2 Samuel 23
1 Eyi ne Dawid nsɛm a etwaa to: “Dawid, Yisai ba barima a Onyankopɔn maa no nkɔso a ɛyɛ nwonwa, na Yakob Nyankopɔn sraa no ngo no, Israel nnwomhyehyɛfo mu otiban:
David, the son of Jesse, was a man whom [God caused to] become great. He was appointed to become king by the God whom Jacob [worshiped]. He wrote beautiful songs for the Israeli people. This is the last song that he wrote:
2 “Awurade honhom kasa fa me mu; ne nsɛm wɔ me tɛkrɛma so.
“The Spirit of Yahweh tells me what to say; the message that I speak [MTY] comes from him.
3 Israel Nyankopɔn kasae. Israel botan ka kyerɛɛ me se: ‘Onipa a odi hene trenee mu, na ɔde Onyamesuro di hene no,
God, the one whom we Israeli [people worship], has spoken; the one who protects us Israeli people said to me, ‘Kings who rule people justly have an awesome respect for me, God.
4 ɔte sɛ anɔpa hann, ɔte sɛ anɔpa a omununkum nni hɔ apueiwia hann; ɔte sɛ osutɔ akyi hyerɛn, na ɛma sare foforo pue fi asase mu.’
They are like the sun that shines at dawn and causes the grass to [sprout/sparkle] after the rain ends.’
5 “Ɛyɛ me fi na Onyankopɔn ayi. Yiw, ɔne me ayɛ apam a ɛwɔ hɔ daa. Ne nhyehyɛe yɛ afebɔɔ, bi nni hɔ bio, na wɔasɔw ano. Ɔbɛhwɛ me yiyedi ne me nkɔso daa.
And truly, that is how God will surely bless my family [RHQ] because he made an agreement with me that will endure forever, an agreement in which he promises that no part of it will ever be changed. He will surely cause me to prosper [RHQ], and he will always help me, and that is all that I desire.
6 Na wɔn a wonnim Onyame no te sɛ nsɔe a wɔbɛtow agu, efisɛ wɔwowɔ nsa a eso mu no.
But [he will get rid of] godless/evil people like [SIM] people throw away thorns that [injure people if they try to] pick them up with their hands.
7 Ɛsɛ sɛ obi kɔ amia mu ansa na watwa wɔn agu; wɔde ogya bɛhyew wɔn dwerɛbee.”
Someone [who wants to get rid of thornbushes] does not grab them; he uses an iron [shovel] or a spear [to dig them out] and then he burns them completely.
8 Din a edidi so yi yɛ Dawid dɔmmarima: Nea odi kan ne Yoseb-Basebet a ofi Tahkemon, na ɔyɛ ɔsahene wɔ akofo akɛse Baasa bi so wɔ Dawid mmarima no mu. Ɔno na ɔde ne peaw kum atamfo akofo ahanwɔtwe wɔ ɔsa baako pɛ mu no.
These are the names of David’s three greatest warriors. The first was Esh-Baal, [whose other name was Jashobeam], from the Hachmon clan (OR, the son of Hachmon). He was the leader of the three men. One time he fought against 800 enemies and killed them all with his spear.
9 Nea ɔto so abien wɔ baasa no mu no ne Dodo babarima Eleasar a ɔyɛ Ahohi aseni. Bere bi Eleasar ne Dawid ka bɔɔ mu, tew gyinae, de tiaa Filistifo bere a Israel asraafo no nyinaa aguan no.
The second/next one of the three greatest warriors was Eleazar, who was the son of Dodo from the clan of Ahoh. One day he was with David when they defied/challenged the soldiers of Philistia who had gathered for the battle. The [other] Israeli soldiers retreated,
10 Okunkum Filistifo no ara kosii sɛ afei, na ontumi mpagyaw ne peaw. Nanso Awurade maa no dii nkonim saa da no. Asraafo a wɔaka no ansan amma kosii bere a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkɔtase wɔn asade no.
but Eleazar stood there and fought the soldiers of Philistia until his arm became very tired, with the result that [his hand cramped and] he could not stop gripping his sword. Yahweh won a great victory on that day. And afterwards the [other] Israeli soldiers returned [to where Eleazar was], and stripped off the [armor from the men whom he had] killed.
