1 Kings 2
1 When David [knew that he] was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:
Esi Fia David ƒe kuɣi ɖo vɔ la, egblɔ na via, Solomo be:
2 “I am about to die [EUP], like everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as an adult should.
“Mele demagbɔnugbe yim eya ta lé dzi ɖe ƒo, nàwɔ kalẽ.
3 Do what Yahweh our God tells you to do. Conduct yourself as he wants you to do. Obey all of his laws and commands and precepts and instructions that are written in the laws that Moses [gave us]. Do this in order that you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go.
Wɔ nu siwo katã Yehowa, wò Mawu ɖo na wò. Wɔ eƒe se siwo katã woŋlɔ ɖe Mose ƒe agbalẽ me la dzi ale be nu sia nu si nàwɔ le go ɖe sia ɖe me la nadze edzi na wò.
4 If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me: He said, ‘If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be [LIT] the ones who will rule [MTY] Israel.’
Ne èwɔ alea la, ekema Yehowa awɔ ŋugbe si wòdo nam la dzi. Ŋugbe siae nye be ne vinyewo kple woƒe dzidzimeviwo azɔ nyuie, eye woawɔ nuteƒe na ye, Mawu la, ekema wo dometɔ ɖeka anye fia na Israel ɣe sia ɣi eye nye fiaɖuƒe nu mayi akpɔ o.
5 “There is something else [that I want you to do]. You know what Joab did to me. He killed my two army commanders, Abner and Amasa. He murdered them violently [MTY] during a time of peace, pretending that it was a time of war. Those two men (were innocent/had not done what was wrong). But Joab [killed them and] their blood to stain his belt and his sandals.
“Ènya be Yoab, Yeruya vi wu nye Israelʋafia eve, Abner kple Amasa. Eble amewo be aʋa mee yewu wo le, le esime wònye ŋutifafa ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo mee wòwu wo le.
6 Because you are wise, do to him what you think is best [for you to do], but do not allow him to become old [MTY] and then die [IDM] peacefully. (Sheol h7585)
Ame nyanue nènye eye ànya nu si nàwɔ; mègana wòaku le ŋutifafa me o. (Sheol h7585)
7 “But be kind to the sons of Barzillai, the man from [the] Gilead [region], and be sure that they always have enough food to eat [MTY]. Do that because Barzillai helped me when I was running away from your older brother Absalom.
“Ke ve Barzilai, Gileadtɔ la ƒe viwo nu elabena wove nunye esi mesi le vinye Absalom nu.
8 Also, [you remember] Gera’s son Shimei from Bahurim [town] in the area where the descendants of Benjamin live. [You know what he did to me]. He cursed me terribly on the day I [left Jerusalem and] went to Mahanaim [town]. But when he later came down to see me at the Jordan [River], I solemnly promised, while Yahweh listened [MTY], that I would not cause him to be executed.
“Èɖo ŋku Simei, ame si nye Gera, Benyamintɔ tso Bahurim ƒe vi dzia? Eƒo fi dem vevie esime meyina Mahanaim. Ke esi wòva kpem le Yɔdan tɔsisi la nu la, medo ŋugbe nɛ le Yehowa ŋkɔ me be nyemawui o.
9 But now you must [LIT] surely punish him. You are a wise man, so you will know what you should do to him. He is an old man [MTY], but be sure that he [loses/sheds] a lot of blood when you kill him [MTY].” (Sheol h7585)
Ke azɔ la, mègabui ame maɖifɔe o. Nunyalae nènye; ànya nu si nàwɔe. Ɖo eƒe ta ƒowɔ la ɖe yɔ me to ʋu me.” (Sheol h7585)
10 Then David died [EUP] and was buried in [that part of Jerusalem which was called] ‘The City of David’.
Ale David ku eye woɖii ɖe Yerusalem, David ƒe du la me.
11 David had been the king of Israel for 40 years: He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.
Eɖu fia ɖe Israel dzi ƒe blaene, ƒe adre le Hebron, ƒe blaetɔ̃-vɔ-etɔ̃ le Yerusalem.
12 Solomon became the ruler/king [MTY] to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.
Solomo zu fia yeye ɖe fofoa, David teƒe eye nuwo tsɔ afɔ nyuie le eƒe fiaɖuƒe la me.
