< 2 Samuel 2 >

1 Sometime after this, David asked the Lord, “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?” “Yes, do it,” the Lord replied. “Which one should I go to?” David asked. “Go to Hebron,” said the Lord.
Mmere no ara mu, Dawid bisaa Awurade se, “Mensan nkɔ Yuda ana?” Awurade buaa no se, “Kɔ.” Dawid bisaa no se, “Kurow bɛn na menkɔ so?” Awurade buaa no se, “Hebron.”
2 So David moved there with his two wives, Ahinoam from Jezreel and Abigail, Nabal's widow from Carmel.
Na Dawid yerenom ne Ahinoam a ofi Yesreel ne Abigail a ofi Karmel a na ɔyɛ Nabal yere no. Enti Dawid ne ne yerenom,
3 He also brought the men who were with him, along with their families, and they settled in the villages near Hebron.
ne ne mmarima ne wɔn fifo nyinaa tu kɔɔ Yuda, na wɔkɔtenaa Hebron ne ne nkurow so.
4 Then the men of Judah came to Hebron, and there they anointed David king of the people of Judah. When David found out that it was the men from Jabesh Gilead who had buried Saul,
Afei, Yuda ntuanofo kɔɔ Hebron, kɔsraa Dawid ngo sii no hene wɔ Yuda abusuakuw so. Na bere a Dawid tee sɛ Yabes Gilead mmarima asie Saulo no,
5 he sent messengers to them, saying, “May the Lord bless you, because you demonstrated your loyal love to Saul your master, and you buried him properly.
ɔsomaa abɔfo kosee wɔn se, “Awurade nhyira mo sɛ moayi nokware a ɛte saa adi, ama mo wura Saulo, na moasie no anuonyam so.
6 Now may the Lord show you loyal love and trustworthiness, and I will also be good to you because of what you did for Saul.
Na afei, Awurade ne mo nni no yiye na ontua mo dɔ sononko yi so ka. Na me nso metua mo nea a moayɛ yi so ka.
7 So be strong and be brave, for even though Saul your master is dead, the people of Judah have anointed me as their king.”
Afei a Saulo awu yi, mepɛ sɛ mobɛyɛ mʼasomfo nokwafo sɛ Yudafo a wɔasra me ngo sɛ minni wɔn so hene no.”
8 However, Abner, son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, had taken Ishbosheth, son of Saul, to Mahanaim.
Na Ner babarima Abner a na ɔyɛ Saulo safohene wɔ nʼakofo so ne Saulo babarima Is-Boset kɔɔ Mahanaim.
9 There he set up Ishbosheth as king over Gilead, Asher, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin, in fact over all Israel.
Ɛhɔ na osii Is-Boset hene wɔ Gilead, Yesreel, Efraim, Benyamin, Asurifo asase ne Israel nyinaa so.
10 Ishbosheth, son of Saul, was forty when he became king over Israel, and he reigned for two years. However, the people of Judah were on David's side.
Bere a Is-Boset dii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia aduanan, na odii ade fi Mahanaim mfe abien. Na Yuda abusuakuw no dii Dawid nokware.
11 David ruled in Hebron as king over the people of Judah for seven years and six months.
Dawid yɛɛ Hebron ne kuropɔn. Na odii Yuda so hene mfirihyia ason ne fa.
12 One day Abner and Ishbosheth's men left Mahanaim and went to the town of Gibeon.
Da koro bi, Abner dii Is-Boset asraafo anim, fi Mahanaim kɔɔ Gibeon.
13 Joab, son of Zeruiah, and David's men set off and met them at the pool of Gibeon, where they all sat down, facing each other across the pool.
Saa bere koro no ara mu, Seruia babarima Yoab nso dii Dawid asraafo anim, fi Hebron na wohyiaa Abner wɔ Gibeon ɔtare ho. Akuw abien no tenatenaa ase a na wodi nhwɛanim.
14 Abner said to Joab, “Why not let's have some of the men fight in hand to hand combat before us.” “Fine,” Joab agreed.
Afei, Abner susuw ho kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Ma yɛmfa yɛn akofo no mu kakra, na wɔmfa wɔn nsa nni ako.” Yoab penee so kae se, “Wɔnsɔre nko ɛ.”
15 So twelve men came forward from each side—twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth, and twelve for David.
Enti woyii mmarima dumien fii kuw biara mu sɛ wonni wɔn ho ako.
16 Each man grabbed his opponent's head and drove his sword into his opponent's side so that they all fell down dead together. That's why this place in Gibeon is called the Field of Sword-edges.
Obiara soo ne tamfo tinwi mu, de nʼafoa wowɔɔ wɔn ho wɔn ho, maa wɔn nyinaa wuwui. Enti wɔfrɛ atɔe mu hɔ se Afoa Afuw de besi nnɛ.
17 The battle that followed was hard-fought, but eventually Abner and his men were defeated by David's men.
Afei, nsraadɔm abien no de ɔko hyehyɛɛ so, na saa da no baa awiei no, na Dawid nsraadɔm no adi Abner ne Israel so nkonim.