11 Nea odi hɔ yɛ Sama a ɔyɛ Agee a ofi Harar babarima. Da koro bi, Filistifo no boaa wɔn ho ano wɔ Lehi, na wɔtow hyɛɛ Israelfo no so wɔ aseduafuw bi mu. Israel asraafo no guanee,
The third one of the greatest warriors was Shammah, the son of Agee from [the clan/town of] Harar. One time the Philistia soldiers gathered at Lehi [town], where there was a field full of lentils/peas [that they wanted to steal]. The other Israeli soldiers ran away from the Philistia troops,
12 nanso Sama gyinaa ne nan so pintinn wɔ afuw no mfimfini, kaa Filistifo no gui. Enti Awurade ma odii nkonim.
but Shammah stood there in the field and did not let the Philistia soldiers [steal the crops], and killed them. Yahweh won a great victory on that day.
13 Twabere bi a na Dawid wɔ Adulam ɔbodan mu no, Filisti asraafo bɛkyeree nsraban wɔ Refaim bon mu. Dawid akofo nimdefo aduasa no mu baasa sian kohyiaa no wɔ hɔ.
Altogether there were 30 special warriors among David’s soldiers. Once, when it was almost time to harvest [the crops], three of those 30 men went down to Adullam Cave, where David was [staying]. A group of men from the Philistia army had set up their tents in Rephaim Valley [near Jerusalem].
14 Saa bere no na Dawid te nsraban mu hɔ a na Filistifo asraafo no fa bi nso akɔtena Betlehem.
David [and his soldiers] were in the cave [because it was safe there], and [another] group of Philistia soldiers was occupying Bethlehem.
15 Dawid daa nʼakɔnnɔ adi se, “Ao, sɛ minya nsu pa a ɛwɔ Betlehem abura a ɛwɔ kurow no pon no ano hɔ no bi a, anka mɛnom.”
[One day] David very much wanted [some water] to drink, and said “I wish that someone would bring me some water from the well near the gate at Bethlehem!”
16 Enti baasa no bu faa Filistifo no mu kɔsaw nsu no bi fii abura no mu, de brɛɛ Dawid. Nanso wannom. Mmom, ohwie guu Awurade anim.
So his three greatest warriors forced their way through the camp of Philistia soldiers and drew some water from the well, and brought it to David. But he would not drink it. Instead, he poured it out [on the ground] as an offering to Yahweh.
17 Ɔteɛɛ mu se, “Awurade ma ɛmpare me sɛ mɛnom eyi! Saa nsu yi som bo te sɛ saa mmarima yi a wɔde wɔn nkwa too hɔ, kɔsaw nsu yi brɛɛ me yi mogya.” Enti Dawid annom. Mmarimasɛm a Baasa no dii no nhwɛso bi ni.
He said, “Yahweh, it would certainly not be right for me to drink this water! That would be like [RHQ] drinking the blood of these men who were willing/ready to die for me!” So he refused to drink it. That was one of the things that those three great warriors did.
18 Na Yoab nua Seruia babarima Abisai nso dii Aduasa no anim. Da bi, ɔde ne peaw kum atamfo akofo ahaasa wɔ ɔsa baako pɛ mu. Saa akokodurusɛm yi nti ne din hyetaa sɛ Baasa no.
Abishai, Joab’s [younger] brother, was the leader of the 30 [greatest warriors]. [One day] he fought against 300 men and killed them all with his spear. As a result, he also became famous.
19 Abisai na ogyee din pa ara wɔ Aduasa no mu. Ɛwɔ mu, wannye din sɛ Baasa no ho de, nanso na ɔno ne Aduasa no safohene.
He was the most famous of the thirty greatest warriors, and he became their leader/commander, but he was not one of the three greatest warriors.
