Samuel 2 20
1 Seba nye yakame aɖe eye wòganye Bikri, Benyamintɔ la ƒe vi. Eku kpẽ eye wòdo ɣli be, “Migbugbɔ le David yome! Migadze eyome o, Israel ŋutsuwo, mina míadzo: menye míaƒe fiae o!”
A rabble-rouser called Sheba, son of Bichri, from the tribe of Benjamin, happened to be there. He blew the ram's horn and shouted: “We have no interest in David, no commitment to Jesse's son. Israelites, let's all go home!”
2 Ke Israel ŋutsuwo katã gblẽ David ɖi eye wodze Seba, Bikri vi yome! Ke Yuda ŋutsuwo nɔ woƒe fia la ŋu eye wokplɔe tso Yɔdan tɔsisi la ŋu yi Yerusalem.
So all the men of Israel abandoned David to follow Sheba, son of Bichri. But the men of Judah accompanied their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 Esi wòɖo eƒe fiasã me le Yerusalem la, ede se be woaɖe yeƒe ahiãvi ewo siwo yegblẽ ɖi be woakpɔ fiasã la dzi la ɖe aga, woakpɔ wo dzi le go ɖe sia ɖe me gake yemagadɔ wo gbɔ abe yeƒe ahiãviwo ene o. Ale wotrɔ zu abe ahosiwo ene va se ɖe woƒe kugbe.
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to look after the palace and put them in a house under guard. He took care of their needs but he didn't sleep with them. They were imprisoned until they died, living like widows.
4 Fia la gblɔ na Amasa be wòaƒo Yuda ƒe aʋawɔlawo nu ƒu le ŋkeke etɔ̃ me eye wòana yeanya.
Then the king ordered Amasa, “Call up the army of Judah. Have them come to me within three days, and you come too.”
5 Ale Amasa yi ɖana nyanya aʋawɔlawo gake nu sia wɔwɔ xɔ wu ŋkeke etɔ̃ si wonae.
Amasa called up the army of Judah, but he took longer than the time he was given.
6 David gblɔ na Abisai be, “Azɔ Seba, Bikri vi awɔ nuvevi mí wu nu si Absalom wɔ. Netsɔ! Wò kple nye dɔlawo miti eyome hafi wòaɖo du aɖe si woɖo gli ƒo xlãe la me eye míaƒe asi magate ŋu asu edzi o.”
David then spoke to Abishai, saying, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri is going to cause us more trouble than Absalom did. Take the king's men and chase him down, or he will take over fortified towns and get away from us.”
7 Ale Abisai kple Yoab kple ame ɖeka tso Yoab ƒe aʋawɔlawo dome kple fia la ŋutɔ ŋudzɔla dze Seba, Bikri vi la yome.
So Joab's men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the experienced fighters, marched out of Jerusalem to chase down Sheba, son of Bichri.
8 Esi wova ɖo agakpe gã si le Gibeon gbɔ la, wodo go Amasa. Yoab do aʋawu eye adekpui si nɔ aku me la, nɔ eƒe alidziblaka ŋu. Esi wòɖe zɔ la, eɖe adekpui la le eƒe aku me.
While they were at the large rock in Gibeon, Amasa caught up with them. Joab was dressed for battle. Over his clothes was a belt around his waist with a dagger in its sheath. As he moved forward, it fell out.
9 Yoab te ɖe Amasa ŋu hebiae be, “Èfɔa?” Yoab ku asi Amasa ƒe ge me kple ɖusi abe ɖe wòdi be yeagbugbɔ nu nɛ ene.
“How are you doing, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. Joab held Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10 Amasa mekpɔ yi ɖaɖɛ si Yoab lé kple miasi la o. Ale Yoab nyrɔ yi la ɖe dɔme nɛ flo, eƒe dɔmenuwo kaka ɖe anyigba eye wòku ɖe afi ma enumake. Yoab kple nɔvia Abisai gblẽe ɖe afi ma eye woti Seba, Bikri vi la yome.
Amasa wasn't prepared for the dagger in Joab's left hand. Joab stabbed him in the belly and his intestines poured out onto the ground. Joab didn't need to stab him twice, because Amasa was already dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai set off in pursuit of Sheba.
11 Yoab ƒe aʋakplɔlawo dometɔ ɖeka do ɣli gblɔ na Amasa ƒe aʋawɔlawo be, “Ne miele David dzi la, ekema miva dze Yoab yome.”
One of Joab's men stood beside Amasa and called out, “If you're on Joab's side, and if you are on David's side, then follow Joab!”
12 Ke Amasa ƒe kukua mlɔ eƒe ʋu me le mɔa titina. Esi Yoab ƒe aʋakplɔlawo kpɔ be ameawo nɔ ƒu ƒom na ame kuku la kpɔkpɔ la, wohe ame kuku la tso mɔa dzi do ɖe gbe me eye wotsɔ awu aɖe tsyɔ edzi.
