2 Samuel 18
1 Afei, Dawid yiyii asahene ne asafohene dii nʼakofo anim.
David arranged his soldiers for the battle. He divided them into groups, and appointed a commander for each 100 soldiers and a commander for each 1,000 soldiers.
2 Yoab na na otua wɔn mu nkyemu abiɛsa mu baako ano. Yoab nuabarima Abisai a na ɔyɛ Seruia babarima na na otua nkyemu abiɛsa mu baako nso ano. Ɛnna nkyemu abiɛsa mu baako a aka no, Gatni Itai na na otua ano. Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ nʼakofo no se, “Me ne mo na ɛrekɔ.”
He sent them out in three groups. Joab commanded one group, Joab’s brother Abishai commanded a second group, and Ittai from Gath commanded the third group. David said to them, “I myself will go with you [to the battle].”
3 Nanso ne mmarima no tiaa mu denneennen se, “Ɛnsɛ se wokɔ bi. Na sɛ ɛba sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ yegyae, na yeguan, na sɛ mpo, yɛn mu fa koraa wuwu a, ɛrennu Absalom asraafo no ho hwee. Wo ara na wɔbɛhwehwɛ. Wo nko ara yɛ yɛn mu mpem du, enti eye sɛ wobɛtena kurom na sɛ mmoa bi ho hia yɛn a, wode bɛba.”
But his soldiers said, “No, we will not allow you to go with us. If they force us all to run away, they will not be concerned about that happening. Or if they kill half of us, that will also not be what they want. To them, [killing] you is more important than [killing] 10,000 of us. So it will be better that you [stay here] in the city and send help to us.”
4 Ɔhene penee so se, “Sɛ modwene sɛ ɛno ne adwene pa de a, mate.” Enti okogyinaa kurow no pon ano, bere a asraafo no rekɔ no.
The king replied, “Okay, I will do whatever seems best to you.” So he stood at the gate [and watched] while his soldiers marched out, group by group.
5 Na ɔhene no hyɛɛ Yoab, Abisai ne Itai se, “Me nti mo ne abofra Absalom nni no bɔkɔɔ.” Na asraafo no nyinaa tee saa ɔhyɛ a ɔhene hyɛɛ nʼasafohene no.
[While they were leaving, ] the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!” And all the troops heard it when David gave that order about Absalom to those three commanders.
6 Enti ɔko no fii ase wɔ Efraim kwae mu.
So the army went out to fight against the Israeli soldiers [who were with Absalom]. They fought the battle in the forest [where people from the tribe] of Ephraim [lived].
7 Na Dawid mmarima no yɛɛ Israel asraafo no pasaa. Ɛyɛ afoa ano kum, na da no, mmarima mpem aduonu na wɔhweree wɔn nkwa.
David’s soldiers defeated Absalom’s soldiers. They killed 20,000 of them!
8 Ɔko no didi kɔɔ nkurow so, na esiane kwae no nti, nnipa pii wuwu sen wɔn a wowuwuu wɔ afoa ano no.
The battle was fought {They fought the battle} all over that area, and the number of men who died because of [dangerous things in] the forest [PRS] was greater than the number of men who were killed (in the battle/by swords).
9 Ɔko no gyina mu no, Absalom puee prɛko pɛ wɔ Dawid mmarima no bi mu. Ɔpɛɛ sɛ oguan wɔ nʼafurumpɔnkɔ so, nanso oguan kɔfaa ɔdɔtɔ bi mu wɔ odum bi ase. Ɔdɔtɔ no kyekyeree ne tinwi, ma ɔkaa mu. Nʼafurumpɔnkɔ no de, na kɔ ara na ɔrekɔ enti, ogyaw no hɔ a, ɔsensɛn ɔdɔtɔ no mu a ɔretow donko wɔ wim.
During the battle, Absalom suddenly came near [some of] David’s soldiers. Absalom was riding on his mule; and when the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, Absalom’s head/hair was caught in the branches. The mule kept going, but Absalom was left dangling in the air.
10 Dawid mmarima no baako huu asɛm a asi no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Mihuu Absalom sɛ ɔsensɛn dua bi so wɔ ɔdɔtɔ mu.”
One of David’s soldiers saw what happened, and went and told Joab, “I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!”
11 Yoab bisae se, “Asɛm pa ara? Wuhuu no na woankum no? Anka mɛma wo dwetɛ gram ɔha ne dunan ne akokoduru nkyekyeremu sɛ siade.”
Joab said to the man, “What? You say that you saw him hanging there, so why did you not kill him immediately [RHQ]? [If you had killed him, ] I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a belt!”
