< Samuel 2 2 >

1 Le ɣeyiɣi aɖe megbe la, David bia Yehowa be, “Mayi Yuda duawo dometɔ ɖeka mea?” Yehowa ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, yi.” David gabiae be, “Du ka mee mayi?” Yehowa ɖo eŋu be, “Yi Hebron.”
And so, after these things, David consulted the Lord, saying, “Shall I ascend to one of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Ascend.” And David said, “To where shall I ascend?” And he responded to him, “To Hebron.”
2 Ale David kplɔ srɔ̃awo, Ahinoam tso Yezreel kple Abigail, Nabal ƒe ahosi tso Karmel,
Therefore, David ascended with his two wives, Ahinoam, the Jezreelite, and Abigail, the wife of Nabal of Carmel.
3 eƒe amewo kple wo srɔ̃wo kple wo viwo katã eye woyi Hebron.
And as for the men who were with him, David led forth each man with his household. And they stayed in the towns of Hebron.
4 Yuda ƒe kplɔlawo va ɖo David fiae ɖe Yuda ƒe dukɔ ƒoƒuwo nu. Esi David se be Yabes Gileadtɔwo ɖi Saul la,
And the men of Judah went and anointed David there, so that he would reign over the house of Judah. And it was reported to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had buried Saul.
5 eɖo du ɖe wo be, “Yehowa nayra mi le ale si miewɔ nuteƒe na miaƒe aƒetɔ eye mieɖii kple bubu la ta.
Therefore, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, and he said to them: “Blessed are you to the Lord, who has accomplished this mercy with your lord Saul, so that you would bury him.
6 Yehowa nave mia nu eye wòatsɔ eƒe lɔlɔ̃ ƒe ɖeɖefia kple nyateƒe aɖo eteƒe na mi. Nye hã mave mia nu le nu si miewɔ la ta.
And now, certainly, the Lord will repay to you mercy and truth. But I also will act with favor, because you have accomplished this word.
7 Azɔ la, mele biabiam tso mia si be esi Saul ku la, mianye nye ame sesẽwo, eye miawɔ nuteƒe nam. Minɔ abe Yuda ƒe viwo, ame siwo tsɔm ɖo woƒe Fia yeye ene.”
Let your hands be strengthened, and be sons of fortitude. For even though your lord Saul has died, still the house of Judah has anointed me as king over them.”
8 Ke Abner, Saul ƒe aʋafia do ŋgɔ yi Mahanaim be yeatsɔ Saul ƒe viŋutsu Is Boset aɖo fiae,
Then Abner, the son of Ner, the leader of the army of Saul, took Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and he led him around, throughout the camp.
9 be wòaɖu fia ɖe Gilead, Asuri, Yezreel, Efraim, Benyamin kple Israel ƒe akpa bubuawo keŋ dzi.
And he appointed him as king over Gilead, and over Geshuri, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all of Israel.
10 Exɔ ƒe blaene hafi woɖoe fiae eye wòɖu Israel dzi ƒe eve. Ke Yuda ƒe viwo nɔ David yome
Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, was forty years old when he had begun to rule over Israel. And he reigned for two years. For only the house of Judah followed David.
11 eye wòɖu fia le Hebron ɖe Yuda dzi ƒe adre kple afã.
And the number of the days, during which David was staying and ruling in Hebron over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
12 Gbe ɖeka la, Aʋafia Abner kplɔ Is Boset ƒe aʋawɔlawo tso Mahanaim yi Gibeon,
And Abner, the son of Ner, and the youths of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gibeon.
13 eye Aʋafia Yoab, Zeruya ƒe vi, hã kplɔ David ƒe aʋakɔ be woado go wo. Wodo go le Gibeon ta la to eye wonɔ ta la ƒe akpa eveawo dzi, dze ŋgɔ wo nɔewo.
Therefore, Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and the youths of David, went out and met them beside the pool of Gibeon. And when they had convened together, they sat down opposite one another: these on one side of the pool, and those on the other side.
14 Abner gblɔ na Yoab be, “Mina míaƒe ɖekakpuiawo nawɔ fefe kple woƒe yiwo míakpɔ!” Yoab lɔ̃ hegblɔ bena, “Enyo, na ne woawɔe.”
And Abner said to Joab, “Let the youths rise up and play before us.” And Joab answered, “Let them rise up.”
15 Ale aʋakɔ eveawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe tia ɖekakpui wuieve na Benyamin kple Saul vi Is Boset eye wuieve bubu na David.
Therefore, they rose up and crossed over, twelve in number of Benjamin, from the side of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, and twelve of the youths of David.
16 Ame sia ame lé nɔvia ƒe ɖa eye wòtɔ yi axadame na nɔvia. Ale wo katã ku. Woyɔa teƒe ma le Gibeon va se ɖe egbe be “Yi ƒe gbedzi.”
And each one, taking hold of his peer by the head, fixed a sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together. And the name of that place was called: The Field of the Valiant in Gibeon.
17 Aʋakɔ eveawo de asi aʋawɔwɔ me azɔ eye hafi zã nado la, Yoab kple David ƒe amewo ɖu Abner kple eƒe amewo tso Israel dzi.
And a very harsh war rose up on that day. And Abner, with the men of Israel, was put to flight by the youths of David.
