< Samuel 2 4 >

1 Esi Saul ƒe viŋutsu, Is Boset, se be Abner ku le Hebron la, dzi ɖe le eƒo eye dzidzi ƒo Israel blibo la.
Then Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, heard that Abner had fallen in Hebron. And his hands were weakened, and all of Israel was troubled.
2 Azɔ la, ŋutsu eve nɔ Saul ƒe viŋutsu si eye wonye adzohawo nunɔlawo. Ɖeka ŋkɔe nye Baana eye evelia ŋkɔe nye Rekab. Wonye Rimon, Beerot tɔ, ame si tso Banyamin to la me la ƒe viwo. Wobua Beerot abe Benyamin ƒe akpa aɖe ene
Now the son of Saul had two men, leaders among robbers. The name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other was Rechab, sons of Rimmon, a Beerothite from the sons of Benjamin. For indeed, Beeroth, too, was reputed with Benjamin.
3 elabena ame siwo tso Beerot la si yi Gitaim eye wonɔ afi ma abe amedzrowo ene va se ɖe egbe.
And the Beerothites had fled into Gittaim. And they were strangers there, until that time.
4 Fia Saul ƒe tɔgbuiyɔvi aɖe si nye ŋutsuvi tekunɔ aɖe la li; fofoae nye Yonatan eye eŋkɔe nye Mefiboset. Exɔ ƒe atɔ̃ esime wowu Saul kple Yonatan le aʋa me le Yezreel. Esi wose aʋa la me nyawo la, nyɔnu si nɔ ɖevi la dzi kpɔm la si kple ɖevi la yina. Ke ɖevi la ge dze anyi eye to esia me la ɖevia zu tekunɔ.
Now Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son with disabled feet. For he was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan arrived from Jezreel. And so, his nurse, taking him up, fled. And while she was hurrying, so that she might flee, he fell and was made lame. And he was called Mephibosheth.
5 Rekab kple Baana, Rimon kple Beerot ƒe viwo yi Fia Is Boset ƒe aƒe me gbe ɖeka ŋdɔ esi Is Boset nɔ ŋdɔlɔ̃ dɔm.
And so, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, arrived and entered the house of Ishbosheth, in the heat of the day. And he was sleeping on his bed at midday. And the doorkeeper of the house, who was cleaning the wheat, fell fast asleep.
6 Woge ɖe aƒea me abe lu tsɔ ge woyi le titinaxɔ me ene; wotɔ hɛ dɔme nɛ eye wosi dzo.
Then they entered the house secretly, taking the ears of grain. And Rechab and his brother Baanah stabbed him in the groin, and they fled away.
7 Woyi aƒea me esime wòmlɔ anyi ɖe eƒe xɔ gã me. Esime wowui la, wotso ta le enu. Wokɔ eƒe ta ɖe asi eye wozɔ mɔ zã blibo la heto tagbamɔ.
For when they had entered the house, he was sleeping on his bed in a closed room. And striking him, they killed him. And taking his head, they departed by the way of the desert, walking throughout the night.
8 Wotsɔ Is Boset ƒe ta na Fia David hegblɔ nɛ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, esiae nye Saul, wò futɔ, ame si di vevie be yeawu wò la ƒe vi Is Boset ƒe ta. Egbe la Yehowa bia hlɔ̃ Saul kple eƒe ƒome blibo la na wò!”
And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David in Hebron. And they said to the king: “Behold, the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who was seeking your life. And so, the Lord has avenged my lord the king, this day, from Saul and from his offspring.”
9 Ke David ɖo eŋu be, “Metsɔ Yehowa, ame si ɖem tso nye futɔwo ƒe asi me la ka atam
But David, responding to Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, said to them: “As the Lord lives who has rescued my soul from all distress,
10 be esi ame aɖe gblɔ nam be Saul ku eye yee wui kple susu be dzidzɔnya aɖe gblɔm yele nam la, mewui le Ziklag. Nenemae mexe fe nɛ ɖe eƒe dzidzɔnya la tae nye esi!
the one who reported to me and said, ‘Saul is dead,’ who was thinking that he announced good news, I apprehended. And at Ziklag I killed him who ought to have been given a reward for the news.
11 Ekema nu ka ta nyemabia hlɔ̃ ame vɔ̃ɖi siwo wu ame nyui la le eya ŋutɔ ƒe aƒe me le eƒe aba dzi o mahã? Ele be mabia eƒe ʋu tso miaƒe asi me eye matsrɔ̃ mi ɖa le anyigba dzi.”
How much more so now, when impious men have put to death an innocent man in his own house, upon his bed, shall I not require his blood from your hand, and take you away from the earth?”
12 Ale David ɖe gbe na eƒe ɖekakpuiwo eye wowu wo, wolã woƒe asiwo kple afɔwo eye wotsi woƒe kukuawo ɖe Hebron ta la to. Woɖi Is Boset ƒe ta ɖe Abner ƒe yɔdo me le Hebron.
And so, David commanded his servants, and they put them to death. And cutting off their hands and feet, they suspended them up over the pool in Hebron. But the head of Ishbosheth they took and buried in the sepulcher of Abner at Hebron.

< Samuel 2 4 >