But Amasa was there, lying in his blood in the middle of the main road. When the man saw that everybody was stopping to look, he pulled the body off the road into a field and threw a cloth over it.
13 Esi wohe ame kuku la le mɔa dzi la, ame sia ame dze Yoab yome be yewoalé Seba, Bikri vi la.
Once Amasa's body was off the road, all the men followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba.
14 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Seba zɔ to Israelnyigba dzi be yeaƒo aʋakɔ aɖe nu ƒu tso eya ŋutɔ ƒe hlɔ̃, Bikri hlɔ̃ la me le Abel Bet Maka dua me.
In the meantime Sheba had gone around all the tribes of Israel and eventually ended up the town of Abel-beth-maacah. All the Bichrites gathered for battle and followed him into the town.
15 Esi Yoab ƒe aʋawɔlawo va ɖo la, woɖe to ɖe Seba le Abel Bet Maka, ƒu kpo ɖe dua ŋu tso anyigba yi gli la tame eye wode asi gli la gbagbã me.
Joab's army came and besieged Sheba in Abel-Beth-Maacah. They built a siege ramp against the town's outer wall. While all of Joab's army was battering the wall to knock it down,
16 Ke nyɔnu nyanu aɖe tso dua me yɔ Yoab gblɔ nɛ be, “Va afii, na míaɖo dze.”
a wise woman from the town called out, “Listen! Please listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come over here so I can speak to you.’”
17 Esi wòte ɖe eŋu la, nyɔnu la biae be, “Wòe nye Yoab la?” Yoab ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, nyee.” Nyɔnu la gblɔ be, “Ɖo to wò dɔlanyɔnu ƒe nya.” Ke Yoab be, “Mele to ɖom wò nya.”
He went over to her, and the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “Yes, that's me,” he replied. “Please listen to what I, your servant, have to say,” she said. “I'm listening,” he replied.
18 Nyɔnu la gblɔ nɛ be, “Wonɔ nya aɖe gblɔm tsã be, ‘Ne èdi be yeawu nyahehe aɖe nu la, ekema bia aɖaŋu le Abel,’ elabena míeɖoa aɖaŋu nyui na ame ɣe sia ɣi.
Then the woman said, “In times gone by people used to say, ‘If you want advice, go to Abel,’ and that's how arguments were settled.
19 Èle du tsitsi aɖe si me nɔlawo lɔ̃a ŋutifafa eye wowɔa nuteƒe na Israel la gbãm. Ɖe nàgblẽ nu si nye Yehowa tɔa?”
I am one of the peaceful and faithful people of Israel. You're trying to destroy a town that's like a mother in Israel. Why do you want to tear down the Lord's possession?”
20 Yoab ɖo eŋu be, “Mele eme nenema kura o,
“Certainly not!” Joab answered. “It's not what I want—to destroy or tear down this town!
21 nu si dim mele koe nye ŋutsu aɖe si ŋkɔe nye Seba, Bikri vi; etso Efraim ƒe tonyigba la dzi. Etso ɖe Fia David ŋu eya ta ne miatsɔe ade asi na mí la, ekema míaɖe asi le dua ŋu le ŋutifafa me.” Nyɔnu la gblɔ be, “Enyo, míada eƒe ta do ɖe mi to gli la ta.”
That's not the intention. But a man called Sheba, son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has rebelled against the king, against David. Just hand over this one man and I will withdraw from the town.” “Fine,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown over the wall to you.”
22 Ale nyɔnu la yi ameawo gbɔ kple eƒe aɖaŋu nyui la. Wotso ta le Seba, Bikri vi la nu eye woda eƒe ta la to gli la ta ɖo ɖe Yoab. Enumake Yoab ku kpẽ; ena ameawo dzudzɔ dua gbagbã eye wotrɔ yi fia la gbɔ le Yerusalem.
The woman went and talked with everyone about her wise plan. So they cut off the head of Sheba and threw it to Joab. Then Joab blew the ram's horn to sound the retreat, and all his men left the town and went home. Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
23 Yoab nye aʋafia gãtɔ Israelʋakɔ la. Benaya nɔ fia la ŋu dzɔlawo, Keretitɔwo kple Peletitɔwo nu.
Joab commanded the whole army of Israel. Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, was in charge of the Cherethites and Pelethites.
24 Adoram kpɔa dɔwɔlawo dzi. Yehosafat, Ahilud ƒe vi, nye nyadzɔdzɔwo ŋlɔla,
Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. Jehoshaphat, son of Ahilud, kept the official records.
25 Seve nye nuŋlɔla eye Zadok kple Abiata nye nunɔlawo.
Sheva was the secretary. Zadok and Abiathar were the priests,
26 Ira, Yairtɔ la nye nunɔla le David ŋutɔ ƒe gbedoxɔ me.
and Ira the Jairite was David's priest.