13 [One day] Adonijah came to Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. She said to him, “Have you come because you want things to go well?” He replied, “Yes.”
Gbe ɖeka la, Adoniya, Hagit ƒe vi la va Fia Solomo dada, Batseba gbɔ. Batseba biae be, “Ŋutifafae nètsɔ vɛa?” Adoniya ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, ŋutifafa mee meva le.
14 But then he said, “I have something to ask you to do.” She said, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”
Le nyateƒe me la, meva be maɖe kuku na wò, nàve nunye le mɔ tɔxɛ aɖe nu.” Batseba biae be, “Nu kae?”
15 He said, “You know that all the Israeli people expected me to be their king [because I am David’s oldest surviving son]. But that did not happen. Instead, my [younger] brother became king, because that is what Yahweh wanted.
Adoniya ɖo eŋu be, “Tsã la, fiaɖuƒe la nye tɔnye eye Israel katã bu be nyee anye fia yeyea hafi. Ke nuwo va trɔ eye nu sia nu va yi nɔvinye boŋ ƒe asi me elabena nenemae Yehowa di be wòanɔ.
16 Now I have one thing that I ask you to do. Please do not refuse to do it.” She replied, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”
Azɔ la, medi be mabia wò nàna kpekpeɖeŋu tɔxɛ aɖem. Meɖe kuku, mègagbe kpekpeɖeŋu sia nanam o.” Batseba biae be, “Nu kae?”
17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from Shunem [town], to be my wife. [I am sure that] he will not refuse.”
Eɖo eŋu be, “Ƒo nu na Fia Solomo nam elabena menya be awɔ nu sia nu si nàbiae. Ƒo nu nɛ nam be wòatsɔ Abisag, Sunami nyɔnu la nam maɖe.”
18 Bathsheba replied, “Okay, I will speak to the king for you.”
Batseba ɖo eŋu be, “Enyo, mabiae na wò.”
19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon, to tell him what Adonijah wanted. The king got up [from his throne] and went to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne again and asked someone to bring a chair for her. So she sat down at the king’s right side.
Ale Batseba yi be yeagblɔ nya la na Fia Solomo le Adoniya ƒe ŋkɔ me. Esi wòɖo fia la gbɔ ko la, fia la tso le eƒe fiazikpui dzi, bɔbɔ eye wòde ta agu na dadaa. Eɖe gbe be woatsɔ fiazikpui aɖe ada ɖe ye tɔ gbɔ na ye dada, ale dadaa nɔ eƒe ɖusime.
20 Then she said, “I have one small thing which I want you to do; please do not say that you will not do it.” The king replied, “Mother, what do you want? I will not refuse you.”
Dadaa gblɔ nɛ be, “Meva be mabia nane wò; meka ɖe edzi be màgbe nu si mabia wò la wɔwɔ o.” Fia la biae be, “Nu kae, danye? Ènya be, màbia nanekem magbe o.”
21 She said, “Allow Abishag to be given to your [older] brother Adonijah to be his wife.”
Dadaa gblɔ nɛ be, “Ɖe mɔ nɔviwò, Adoniya naɖe Abisag.”
22 The king replied [angrily], “What? Are you requesting me to give Abishag to Adonijah? [Does he want me] to allow him to rule the kingdom, too? Because he is my older brother, [does he think that he should be the king]? Does he think that Abiathar should be the priest [instead of Zadok], and that Joab [should be the army commander instead of Benaiah] because they supported him [when he tried to become the king]?”
Fia Solomo ɖo ŋu na dadaa be, “Nu ka ta nèle Abisag, Sunami nyɔnu la biam na Adoniya ɖo? Bia fiaɖuƒe la hã na eya kple nunɔla Abiata kple Aʋafia Yoab si nye Zeruya ƒe vi la elabna fonyee.”
23 Then Solomon solemnly promised, requesting Yahweh to listen, “I wish God would strike me and kill me if I do not cause Adonijah to be executed for requesting this!
Tete Fia Solomo tsɔ Yehowa ka atam be, “Mawu nafiam agafiam ɖe edzi, ne Adoniya metsɔ eƒe agbe xe fe ɖe nu si wòbia la ta o!
