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!”

AND there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew a trumpet, and said, We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, 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 every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan even 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.

And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

4 Ɔhene no hyɛɛ Amasa sɛ ɔmfa nnansa mmoaboa Yuda asraafo ano, na ɔmmɛka biribi nkyerɛ no saa bere no mu.

Then said the king to Amasa, Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou here present.

5 Enti Amasa kɔbɔɔ asraafo no amanneɛ, nanso nʼahoboa no boroo nnansa no.

So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah: but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed 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 shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fenced cities, and escape us.

7 Enti Abisai ne Yoab yiyii awɛmfo a wodi mu fii Yoab asraafo ne ɔhene no ankasa de mu de tiw Seba.

And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men: and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the 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.

When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab’s garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.

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.

And Joab said to Amasa, Art thou in health, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand 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.

But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the 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.”

And one of Joab’s men stood by him, and said, He that favoureth Joab, and he that is for David, let him go after 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.

And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.

13 Woyii Amasa fii ɔkwan no mu akyi no, mmarima no nyinaa dii Yoab akyi sɛ wɔrekɔkyere Bikri babarima Seba.

When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

14 Saa bere no, Seba kyinii Israel nyinaa boaboaa ne fifo Bikrifo ano wɔ Abel-Bet-Maaka.

And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maachah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after 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 they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maachah, and they cast up a bank against the city, and it stood in the trench: and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.

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.”

Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.

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.”

And when he was come near unto her, the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am he. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thine handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.

18 Ɔkae se, “Tete no, na yɛka se, ‘Yɛrekɔpɛ afotu wɔ Abel.’

Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask counsel at Abel: and so they ended the matter.

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 one of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?

20 Yoab buae se, “Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ mesɛe wo kuropɔn.

And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should 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.”

The matter is not so: but a man of mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David: deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee 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 unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

23 Yoab bɛyɛɛ Dawid asraafo no so sahene bio. Na Yehoiada babarima Benaia nso yɛ ɔhene bammɔfo so panyin.

Now Joab was over all the host of Israel: and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites:

24 Adoram na na ɔhwɛ adwumayɛfo so, na Yehosafat a ɔyɛ Ahilud babarima no kyerɛw ahemfo ho abakɔsɛm.

And Adoram was over the tribute: and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder:

25 Na Sewa yɛ asennii kyerɛwfo. Na Sadok ne Abiatar nso yɛ asɔfo.

And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

26 Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid sɔfo.

And Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler about David.