2 Samuel 14
1 Na Yoab huu sɛ ɔhene pɛ sɛ ohu Absalom.
And Joab the son of Saruia knew that the heart of the king was toward Abessalom.
2 Enti ɔsoma ma wɔkɔɔ Tekoa kɔfaa ɔbea nyansafo bi a wagye din yiye brɛɛ no. Yoab ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Hyɛ da yɛ wo ho sɛ wowɔ ayi mu, na fura ayitam. Nguare anaa mfa aduhuam mpete wo ho nso. Yɛ wo ho sɛ ɔbea a wadi awerɛhow nna bebree.
And Joab sent to Thecoe, and took thence a cunning woman, and said to her, Mourn, I pray you, and put on mourning apparel, and anoint you not with oil, and you shall be as a woman mourning for one that is dead thus for many days.
3 Na kɔ ɔhene nkyɛn kɔka asɛm a merebɛka akyerɛ wo yi kyerɛ no.” Na Yoab kaa asɛm a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔbea no kɔka no kyerɛɛ no.
And you shall go to the king, and speak to him according to this word. And Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 Na Tekoani bea no duu ɔhene no anim no, ɔhwee fam de nʼanim butuw fam teɛɛ mu se, “Ao Nana! Boa me!”
So the woman of Thecoe went in to the king and fell upon her face to the earth, and did him obeisance, and said, Help, O king, help.
5 Ɔhene no bisaa no se, “Ɛyɛ asɛm bɛn?” Obuaa no se, “Meyɛ okunafo.
And the king said to her, What is the matter with you? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
6 Me mma baanu twaa wɔn ho koe, a na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛpata wɔn. Ɔbaako bɔɔ ɔbaako kum no.
And moreover your handmaid had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them; and the one struck the other his brother, and killed him.
7 Nanso abusua no nkae no kae se, ‘Ma yɛn nsa nka wo ba no a okum ne nua no na yenkum no bi na wammedi agyapade so.’ Na sɛ meyɛ saa nso a, na minni obiara a waka, na me kunu din ne me fi bɛyera wɔ asase so ha.”
And behold the whole family rose up against your handmaid, and they said, Give up the one that struck his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother, whom he killed, and we will take away even your heir: so they will quench my coal that is left, so as not to leave my husband remnant or name on the face of the earth.
8 Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Gyae asɛm no ma me. Kɔ fie na mɛhwɛ sɛ obiara remfa ne nsa nka no.”
And the king said to the woman, Go in peace to your house, and I will give commandment concerning you.
9 Ɔkae se, “Me wura, meda wo ase. Mmoa a wode ama me yi nti, sɛ obi kasa tia wo a, mɛfa ho sobo no.”
And the woman of Thecoe said to the king, On me, my lord, O king, and on my father's house [be] the iniquity, and the king and his throne [be] guiltless.
10 Ɔhene no kae se, “Mma eyi nhaw wo. Sɛ nnipa bi mpene a, fa wɔn brɛ me wɔ ha. Na metumi ama wo awerehyɛmu sɛ, obiara renwiinwii wɔ ho bio.”
And the king said, Who was it that spoke to you? you shall even bring him to me, and [one] shall not touch him any more.
11 Afei, ɔbea no kae se, “Fa Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, no din ka ntam kyerɛ me sɛ, woremma obiara ntɔ me babarima no so were. Menhwehwɛ mogyahwiegu bio.” Ɔhene no nso kae se, “Mmere dodow a Awurade te ase yi, wo ba no tinwi a ɛwɔ ne ti so mu baako mpo ho renka.”
And she said, Let now the king remember concerning his Lord God in that the avenger of blood is multiplied to destroy, and let them not take away my son. And he said, [As] the lord lives, not a hair of your son shall fall to the ground.
12 Afei, ɔbea no kae se, “Ma wo somfo nka biribi nkyerɛ me wura ɔhene.” Obuae se, “Kɔ so kasa.”
And the woman said, Let now your servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13 Ɔbea no bisae se, “Adɛn nti na wonyɛ mma Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo sɛnea wɔahyɛ bɔ sɛ wobɛyɛ ama me no. Woabu wo ho fɔ sɛ woasi saa gyinae yi. Wompɛ sɛ woma wʼankasa wo ba a wɔatwa no asu no ba fie.
And the woman said, Why have you devised this thing against the people of God? or [is] this word out of the king's mouth as a transgression, so that the king should not bring back his banished?
14 Nea ɛte biara no, obiara bewu. Na sɛnea nsu hwie gu fam a wosesaw a ɛnyɛ yiye no, saa ara na nkwa te. Ɛno nti na Onyankopɔn san de yɛn ba ne nkyɛn bere a yɛatew yɛn ho afi ne ho no. Wɔn a ɔhwɛ wɔn no, ɔmma wɔnnhwere wɔn kra; enti wo nso, ɛnsɛ sɛ woyɛ saa.
For we shall surely die, and be as water poured upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up, and God shall take the life, even as he devises to thrust forth from him his outcast.
15 “Na maba sɛ merebedi ama me babarima, efisɛ wɔde owu hunahuna me ne me ba no. Meka kyerɛɛ me ho se, ‘Ebia, ɔhene betie me,
And now whereas I came to speak this word to my lord the king, [the reason is] that the people will see me, and your handmaid will say, Let one now speak to my lord the king, if perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid;
16 na wagye yɛn afi wɔn a wobetwa yɛn afi Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo ho no nsam.’
for the king will hear. Let him rescue his handmaid out of the hand of the man that seeks to cast out me and my son from the inheritance of God.
17 “Yiw, ɔhene no bɛma yɛn asomdwoe bio. ‘Minim sɛ wote sɛ Onyankopɔn bɔfo a wubetumi ahu papa ne bɔne ntam nsonoe. Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn, nka wo ho.’”