24 Yahweh has appointed me to be the king and placed me here to rule [MTY] as my father David did. He has promised that my descendants [MTY] will be the kings of Israel. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly promise that Adonijah will be executed today!”
Ke azɔ la, zi ale si Yehowa le agbe, ame si tsɔm ɖo fofonye, David ƒe fiazikpui dzi eye wòɖo fiaɖuƒe anyi nam abe ale si wòdo ŋugbe ene la, woawu Adoniya egbea!”
25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to [go and] kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.
Ale Fia Solomo ɖo Benaya ɖa be wòayi aɖawu Adoniya eye wòyi ɖawui kple yi.
26 Then Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, “Go to Anathoth [town], to your land there. You deserve to be killed, but I will not execute you now, because you were the one who [supervised the men who] carried Yahweh’s Sacred Chest for David my father, and you endured all the troubles that my father endured.”
Le esia megbe la, fia la gblɔ na nunɔla Abiata be, “Yi wò aƒe me le Anatɔt; ele be woawu wò hã gake nyemawu wò fifia o elabena wòe tsɔ Aƒetɔ la ƒe nubablaɖaka la le fofonye ƒe fiaɖuɣi eye nèkpe fu sia fu kplii to eƒe xaxaɣiwo katã me.”
27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being the priest of Yahweh. By doing that he caused to happen what Yahweh had said [many years previously] at Shiloh, [that some day he would get rid] of the descendants [MTY] of Eli.
Ale Solomo nya Abiata be magawɔ dɔ abe Yehowa ƒe nunɔla ene o. Ale wona Yehowa ƒe nya si wògblɔ ɖi ɖe Eli kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo ŋu le Silo la va eme.
28 Joab had not supported Absalom [when he tried to become the king], but he had supported Adonijah. So when Joab heard what had happened, he ran to the Sacred Tent, and he grasped the projections on the corners of the altar, [because he knew that no one would kill him there].
Yoab nye aʋafia na David ƒe aʋakɔ eye mede Absalom dzi o, ke ede Adoniya ya dzi. Esi Yoab se Adoniya ƒe ku la, eƒu du yi ɖadi sitsoƒe le Agbadɔ la me eye wòlé vɔsamlekpui la ƒe lãdzowo ɖe asi.
29 When someone told Solomon that Joab had run to the Sacred Tent and was standing alongside the altar, Solomon told Benaiah, “Go and execute Joab.”
Esi Fia Solomo se nya sia la, eɖo Benaya ɖa be wòayi aɖawui.
30 So Benaiah went to the Sacred Tent and said to Joab, “The king commands you to come out!” But Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah went back to the king and reported [what he had said to Joab, and] what Joab had replied.
Benaya yi agbadɔ la me; ekpɔ Yoab eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Fia Solomo be, ‘do go!’” Yoab ɖo eŋu be, “Ao, medi be maku ɖe afi sia.” Ale Benaya trɔ yi fia la gbɔ hegblɔ nɛ be, “Ale Yoab gblɔ eye ale wòɖo eŋu nam enye esi.”
31 The king replied to him, “Do what he has requested. Kill him and bury his body. If you do that, my descendants [MTY] and I will no longer be punished for what Joab did when he killed [MTY] two men who (were innocent/had not done anything that is wrong).
Fia la gblɔ be, “Wɔ eƒe didi dzi, wui le vɔsamlekpui la gbɔ eye nàɖii. Esia aɖe amewo wuwu dzodzro ƒe fɔɖiɖi ɖa le nye kple fofonye ƒe ƒome la dzi.
32 But Yahweh will punish [MTY] Joab for attacking and killing Abner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the commander of the army of Judah, two men who were more righteous and better [DOU] men than he is. My father David did not even know that Joab [was planning to murder them].
Ekema Yehowa ana ame eve siwo nyo wui hafi wòwu wo la ƒe nu vɔ̃ nanɔ eya ŋutɔ dzi elabena fofonye ƒe asi menɔ Aʋafia Abner, Israelʋakɔ la ƒe kplɔla gã la kple Aʋafia Amasa, Yudaʋakɔwo ƒe kplɔla gã la ƒe ku me o.
