2 Samuel 17

1 Ahitofel ka kyerɛɛ Absalom se, “Meyi asraafo mpem dumien, na mafi ha anadwo yi akɔtaa Dawid.

Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight.

2 Mɛto no wɔ bere a ɔbrɛ nti, nʼaba mu abu. Ɔne nʼakofo nyinaa bɛbɔ hu na wɔaguan. Ɔhene no nko ara na mɛbɔ no ahwe,

And I will catch up with him while he is weary and discouraged, and will thow him into a panic, and all the people who are with him will flee. And I will strike the king alone.

3 na mede nnipa no asan abrɛ wo. Onipa a wohwehwɛ no no wu bɛma wɔn nyinaa asan aba; nnipa no mu biara ho rentɔ kyima.”

Then all the people will come back to you, as a bride returns to her husband. You seek the life of only one man; then all the people will be in peace."

4 Saa nhyehyɛe yi sɔɔ Absalom ne Israel mpanyimfo nyinaa ani.

And the advice seemed good to Absalom and all the elders of Israel.

5 Nanso Absalom kae se, “Momfrɛ Husai a ofi Arki no mmra na yentie nea ɔwɔ ka.”

Then Absalom said, "Now call Hushai the Archite, and let's hear what he says."

6 Husai bae no, Absalom kaa nea Ahitofel aka no kyerɛɛ no. Afei obisaa no se, “Wʼadwene ne dɛn? Yɛmfa Ahitofel afotu no ana? Na sɛ ɛnte saa a, kyerɛ yɛn wʼadwene.”

When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, "Ahithophel has spoken thus. Should we follow his advice? And if not, speak up."

7 Husai buaa Absalom se, “Afotu a Ahitofel ama wo no nnye saa bere yi.

So Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel has given this time is not good."

8 Wunim wʼagya ne ne dɔm; wɔyɛ akofo akɛse, na wɔn ho yɛ hu sɛ sisi a wɔawia ne mma. Ɛno da nkyɛn a, wʼagya nim de wɔ akodi mu; ɔne nʼakofo no rentena anadwo yi.

Moreover, Hushai said, "You know your father and his men, that they are warriors, and that they are as fierce as a bear robbed of her cubs in the wild, or a sow snared in the wild. Your father is expert in war, and will not camp with the people.

9 Sesɛɛ mpo, wakɔtɛw ɔbodan bi mu anaa baabi foforo. Na sɛ odi kan tow hyɛ mo so a, nea ɔbɛte biara no bɛka se, ‘Wɔakunkum asraafo a wodi Absalon akyi no.’

Look, he is now hidden in some pit, or in some other place. And it will happen when some of them have fallen first, that whoever hears it will say, 'There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.'

10 Na sɛ ɛba saa a, ɔsraani a ɔyɛ nnam a ne koma te sɛ gyata no koraa, ehu bɛma wabɔ hu. Na Israel nyinaa nim sɛ wʼagya yɛ ɔkofo, na wɔn a wɔka ne ho no nso koko yɛ duru.

Then even the one who is brave, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt; for all Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and those who are with him are brave men.

11 “Enti mitu wo fo sɛ, boa Israel nyinaa ano, efi Dan kosi Beer-Seba. Woyɛ saa a wubenya asraafo a wɔn dodow bɛyɛ sɛ mpoano nwea. Na migye di sɛ wʼankasa bedi asraafo no anim.

But, I strongly advise as follows: Let all Israel be gathered to you from Dan to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea in number, and that you personally go into battle.

12 Na sɛ yehu Dawid a, yɛbɛtow ahyɛ no so, sɛnea obosu gu asase so, a ɔno ne mmarima no mu baako mpo nka.

So we will come upon him in some place where he can be found, and we will fall on him as the dew falls on the ground, and of him and all the men with him not one will be left.

13 Na sɛ Dawid aguan kɔ kuropɔn bi so a, wode Israel asraafo nyinaa bɛkɔ hɔ. Afei, yebetumi afa ntampehama de atwe kurow no afasu, akogu obon a ɛbɛn mu, kosi sɛ ɔbo biara a ɛwɔ mu no bɛyam.”

Moreover, if he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will take up ropes to that city, and we will drag it into the riverbed, until there isn't one pebble to be found there."

14 Afei, Absalom ne Israel mpanyimfo nyinaa kae se, “Husai afotu no ye sen Ahitofel de no.” Efisɛ Awurade ahyehyɛ sɛ Ahitofel afotu pa a ɔde ama no bɛsɛe, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ bɛba Absalom so.

Then Absalom and all Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For YHWH had commanded that Ahithophel's counsel should be defeated, so that that YHWH could bring Absalom to ruin.

15 Na Husai kɔkaa asɛm a Ahitofel aka ne ɔno ankasa adwenkyerɛ no kyerɛɛ asɔfo Sadok ne Abiatar.

Then Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "Here is the council Ahithophel gave Absalom and the elders of Israel, and here is what I counseled.

