1 Kings 2
1 When David [knew that he] was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:
Dawid rebewu no, ɔde adwuma hyɛɛ Salomo nsa sɛ:
2 “I am about to die [EUP], like everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as an adult should.
“Merekɔ faako a ɛsɛ sɛ da bi ɔteasefo biara kɔ, enti yɛ den na kyerɛ wo mmaninyɛ,
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.
na yɛ nea Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, hwehwɛ sɛ woyɛ. Nantew nʼakwan so, na di ne mmara ne nʼahyɛde so sɛnea wɔakyerɛw wɔ Mose mmara no mu no, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wobɛkɔ so wɔ biribiara a wobɛyɛ mu ne baabiara a wobɛkɔ nso.
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.’
Sɛ woyɛ eyi a na Awurade bedi ne bɔ a ɔhyɛɛ me no so se, ‘Sɛ wʼasefo hwɛ wɔn asetena, na wofi wɔn koma ne wɔn kra nyinaa mu nantew nokware mu wɔ mʼanim a, wɔn mu baako bɛtena Israel ahengua no so.’
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.
“Wunim se Seruia babarima Yoab kum mʼakofo asahene baanu no a ɛyɛ Ner babarima Abner ne Yeter babarima Amasa no. Okunkum wɔn, hwiee wɔn mogya gui, asomdwoe bere mu a ɛnyɛ ɔko bere mu, na ɔde wɔn mogya kekaa nʼabɔso a ɛbɔ nʼasen mu ne ne mpaboa a ɛhyɛ ne nan so.
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)
Wo ne no nni, na mma no mfa ne ti dwen nkɔ ɔda mu asomdwoe mu. (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.
“Na yɛ Barsilai a ofi Gilead no mmabarima adɔe, na ma wɔnka wɔn a wodidi wɔ wo didipon so no ho. Bere a miguan fii wo nuabarima Absalom ho no, wɔyɛɛ me adɔe.
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.
“Kae Gera Benyaminni a ofi Bahurim no babarima Simei. Ɔdomee me denneennen, da a mereguan akɔ Mahanaim no. Na obehyiaa me wɔ Yordan no, mede Awurade din kaa ntam sɛ, Merenkum no.
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)
Nanso ntam no mma onni bem. Woyɛ onyansafo na wubehu ɔkwan a wobɛfa so aka ne mogya agu.” (Sheol h7585)
10 Then David died [EUP] and was buried in [that part of Jerusalem which was called] ‘The City of David’.
Na Dawid wui, na wosiee no wɔ Dawid kurom.
11 David had been the king of Israel for 40 years: He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for 33 years in Jerusalem.
Odii hene wɔ Israel mfe aduanan a ne nkyerɛmu ne sɛ, odii Hebron so mfe ason na Yerusalem nso, odii ade mfe aduasa abiɛsa.
12 Solomon became the ruler/king [MTY] to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.
Enti Salomo tenaa nʼagya Dawid ahengua so, na nʼadedi ase timii yiye.
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.”
Na Hagit babarima Adoniya kɔɔ Salomo ne na Batseba nkyɛn. Batseba bisaa no se, “Wobaa no asomdwoe so ana?” Obuaa no se, “Ɛyɛ asomdwoe so.”
14 But then he said, “I have something to ask you to do.” She said, “Tell me [what you want me to do].”
Na ɔka kaa ho se, “Mepɛ sɛ woyɛ me adɔe bi.” Na Batseba bisae se, “Adɔe bɛn.”
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 kae se, “Sɛnea wunim no, na ahemman no yɛ me dea. Na Israel nyinaa hwɛ me kwan sɛ wɔn hene. Nanso nneɛma sesae, na ahemman no kɔɔ me nuabarima nkyɛn, efisɛ Awurade pɛ no saa.
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].”
Mprempren, ade baako na mepɛ sɛ mesrɛ wo. Mfa nkame me.” Ɔkae se, “Wutumi ka.”
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.”
Na ɔtoaa so se, “Kɔsrɛ ɔhene Salomo ma me, na ɔremfa dekode no nkame wo. Ka na ɔmfa Abisag Sunamni no mma me sɛ me yere.”
18 Bathsheba replied, “Okay, I will speak to the king for you.”
Na Batseba buae se, “Eye mɛka ho asɛm akyerɛ ɔhene ama wo.”
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.
Enti Batseba kɔɔ ɔhene Salomo nkyɛn sɛ ɔrekɔkasa ama Adoniya. Ɔhene no sɔree sɛ ɔrebehyia no, bɔɔ ne mu ase ansa na ɔretena nʼahengua so. Na ɔhyɛɛ sɛ wɔmfa agua mmrɛ ɔhene na, na ɔtenaa ɔhene nifa so.
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.”
Ɔka kyerɛɛ ɔhene se, “Mewɔ ade ketewaa bi srɛ wo, na mfa nkame me.” Ɔhene no buaa no se, “Ka, me na. Meyɛ ama wo.”
21 She said, “Allow Abishag to be given to your [older] brother Adonijah to be his wife.”
Enti ɔkae se, “Ma wɔmfa Sunamni Abisag mma wo nuabarima Adoniya aware.”
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]?”
Ɔhene Salomo bisaa ne na se, “Adɛn nti na wopɛ sɛ Adoniya ware Sunamni Abisag? Ɛno de, sɛ wubebisa ahemman nso ama no. Wunim sɛ ɔyɛ me nua panyin na ɔsɔfo Abiatar ne Seruia babarima Yoab nso boa no!”
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!
Na ɔhene Salomo de Awurade din kaa ntam se, “Sɛ Adoniya amfa ne nkwa antwa saa abisade yi so a, Onyankopɔn ne me nni no dennen so pa ara.
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!”
Na mprempren de, mmere dodow a Awurade te ase yi, ɔno a watim mʼase wɔ mʼagya Dawid ahengua so, na wabɔ me fie ahenni mu nnidiso atenase ama me, sɛnea ɔhyɛɛ me bɔ no, Adoniya de, twa ara na etwa sɛ owu nnɛ yi ara.”
25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to [go and] kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.
Enti, Salomo hyɛɛ Yehoiada babarima Benaia sɛ onkum no, na okum Adoniya.
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.”
Na ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ ɔsɔfo Abiatar se, “San kɔ wo kurom Anatot. Wofata sɛ wuwu, nanso merenkum wo mprempren, efisɛ, wosoaa Awurade Tumfo Adaka no maa mʼagya, na wo ne no nyinaa na muhuu amane wɔ nʼabɛbrɛsɛ nyinaa mu.”
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.
Enti Salomo nam so dii mmara a Awurade hyɛɛ wɔ Silo fa Eli asefo ho no so.
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].
Ɛwɔ mu, mfiase no na onni Absalom akyi, nanso Yoab de ne ho kɔdɔm Adoniya atuatew no. Bere a Yoab tee Adoniya wu no, otuu mmirika kɔɔ Awurade ntamadan kronkron no mu, na okosusoo mmɛn a etuatua afɔremuka no ho no mu.
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.”
Bere a ɔhene Salomo tee asɛm yi, ɔsomaa Yehoiada babarima Benaia sɛ onkokum no.
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.
Na Benaia kɔɔ Awurade ntamadan kronkron no mu kɔka kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Ɔhene se fi adi.” Nanso Yoab buae se, “Dabi, mewu wɔ ha.” Enti Benaia san kɔɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn kɔkaa asɛm a Yoab aka no kyerɛɛ no.
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).
Ɔhene no tee asɛm a Yoab kae no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Benaia se, “Yɛ nea ɔkae no. Kum no wɔ afɔremuka no ho, na sie no. Eyi beyi adwenhare mogyahwiegu ho afɔdi afi me ne mʼagya fifo so.
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].
Na Awurade betua no kum a okum mmarima atreneefo ankasa baanu a na woye sen no no so ka. Na mʼagya nnim Ner babarima Abner a na ɔyɛ Israel asraafo so sahene ne Yeter babarima Amasa a na ɔno nso yɛ Yuda asraafo so sahene no wu ho hwee.
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.”
Yoab ne nʼasefo de, saa awudi ahorow yi ho afɔdi ntena wɔn so, na Awurade mma Dawid ne nʼasefo ne nʼahengua asomdwoe afebɔɔ!”
34 So Benaiah went [into the Sacred Tent] and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the desert [part of Judah].
Enti Yehoiada babarima Benaia san kɔɔ ntamadan kronkron no mu, kokum Yoab, na wosiee Yoab wɔ ne kurom wuram baabi.
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.
Na ɔhene no yii Yehoiada babarima Benaia sɛ onsi Yoab anan sɛ ɔsahene. Na oyii ɔsɔfo Sadok de no sii Abiatar anan mu.
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.
Ɔhene no soma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ Simei ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Si ofi wɔ Yerusalem ha na tena mu. Na mfi kurow no mu nkɔ baabiara.
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).”
Na da a wubetwa Kidron bon no, wubewu; na wo mogya begu wʼankasa wo ti so.”
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.
Na Simei buae se, “Wʼatemmu no yɛ kronkron. Biribiara a me wura ɔhene bɛhyɛ sɛ menyɛ no, mɛyɛ.” Enti Simei tenaa Yerusalem kyɛe yiye.
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,
Na mfe abiɛsa akyi no, Simei asomfo baanu guan kɔɔ Gathene Akis, Maaka babarima nkyɛn. Bere a Simei huu faako a wɔwɔ no,
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.
ɔhyehyɛɛ nʼafurum, kɔɔ Gat, kɔhwehwɛɛ wɔn. Ohuu wɔn no, ɔde wɔn san baa Yerusalem.
41 But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.
Salomo tee sɛ Simei afi Yerusalem akɔ Gat asan aba no,
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.’
ɔsoma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ Simei bae, na obisaa no se, “Mamma woanka ntam Awurade din mu sɛ, worenkɔ baabiara, na sɛ anyɛ saa a, wubewu? Na wubuae se, ‘Atemmu no yɛ kronkron; na medi asɛm a woaka no so.’
43 So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?”
Adɛn nti na woanni wo ntam no so amma Awurade, na woanyɛ mʼahyɛde?”
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.
Na ɔhene no ka kaa ho se, “Akyinnye biara nni ho sɛ wokae amumɔyɛ a woyɛɛ mʼagya, ɔhene Dawid. Awurade bɛtwe wʼaso wɔ ho.
45 But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David’s descendants [MTY] to rule forever.”
Na me de, menya Awurade nhyira, na daa Dawid aseni atena ahengua no so.”
46 Then the king gave an order to Benaiah, and he went and killed Shimei. So Solomon was completely in control of the kingdom.
Na ɔhene no hyɛɛ Yehoiada babarima Benaia ma ɔfaa Simei de no fii adi kokum no. Enti ahemman no tim wɔ Salomo nsam.
