Samuel 2 5

1 Emegbe la, amewo tso Israel ƒe toawo dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe me va David gbɔ le Hebron hegblɔ nɛ be, “Kpɔ ɖa, míenye wò ŋutilã kple ʋu.

Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “Look, we are your flesh and bone.

2 Tsã esi Saul nye fia le mia nu hã la, wòe nye ame si kplɔ Israel le eƒe aʋawɔwɔ katã me eye Yehowa gblɔ na wò be wòe akplɔ nye eƒe dukɔ, Israel eye wòe ava nye woƒe fia.”

In the recent past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led the Israelite army. Yahweh said to you, 'You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become ruler over Israel.'”

3 Esi Israel ƒe dumegãwo va kpe ta le Fia David gbɔ le Hebron la, ebla nu kpli wo le Yehowa ƒe ŋkume eye wosi ami na David heɖoe fiae ɖe Israel dzi.

So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before Yahweh. They anointed David king over Israel.

4 David xɔ ƒe blaetɔ̃ esi wòzu fia. Eɖu fia ƒe blaene.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

5 Le Hebron la, eɖu fia ɖe Yuda dzi ƒe adre kple ɣleti ade eye le Yerusalem la, eɖu fia ɖe Israel kple Yuda dzi ƒe blaetɔ̃-vɔ-etɔ̃.

In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

6 Azɔ la, David kplɔ eƒe aʋawɔlawo yi Yerusalem be woawɔ aʋa kple Yebusitɔwo, ame siwo nɔ Yerusalem. Ke Yebusitɔwo gblɔ na David be, “Màte ŋu axɔ afi sia o, ŋkuagbãtɔwo kple xɔdrɔ̃wo gɔ̃ hã axe mɔ na wò!” Wogblɔ alea elabena wobu be yewonɔ dedie.

The king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land. They said to David, “You will not come here except to be turned away by the blind and the lame. David cannot come here.”

7 Ke David kple eƒe amewo ɖu wo dzi eye woxɔ Zion mɔ sesẽ la si woyɔna azɔ be, “David Ƒe Du.”

Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, which now is the city of David.

8 David gblɔ gbe ma gbe be, “Ele be ame sia ame si aɖu Yebusitɔwo dzi la, nato tɔtsoƒe aɖo ‘xɔdrɔ̃ kple ŋkugbãtɔ mawo’ ame siwo nye David ƒe futɔwo la gbɔ.” Eya ta wogblɔna be, “‘Ŋkuagbãtɔwo kple xɔdrɔ̃wo’ mage ɖe fiasã la me o.”

At that time David said, “Those who attack the Jebusites will have to go through the water shaft to reach the 'lame and the blind' who are David's enemies.” That is why people say, “The 'blind and the lame' must not enter the palace.”

9 Ale David va nɔ mɔ la me hena ŋkɔe be, “David Ƒe Du.” Ekeke dua ɖe edzi tso Milo xoxoa ɖo ta du si li fifia la titina.

So David lived in the stronghold and called it the city of David. He fortified around it, from the terrace toward the inside.

10 Ale David ƒe ŋkɔ kple ŋusẽ de dzi elabena Yehowa, Mawu ŋusẽkatãtɔ la nɔ kplii.

David became very powerful because Yahweh, the God of hosts, was with him.

11 Azɔ la, Hiram, Tiro fia dɔ dɔlawo ɖo ɖe David. Etsɔ sedatiwo, gliɖolawo kple atikpalawo kpe ɖe wo ŋuti eye wotu fiasã na David.

Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, carpenters, and masons. They built a house for David.

12 Azɔ la, David nya nu si ta Yehowa ɖoe fiae eye wòna eƒe fiaɖuƒe la keke ta, eyae nye be Yehowa di be yeakɔ eƒe amenuveve ɖe Israel, eƒe dukɔ tiatia la dzi.

David knew that Yahweh had established him as king over Israel, and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel.

13 Esi David ʋu yi Hebron la, egaɖe srɔ̃ bubuwo, egaɖo ahiãvi yeyewo eye wòdzi viŋutsu kple vinyɔnu geɖewo.

After David left Hebron and came to Jerusalem, he took more concubines and wives in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him.

14 Vi siwo wodzi na Fia David le Yerusalem la ƒe ŋkɔwoe nye: Samua, Sobab, Natan, Solomo

These were the names of the children who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,

15 Ibhar, Elisua, Nefeg, Yafia,

Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia,

16 Elisama, Eliada kple Elifelet.

Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

17 Esi Filistitɔwo se be David zu Israel fia yeyea la, woƒo ƒu aʋakɔ aɖe nu be yewoayi aɖalée. Ke David se be Filistitɔwo gbɔna eya ta wòsi yi mɔ sesẽ la me.

Now when the Philistines heard that David had been anointed as king over Israel, they all went out looking for him. But David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.

18 Filistitɔwo va do eye wokaka ɖe Refaim balime.

Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim.

19 David bia Yehowa be, “Mayi aɖawɔ aʋa kpli woa? Ɖe nàtsɔ wo ade asi nama?” Yehowa ɖo eŋu be, “Ɛ̃, yi, matsɔ wo ade asi na wò.”

Then David asked for help from Yahweh. He said, “Should I attack the Philistines? Will you give victory over them?” Yahweh said to David, “Attack, for I will certainly give you victory over the Philistines.”

20 Ale David yi ɖawɔ aʋa kpli wo le Baal Perazim eye wòɖu wo dzi. Egblɔ be, “Yehowae ɖu wo dzi; eƒu du to nye futɔwo dome abe ale si tɔsisi gba goe ene.” Ale wona ŋkɔ teƒe la be Baal Perazim si gɔmee nye “Aƒetɔ si gba go.”

So David attacked at Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He commented, “Yahweh has burst through my enemies before me like a bursting flood of water.” So the name of that place became Baal Perazim.

21 Filistitɔwo gblẽ woƒe legbawo ɖe anyi eye David kple eƒe amewo fɔ wo.

The Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

22 Ke Filistitɔwo trɔ va eye wogakaka ɖe Refaim balime.

Then the Philistines came up again and spread out once more in the Valley of Rephaim.

23 Esi David bia Yehowa be nu ka yeawɔ hã la, eɖo eŋu be, “Mègakpe aʋa kpli wo ŋkume kple ŋkume o, ke boŋ to wo megbe eye nàdo ɖe balsamtiawo gbɔ.

So David sought help from Yahweh again, and Yahweh said to him, “You must not attack their front, but rather circle around behind them and come on them through the balsam woods.

24 Ne èse gbeɖiɖi aɖe le atiawo tame abe asrafowoe le azɔli zɔm ene la, ekema nàdze wo dzi. Esiae anye dzesi na wò be Yehowa dze ŋgɔ na wò be nàtsrɔ̃ Filistitɔwo ƒe aʋakɔwo.”

When you hear the sound of marching in the wind blowing through the balsam treetops, then attack with force. Do this because Yahweh will have gone out before you to attack the army of the Philistines.”

25 Ale David wɔ nu si Yehowa ɖo nɛ eye wòsi Filistitɔwo tso keke Gibeon va se ɖe Gezer.

So David did as Yahweh had commanded him. He killed Philistines from Geba all the way to Gezer.