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 there happened to be a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bikri, a Benjamite. And he blew the trumpet, and said, "We have no share in David, nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, 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 Israel deserted David and followed Sheba the son of Bikri, but the men of Judah stayed by their king, 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.

Then David came to his palace at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women his secondary wives, whom he had left to keep the palace, and placed them under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were kept in confinement 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 me within three days, and be present here yourself."

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

So Amasa went to summon Judah together, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been 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.”

David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Now then, take your lord's servants with you and pursue after him, otherwise he will get himself to fortified cities and escape from us."

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

So there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the warriors. And they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

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 that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was wearing his military attire, and over it was a belt with a dagger in its sheath fastened at his waist, and as he advanced 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, "Is it well with you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his 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 did not notice the sword that was in Joab's hand. And he stabbed him with it in the abdomen, so that his intestines spilled out on the ground, and he did not do it to him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

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 young men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever is the one that favors Joab and whoever belongs to David, 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 lay covered with his blood in the midst of the road, and anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. So when the man saw that all the people stopped, he dragged Amasa from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.

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

When he was removed from the road, all the people followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba son of Bikri.

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

He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah, and all the Bikrites assembled 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 all the people who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah. And they built a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall so that it would collapse.

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 a wise woman called out from the wall, "Listen, listen. Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak to 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.”

So he approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he replied, "I am." Then she said, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he replied, "I'm listening."

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

Then she said, "In the past they used to say, 'Let them inquire in Abel and in Dan whether

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?”

that which the faithful of Israel established has been carried out.' You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?"

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

Joab answered, "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.”

That is not the case. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bikri, has rebelled against king David. Give up him alone and I will withdraw from the city." Then the woman said to Joab, "Look, his head will be thrown to you from 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 she spoke to all the city with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from him, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.

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

Now Joab was in command of the entire army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and in command of the Pelethites;

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

and Adoniram was in command of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

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

and Shisha was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

26 Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid sɔfo.

and also Ira the Jairite was David's priest.