< 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 after these things David consulted the Lord, saying: Shall I go up into one of the cities of Juda? And the Lord said to him: Go up. And David said: Whither shall I go up? And he answered him: Into Hebron.
2 Ale David kplɔ srɔ̃awo, Ahinoam tso Yezreel kple Abigail, Nabal ƒe ahosi tso Karmel,
So David went up, and his two wives, Achinoam the Jezrahelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal of Carmel:
3 eƒe amewo kple wo srɔ̃wo kple wo viwo katã eye woyi Hebron.
And the men also that were with him, David brought up every man with his household: and they abode 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 Juda came, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Juda. And it was told David, that the men of Jabes Galaad 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.
David therefore sent messengers to the men of Jabes Galaad, and said to them: Blessed be you to the Lord, who have shewn this mercy to your master Saul, and have buried 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 the Lord surely will render you mercy and truth, and I also will, requite you for this good turn, because you have done this thing.
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 ye men of valour: for although your master Saul be dead, yet the house of Juda hath anointed me to be their king.
8 Ke Abner, Saul ƒe aʋafia do ŋgɔ yi Mahanaim be yeatsɔ Saul ƒe viŋutsu Is Boset aɖo fiae,
But Abner the son of Ner, general of Saul’s army, took Isboseth the son of Saul, and led him about through the camp?
9 be wòaɖu fia ɖe Gilead, Asuri, Yezreel, Efraim, Benyamin kple Israel ƒe akpa bubuawo keŋ dzi.
And made him king over Galaad, and, over Gessuri, and over Jezrahel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10 Exɔ ƒe blaene hafi woɖoe fiae eye wòɖu Israel dzi ƒe eve. Ke Yuda ƒe viwo nɔ David yome
Isboseth the son of Saul was forty years old when he began to reign over, Israel, and he reigned two years: and only the house of Juda followed David.
11 eye wòɖu fia le Hebron ɖe Yuda dzi ƒe adre kple afã.
And the number of the days that David abode, reigning in Hebron over the house of Juda, 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 servants of Isboseth the son of Saul, went out from the camp to Gabaon.
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.
And Joab the son of Sarvia, and the servants of David went out, and met them by the pool of Gabaon. And when they were come together, they sat down over against one another: the one on the one side of the pool, and the other 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 young men rise, and play before us. And Joab answered: Let them rise.
15 Ale aʋakɔ eveawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe tia ɖekakpui wuieve na Benyamin kple Saul vi Is Boset eye wuieve bubu na David.
Then there arose and went over twelve in number of Benjamin, of the part of Isboseth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants 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 every one catching his fellow, by the head, thrust his sword into the side of his adversary, and they fell down together: and the name of the place was called: The field of the valiant, in Gabaon.
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 there was a very fierce battle that day: and Abner was put to flight, with the men of Israel, by the servants of David.
18 Yoab nɔviŋutsuwo, Abisai kple Asahel hã nɔ aʋawɔlawo dome. Asahel ƒua du abe zi ene
And there were the three sons of Sarvia there, Joab, and Abisai, and Asael: now Asael was a most swift runner, like one of the roes that abide in the woods.
19 eye eya ɖeka kplɔ Abner ɖo. Medze ɖe ɖusi alo mia me le Abner yome o.
And Asael pursued after Abner, and turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following 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 Abner looked behind him, and said: Art thou Asael? And he answered: 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 hand or to the left, and lay hold on one of the young men and take thee his spoils. But Asael would not leave off following him close.
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 Asael: Go off, and do not follow me, lest I be obliged to stab thee to the ground, and I shall not be able to hold up my face to Joab thy brother.
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 refused to hearken to him, and would not turn aside: wherefore Abner struck him with his spear with a back stroke in the groin, and thrust him through, and he died upon the spot: and all that came to the place where Asael fell down and died stood 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 Abisai pursued after Abner, the sun went down: and they came as far as the hill of the aqueduct, that lieth over against the valley by the way of the wilderness in Gabaon.
25 Abner ƒe aʋawɔlawo tso Benyamin ƒe to la me ƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe to la tame.
And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together to Abner: and being joined in one body, they stood on the top 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 said: Shall thy sword rage unto utter destruction? knowest thou not that it is dangerous to drive people to despair? how long dost thou defer to bid the people cease from pursuing after their brethren?
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 liveth, if thou hadst spoke sooner, even in the morning the people should have retired from pursuing after their brethren.
28 Tete Yoab ku kpẽ eye eƒe amewo dzudzɔ Israel ƒe aʋakɔ la yometiti.
Then Joab sounded the trumpet, and all the army stood still, and did not pursue after Israel any farther, nor fight any more.
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.
And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plains: and they passed the Jordan, and having gone through all Beth-horon, came to 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.
And Joab returning, after he had left Abner, assembled all the people: and there were wanting of David’s servants nineteen men, beside Asael.
31 Ke Abner ƒe ame alafa etɔ̃ blaade, ame siwo tso Benyamin ƒe to la me la ku.
But the servants of David had killed of Benjamin, and of the men that were with Abner, three hundred and sixty, who all 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 Asael, and buried him in the sepulchre of his father in Bethlehem, and Joab, and the men that were with him, marched all the night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

< Samuel 2 2 >