< 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.
Mmerɛ no ara mu, Dawid bisaa Awurade sɛ, “Mensane nkɔ Yuda anaa?” Awurade buaa no sɛ, “Kɔ.” Dawid bisaa no sɛ, “Kuro bɛn na menkɔ so?” Awurade buaa no sɛ, “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 ɔfiri Yesreel ne Abigail a ɔfiri 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 fiefoɔ nyinaa tu kɔɔ Yuda, na wɔkɔtenaa Hebron ne ne nkuro 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 ntuanofoɔ kɔɔ Hebron, kɔsraa Dawid ngo sii no ɔhene wɔ Yuda abusuakuo so. Na ɛberɛ 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.
ɔtoo wɔn nkra sɛ, “Awurade nhyira mo sɛ moayi nokorɛ a ɛte saa adi, ama mo wura Saulo, na moasie no animuonyam 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 yie na ɔntua mo dɔ sononko yi so ka. Na me nso mɛtua mo deɛ 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 mʼasomfoɔ nokwafoɔ sɛ Yudafoɔ a wɔasra me ngo sɛ menni wɔn so ɔhene 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 nʼakodɔm 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 ɔsii Is-Boset ɔhene wɔ Gilead, Yesreel, Efraim, Benyamin, Asurifoɔ 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.
Ɛberɛ a Is-Boset dii adeɛ no, na wadi mfirinhyia aduanan, na ɔdii adeɛ firi Mahanaim mfeɛ mmienu. Na Yuda abusuakuo no dii Dawid nokorɛ.
11 David ruled in Hebron as king over the people of Judah for seven years and six months.
Dawid yɛɛ Hebron ne kuropɔn. Na ɔdii Yuda so ɔhene mfirinhyia nson ne fa.
12 One day Abner and Ishbosheth's men left Mahanaim and went to the town of Gibeon.
Ɛda koro bi, Abner dii Is-Boset akodɔm anim, firi 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 ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, Seruia babarima Yoab nso dii Dawid akodɔm anim, firi Hebron na wɔhyiaa Abner wɔ Gibeon ɔtadeɛ ho. Akuo mmienu no tenatenaa ase a na wɔdi nhwɛanimu.
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 susuu ho kyerɛɛ Yoab sɛ, “Ma yɛmfa yɛn akofoɔ no mu kakra, na wɔmfa wɔn nsa nni ako nyɛ oyikyerɛ.” Yoab penee so kaa sɛ, “Wɔnsɔre nko ɛ.”
15 So twelve men came forward from each side—twelve for Benjamin and Ishbosheth, and twelve for David.
Enti, wɔyii mmarima dumienu firii ekuo biara mu sɛ wɔnni 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 sɔɔ ne tiafoɔ tirinwi mu, de nʼakofena wowɔɔ wɔn ho, maa wɔn nyinaa wuwuiɛ. Enti, wɔfrɛ atɔeɛ mu hɔ sɛ Akofena Afuo de bɛsi ɛnnɛ.
17 The battle that followed was hard-fought, but eventually Abner and his men were defeated by David's men.
Afei, akodɔm mmienu no de ɔko hyehyɛɛ so, na saa da no baa awieeɛ no, na Dawid akodɔm 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 mmammarima baasa no ka Dawid akodɔm no ho saa da no. Na Asahel tu mmirika te sɛ ɔforoteɛ,
19 He chased after Abner with single-minded determination.
na ɔpamoo Abner ara sɛ, ɔbɛkyere no.
20 Abner looked back and asked, “Is that you, Asahel?” “Yes, it's me,” Asahel replied.
Ɛberɛ a Abner twaa nʼani hunuu sɛ ɔgu ne so no, ɔteaam sɛ, “Wo nie, Asahel!” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Aane, 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 sɛ, “Ɛnneɛ, kɔpɛ obi foforɔ, na wone no nko. Kɔ na kɔsi mmeranteɛ no baako so, na gye nʼakodeɛ 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 teaam ka kyerɛɛ Asahel sɛ, “Firi ha kɔ! Sɛ mekum 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 pea no wɔɔ ne yafunu mu, maa pea no pue firii nʼakyi. Ɔbu hwee fam hɔ wuiɛ. Na obiara a ɔduruu atɔeɛ 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.
Ɛberɛ a Yoab ne Abisai tee asɛm a asi no, wɔkɔɔ sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ Abner. Ɛberɛ a wɔduruu Amma bepɔ a ɛbɛn Gia a ɛwɔ ɛkwan a ɛda hɔ kɔ Gibeon ɛserɛ so no, na onwunu 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 akodɔm a wɔfiri Benyamin abusuakuo mu no boaa wɔn ho ano wɔ bepɔ 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 teaam, ka kyerɛɛ Yoab sɛ, “Enti, ɛsɛ sɛ daa yɛfa akofena so de ka yɛn ntam asɛm anaa? Monnhunu sɛ, saa ɛkwan no de nitan bɛto yɛn ntam? Da bɛn na wobɛfrɛ wo mmarima no aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔnnyae wɔn nuanom Israelfoɔ akyidie?”
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 kaa sɛ, “Sɛ woankasa a anka, Onyankopɔn nko ara na ɔnim deɛ 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 totorobɛnto, maa ne mmarima no gyaee Israel akodɔm no so 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 nante kɔɔ Araba. Wɔtwaa Yordan bɔnhwa, toaa so kɔɔ Bitron, bɛduruu 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 akyidie, na ɔboaboaa ne mmarima ano. Asahel akyi no, wɔhunuu 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 Benyaminfoɔ 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 nantee anadwo mu no nyinaa kɔduruu Hebron adekyeeɛ.