2 Samuel 20
1 Ɔtɔkwapɛfo bi a na wɔfrɛ no Seba na ɔyɛ Bikri a ofi Benyamin babarima, hyɛn torobɛnto teɛɛ mu se, “Yɛne Dawid nni hwee yɛ. Yenni agyapade biara wɔ Yisai babarima no nkyɛn. Israel mmarima, mommra na yɛn nyinaa nkɔ yɛn kurom!”
Now a worthless man named Sheba son of Bichri, a Benjamite, happened to be there, and he blew the ram’s horn and shouted: “We have no share in David, no inheritance in Jesse’s son. Every man to his tent, O Israel!”
2 Enti Israel mmarima gyaw Dawid hɔ, kodii Seba akyi. Nanso Yuda mmarima no de, wɔtenaa wɔn hene nkyɛn, na wɔwowaw no fi Asubɔnten Yordan ho, kosii Yerusalem.
So all the men of Israel deserted David to follow Sheba son of Bichri. But the men of Judah stayed by their king all the way from the Jordan to Jerusalem.
3 Bere a oduu nʼahemfi hɔ wɔ Yerusalem no, ɔhyɛɛ sɛ ne mpenanom du a ogyaw wɔn hɔ no, wɔmfa wɔn nkɔhyɛ kokoa mu baabi. Na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma wɔn wɔn ahiade nyinaa, nanso ɔne wɔn renna bio. Enti wɔn mu biara tenaa ase sɛ okunafo, kosii ne wuda.
When David returned to his palace in Jerusalem, he took the ten concubines he had left to care for the palace, and he placed them in a house under guard. He provided for them, but he no longer slept with them. They were confined until the day of their death, living as widows.
4 Ɔhene no hyɛɛ Amasa sɛ ɔmfa nnansa mmoaboa Yuda asraafo ano, na ɔmmɛka biribi nkyerɛ no saa bere no mu.
Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
5 Enti Amasa kɔbɔɔ asraafo no amanneɛ, nanso nʼahoboa no boroo nnansa no.
So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
6 Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ Abisai se, “Saa ɔtɔkwapɛfo Seba no rebɛhaw yɛn asen sɛ nea Absalom haw yɛn no. Fa mʼakofo no, na taa no ansa na waguan akɔbɔ ne ho aguaa wɔ hintabea nkurow no mu baabi a yɛn nsa renka no.”
And David said to Abishai, “Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord’s servants and pursue him, or he will find fortified cities and elude us.”
7 Enti Abisai ne Yoab yiyii awɛmfo a wodi mu fii Yoab asraafo ne ɔhene no ankasa de mu de tiw Seba.
So Joab’s men, along with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men, marched out of Jerusalem in pursuit of Sheba son of Bichri.
8 Na woduu Gibeon ɔbo kɛse no ho no, Amasa hyiaa wɔn. Na Yoab hyɛ nʼakotade a ɔde afoa abɔ nʼataaso. Otuu nten kɔɔ nʼanim sɛ ɔrekokyia Amasa no, afoa no fii boha no mu tɔɔ fam.
And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
9 Yoab bisaa no se, “Me nua, wo ho te dɛn?” Ɛhɔ ara na Yoab de ne nsa nifa soo nʼabogyesɛ mu, sɛ nea ɔrefew nʼano.
“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
10 Amasa anhu sɛ afoa no hyɛ ne nsa benkum mu. Na Yoab de afoa no wɔɔ ne yam, maa ne nsono tu guu fam. Ɛho anhia sɛ Yoab betia ne so koraa, na Amasa wui. Yoab ne ne nuabarima Abisai gyaw no hɔ, toaa so tiw Bikri babarima Seba.
Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
11 Yoab asraafo no mu aberante a ɔyɛ panyin wɔ nsraadɔm no so no mu baako teɛɛ mu kyerɛɛ Amasa asraafo no se, “Obiara a ɔtaa Yoab akyi ne obiara a ɔwɔ Dawid afa no, ommedi Yoab akyi.”
One of Joab’s young men stood near Amasa and said, “Whoever favors Joab, and whoever is for David, let him follow Joab!”
12 Amasa daa ne mogyabura mu wɔ ɔkwan no mfimfini. Na ɔbarima no huu sɛ asraafo no adu hɔ a wɔagyina rehwɛ Amasa no, ɔtwee no fii ɔkwan no mu, de no too wuram, de atade kataa ne so.
