< 2 Samuel 17 >

1 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Allow me to choose 12,000 men, and I will leave [with them] tonight to pursue David.
Ahitofel ka kyerɛɛ Absalom sɛ, “Mɛyi akodɔm mpem dumienu, na mafiri ha anadwo yi akɔtaa Dawid so.
2 We will attack him while he is tired and discouraged, and cause him to be very frightened. All the soldiers who are with him will run away. We will kill only the king.
Mɛto no wɔ ɛberɛ a wabrɛ na nʼaba mu abu. Ɔne nʼakodɔm nyinaa bɛbɔ hu na wɔadwane. Ɔhene no nko ara na mɛbɔ no ahwe,
3 Then we will bring back all his soldiers to you, like [SIM] a (bride/woman comes to her husband when she is married). You are wanting to kill only one man; so the other people will not be harmed.”
na mede nnipa no asane abrɛ wo, sɛdeɛ ayeforɔ kɔ ne kunu nkyɛn. Saa onipa yi nkwa nko ara na worehwehwɛ. Afei nnipa no nyinaa bɛka a wɔrenha obiara.”
4 Absalom and all the Israeli leaders [who were with him] thought that what Ahithophel said would be good to do.
Saa nhyehyɛeɛ yi sɔɔ Absalom ne Israel mpanimfoɔ nyinaa ani.
5 But Absalom said, “Summon Hushai also, and we will hear what he suggests.”
Nanso, Absalom kaa sɛ, “Momfrɛ Husai a ɔfiri Arki no mmra na yɛntie deɛ ɔwɔ ka.”
6 So when Hushai arrived, Absalom told him what Ahithophel had suggested. Then he asked Hushai, “What do you think we should do? If you do not think that we should do what Ahithophel suggests, tell us [what you think that we should do].”
Husai baeɛ no, Absalom kaa deɛ Ahitofel aka no kyerɛɛ no. Afei ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Wʼadwene ne sɛn? Yɛmfa Ahitofel afotuo no anaa? Na sɛ ɛnte saa a, kyerɛ yɛn wʼadwene.”
7 Hushai replied, “This time what Ahithophel has suggested is not good advice.
Husai buaa Absalom sɛ, “Mʼadwene ne sɛ saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ Ahitofel ayɛ mfomsoɔ.
8 You know that your father and the men who are with him are strong soldiers, and that now they are very angry, like [SIM] a mother bear whose cubs have been stolen from her. Furthermore, your father knows how to fight because he has fought in many battles. He will not stay with his troops during the night.
Wonim wʼagya ne ne dɔm; wɔyɛ akofoɔ akɛseɛ. Saa ɛberɛ yi, wɔn ani abre sɛ sisire a wɔawia ne mma wɔ wiram. Ɛno da nkyɛn a, wʼagya nim de wɔ akodie mu. Ɔne nʼakodɔm no rentena anadwo yi.
9 Right now he is probably already hiding in one of the pits, or in some other place. [If his soldiers start to attack your soldiers, and] if they kill some of them, whoever hears about that will say ‘Many of the soldiers with Absalom have been killed!’
Sɛ merekasa yi, wakɔtɛ ɔbodan bi mu anaa baabi foforɔ. Na sɛ ɔdi ɛkan to hyɛ mo so na mo mu kakra bi mpo totɔ a, ehu bɛtɔ wo dɔm no so na obiara bɛteam sɛ wɔrekunkum wo dɔm no.
10 Then your other soldiers, even if they are as fearless [SIM, IDM] as lions, they will become very afraid. Do not forget that everyone in Israel knows that your father is a great/strong soldier, and that the soldiers who are with him are also very brave/courageous.
Na sɛ ɛba saa a, ɔsraani a ɔyɛ nnam a nʼakoma te sɛ gyata no koraa, ehu bɛma wabɔ hu. Na Israel nyinaa nim sɛ wʼagya yɛ ɔkofoɔ, na wɔn a wɔka ne ho no nso bo yɛ duru.
11 “So what I suggest is that you summon all the Israeli soldiers, from Dan [in the far north] to Beersheba [in the far south]. They will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore [HYP]. And then you yourself lead us into the battle.
“Enti, metu wo fo sɛ, boa Israel nyinaa ano, ɛfiri Dan kɔsi Beer-Seba. Woyɛ saa a wobɛnya akodɔm a wɔn dodoɔ bɛyɛ sɛ mpoano anwea. Na megye medi sɛ wʼankasa bɛdi akodɔm no anim.
