wicked men, Fellest thou! And all the people wept again 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 came to cause David to eat bread while it was yet day; but David swore, saying, So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or aught else till the sun be down!

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

³⁶And all the people remarked it, and it pleased them; as whatever the king did pleased all the people.

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

³⁷And all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not of the king to put Abner the son of Ner to death.

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

³⁸And the king said to his servants, Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man 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 am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me: Jehovah reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness!