2 Samuel 18
1 Afei, Dawid yiyii asahene ne asafohene dii nʼakofo anim.
David counted the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them.
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.”
David sent the people out, a third part under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the people, “I will also surely go out with you myself.”
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 the people said, “You shall not go out, for if we flee away, they will not care for us, neither if half of us die, will they care for us. But you are worth ten thousand of us. Therefore now it is better that you are ready to help us out of the city.”
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 said to them, “I will do what seems best to you.” The king stood beside the gate, and all the people went out by hundreds and by thousands.
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.
The king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” All the people heard when the king commanded all the captains concerning Absalom.
6 Enti ɔko no fii ase wɔ Efraim kwae mu.
So the people went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was in the forest of Ephraim.
7 Na Dawid mmarima no yɛɛ Israel asraafo no pasaa. Ɛyɛ afoa ano kum, na da no, mmarima mpem aduonu na wɔhweree wɔn nkwa.
The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men.
8 Ɔko no didi kɔɔ nkurow so, na esiane kwae no nti, nnipa pii wuwu sen wɔn a wowuwuu wɔ afoa ano no.
For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.
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.
Absalom happened to meet David’s servants. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was hanging between the sky and earth; and the mule that was under him went on.
10 Dawid mmarima no baako huu asɛm a asi no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Mihuu Absalom sɛ ɔsensɛn dua bi so wɔ ɔdɔtɔ mu.”
A certain man saw it, and told Joab, and said, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.”
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 who told him, “Behold, you saw it, and why didn’t you strike him there to the ground? I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a sash.”
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 said to Joab, “Though I should receive a thousand pieces of silver in my hand, I still wouldn’t stretch out my hand against the king’s son; for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Beware that no one touch the young man 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.”
Otherwise, if I had dealt falsely against his life (and there is no matter hidden from the king), then you yourself would have set yourself against 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.
Then Joab said, “I’m not going to wait like this with you.” He took three darts in his hand and thrust them through Absalom’s heart while he was still alive in the middle of the oak.
15 Yoab akodekurafo no mu mmerante du twaa Absalom ho hyiae, na wokum no.
Ten young men who bore Joab’s armor surrounded and struck Absalom, and killed him.
16 Na Yoab hyɛn torobɛnto, maa asraafo no gyaee Israel taa.
Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel; for Joab held the people back.
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 and cast him into a great pit in the forest, and raised over him a very great heap of stones. Then all Israel fled, each to his own tent.
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.
Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself the pillar which is in the king’s valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in memory.” He called the pillar after his own name. It is called Absalom’s monument, to this day.
19 Na Sadok babarima Ahimaas kae se, “Momma mintu mmirika nkɔbɔ ɔhene amanneɛ sɛ, Awurade ayi no afi atamfo nsam.”
Then Ahimaaz the son of Zadok said, “Let me now run and carry the king news, how Yahweh has avenged him 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.”
Joab said to him, “You must not be the bearer of news today, but you must carry news another day. But today you must carry no news, because the king’s 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 the Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen!” The Cushite bowed himself to Joab, and ran.
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 the son of Zadok said yet again to Joab, “But come what may, please let me also run after the Cushite.” Joab said, “Why do you want to run, my son, since you will have no reward for the 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 come what may,” he said, “I will run.” He said to him, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the Plain, and outran the Cushite.
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.
Now David was sitting between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof of the gate to the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, a 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 shouted and told the king. The king said, “If he is alone, there is news in his mouth.” He came closer and 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.”
The watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called to the gatekeeper and said, “Behold, a man running alone!” The king said, “He also brings 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 running of the first one is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok.” The king said, “He is a good man, and comes 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.”
Ahimaaz called, and said to the king, “All is well.” He bowed himself before the king with his face to the earth, and said, “Blessed is Yahweh your God, who has delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king!”
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 it well with the young man Absalom?” Ahimaaz answered, “When Joab sent the king’s servant, even me your servant, I saw a great tumult, but I don’t know what it was.”
30 Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Gyina nkyɛn ha na twɛn.” Enti ogyinaa nkyɛn twɛnee.
The king said, “Come and stand here.” He came and stood still.
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.”
Behold, the Cushite came. The Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king, for Yahweh has avenged you today of all those who rose up 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 the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” The Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you harm, be as that young man is.”
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 was much moved, and went up to the room over the gate and wept. As he went, he said, “My son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! I wish I had died instead of you, Absalom, my son, my son!”