12 We will find [your father], wherever he is, and we will attack him [from all sides], like [SIM] dew covers all the ground. And neither he nor any of the soldiers who are with him will survive.
Na sɛ yɛhunu Dawid a, yɛbɛto ahyɛ no so, sɛdeɛ bosuo gu asase so, a ɔno ne mmarima no mu baako mpo nka.
13 If he escapes into some city, all our soldiers will bring ropes and pull that city down into the valley. As a result, not one stone will be left there [on top of the hill where that city was]!”
Na sɛ Dawid adwane kɔ kuropɔn bi so a, wode Israel akodɔm nyinaa bɛkɔ hɔ. Afei, yɛbɛtumi afa ntampehoma de atwe kuro no afasuo, akɔgu bɔnhwa a ɛbɛn mu, kɔsi sɛ ɛboɔ biara a ɛwɔ mu no bɛyam.”
14 Absalom and all the other Israeli men [who were with him] said, “What Hushai suggests is better than what Ahithophel suggested.” The reason that happened was that Yahweh had determined that if they would accept the good advice that Ahithophel had given them, [they would have been able to defeat/kill David]. But [as a result of their doing what Hushai suggested], Yahweh would cause a disaster to happen to Absalom.
Afei, Absalom ne Israel mpanimfoɔ nyinaa kaa sɛ, “Husai afotuo no yɛ sene Ahitofel deɛ no.” Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ahyehyɛ sɛ Ahitofel afotuo pa a ɔde ama no bɛsɛe, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ bɛba Absalom so.
15 Then Hushai told the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, what both he and Ahithophel had suggested to Absalom and the Israeli leaders.
Na Husai kɔkaa asɛm a Ahitofel aka ne ɔno ankasa adwenkyerɛ no kyerɛɛ asɔfoɔ Sadok ne Abiatar.
16 Then he said to them, “Send [a message] quickly to David. Tell him to not stay at the place where people walk across the river, near the desert. Instead, he and his soldiers must cross [the Jordan River] immediately, in order that they will not be killed/wiped out.”
Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ntɛm! Monkɔhwehwɛ Dawid, na monka nkyerɛ no sɛ, ɔnntena Asubɔnten Yordan aworɔso hɔ anadwo yi. Ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtwa kɔ ɛserɛ no so akyi, anyɛ saa a, ɔne nʼakodɔm nyinaa bɛwuwu.”
17 [The priest’s two sons, ] Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were waiting at En-Rogel [Spring], outside Jerusalem. They did not [dare to] enter the city, because if someone saw them, [he would report it to Absalom]. [While they were at En-Rogel, ] a female servant [of the two priests] would frequently go to them and report to them [what was happening], and then they would go and report it to King David.
Yonatan ne Ahimaas tenaa En-Rogel, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔrenkɔ kuro no mu na wɔnnsane mpue. Na wɔayɛ nhyehyɛeɛ bi sɛ abaawa bi de nkra a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde kɔma ɔhene Dawid no bɛbrɛ wɔn.
18 But a young man saw them, and went and reported it to Absalom. [They found out what the young man had done, ] so both of them left quickly and went to stay in the house of a man in Bahurim. That man had a well in his courtyard; so the two men went down into the well [to hide].
Nanso abarimaa bi hunuu wɔn sɛ wɔrefiri En-Rogel akɔ Dawid nkyɛn enti, ɔkɔka kyerɛɛ Absalom. Na wɔdwane kɔɔ Bahurim, maa ɔbarima bi de wɔn kɔsiee abura bi a ɛwɔ nʼadihɔ mu.
19 The man’s wife took a cloth/mat and covered the well, and scattered grain on top of it in order that no one would know [that two men were hiding inside it].
Ɔbarima no yere de ntoma hataa abura no so, de atokoɔ guu so te sɛ deɛ ɔrehata no awia so, na obiara ansusu sɛ nnipa hyɛ abura no mu.
20 Some of Absalom’s soldiers [found out where the two men had gone. So they] went to the house, and asked the woman, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” She replied, “They crossed the river.” So the soldiers [crossed the river and] searched for them. But they could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem.
Ɛberɛ a Absalom mmarima no duruu hɔ no, wɔbisaa ɔbaa no sɛ, “Woahunu Ahimaas ne Yonatan anaa?” Ɔbuaa wɔn sɛ, “Na wɔwɔ ha deɛ, nanso wɔatwa asuwa no kɔ.” Absalom mmarima no hwehwɛɛ wɔn, nanso wɔanhunu wɔn enti, wɔsane kɔɔ Yerusalem.
21 After they had gone, the two men came out of the well and went and reported to King David [what had happened and] what Ahithophel had suggested. Then they said to him, “Cross the river quickly!”
Afei mmarima baanu no firii abura no mu, de mmirika kɔɔ ɔhene Dawid nkyɛn kɔbɔɔ no amaneɛ sɛ, “Firi ha tware asuo no ntɛm so anadwo yi!” Wɔkaa Ahitofel afotuo a ɛbɛma wɔakyere no akum no no kyerɛɛ no.
22 So David and all his soldiers quickly started to cross the Jordan [River], and by dawn they had all crossed to the other side.
Enti, Dawid ne nnipa no nyinaa tutuu so, kɔtwaa Yordan. Ɛduruu ahemadakye no, na obiara atwa Yordan kɔ nʼagya.
23 When Ahithophel realized that Absalom was not going to do what he suggested, he put a saddle on his donkey and returned to his own town. He gave [to his family] instructions about his possessions, and then he hanged himself [because he knew that Absalom would be defeated and that he would be considered a traitor and be killed]. His body was buried in the tomb where his ancestors [had been buried].
Ahitofel hunuu sɛ nʼanim agu ase, ɛfiri sɛ wɔamfa nʼafotuo no, ɔhyehyɛɛ nʼafunumu tenaa ne so, kɔɔ ne kurom. Ɔtotoo ne nneɛma yie, na ɔhyɛɛ ne ho akɔmfo. Enti, ɔwuiɛ ma wɔsiee no wɔ nʼagya da mu.
24 David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim. And Absalom [and all his Israeli soldiers] also crossed the Jordan [River].
Ankyɛre na Dawid duruu Mahanaim. Saa ɛberɛ yi na Absalom aboaboa Israel akodɔm no nyinaa ano a ɔdi wɔn anim rekɔtwa Asubɔnten Yordan.
25 Absalom had appointed [his cousin] Amasa to be the commander of his army, instead of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Jether, a descendant of Ishmael. Amasa’s mother was Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Joab’s mother Zeruiah.
Absalom yii Amasa de no tuaa akodɔm no ano, sii Yoab a na anka ɔyɛ Dawid sahene no ananmu. Amasa yɛ ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Yitra, a ɔyɛ Israelni a ɔwaree Abigail a ɔyɛ Nahas babaa, na ɔyɛ Seruia nuabaa, a ɔyɛ Yoab na no ba.
26 Absalom and his Israeli soldiers set up their tents in [the] Gilead [region].
Israelfoɔ no ne Absalom tenaa Gilead asase so.
27 When David [and his soldiers] arrived at Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah [city] in the Ammon area, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-Debar [city], and Barzillai from Rogelim [town] in [the] Gilead [region]
Na Dawid duruu Mahanaim no, Nahas a ɔfiri Raba babarima Sobi Amonni no, kyeaa no fɛ so. Saa ara na Amiel a ɔfiri Lo-debar babarima Makir ne Gileadni Barsilai a ɔfiri Rogelim nso gyee no fɛ so.
28 brought sleeping mats, bowls, clay pots, barley, wheat flour, parched grain, beans, and lentils to them.
Wɔbrɛɛ no kɛtɛ, nkuku ne nkaka, atokoɔ, asikyiresiam, nkyeweɛ, asɛ ne asɛdua,
29 They brought honey and curds, sheep, and some cream/cheese for David and his soldiers to eat. They knew that David and his soldiers would be hungry and tired and thirsty [from marching] in the desert.
ɛwoɔ ne nufosuo ani sradeɛ ne anantwie nufosuo a akyenkyene mua. Wɔde brɛɛ Dawid ne ne nkurɔfoɔ a wɔka ne ho no. Na wɔkaa sɛ, “Mo nyinaa moabrɛbrɛ, na ɛkɔm ne sukɔm de mo ɛfiri sɛ moanante ɛkwan tenten wɔ ɛserɛ so.”

< 2 Samuel 17 >