2 Samuel 14
1 Na Yoab huu sɛ ɔhene pɛ sɛ ohu Absalom.
Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart desired 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 word to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought to him. He said to her, “Please pretend you are a mourner and put on mourning clothes. Please do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
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.
Then go to the king and speak to him about what I will describe.” So Joab told her the words she was to say 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!”
When the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king, she lay facedown on the ground and said, “Help me, king.”
5 Ɔhene no bisaa no se, “Ɛyɛ asɛm bɛn?” Obuaa no se, “Meyɛ okunafo.
The king said to her, “What is wrong?” She answered, “The truth is that I am a widow, 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.
I, your servant, had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to separate them. One struck the other 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 the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give into our hand the man who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death, to pay for the life of his brother whom he killed.' So they would also destroy the heir. Thus they will put out the burning coal that I have left, and they will leave for my husband neither name nor descendant on the surface 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.”
So the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will command something to be done 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 of Tekoa replied to the king, “My master, king, may the guilt be on me and on my father's family. The king and his throne are 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.”
The king replied, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”
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 she said, “Please, may the king call to mind Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not destroy anyone further, so that they will not destroy my son.” The king replied, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground.”
12 Afei, ɔbea no kae se, “Ma wo somfo nka biribi nkyerɛ me wura ɔhene.” Obuae se, “Kɔ so kasa.”
Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a further word to my master the king.” He said, “Speak 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.
So the woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in saying this thing, the king is like someone who is guilty, because the king has not brought back home again his banished son.
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 all must die, and we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life; instead, he finds a way for those who were driven away to be restored.
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 then, seeing that I have come to speak this thing to my master the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. So your servant said to herself, 'I will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.
16 na wagye yɛn afi wɔn a wobetwa yɛn afi Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo ho no nsam.’
Perhaps the king will listen to me and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together, out of the inheritance God gave 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.’”
Then your servant prayed, 'Yahweh, please let the word of my master the king give me relief, for as an angel of God, so is my master the king in telling good from evil.' May Yahweh your God 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?”
Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I will ask you.” The woman replied, “Let my master the king now 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.
The king said, “Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As you live, my master the king, no one can escape to the right hand or to the left from anything that my master the king has spoken. It was your servant Joab who commanded me and told me to say these things that your servant has spoken.
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.”
Your servant Joab has done this to change the course of what is happening. My master is wise, like the wisdom of an angel of God, and he knows everything that is happening in the land.”
21 Enti ɔhene no soma ma wɔkɔfaa Yoab bae, na ɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Eye, kɔ na kɔfa aberante Absalom bra.”
So the king said to Joab, “Look now, I will do this thing. Go then, and bring the young man Absalom back.”
22 Yoab hwee ɔhene no nan ase, hyiraa no se, “Ne korakora mu no, woapene me so, na woayɛ mʼabisade ama me.”
So Joab lay facedown on the ground in honor and gratitude to the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my master, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
23 Na Yoab kɔɔ Gesur kɔfaa Absalom baa Yerusalem.
So Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom 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.
The king said, “He may return to his own house, but he may not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see 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.
Now in all Israel there was no one praised for his handsomeness more than Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top 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.
When he cut the hair of his head at the end of every year, because it was heavy on him, he weighed his hair; it would weigh about two hundred shekels, which is measured by the weight of the king's standard.
27 Na ɔwɔ mmabarima baasa ne ɔbabea baako. Na ne babea no din de Tamar. Na Tamar nso wɔ ahoɔfɛ a ɛmma ɔka.
To Absalom were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.
28 Absalom tenaa Yerusalem mfe abien a wanhu ɔhene no da.
Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without seeing 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.
Then Absalom sent word for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. So Absalom sent word a second time, but Joab still did 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.
So Absalom said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
31 Na Yoab baa Absalom nkyɛn bebisaa no se, “Adɛn nti na wʼasomfo akɔto mʼafuw mu gya?”
Then Joab arose and came to Absalom at his 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.”
Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent word to you saying, 'Come here so I may send you to the king to say, “Why did I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there. Now therefore let me see the king's face, and if I am guilty, let him kill me.”'”
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. When the king called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed low to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
