2 Samuel 14
1 Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.
Na Yoab hunuu sɛ ɔhene pɛ sɛ ɔhunu Absalom.
2 So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman who lived there. He told her, “Pretend to be a mourner. Put on clothes for mourning, and don't use any scented oils. Be like a woman who has been in mourning for the dead a long time.
Enti, ɔsoma ma wɔkɔɔ Tekoa kɔfaa ɔbaa nyansafoɔ bi a wagye edin yie brɛɛ no. Yoab ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hyɛ da yɛ wo ho sɛ wowɔ ayie mu, na fira ayitoma. Nnware anaa mfa aduhwam mpete wo ho nso. Yɛ wo ho sɛ ɔbaa a wadi awerɛhoɔ nna bebree.
3 Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.
Na kɔ ɔhene nkyɛn kɔka asɛm a merebɛka akyerɛ wo yi kyerɛ no.” Na Yoab kaa asɛm a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔbaa no kɔka no kyerɛɛ no.
4 When the woman from Tekoa went to see the king, she bowed facedown to the ground in respect, and said, “Please help me, Your Majesty!”
Na Tekoani baa no duruu ɔhene no anim no, ɔhwee fam de nʼanim butuu fam teaam sɛ, “Ao Nana! Boa me!”
5 “What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.
Ɔhene no bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ asɛm bɛn?” Ɔbuaa no sɛ, “Meyɛ okunafoɔ.
6 “Your Majesty, I had two sons. They had a fight outside, and there was nobody there to stop them. One of them hit the other, and killed him.
Me mma baanu kɔdii ako wɔ akono. Na ɛsiane sɛ na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛpata ɔko no enti, wɔkumm wɔn mu baako.
7 Now the whole family is against me. They're saying, ‘Hand over your son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for murdering his brother. That way he won't inherit anything either!’ By doing this they would snuff out the last ember of hope I have to carry on my husband's name and family in the world.”
Nanso, abusua no nkaeɛ no bisaa sɛ, ‘Ma yɛn nsa nka wo ba no. Yɛbɛkum no, ɛfiri sɛ, woakum ne nuabarima. Ɔmfata sɛ ɔbɛdi efie agyapadeɛ so.’ Na sɛ meyɛ saa nso a, na menni obiara a waka, na me kunu din ne me fie bɛyera wɔ asase so ha.”
8 “Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”
Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Gyae asɛm no ma me. Kɔ efie na mɛhwɛ sɛ obiara remfa ne nsa nka no.”
9 “Thank you, Your Majesty,” said the woman. “I and my family will take the blame, and may Your Majesty and your family be held to be innocent.”
Ɔkaa sɛ, “Ao, me wura, meda wo ase. Na sɛ mmoa a woaboa me yi enti, sɛ obi kasa tia wo a, mɛfa ho soboɔ no.”
10 “If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.
Ɔhene no kaa sɛ, “Mma yei nha wo. Sɛ nnipa bi mpene a, fa wɔn brɛ me wɔ ha. Na mɛtumi ama wo awerɛhyɛmu sɛ, obiara nwiinwii wɔ ho bio.”
11 “Please, Your Majesty,” the woman continued, “swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the person wanting to avenge the murder from making it worse by killing my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he promised, “not a single hair from your son's head will fall to the ground.”
Afei, ɔbaa no kaa sɛ, “Fa Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, no din ka ntam kyerɛ me sɛ, woremma obiara ntɔ me babarima no so were. Merenhwehwɛ mogyahwieguo bio.” Ɔhene no nso kaa sɛ, “Mmerɛ dodoɔ a Awurade te ase yi, wo ba no tirinwi a ɛwɔ ne tiri so mu baako mpo ho renka.”
12 “Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.
Afei, ɔbaa no kaa sɛ, “Ma wo ɔsomfoɔ nka biribi nkyerɛ me wura ɔhene.” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Kɔ so kasa.”
13 “So why have you schemed in a similar way against the people of God?” the woman asked. “Since Your Majesty just decided my case by what you said, haven't you convicted yourself because you refuse to bring back the son you banished?
Ɔbaa no bisaa sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wonyɛ mma Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔahyɛ bɔ sɛ wobɛyɛ ama me no. Woabu wo ho fɔ sɛ woasi saa gyinaeɛ yi. Wompɛ sɛ woma wʼankasa wo ba a wɔatwa no asuo no ba efie.
14 Yes, we all have to die. We're like water spilled on the ground that can't be collected again. But that's not what God does. Instead he works out ways for anyone who is banished to come back home to him.
Sɛ ɛkɔsi sɛn ara, obiara bɛwu. Na sɛdeɛ nsuo hwie gu fam a wosesa a ɛnyɛ yie no, saa ara na nkwa teɛ. Ɛno enti na Onyankopɔn sane de yɛn ba ne nkyɛn ɛberɛ a yɛate yɛn ho afiri ne ho no. Wɔn a ɔhwɛ wɔn no, ɔmma wɔnnhwere wɔn kra; enti wo nso, ɛnsɛ sɛ woyɛ saa.
15 That's why I've come to explain this to Your Majesty, because someone has frightened me. So I thought to myself, I will go and speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant my request.
“Na maba sɛ merebɛdi ama me babarima, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde owuo hunahuna me ne me ba no. Meka kyerɛɛ me ho sɛ, ‘Ebia, ɔhene bɛtie me,
16 Perhaps the king will listen and save me from the man who would cut off both me and my son from God's chosen people.
na wagye yɛn afiri wɔn a wɔbɛtwa yɛn afiri Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ ho no nsam.’