18 Yoab nɔviŋutsuwo, Abisai kple Asahel hã nɔ aʋawɔlawo dome. Asahel ƒua du abe zi ene
Now the three sons of Zeruiah were in that place: Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel. And Asahel was a very swift runner, like one of the deer that lives in the forest.
19 eye eya ɖeka kplɔ Abner ɖo. Medze ɖe ɖusi alo mia me le Abner yome o.
And Asahel pursued Abner, and he did not turn aside to the right, nor to the left, to cease in the pursuit of Abner.
20 Esi Abner nye kɔ kpɔ megbe eye wòkpɔ Asahel wògbɔna la, ebiae be, “Wòe nye ema, Asahel?” Asahel ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, nyee!”
And so, Abner looked behind his back, and he said, “Are you not Asahel?” And he responded, “I am.”
21 Abner gblɔ nɛ be, “Ti ame bubu yome!” Ke Asahel gbe eye wòyi eyometiti dzi.
And Abner said to him, “Go to the right, or to the left, and apprehend one of the youths, and take his spoils for yourself.” But Asahel was not willing to cease from pursuing him closely.
22 Abner gado ɣli gblɔ nɛ be, “Dzo le afi sia. Ne mewu wò la, nyemate ŋu anɔ te ɖe nɔviwò Yoab nu o.”
And again, Abner said to Asahel: “Withdraw, and do not choose to follow me. Otherwise, I will be compelled to stab you to the ground, and I will not be able to lift up my face before your brother, Joab.”
23 Ke egbe, megbugbɔ o. Ale Abner ƒo akplɔ ɖe dɔ me nɛ eye akplɔ la ŋɔe do ɖe eƒe dzime. Edze anyi, heku eye ame sia ame si va ɖo afi si wòmlɔ la tɔna ɖe afi ma.
But he disdained to heed him, and he was not willing to turn aside. Therefore, turning, Abner struck him with his spear in the groin, and he pierced him through, and he died in the same place. And all those who would pass by the place, in which Asahel had fallen and died, would stand still.
24 Azɔ la, Yoab kple Abisai ti Abner yome. Ɣe la nɔ to ɖom esi wova ɖo Ama togbɛ la gbɔ le Gia lɔƒo le mɔ si yi Gibeon gbegbe la dzi.
Now while Joab and Abishai were pursuing Abner as he fled, the sun set. And they went as far as the Hill of the Aqueduct, which is opposite the valley on the way of the desert in Gibeon.
25 Abner ƒe aʋawɔlawo tso Benyamin ƒe to la me ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe to la tame.
And the sons of Benjamin gathered themselves to Abner. And being joined in one battle line, they stood at the summit of a hill.
26 Abner do ɣli gblɔ na Yoab be, “Ɖe míatsɔ míaƒe yiwo anɔ mía nɔewo wuwu dzi ɖaa? Ɣe ka ɣie nàna wò amewo nagbugbɔ le wo nɔviwo yome?”
And Abner cried out to Joab, and he said: “Will your sword rage unto utter destruction? Are you ignorant that it is perilous to act in desperation? How long will you not tell the people to cease from the pursuit of their brothers?”
27 Yoab ɖo eŋu be, “Metsɔ Mawu ka atam be, ne menye ɖe nèƒo nu o gɔ̃ hã la, anye ne mí katã míatrɔ adzo, ayi aƒe me etsɔ ŋdi.”
And Joab said: “As the Lord lives, if you had spoken in the morning, the people would have withdrawn from pursuing their brothers.”
28 Tete Yoab ku kpẽ eye eƒe amewo dzudzɔ Israel ƒe aʋakɔ la yometiti.
Therefore, Joab sounded the trumpet, and the entire army stood still, and they did not pursue after Israel any more, and they did not engage in conflict.
29 Gbe ma gbe fiẽ la, Abner kple eƒe amewo gbugbɔ to Araba. Woyi Yɔdan ƒe balime, tso tɔsisi la eye wozɔ mɔ le zã va se ɖe ŋufɔke ŋdi hafi woɖo Mahanaim.
Then Abner and his men went away, all that night, through the plains. And they crossed the Jordan, and having roamed throughout all of Beth-horon, they arrived in the camp.
30 Yoab trɔ le Abner yome eye ekple eƒe amewo hã trɔ yi aƒe. Esi wòxlẽ eƒe amewo kpɔ la, ede dzesii be ame wuiasiekɛ koe tsi aʋa hekpe ɖe Asahel ŋu.
But Joab, returning after he had released Abner, gathered together all the people. And of David’s youths, they were missing nineteen men, aside from Asahel.
31 Ke Abner ƒe ame alafa etɔ̃ blaade, ame siwo tso Benyamin ƒe to la me la ku.
But of Benjamin and of the men who were with Abner, the servants of David had struck three hundred and sixty, who also died.
32 Yoab kple eƒe amewo kɔ Asahel ƒe kukua yi Betlehem eye woɖii ɖe fofoa xa. Le esia megbe la, wozɔ mɔ to zã blibo la me eye woɖo Hebron le ŋdi.
And they took Asahel, and they buried him in the sepulcher of his father at Bethlehem. And Joab, and the men who were with him, walked throughout the night, and they arrived in Hebron at the very break of day.

< Samuel 2 2 >