< 2 Samuel 2 >
1 Mmere no ara mu, Dawid bisaa Awurade se, “Mensan nkɔ Yuda ana?” Awurade buaa no se, “Kɔ.” Dawid bisaa no se, “Kurow bɛn na menkɔ so?” Awurade buaa no se, “Hebron.”
And it came to pass, after this, that David enquired of Yahweh, saying—Shall I go up into one of the cities of Judah? And Yahweh said unto him, Go up. And David said—Whither shall I go up? And he said—Unto Hebron.
2 Na Dawid yerenom ne Ahinoam a ofi Yesreel ne Abigail a ofi Karmel a na ɔyɛ Nabal yere no. Enti Dawid ne ne yerenom,
So David went up thither, and his two wives also, —Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
3 ne ne mmarima ne wɔn fifo nyinaa tu kɔɔ Yuda, na wɔkɔtenaa Hebron ne ne nkurow so.
His men also who were with him, did David bring up, every man with his household, —and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4 Afei, Yuda ntuanofo kɔɔ Hebron, kɔsraa Dawid ngo sii no hene wɔ Yuda abusuakuw so. Na bere a Dawid tee sɛ Yabes Gilead mmarima asie Saulo no,
Then came the men of Judah, and anointed David there, to be king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, Men of Jabesh-gilead, were they who buried Saul.
5 ɔsomaa abɔfo kosee wɔn se, “Awurade nhyira mo sɛ moayi nokware a ɛte saa adi, ama mo wura Saulo, na moasie no anuonyam so.
So David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, —and said unto them—Blessed, be ye of Yahweh, that ye did this lovingkindness unto your lord, unto Saul, and buried him.
6 Na afei, Awurade ne mo nni no yiye na ontua mo dɔ sononko yi so ka. Na me nso metua mo nea a moayɛ yi so ka.
Now, therefore, Yahweh requite you with lovingkindness and truth, —moreover also, I, will requite you, for this noble deed, in that ye did this thing.
7 Afei a Saulo awu yi, mepɛ sɛ mobɛyɛ mʼasomfo nokwafo sɛ Yudafo a wɔasra me ngo sɛ minni wɔn so hene no.”
Now, therefore, let your hands be made firm, and become ye sons of valour, for your lord Saul is dead, —and, me, moreover have the house of Judah anointed, to be king over them.
8 Na Ner babarima Abner a na ɔyɛ Saulo safohene wɔ nʼakofo so ne Saulo babarima Is-Boset kɔɔ Mahanaim.
But, Abner son of Ner, prince of the host that pertained unto Saul, took Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9 Ɛhɔ na osii Is-Boset hene wɔ Gilead, Yesreel, Efraim, Benyamin, Asurifo asase ne Israel nyinaa so.
and made him king for Gilead, and for the Ashurites, and for Jezreel, —and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over, all Israel.
10 Bere a Is-Boset dii ade no, na wadi mfirihyia aduanan, na odii ade fi Mahanaim mfe abien. Na Yuda abusuakuw no dii Dawid nokware.
Forty years old, was Ish-bosheth son of Saul, when he began to reign over Israel, and, two years, reigned he, —but, the house of Judah, followed David.
11 Dawid yɛɛ Hebron ne kuropɔn. Na odii Yuda so hene mfirihyia ason ne fa.
And it came to pass, that, the number of the days that David was king in Hebron, over the house of Judah, was seven years and six months.
12 Da koro bi, Abner dii Is-Boset asraafo anim, fi Mahanaim kɔɔ Gibeon.
And Abner son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, came out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.
13 Saa bere koro no ara mu, Seruia babarima Yoab nso dii Dawid asraafo anim, fi Hebron na wohyiaa Abner wɔ Gibeon ɔtare ho. Akuw abien no tenatenaa ase a na wodi nhwɛanim.
And, Joab son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David, went out from Hebron and met, by the pool of Gibeon, together, —and they sat down, these, by the pool, on the one side, and, those, by the pool, on the other side.
14 Afei, Abner susuw ho kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Ma yɛmfa yɛn akofo no mu kakra, na wɔmfa wɔn nsa nni ako.” Yoab penee so kae se, “Wɔnsɔre nko ɛ.”
Then said Abner unto Joab, Let the young men arise, I pray thee, and make sport before us. And Joab said—Let them arise.
15 Enti woyii mmarima dumien fii kuw biara mu sɛ wonni wɔn ho ako.
Then there arose, and went over by number, —twelve of Benjamin, pertaining to Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, and twelve, of the servants of David.
16 Obiara soo ne tamfo tinwi mu, de nʼafoa wowɔɔ wɔn ho wɔn ho, maa wɔn nyinaa wuwui. Enti wɔfrɛ atɔe mu hɔ se Afoa Afuw de besi nnɛ.
And they caught every one his fellow by the head, with his sword in his fellow’s side, so they fell, together, —and that place was called Helkath-hazzadim ["Field of Plotters"], which is in Gideon.
17 Afei, nsraadɔm abien no de ɔko hyehyɛɛ so, na saa da no baa awiei no, na Dawid nsraadɔm no adi Abner ne Israel so nkonim.
So the battle became exceeding obstinate, on that day, —and Abner and the men of Israel were defeated before the servants of David.