17 I thought: May what Your Majesty says bring me peace, for Your Majesty is able to tell the difference between good and evil, just like an angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you!”
“Aane, ɔhene no bɛma yɛn asomdwoeɛ bio. ‘Menim sɛ wote sɛ Onyankopɔn ɔbɔfoɔ a wobɛtumi ahunu papa ne bɔne ntam nsonsonoeɛ. Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, nka wo ho.’”
18 “Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm about to ask,” the king said to the woman. “Please ask your question, Your Majesty,” she replied.
Ɔhene bisaa sɛ, “Mepɛ sɛ mehunu adeɛ baako.” Ɔbaa no kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ ɛdeɛn, me wura?”
19 “Is all this Joab's doing?” the king asked. The woman replied, “As you live, Your Majesty, no one can hide anything from you. Yes, it was Joab, your officer, who ordered me to do this—he told me exactly what to say.
Na ɔhene no bisaa sɛ, “Yoab na ɔsomaa wo ha anaa?” Ɔbaa no buaa sɛ, “Me wura, Daasebrɛ, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matwa yei ho atorɔ? Obiara ntumi mfa biribiara nhinta wo. Ɛyɛ nokorɛ sɛ Yoab na ɔsomaa me, na ɔkyerɛɛ me asɛm a menka.
20 He did so to show the other side of the situation, but Your Majesty is as wise as an angel of God, and you know everything that happens in this country.”
Ɔyɛɛ saa, sɛdeɛ mɛfa ɛkwan foforɔ so de saa asɛm yi ato wʼanim. Na wo nso, wonim nyansa te sɛ Onyankopɔn ɔbɔfoɔ, na biribiara a ɛsi yɛn ntam ha no nso, wote aseɛ.”
21 The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”
Enti, ɔhene no soma ma wɔkɔfaa Yoab baeɛ, na ɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, kɔ na kɔfa aberanteɛ Absalom bra.”
22 Joab bowed down with his face to the ground in respect, and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “I, your servant, know that you approve of me, Your Majesty, because you have granted my request.”
Yoab hwee ɔhene no nan ase, hyiraa no sɛ, “Ne korakora mu no, woapene me so, na woayɛ mʼabisadeɛ ama me.”
23 Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
Na Yoab kɔɔ Gesur kɔfaa Absalom baa Yerusalem.
24 But the king gave this order, “He may return to his home, but he's not to come and see me.” So Absalom returned to his own home, but he didn't go and see the king.
Nanso, ɔhene maa ahyɛdeɛ yi sɛ, “Absalom tumi kɔ ɔno ankasa ne fie, nanso ɔnhwɛ na wamma mʼanim ha.” Enti, Absalom anhunu ɔhene no.
25 Absalom was admired as the most handsome man in the whole of Israel. He didn't have a single blemish from head to toe.
Israel nyinaa, na obiara nni hɔ a ne ho yɛ fɛ, te sɛ Absalom. Ɛfiri ne tiri so kɔsi ne nan ase, na wohunu sɛ ɔyɛ ɔbarima ankasa.
26 He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.
Afe biara, na ɔyi ne ti pɛnkorɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, ne nwi no yɛ adesoa ma no. Na sɛ ɔyi na ɔkari a, na ɛyɛ kilogram mmienu ne fa.
27 He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.
Na ɔwɔ mmammarima baasa ne ɔbabaa baako. Na ne babaa no din de Tamar. Na Tamar nso kura ahoɔfɛ a ɛmma ɔka.
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.
Absalom tenaa Yerusalem mfeɛ mmienu a wanhunu ɔhene no da.
29 Absalom called Joab to arrange for him to see the king, for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom called Joab again, but Joab still wouldn't come.
Afei, Absalom soma kɔfrɛɛ Yoab sɛ ɔnkɔka bi mma no, nanso Yoab ankɔ. Absalom somaa ne mprenu so, nanso Yoab ankɔ.
30 So Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire!” Absalom's servants went and set the field on fire.
Ɛno enti, Absalom ka kyerɛɛ nʼasomfoɔ sɛ, “Monkɔ na momfa ogya nkɔto Yoab atokoɔ afuo a ɛbɛn me deɛ no ho mu.” Na wɔde ogya kɔtoo afuo no mu, sɛdeɛ Absalom hyɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ no.
31 Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
Na Yoab baa Absalom nkyɛn bɛbisaa no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wʼasomfoɔ akɔto mʼafuo mu ogya?”
32 “Look here,” said Absalom, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here. I want you to go to the king and ask: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.’ So go and arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.”
Na Absalom buaa no sɛ, “Ɛfiri sɛ, na mepɛ sɛ wokɔbisa ɔhene ma me sɛ, adɛn enti na ɔmaa me sane firi Gesur baeɛ, nanso ɔmpɛ sɛ ɔhunu mʼanim koraa? Ɛnneɛ, sɛ anka metenaa me dada mu hɔ ara a, anka ɛyɛ. Ma menhunu ɔhene no, na sɛ medi fɔ wɔ biribi ho a, ɔtumi kum me.”
33 So Joab went and told the king what Absalom had said. Then David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed down with his face to the ground before him in respect. Then the king kissed Absalom.
Enti, Yoab kaa asɛm a Absalom aka akyerɛ no no kyerɛɛ ɔhene no. Afei, Dawid frɛɛ ne ba a wate ne ho no, ma ɔbaa nʼanim. Absalom bɛduruu ɔhene no anim no, ɔbɔɔ ne mu ase, na Dawid fee nʼano.