18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel was a fast runner, like a gazelle racing across the open countryside.
Na Yoab, Abisai ne Asahel a wɔyɛ Seruia mmabarima baasa no ka Dawid asraafo no ho saa da no. Na Asahel tu mmirika te sɛ ɔforote,
19 He chased after Abner with single-minded determination.
na ɔpam Abner ara sɛ ɔbɛkyere no.
20 Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it's me,” Asahel replied.
Bere a Abner twaa nʼani huu sɛ odi nʼakyi no, ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Wo ni, Asahel!” Obuae se, “Yiw, ɛyɛ me!”
21 Abner told him, “Leave me alone! Go and fight somebody else and take his weapons for yourself!” But Asahel refused to stop chasing him.
Na Abner ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ɛno de, kɔhwehwɛ obi foforo, na wone no nko. Kɔ na kotintim mmerante no baako, na gye nʼakode a ɛwɔ ne ho nyinaa.” Nanso Asahel, kɔɔ so taa no.
22 Abner warned Asahel again. “Stop chasing me!” he shouted. “Why do you want me to kill you? How could I ever face your brother Joab?”
Bio, Abner teɛɛ mu ka kyerɛɛ Asahel se, “Fi ha kɔ! Sɛ mikum wo a, merentumi nhwɛ wo nuabarima Yoab anim.”
23 But Asahel wouldn't stop chasing him, so Abner drove the handle of his spear into his belly. It came out the back, and he fell down dead right there. Everyone who passed by stopped at the place where Asahel had fallen and died.
Nanso Asahel antie ara, enti Abner de ne peaw no wɔɔ ne yafunu mu, maa peaw no pue fii nʼakyi. Obu hwee fam wuu wɔ hɔ. Na obiara a oduu atɔe mu hɔ no gyinaa dinn hwɛɛ Asahel sɛ ɔda hɔ.
24 But Joab and Abishai set off to chase after Abner. By the time the sun went down they had got as far as the hill of Ammah near Giah, on the way to the wilderness of Gibeon.
Bere a Yoab ne Abisai tee asɛm a asi no, wɔkɔɔ sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ Abner. Bere a woduu Amma bepɔw a ɛbɛn Gia a ɛwɔ ɔkwan a ɛda hɔ kɔ Gibeon sare so no, na onwini adwo.
25 Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin rallied to him there, forming a tight group around him standing at the top of the hill.
Abner asraafo a wofi Benyamin abusuakuw mu no boaa wɔn ho ano wɔ bepɔw no so yɛɛ krado maa ɔko.
26 Abner shouted to Joab: “Do we have to keep killing each other forever? Don't you realize that if we go on it'll only get worse? How long are you going to wait before you order your men to stop chasing their brothers?”
Ɛhɔ na Abner teɛɛ mu, ka kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Enti, ɛsɛ sɛ daa yɛfa afoa so de ka yɛn ntam asɛm ana? Munnhu sɛ, saa ɔkwan no de nitan bɛto yɛn ntam ana? Da bɛn na wobɛfrɛ wo mmarima no aka akyerɛ wɔn se, wonnyae wɔn nuanom Israelfo akyidi?”
27 “As God lives,” Joab replied, “if you had not said anything, my men would have continued chasing their brothers until the morning.”
Na Yoab kae se, “Sɛ woankasa a anka, Onyankopɔn nko ara na onim nea ɛbɛba; anka yɛbɛtaa wo anadwo mu no nyinaa.”
28 Joab blew the horn so all the men stopped—they didn't continue chasing or fighting the Israelites.
Enti Yoab hyɛn ne torobɛnto, maa ne mmarima no gyaee Israel asraafo no taa.
29 All through the night Abner and his men marched through the Jordan Valley. They crossed the Jordan River, and continued all morning until they arrived back at Mahanaim.
Anadwo mu no nyinaa, Abner ne ne mmarima nantew kɔɔ Araba. Wotwaa Yordan bon, toaa so kɔɔ Bitron, beduu Mahanaim.
30 When Joab got back from chasing Abner, he gathered all the men together. Nineteen of David's men were missing in addition to Asahel.
Na Yoab gyaee Abner akyidi, na ɔboaboaa ne mmarima ano. Asahel akyi no, wohuu sɛ Dawid mmarima no mu dunkron ayera.
31 However, they had killed three hundred and sixty of Abner's men from the tribe of Benjamin.
Nanso na Dawid mmarima no akunkum Benyaminfo no mu nnipa ahansia ne aduosia a na wɔka Abner ho no.
32 They took Asahel's body and buried him in his father's tomb in Bethlehem. Then they marched all through the night and reached Hebron at dawn.
Wɔfaa Asahel siee no wɔ nʼagya ɔboda mu wɔ Betlehem. Na Yoab ne ne mmarima nantew anadwo mu no nyinaa koduu Hebron adekyee.

< 2 Samuel 2 >