18 Na Yoab, Abisai ne Asahel a wɔyɛ Seruia mmabarima baasa no ka Dawid asraafo no ho saa da no. Na Asahel tu mmirika te sɛ ɔforote,
Now there were there, three sons of Zeruiah, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel, —and, Asahel, was light of foot as a wild gazelle.
19 na ɔpam Abner ara sɛ ɔbɛkyere no.
And Asahel pursued Abner, —and turned not, in going, to the right hand or to the left, from pursuing Abner.
20 Bere a Abner twaa nʼani huu sɛ odi nʼakyi no, ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Wo ni, Asahel!” Obuae se, “Yiw, ɛyɛ me!”
Then Abner looked behind him, and said—Art thou Asahel? And he said—I am.
21 Na Abner ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ɛno de, kɔhwehwɛ obi foforo, na wone no nko. Kɔ na kotintim mmerante no baako, na gye nʼakode a ɛwɔ ne ho nyinaa.” Nanso Asahel, kɔɔ so taa no.
Then Abner said to him—Turn thee aside, to thy right hand, or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men, and take thee his armour. But Asahel would not turn aside from pursuing him.
22 Bio, Abner teɛɛ mu ka kyerɛɛ Asahel se, “Fi ha kɔ! Sɛ mikum wo a, merentumi nhwɛ wo nuabarima Yoab anim.”
And Abner said, yet again, unto Asahel, Turn thee aside from pursuing me, —wherefore should I smite thee to the earth? how then should I lift up my face unto Joab, thy brother?
23 Nanso Asahel antie ara, enti Abner de ne peaw no wɔɔ ne yafunu mu, maa peaw no pue fii nʼakyi. Obu hwee fam wuu wɔ hɔ. Na obiara a oduu atɔe mu hɔ no gyinaa dinn hwɛɛ Asahel sɛ ɔda hɔ.
Howbeit he refused to turn aside, wherefore Abner smote him with the hinder end of the spear, in the belly, that the spear came out behind him, and he fell there, and died on the spot, —and so it was, that, as many as came up to the place where Asahel fell and died, stood still.
24 Bere a Yoab ne Abisai tee asɛm a asi no, wɔkɔɔ sɛ wɔrekɔhwehwɛ Abner. Bere a woduu Amma bepɔw a ɛbɛn Gia a ɛwɔ ɔkwan a ɛda hɔ kɔ Gibeon sare so no, na onwini adwo.
Then Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, —but, the sun, had gone in by the time, they, had come as far as the hill of Ammah, that overlooketh Giah, by way of the wilderness of Gibeon.
25 Abner asraafo a wofi Benyamin abusuakuw mu no boaa wɔn ho ano wɔ bepɔw no so yɛɛ krado maa ɔko.
And, when the sons of Benjamin had gathered themselves together after Abner, and become one band, —and had taken their stand on the top of a certain hill,
26 Ɛhɔ na Abner teɛɛ mu, ka kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Enti, ɛsɛ sɛ daa yɛfa afoa so de ka yɛn ntam asɛm ana? Munnhu sɛ, saa ɔkwan no de nitan bɛto yɛn ntam ana? Da bɛn na wobɛfrɛ wo mmarima no aka akyerɛ wɔn se, wonnyae wɔn nuanom Israelfo akyidi?”
then Abner cried aloud unto Joab, and said—To the uttermost, must the sword devour? Dost thou not well know that, bitter, shall it be, in the latter end? How long, then, wilt thou not bid the people turn back from pursuing their own brethren?
27 Na Yoab kae se, “Sɛ woankasa a anka, Onyankopɔn nko ara na onim nea ɛbɛba; anka yɛbɛtaa wo anadwo mu no nyinaa.”
Then said Joab—As God liveth, surely, if thou hadst not spoken, then in the morning, the people would of themselves have gone up, every man from pursuing his brother.
28 Enti Yoab hyɛn ne torobɛnto, maa ne mmarima no gyaee Israel asraafo no taa.
So Joab blew with the horn, and all the people stood still, and they neither pursued Israel further, —nor fought any more.
29 Anadwo mu no nyinaa, Abner ne ne mmarima nantew kɔɔ Araba. Wotwaa Yordan bon, toaa so kɔɔ Bitron, beduu Mahanaim.
And, Abner and his men, journeyed through the waste plain all that night, —and crossed the Jordan, and went through all the Bithron, and entered Mahanaim.
30 Na Yoab gyaee Abner akyidi, na ɔboaboaa ne mmarima ano. Asahel akyi no, wohuu sɛ Dawid mmarima no mu dunkron ayera.
And, Joab, returned from pursuing Abner, and, when he had gathered together all the people, there were missing of the servants of David—nineteen men, and Asahel;
31 Nanso na Dawid mmarima no akunkum Benyaminfo no mu nnipa ahansia ne aduosia a na wɔka Abner ho no.
but, the servants of David, had smitten of Benjamin, of the men of Abner, —[so that] three hundred and sixty men, had died.
32 Wɔfaa Asahel siee no wɔ nʼagya ɔboda mu wɔ Betlehem. Na Yoab ne ne mmarima nantew anadwo mu no nyinaa koduu Hebron adekyee.
And they carried Asahel, and buried him in the grave of his father, which was in Bethlehem, —and Joab and his men journeyed all the night, and had daylight in Hebron.