12 Ɔbarima no buae se, “Sɛ anka wobɛma me dwetɛ kilogram dubaako ne fa koraa a, anka merenyɛ saa. Yɛn nyinaa tee sɛ, ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ wo, Abisai ne Itai se, ‘Me nti, obiara nnyɛ aberante Absalom bɔne.’
The man replied to Joab, “Even if you gave me 1,000 pieces of silver, I would not have done anything to harm [IDM] the king’s son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!’
13 Na sɛ mibu ɔhene asɛm so kum ne babarima a, anka nea ɛbɛyɛ biara, ɔhene bɛhwehwɛ nea ɔyɛɛ saa. Na anka wʼankasa ne onipa a anka wubeyi me ama.”
If I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it, because the king hears about everything, and even you would not have defended me!”
14 Yoab kae se, “Merentwentwɛn me nan ase mma wo wɔ eyi ho.” Enti, ɔtwee mpɛmɛ abiɛsa de wowɔɔ Absalom koma mu bere a na ɔsensɛn odum no so a na onwui no.
Joab said, “I am not going to waste time talking to you!” Then he took three spears [and went to where Absalom was], and thrust them into Absalom’s chest/heart while he was still alive, dangling from the oak tree.
15 Yoab akodekurafo no mu mmerante du twaa Absalom ho hyiae, na wokum no.
Then ten young men who carried weapons for Joab surrounded Absalom and [finished] killing him.
16 Na Yoab hyɛn torobɛnto, maa asraafo no gyaee Israel taa.
Then Joab blew his trumpet [to signal that they should not fight any more], and his soldiers returned from pursuing those Israeli soldiers.
17 Wɔfaa Absalom amu no tow kyenee amoa donkudonku bi mu wɔ kwae mu hɔ, na wɔsoaa abotan guu ne so. Na Israelfo no nyinaa guan kɔɔ wɔn afi.
They took Absalom’s body and threw it into a huge pit in the forest, and covered it with a huge pile of stones. Then all the remaining Israeli soldiers [who had been with Absalom] fled to their own towns.
18 Bere a Absalom te ase no, osii nkaedum bi wɔ ɔhene bon mu de kaee ɔno ara ne ho, efisɛ ɔdwenee se, “Minni ɔbabarima biara a ɔbɛyɛ nkae ade biara de akae me din.” Ɔde nkaedum no too ne ho, na wɔfrɛ no Absalom Nkaedum de besi nnɛ.
Absalom had no sons to preserve his [family] name. So, while Absalom was alive, he built a monument to himself in the King’s Valley [near Jerusalem, in order that people would remember him]. He put his name on the monument, and people still call it Absalom’s monument.
19 Na Sadok babarima Ahimaas kae se, “Momma mintu mmirika nkɔbɔ ɔhene amanneɛ sɛ, Awurade ayi no afi atamfo nsam.”
[After Absalom had been killed, ] Zadok’s son Ahimaaz said to Joab, “Allow me to run to the king to tell him the good news that Yahweh has rescued him from the power of his enemies!”
20 Na Yoab nso ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɛ ɔhene ba awu a, ɛnyɛ asɛm papa mma no. Wubetumi akɔbɔ saa amanneɛ no da foforo bi, na ɛnyɛ nnɛ.”
But Joab said to him, “No, I will not allow you to take news to the king today. Some other day I will allow you to take some news, but not today. [If you took news today it would not be good news for the king, ] because his son is dead.”
21 Na Yoab ka kyerɛɛ Kusni bi se, “Kɔ na kɔka nea woahu no kyerɛ ɔhene.” Ɛhɔ ara na Kusni no bɔɔ ne mu ase wɔ Yoab anim, na otuu mmirika kɔe.
Then Joab said to David’s servant who was from Ethiopia, “You go and tell the king what you have seen.” So the man from Ethiopia bowed in front of Joab, and started to run.
22 Bio, Sadok babarima Ahimaas ka kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Nea ɛbɛba biara mmra, ma me ne Kusni no nkɔ.” Nanso Yoab bisaa no se, “Me ba, adɛn nti na wopɛ sɛ wokɔ? Wunni amanneɛbɔ biara a ɛbɛma wo abasobɔde biara.”
Then Ahimaaz said again to Joab, “Even though [that man from Ethiopia is running], allow me to run behind him.” Joab replied, “My boy/son, why do you want to do that? You will not receive any reward for your news!”
23 Ɔkae se, “Mepene so, nanso ma menkɔ.” Enti Yoab ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Kɔ!” Na Ahimaas faa tataw no so kɔ kotwaa Kusni no ho.
