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!”
There was a man there [at Gilgal] named Sheba. He was a man who always caused trouble. He was from the tribe of Benjamin and was the son of Bichri. He blew a trumpet and called out, “We have nothing to do with [DOU] David, that son of Jesse! So, men of Israel, let’s go to our homes!”
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 from the other Israeli tribes deserted David and went with Sheba, but the men of Judah stayed with David. They wanted him to be their king, and went with him from near the Jordan [River] up 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 arrived at the palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten slave wives whom he had left there to take care of the palace and put them in another house. He put a guard at that house, and he provided for them what they needed, but he never had sexual relations [EUP] with them again. So they remained shut up in their house until they died. It was as though they were widows.
4 Fia la gblɔ na Amasa be wòaƒo Yuda ƒe aʋawɔlawo nu ƒu le ŋkeke etɔ̃ me eye wòana yeanya.
[One day] the king said to Amasa, “Summon the soldiers of Judah to come here within three days, and you be here also.”
5 Ale Amasa yi ɖana nyanya aʋawɔlawo gake nu sia wɔwɔ xɔ wu ŋkeke etɔ̃ si wonae.
So Amasa went to summon them, but he did not return within the time that David told him to.
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.”
So David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba will harm us more than Absalom did. So you take my soldiers and pursue him. If you do not do that, he and his soldiers may occupy/capture some of the (fortified towns/towns that have walls around them), and escape from us. [IDM]”
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 Abishai [and Joab] and the king’s bodyguards and the other soldiers left Jerusalem, to pursue Sheba.
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.
When they arrived at the huge rock in [the] Gibeah [region], Amasa met them. Joab was wearing a soldier’s uniform. He had a dagger/long knife fastened to his belt. When he came close [to Amasa, he allowed] the dagger [to] fall on the ground.
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.
Joab said to Amasa, “Are things going well with you, my friend?” Then Joab grabbed Amasa’s beard with his right hand, in order 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.
But Amasa did not see that Joab was holding [another] dagger in his [other] hand. And Joab stabbed it into Amasa’s belly, and his insides spilled out onto the ground. Amasa died [immediately]; Joab did not need to stab him again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai continued to pursue 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 soldiers stood alongside Amasa’s body and called out, “Everyone who wants Joab [to be our commander] and who wants David [to be our king], go with 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.
Amasa’s body was lying on the road. It was covered with blood. The soldier of Joab [who had called out] saw that many others of Joab’s soldiers were stopping [to see it], so he dragged Amasa’s body off the road into a field, and threw a cloth/blanket over the body.
13 Esi wohe ame kuku la le mɔa dzi la, ame sia ame dze Yoab yome be yewoalé Seba, Bikri vi la.
After the body had been taken off the road, all the soldiers went with Joab to pursue 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.
Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel, and arrived at Abel-Beth-Maacah [town in the northern part of Israel]. There, all the members of [his father] Bichri’s clan gathered, and went with Sheba 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.
The soldiers who were with Joab [found out that Sheba had gone there, so they] went there and surrounded the town. They built a dirt ramp up against the town wall. They also pounded against the wall [with heavy poles], to cause it to collapse.
16 Ke nyɔnu nyanu aɖe tso dua me yɔ Yoab gblɔ nɛ be, “Va afii, na míaɖo dze.”
Then a wise woman who was in that town [stood on the top of the wall and] shouted down, “Listen to me! Tell Joab to come here, because I want to talk to him!”
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.”
So [after they told Joab], he came there, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He replied, “Yes, I am.” She said to him, “Listen to what I say.” He replied, “I am listening.”
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.
She said, “Long ago people used to say, ‘Go to Abel [town] to get good advice about your problems.’ And that is what people did.
19 Èle du tsitsi aɖe si me nɔlawo lɔ̃a ŋutifafa eye wowɔa nuteƒe na Israel la gbãm. Ɖe nàgblẽ nu si nye Yehowa tɔa?”
We are peaceful and loyal Israelis. Our people here are important and respected [IDM]. So (why are you trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh?/you should not be trying to destroy a town that belongs to Yahweh.)” [RHQ]
20 Yoab ɖo eŋu be, “Mele eme nenema kura o,
Job replied, “I would certainly never want to ruin or destroy your 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 is not what we want to do. But Bichri’s son Sheba, a man from the hilly area in the tribe of Ephraim, is rebelling against King David. Put this man into our hands, and then we will (go away from/not attack) this town.” The woman replied to Joab, “Okay, what we will do is, we will [cut off] his head [and] throw it 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.
Then this wise woman went to the elders of the town and told them what she had said to Joab. So they cut off Sheba’s head and threw it over the wall to Joab. Then Joab blew his trumpet [to signal that the battle was ended], and all his soldiers left the town and returned to their homes. And Joab returned to Jerusalem and told the king [what had happened].
23 Yoab nye aʋafia gãtɔ Israelʋakɔ la. Benaya nɔ fia la ŋu dzɔlawo, Keretitɔwo kple Peletitɔwo nu.
Joab was the commander of the entire Israeli army. Jehoiada’s son Benaiah was the commander of David’s bodyguards;
24 Adoram kpɔa dɔwɔlawo dzi. Yehosafat, Ahilud ƒe vi, nye nyadzɔdzɔwo ŋlɔla,
Adoram supervised the men who were forced to work [for the king]; Ahilud’s son Jehoshaphat was the man who reported [to the people everything that David decided];
25 Seve nye nuŋlɔla eye Zadok kple Abiata nye nunɔlawo.
Sheva was the official secretary; Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;
26 Ira, Yairtɔ la nye nunɔla le David ŋutɔ ƒe gbedoxɔ me.
and Ira from Jair [town] was also one of David’s priests.
