2 Samuel 14
1 Na Yoab huu sɛ ɔhene pɛ sɛ ohu Absalom.
Joab realized that the king yearned [IDM] to see Absalom.
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.
So Joab sent someone to Tekoa [town] to bring back a woman who was very clever. [When she arrived, ] Joab said to her, “Pretend that you are grieving because someone has died. Put on clothes that show that you are mourning. Do not put any lotion/ointment on your body. Act as if you are a woman who has been mourning for a long time.
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 go to the king, and tell him what I tell you to say.” Then Joab told her what to say [MTY] [to the king].
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 from Tekoa went to the king. She prostrated herself in front of him and then bowed down to him, and said, “Your Majesty, help me!”
5 Ɔhene no bisaa no se, “Ɛyɛ asɛm bɛn?” Obuaa no se, “Meyɛ okunafo.
The king replied, “What is your problem?” She replied, “Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died [some time ago].
6 Me mma baanu twaa wɔn ho koe, a na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛpata wɔn. Ɔbaako bɔɔ ɔbaako kum no.
I had two sons. But one day they quarreled with each other out in the fields. There was no one to separate them, and one of them struck the other one 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.”
Now, all my family oppose me. They are insisting that I allow them to kill my son who is still alive [MTY], in order that they may get revenge for his killing his brother. But if they do that, I will not have any son to inherit [my husband’s possessions]. That would be like [MET] extinguishing the last coals of a fire, and my husband would not have a son to preserve our family’s name. [DOU]”
8 Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Gyae asɛm no ma me. Kɔ fie na mɛhwɛ sɛ obiara remfa ne nsa nka no.”
Then the king said to the woman, “Go back home; I will take care of this matter for 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.”
The woman from Tekoa replied to the king, “Your Majesty, if you are criticized [for helping me], my family and I will accept the blame. You and the royal family will (be innocent/not have done what is wrong).”
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.”
The king said to her, “If anyone says anything [to threaten you/cause you trouble] you, bring that person to me, and [I will make sure that] he will never cause you trouble again.”
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.”
Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please pray that Yahweh your God will not allow my relative, who [wants to get] revenge on my son for killing [MTY] his brother, to be able to do that.” David replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, your son will not be harmed at all. [IDM]”
12 Afei, ɔbea no kae se, “Ma wo somfo nka biribi nkyerɛ me wura ɔhene.” Obuae se, “Kɔ so kasa.”
Then the woman said, “Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you.” He replied, “Speak!”
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.
The woman said, “Why have you done this bad thing to God’s people? You have not allowed your son Absalom to return home. By saying what you have just said, you have certainly declared [RHQ] that what you have done is wrong.
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.
We all die; we are like [SIM] water that cannot be picked up after it is spilled on the ground. But God does not just cause us to die; he creates ways to bring us back when we become separated from him.
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,
“Now, Your Majesty, I have come to you because others have threatened me. So I said to myself, ‘I will go and talk to the king, and perhaps he will do what I request him to do.
16 na wagye yɛn afi wɔn a wobetwa yɛn afi Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo ho no nsam.’
Perhaps he will listen to me, and save me from the man who is trying to kill my son. If my son is killed, it would result in us disappearing from the land that God gave to us.’
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 I thought, ‘What the king says will comfort/encourage me, because the king is like [SIM] an angel of God. He knows what is good and what is evil.’ I pray/desire that Yahweh our God will (be with/direct) 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?”
Then the king said to the woman, “I will now ask you a question. Answer it, and tell me the truth. [LIT]” The woman replied, “Your majesty, ask your question.”
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.
The king said, “Was Joab the one who told you to do this?” She replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I cannot avoid telling you what is true. Yes, indeed, it was Joab who told me to come here, and who told me what to say.
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.”
He did it in order to cause you to think differently about this matter. Your Majesty, you are as wise as God’s angels, and [it seems that] you know everything [that happens] on the earth, [so you know why Joab sent me here].”
21 Enti ɔhene no soma ma wɔkɔfaa Yoab bae, na ɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Eye, kɔ na kɔfa aberante Absalom bra.”
Then the king [summoned] Joab [and] said to him, “Listen! I have decided to do [what you want]. So go and get that young man Absalom and bring him back [to Jerusalem].”
22 Yoab hwee ɔhene no nan ase, hyiraa no se, “Ne korakora mu no, woapene me so, na woayɛ mʼabisade ama me.”
Joab prostrated himself on the ground, and then he bowed down before the king, and [asked God to] bless him. Then Joab said, “Your Majesty, today I know that you are pleased with me, because you have agreed to do what I requested.”
23 Na Yoab kɔɔ Gesur kɔfaa Absalom baa Yerusalem.
Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him back 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.
But the king said/commanded that Absalom would not be permitted to live in the palace. He said, “I do not want him to come to see me.” So Absalom lived in his own house, and did not go to [talk to] the king.
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.
Absalom was very handsome. He looked perfect, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. In all of Israel there was no one whom people admired more than Absalom.
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.
His hair was very thick, and he cut it only once each year, when it became too heavy for him. Using the standard weights, he would weigh the hair [that he cut off], and it always weighed about five pounds.
27 Na ɔwɔ mmabarima baasa ne ɔbabea baako. Na ne babea no din de Tamar. Na Tamar nso wɔ ahoɔfɛ a ɛmma ɔka.
Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.
28 Absalom tenaa Yerusalem mfe abien a wanhu ɔhene no da.
[After] Absalom [returned to] Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never [was allowed to] see the king.
29 Afei, Absalom soma kɔfrɛɛ Yoab sɛ ɔnkɔka bi mma no, nanso Yoab ankɔ. Absalom somaa ne mprenu so, nanso Yoab ankɔ.
So he sent [a messenger] to Joab to ask him to come [and talk to him], but Joab refused to come. So Absalom sent [a message to him] a second time, but he still 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.
Then Absalom said to his servants, “You know that Joab’s field is next to mine, and that he has barley [growing] there. Go and light a fire there [to burn his barley].” So Absalom’s servants [went there and] lit a fire, [and all his barley burned].
31 Na Yoab baa Absalom nkyɛn bebisaa no se, “Adɛn nti na wʼasomfo akɔto mʼafuw mu gya?”
Joab [knew who had done it, so he] went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why have your servants burned [the barley in] my field?”
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.”
Absalom replied, “Because [you did not come to me when] I sent messages to you [requesting that you come]. I wanted to request that you go to the king to say to him, ‘Absalom (wants to know what good it did/says that is was useless) [RHQ] for him [RHQ] to leave Geshur and come here. [He thinks that] it would have been better for him to have stayed there. [He wants you to] allow him to talk to you. And if you think that he has done something that is wrong, you can [command that] he be executed.’”
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.
So Joab went to the king, and told him [what Absalom had said]. Then the king [summoned Absalom], and he came to the king and knelt down in front of him with his face touching the ground. Then the king kissed Absalom [to show that he was pleased to see him].