But Ahimaaz replied, “That does not matter, I want to go.” So Joab said, “Okay, go.” So Ahimaaz ran along [another] road through the Jordan Valley and arrived [where David was] before the man from Ethiopia arrived.
24 Bere a Dawid te kurow no pon ano no, ne wɛmfo no kɔɔ kurow no pon no atifi wɔ ɔfasu no so. Ɔtoo nʼani no, ohuu sɛ obi de mmirika reba.
David was sitting between the outer gate and the inner gate [of the city]. The watchman/lookout went up on top of the city wall and stood on the roof over the gates. He looked out and saw one man running alone.
25 Ɔwɛmfo no teɛɛ mu ka kyerɛɛ Dawid na ɔhene no buae se, “Sɛ ɔno nko ara na ɔnam de a, ebia, na ɔde asɛm pa nam.” Bere a ɔsomafo no rebɛn no,
The watchman called down and reported it to the king. The king said, “If he is alone, [that indicates/means that] he is bringing [good] news.” The man who was running continued to come closer.
26 ɔwɛmfo no huu sɛ ɔbarima foforo nso di so reba, na ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Hwɛ onipa foforo bi de mmirika reba!” Ɔhene no kae se, “Ebia na ɔno nso de asɛm pa na ɛnam.”
Then the watchman saw another man running. So he called down to the gatekeeper, “Look! There is another man running!” And the king said, “He also is bringing [some good] news.”
27 Ɔwɛmfo no kae se, “Ɔbarima a odi kan no sɛ Sadok babarima Ahimaas.” Ɔhene no kae se, “Ɔyɛ onipa pa a, ɔde asɛm pa nam.”
The watchman said, “I think the first man [must be Ahimaaz, because he] is running like Ahimaaz runs.” The king said, “He is a good man, and [I am sure] he is coming with good news.”
28 Na Ahimaas teɛɛ mu, frɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Biribiara ye!” Ɔkotow wɔ ɔhene no anim, de nʼanim butuw fam kae se, “Anuonyam nka Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn. Ɔde nnipa a wɔyɛɛ adɔm tiaa me wura ɔhene ahyɛ ne nsa.”
[When] Ahimaaz [reached the king, he] called out “I hope/desire that things will go well with you!” Then he prostrated himself on the ground in front of the king and said, “Your Majesty, praise Yahweh our God, who has rescued you from the men who were rebelling against you!”
29 Ɔhene bisae se, “Na aberante, Absalom ho ye ana?” Ahimaas buae se, “Bere a Yoab yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔpɛ sɛ ɔsoma ɔhene somfo ne me wo somfo no, mihuu sɛ nneɛma ayɛ basaa a na minhu mu yiye.”
The king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe/all right?” Ahimaaz [did not want to answer that question, so he] replied, “When Joab sent me, I saw that there was a lot of confusion, but I do not know what it was about.”
30 Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Gyina nkyɛn ha na twɛn.” Enti ogyinaa nkyɛn twɛnee.
Then the king said, “Stand aside.” So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.
31 Na Kusni no bedu kae se, “Me wura, Nana, tie asɛm pa a mede nam! Nnɛ, Awurade ayi wo afi wɔn a wɔsɔre tiaa wo no nyinaa nsam.”
Suddenly the man from Ethiopia arrived, and said, “Your Majesty, I have good news for you! Yahweh has enabled your soldiers to defeat all those who rebelled against you!”
32 Na ɔhene bisaa Kusni no se, “Na aberante Absalom ho te dɛn?” Kusni no buae se, “Me wura ɔhene, atamfo nyinaa ne wɔn a wɔsɔre tia wo, pɛ sɛ wɔyɛ wo bɔne no, nhu amane sɛ saa aberante no.”
The king said to him, “Is the young man Absalom safe/all right?” And the man from Ethiopia replied, “Sir, I wish/desire that what happened to him would happen to all of your enemies and to all those who rebel against you!”
33 Ɔhene ho wosowee. Ɔfaa ɔkwan ano pon no mu kɔɔ ne dan mu kosui, twaa adwo. Ɔrekɔ no, ɔkae se, “Ao, me ba Absalom! Me ba, me ba Absalom! Anka minwu nnya wo! Ao, Absalom, me ba, me ba!”
The king [realized that he meant that Absalom was dead, so he] became (extremely distressed/overcome with grief), and he went up to the room above the gateway and cried. While he was going up, he kept crying out, “O, my son Absalom! My son! O, my son Absalom, I desire/wish that I had died instead of you!”