33 Joab and his descendants will be punished [IDM] forever for his murdering Abner and Amasa. But things will forever go well for David’s descendants [MTY] who rule [MTY] as King David did.”
Ame siawo wuwu ƒe nu vɔ̃ nanɔ Yoab kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo dzi tegbetegbe eye Mawu nakpɔe be David kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo meɖi fɔ le ame siawo wuwu me o.”
34 So Benaiah went [into the Sacred Tent] and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the desert [part of Judah].
Ale Benaya trɔ yi agbadɔ la me eye wòwu Yoab. Woɖi eƒe kukua ɖe eƒe aƒe xa le gbegbe.
35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to be the commander of the army instead of Joab, and he appointed Zadok to be the priest instead of Abiathar.
Fia Solomo ɖo Benaya aʋafia gãe ɖe Yoab teƒe eye wòtsɔ Zadok ɖo nunɔla ɖe Abiata teƒe.
36 Then the king sent [a messenger] to summon Shimei, and the king said to him, “Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Remain there and do not leave the city to go anywhere.
Fia la ɖo du ɖe Simei eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Tu xɔ na ɖokuiwò ɖe Yerusalem eye nànɔ afi ma; mègayi teƒe bubu aɖeke o.
37 Be sure that the day that you leave Jerusalem and go across the Kidron Brook, you will be executed, and it will be (your own fault/what you deserve).”
Gbe si gbe nàtso Kidron bali la la, nànya nyuie be yeaku eye yeƒe ʋu anɔ ye ŋutɔ ƒe ta dzi.”
38 Shimei replied, “Your Majesty, what you say is good. I will do what you have said.” So Shimei remained in Jerusalem for several years.
Simei gblɔ nɛ be, “Mesee; mawɔ nu sia nu si nye aƒetɔ fia la gblɔ.” Ale wònɔ Yerusalem ɣeyiɣi didi aɖe.
39 But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away. They went to stay with Maacah’s son Achish, the king of Gath [city]. When someone told Shimei that they were in Gath,
Le ƒe etɔ̃ megbe la, Simei ƒe kluvi eve si yi Gat fia, Akis gbɔ. Esime Simei se be wole afi ma la,
40 he put a saddle on his donkey and [got on it and] went to Gath. He found his slaves staying with King Achish and brought them back home.
edo tedzi yi Gat le Akis gbɔ be yeadi yeƒe kluviwo. Esi wòkpɔ eƒe kluviawo la, ekplɔ wo va Yerusalem.
41 But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.
Fia Solomo se be Simei dzo le Yerusalem yi Gat eye wòtrɔ gbɔ.
42 So the king sent [a soldier] to summon Shimei and said to him, “I told you to solemnly promise, knowing that Yahweh [MTY] was listening, that you must not leave Jerusalem. I told you [RHQ], ‘Be sure that if you ever leave Jerusalem, you will be executed.’ And you replied [RHQ] to me, ‘What you have said is good; I will do what you have said.’
Eyɔe hebiae be, “Ɖe nyemeɖo na wò be nànɔ Yerusalem alo nàku oa? Wò ŋutɔ mèɖo eŋu gblɔ be, ‘Mesee; mawɔ nu sia nu si nènya gblɔ ko’ oa?
43 So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?”
Ekema nu ka ta mèwɔ míaƒe ɖoɖo kple nye se la dzi o?”
44 The king also said to Shimei, “You know all the evil things that you did to my father David. So Yahweh will now punish you for the evil things that you did.
“Nya kae le asiwò le nu vɔ̃ɖi siwo katã nèwɔ ɖe fofonye, Fia David, ŋu la ta? Yehowa nabia hlɔ̃ wò
45 But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David’s descendants [MTY] to rule forever.”
gake wòakɔ eƒe yayra gã ɖe Solomo dzi ale be David ƒe fiazikpui la ali ke le Yehowa ƒe ŋkume tegbee.”
46 Then the king gave an order to Benaiah, and he went and killed Shimei. So Solomon was completely in control of the kingdom.
Enumake Fia Solomo ɖe gbe eye Benaya kplɔ Simei yi gota eye wòwui. Ale Solomo ƒe fianyenye li ke ɖe Israel dukɔ la me.