And the woman said, If now the word of my lord the king be gracious, —[well]: for as an angel of God, so [is] my lord the king, to hear good and evil: and the Lord your God shall be with you.
18 Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ ɔbea no se, “Mepɛ sɛ mihu ade baako; mfa nhintaw me.” Ɔbea no kae se, “Ɛyɛ dɛn asɛm, me wura?”
And the king answered, and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray you, the matter which I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king by all means speak.
19 “Yoab na ɔsomaa wo ha ana?” Ɔbea no buae se, “Me wura, Daasebrɛ, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matwa eyi ho atoro? Obiara ntumi mfa biribiara nhintaw wo. Ɛyɛ nokware sɛ Yoab na ɔsomaa me, na ɔkyerɛɛ me asɛm a menka.
And the king said, [Is] not the hand of Joab in all this matter with you? and the woman said to the king, [As] your soul lives, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab himself charged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid.
20 Ɔyɛɛ saa, sɛnea mɛfa ɔkwan foforo so de saa asɛm yi ato wʼanim. Na wo nso, wunim nyansa te sɛ Onyankopɔn bɔfo, na biribiara a esi yɛn ntam ha no nso, wote ase.”
In order that this form of speech might come about [it was] that your servant Joab has framed this matter: and my lord is wise as [is] the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.
21 Enti ɔhene no soma ma wɔkɔfaa Yoab bae, na ɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Eye, kɔ na kɔfa aberante Absalom bra.”
And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done to you according to this your word: go, bring back the young man Abessalom.
22 Yoab hwee ɔhene no nan ase, hyiraa no se, “Ne korakora mu no, woapene me so, na woayɛ mʼabisade ama me.”
And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said, To-day your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, for my lord the king has performed the request of his servant.
23 Na Yoab kɔɔ Gesur kɔfaa Absalom baa Yerusalem.
And Joab arose, and went to Gedsur, and brought Abessalom to Jerusalem.
24 Nanso ɔhene hyɛe se, “Absalom tumi kɔ ɔno ankasa ne fi, nanso ɔnhwɛ na wamma mʼanim ha.” Enti Absalom anhu ɔhene no.
And the king said, Let him return to his house, and not see my face. And Abessalom returned to his house, and saw not the king's face.
25 Israel nyinaa, na obiara nni hɔ a ne ho yɛ fɛ, te sɛ Absalom. Efi ne ti so kosi ne nan ase, na wuhu sɛ ɔyɛ ɔbarima ankasa.
And there was not a man in Israel so very comely as Abessalom: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 Afe biara, na oyi ne ti pɛnkoro, efisɛ ne nwi no yɛ adesoa ma no. Na sɛ oyi na ɔkari a, na ɛyɛ kilogram abien ne fa.
And when he polled his head, (and it was at the beginning of every year that he polled it, because it grew, heavy upon him, ) even when he polled it, he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels according to the royal shekel.
27 Na ɔwɔ mmabarima baasa ne ɔbabea baako. Na ne babea no din de Tamar. Na Tamar nso wɔ ahoɔfɛ a ɛmma ɔka.
And there were born to Abessalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Themar: she was a very beautiful woman, and she becomes the wife of Roboam son of Solomon, and she bears to him Abia.
28 Absalom tenaa Yerusalem mfe abien a wanhu ɔhene no da.
And Abessalom remained in Jerusalem two full years, and he saw not the king's face.
29 Afei, Absalom soma kɔfrɛɛ Yoab sɛ ɔnkɔka bi mma no, nanso Yoab ankɔ. Absalom somaa ne mprenu so, nanso Yoab ankɔ.
And Abessalom sent to Joab to bring him in to the king, and he would not come to him: and he sent to him the second time, and he would not come.
30 Ɛno nti, Absalom ka kyerɛɛ nʼasomfo se, “Monkɔ na momfa ogya nkɔto Yoab atokofuw a ɛbɛn me de no ho mu.” Na wɔde ogya kɔtoo afuw no mu, sɛnea Absalom hyɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ no.
And Abessalom said to his servants, Behold, Joab's portion in the field [is] next to mine, and he has in it barley; go and set it on fire. And the servants of Abessalom set the field on fire: and the servants of Joab come to him with their clothes tore, and they said to him, The servants of Abessalom have set the field on fire.
31 Na Yoab baa Absalom nkyɛn bebisaa no se, “Adɛn nti na wʼasomfo akɔto mʼafuw mu gya?”
And Joab arose, and came to Abessalom into the house, and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?
32 Na Absalom buaa no se, “Efisɛ na mepɛ sɛ wukobisa ɔhene ma me sɛ, adɛn nti na ɔmaa me san fii Gesur bae, nanso ɔmpɛ sɛ ohu mʼanim koraa? Ɛno de, sɛ anka metenaa me dedaw mu hɔ ara a, anka eye. Ma minhu ɔhene no, na sɛ midi fɔ wɔ biribi ho a, otumi kum me.”
And Abessalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to you, saying, Come hither, and I will send you to the king, saying, Why did I come out of Gedsur? it would have been better for me to have remained there: and now, behold, I have not seen the face of the king; but if there is iniquity in me, then put me to death.
33 Enti Yoab kaa asɛm a Absalom aka akyerɛ no no kyerɛɛ ɔhene no. Afei, Dawid frɛɛ ne ba a watew ne ho no, ma ɔbaa nʼanim. Absalom beduu ɔhene no anim no, ɔbɔɔ ne mu ase, na Dawid few nʼano.
And Joab went in to the king, and brought him word: and he called Abessalom, and he went in to the king, and did him obeisance, and fell upon his face to the ground, even in the presence of the king; and the king kissed Abessalom.