But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.
13 Woyii Amasa fii ɔkwan no mu akyi no, mmarima no nyinaa dii Yoab akyi sɛ wɔrekɔkyere Bikri babarima Seba.
As soon as Amasa’s body was removed from the road, all the men went on with Joab to pursue Sheba son of Bichri.
14 Saa bere no, Seba kyinii Israel nyinaa boaboaa ne fifo Bikrifo ano wɔ Abel-Bet-Maaka.
Sheba passed through all the tribes of Israel to Abel-beth-maacah and through the entire region of the Berites, who gathered together and followed him.
15 Yoab asraafo no duu hɔ no, wɔtow hyɛɛ Abel-Bet-Maaka so. Wosisii mpie wɔ kurow no akyi, de bɔɔ wɔn ho ban fii atamfo ho na wɔpempem afasu no, pɛɛ sɛ wodwiriw gu.
And Joab’s troops came and besieged Sheba in Abel-beth-maacah and built a siege ramp against the outer rampart of the city. As all the troops with Joab were battering the wall to topple it,
16 Na ɔbea nyansafo bi teɛɛ mu fi kurow no mu se, “Muntie! Muntie! Monka nkyerɛ Yoab se ɔmmra ha, na menka asɛm bi nkyerɛ no.”
a wise woman called out from the city, “Listen! Listen! Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak with him.”
17 Yoab kɔɔ ne nkyɛn, na obisaa no se, “Wo na wɔfrɛ wo Yoab no?” Obuae se, “Yiw.” Ɔkae se, “Tie asɛm a wʼafenaa pɛ sɛ ɔka no.” Obuae se, “Meretie.”
When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.
18 Ɔkae se, “Tete no, na yɛka se, ‘Yɛrekɔpɛ afotu wɔ Abel.’
Then the woman said, “Long ago they used to say, ‘Seek counsel at Abel,’ and that is how disputes were settled.
19 Yɛpɛ asomdwoe ne nokware wɔ Israel. Wopɛ sɛ wosɛe kurow a adi nokware wɔ Israel. Adɛn nti na wopɛ sɛ wosɛe ade a ɛyɛ Awurade dea?”
I am among the peaceable and faithful in Israel, but you are trying to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why would you swallow up the LORD’s inheritance?”
20 Yoab buae se, “Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ mesɛe wo kuropɔn.
“Far be it!” Joab declared. “Far be it from me to swallow up or destroy!
21 Nea merehwehwɛ no ara ne ɔbarima bi a ne din de Seba a ɔyɛ Bikri babarima a ofi Efraim bepɔw so, na wama ne ho so atia ɔhene, ɔhene Dawid. Fa saa ɔbarima no bra, na mefi kurow no mu.” Ɔbea no ka kyerɛɛ Yoab se, “Wɔbɛtow ne ti afi ɔfasu no so ama wo.”
That is not the case. But a man named Sheba son of Bichri, from the hill country of Ephraim, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Deliver him alone, and I will depart from the city.” “Look,” the woman replied, “his head will be thrown to you over the wall.”
22 Afei, ɔbea no kɔkaa nʼafotu pa no kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa. Na wotwaa Bikri babarima Seba ti, tow maa Yoab. Enti ɔhyɛn torobɛnto maa ne mmarima no bɔ hwetee, maa obiara kɔɔ ne fi. Na Yoab san kɔɔ ɔhene nkyɛn wɔ Yerusalem.
Then the woman went to all the people with her wise counsel, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bichri and threw it to Joab. So he blew the ram’s horn and his men dispersed from the city, each to his own home. And Joab returned to the king in Jerusalem.
23 Yoab bɛyɛɛ Dawid asraafo no so sahene bio. Na Yehoiada babarima Benaia nso yɛ ɔhene bammɔfo so panyin.
Now Joab was over the whole army of Israel; Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and Pelethites;
24 Adoram na na ɔhwɛ adwumayɛfo so, na Yehosafat a ɔyɛ Ahilud babarima no kyerɛw ahemfo ho abakɔsɛm.
Adoram was in charge of the forced labor; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the recorder;
25 Na Sewa yɛ asennii kyerɛwfo. Na Sadok ne Abiatar nso yɛ asɔfo.
Sheva was the scribe; Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26 Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid sɔfo.
and Ira the Jairite was David’s priest.
