2 Samuel 2

2 ¹Afta dat, David ask our Papa, “Make I go up to one of di towns of Judah?” Our Papa talk, “Go up.” David talk, “Which one?” “Hebron,” E talk.

²David go up dia wit im two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, di widow of Nabal di Carmelite. ³David carry di men wey dey wit am go up, each one wit im household, and dem settle for di towns of Hebron. ⁴Den di men of Judah come and anoint David king ova di house of Judah for dia. Dem tell David say na di men of Jabesh-gilead bury Saul. ⁵E send messengers go di men of Jabesh-gilead: “Make our Papa bless una for dis kindness wey una show una oga Saul, wey una bury am. ⁶Now make our Papa show una kindness and faithfulness; me too, I go treat una well becos una do dis tin. ⁷Make una strong and take courage, becos una oga Saul don die, and di house of Judah don anoint me king ova dem.”

Abner Make Ish-Bosheth King For Israel

⁸But Abner, di pikin of Ner, wey be Saul im army commander, take Ish-bosheth di pikin of Saul and carry am cross go Mahanaim. ⁹E make am king ova Gilead, ova di Ashurites, ova Jezreel, ova Ephraim, ova Benjamin—ova all Israel. ¹⁰Ish-bosheth di pikin of Saul be forty years wen e become king ova Israel; e rule for two years. But di house of Judah follow David. ¹¹David be king for Hebron ova di house of Judah for seven years and six months.

Broda Against Broda For Gibeon

¹²Abner di pikin of Ner, wit di servants of Ish-bosheth di pikin of Saul, comot from Mahanaim go Gibeon. ¹³Joab di pikin of Zeruiah and di servants of David comot too and meet dem for di pool of Gibeon—one side sidon for one bank, di oda side for di oda bank. ¹⁴Abner tell Joab, “Make di young men stand up and struggle for our front.” Joab talk, “Make dem stand up.”

¹⁵So dem stand up and cross by count, twelve for Benjamin and Ish-bosheth di pikin of Saul, twelve from di servants of David. ¹⁶Each man grab im opponent im head and push im sword enta im side, and dem fall togeda. So dem call di place for Gibeon Helkath-hazzurim. ^a a v16 Helkath-hazzurim mean “field of sword-edges” — dem name di place afta di deadly hand-to-hand fight wey dem fight for dia. ¹⁷Di fight dat day tuff wella; Abner and di men of Israel fall for front of di servants of David. ¹⁸Di three sons of Zeruiah dey dia: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel—Asahel im leg dey fast like wild gazelle. ¹⁹E chase Abner, e no turn to right or to left as e dey pursue am. ²⁰Abner look back and talk, “Na you be dat, Asahel?” “Na me,” e answer.

²¹Abner tell am, “Turn right or left, catch one of di young men, take im gear.” But Asahel refuse to stop to chase am. ²²Abner tell Asahel again, “Turn back. Why you wan force me to strike you down? How I go take face your broda Joab?” ²³E refuse to turn aside, so Abner strike am for im belle wit di back-end of im spear; e comot troway im back. E fall for dia and die for di spot. Everybody wey come to where Asahel don fall and die just stand still. ²⁴Joab and Abishai pursue Abner; wen sun dey set dem reach di hill of Ammah, near Giah for di road wey go di wilderness of Gibeon. ²⁵Di men of Benjamin gada behind Abner, form one band, and stand for top one hill. ²⁶Abner call Joab: “Di sword go dey chop forever? You no know say dis one go end for bitterness? How long e go take before you tell di people make dem turn back from chasing dia brodas?”

²⁷Joab talk, “As our Papa dey alive so, if you no bin talk, di people for don continue to chase dia brodas till mornin.” ²⁸Joab blow di trumpet; all di troops stop, dem no dey pursue Israel or fight again. ²⁹Abner and im men march troway di Arabah dat whole night, cross di Jordan, pass troway all Bithron, and reach Mahanaim.

³⁰Joab turn back from chasing Abner, gada all di troops, and find say nineteen of David im men miss, apart from Asahel. ³¹But di servants of David strike down 360 of di men of Benjamin wey dey wit Abner. ³²Dem carry Asahel, bury am for im papa im tomb for Bethlehem; Joab and im men waka di whole night, dem reach Hebron wen day break.