16 Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Ntɛm! Monkɔhwehwɛ Dawid, na monka nkyerɛ no se, ɔnntena Asubɔnten Yordan aworoe so hɔ anadwo yi. Ɛsɛ sɛ otwa kɔ sare no so akyi, anyɛ saa a, ɔne nʼakofo nyinaa bewuwu.”

Now therefore send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Do not stay the night at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means pass over. Otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.'"

17 Yonatan ne Ahimaas tenaa En-Rogel, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔrenkɔ kurow no mu na wɔnnsan mpue. Na wɔayɛ nhyehyɛe bi sɛ abaawa bi de nkra a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde kɔma ɔhene Dawid no bɛbrɛ wɔn.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel, and a female servant was to go and tell them, and they would go and inform king David. For they were not to be seen going into the city.

18 Nanso abarimaa bi huu wɔn sɛ wɔrefi En-Rogel akɔ Dawid nkyɛn nti, ɔkɔka kyerɛɛ Absalom. Na woguan kɔɔ Bahurim, maa ɔbarima bi de wɔn kosiee abura bi a ɛwɔ nʼadiwo mu.

But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So they both departed quickly and reached the house of a man in Bahurim who had a well in his courtyard, and they went down into it.

19 Ɔbarima no yere de ntama kataa abura no so, de atoko guu so te sɛnea ɔrehata no owia so, na obiara ansusuw sɛ nnipa hyɛ abura no mu.

And the woman took a covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain on it, so that nothing could be noticed.

20 Bere a Absalom mmarima no duu hɔ no, wobisaa ɔbea no se, “Woahu Ahimaas ne Yonatan ana?” Obuaa wɔn se, “Na wɔwɔ ha de, nanso wɔatwa asuwa no kɔ.” Absalom mmarima no hwehwɛɛ wɔn, nanso wɔanhu wɔn nti, wɔsan kɔɔ Yerusalem.

Then Absalom's servants came to the woman at the house, and they asked, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said to them, "They have crossed the brook of water." And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

21 Afei mmarima baanu no fii abura no mu, de mmirika kɔɔ ɔhene Dawid nkyɛn kɔbɔɔ no amanneɛ se, “Fi ha twa asu no ntɛm anadwo yi!” Wɔkaa Ahitofel afotu a ɛbɛma wɔakyere no akum no no kyerɛɛ no.

It came about after they had left that they climbed out of the well, and left and told king David. And they said to him, "Get up and cross quickly over the water, for Ahithophel has given such and such counsel against you."

22 Enti Dawid ne nnipa no nyinaa tutuu so, kotwaa Yordan. Eduu adekyee no, na obiara atwa Yordan kɔ nʼagya.

Then David and all the people who were with him got up and they crossed the Jordan. By dawn there was no one left who had not crossed the Jordan.

23 Ahitofel huu sɛ nʼanim agu ase, efisɛ wɔamfa nʼafotu no, ɔhyehyɛɛ nʼafurum tenaa ne so, kɔɔ ne kurom. Ɔtotoo ne nneɛma yiye, na ɔkɔsɛn ne ho. Enti owu ma wosiee no wɔ nʼagya ɔda mu.

Now when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went up to his home in his city. Then he set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.

24 Ankyɛ na Dawid duu Mahanaim. Saa bere no na Absalom aboaboa Israel asraafo no nyinaa ano a odi wɔn anim rekotwa Asubɔnten Yordan.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan, he and all Israel with him.

25 Absalom yii Amasa de no tuaa asraafo no ano, sii Yoab a na anka ɔyɛ Dawid sahene no anan mu. Amasa yɛ ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Yitra, a ɔyɛ Israelni a ɔwaree Abigail a ɔyɛ Nahas babea, na ɔyɛ Seruia nuabea, a ɔyɛ Yoab na ba.

And Absalom had put Amasa over the army in place of of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Jether the Ishmaelite, who had married Abigail the daughter of Jesse, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

26 Israelfo no ne Absalom tenaa Gilead asase so.

So Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 Na Dawid duu Mahanaim no, Nahas a ofi Raba babarima Sobi Amonni no, kyiaa no fɛw so. Saa ara na Amiel a ofi Lo-debar babarima Makir ne Gileadni Barsilai a ofi Rogelim nso gyee no fɛw so.

Now it happened when David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the people of Ammon, Makir the son of Ammiel of Lo Debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

28 Wɔbrɛɛ no kɛtɛ, nkuku ne nkaka, atoko, asikresiam, nkyewe, asɛ ne asedua,

brought couches for sleeping, and covers, and basins, and pottery utensils, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched grain, and beans, and lentils,

29 ɛwo ne nufusu ani srade ne anantwi nufusu a akyenkyen mua. Wɔde brɛɛ Dawid ne ne nkurɔfo a wɔka ne ho no. Na wɔkae se, “Mo nyinaa moabrɛbrɛ, na ɔkɔm ne osukɔm de mo efisɛ moanantew kwan tenten wɔ sare so.”

and honey, and curd of the flock, and cheese of the herd. And they presented them to David and to the people who were with him to eat. For they said, "The people are hungry and tired and thirsty in the wilderness."