20 Na Yehoiada babarima Benaia nso yɛ ɔkofo kokodurufo a ofi Kabseel. Odii mmarimasɛm bebree a bi ne sɛ, okum Moab akofo akɛse baanu. Bere bi nso, ɔtaa gyata, ma wɔkɔtɔɔ amoa mu. Na sukyerɛmma atɔ, ama fam ayɛ toro de, nanso ɔkyeree gyata no, kum no.
Jehoiada’s son Benaiah, from Kabzeel [town], also did great deeds. He killed two of the best warriors from the Moab people-group. Also, he went down into a pit on a day when snow was falling, and killed a lion there.
21 Bere bi nso, ɔde abaaporiwa a na okura no kum Misraimni ɔkofo kɛse bi a na ɔno kura peaw. Benaia hwim peaw no fii Misraimni no nsam, na ɔde kum no.
He also killed a huge soldier from Egypt who carried a spear. Benaiah [had only] his club, but he attacked the giant with it. Then he snatched the spear from the man’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
22 Eyinom na Yehoiada babarima Benaia yɛe, ma ogyee din te sɛ Baasa no.
Those are [some of] the things that Benaiah did. As a result, he became famous, like the three greatest warriors were.
23 Na ɔwɔ anuonyam sen wɔn a na wɔfra Aduasa no mu no biara, nanso na ɔnka Baasa no ho. Na Dawid yɛɛ no nʼawɛmfo no so sahene.
He was more honored than the other members of the group of thirty great warriors, but not as famous as the three greatest warriors. David appointed him to be the commander of his bodyguards.
24 Wɔn a aka a na wɔfra Aduasa no mu no ni: Yoab nuabarima Asahel; Dodo a ofi Betlehem babarima Elhanan;
[These are the names of the great warriors]: Asahel, the brother of Joab; Elhanan, the son of Dodo, from Bethlehem;
25 Sama a ofi Harod; Elika a ofi Harod;
Shammah and Elika, from [the] Harod [clan];
26 Heles a ofi Palti; Ira, Ikes a ofi Tekoa babarima;
Helez, from Pelet [city]; Ira, the son of Ikkesh, from Tekoa [town];
27 Abieser a ofi Anatot; Sibekai a ofi Husa;
Abiezer, from Anathoth [city]; Mebunnai [whose other name was Sibbecai], from Hushah’s [clan];
28 Salmon a ofi Ahoa; Maharai a ofi Netofa;
Zalmon [whose other name was Ilai], from Ahoh’s [clan]; Maharai, from Netophah [town];
29 Heleb, Baana a ofi Netofa babarima; Itai, Ribai a ofi Gibea (Benyamin abusuakuw mu) babarima;
Heleb, the son of Baanah, also from Netophah [town]; Ittai, the son of Ribai, from Gibeah [town] in [the land that belonged to] the tribe of Benjamin;
30 Benaia a ofi Piraton; Hidai a ofi Nahale-Gaas;
Benaiah, from Pirathon [town]; Hiddai, from the valleys near Gaash [Mountain];
31 Arbatini Abi-Albon; Asmawet a ofi Bahurim;
Abi-Albon, from the clan of Arabah; Azmaveth, from Bahurim [town];
32 Eliahba a ofi Saalbon; Yaasen mmabarima;
Eliahba, from Shaalbon [town]; The sons of Jashen; Jonathan;
33 Yonatan, Sama a ofi Harar babarima; Sarar, Ahiam a ofi Maaka babarima;
Shammah, from Harar [town/clan]; Ahiam the son of Sharar, from Harar [town/clan];
34 Elifelet, Ahasbai a ofi Maaka babarima; Eliam, Ahitofel a ofi Gilo babarima;
Eliphelet, the son of Ahasbai, from Maacah [town]; Eliam, the son of Ahithophel, from Gilo [town];
35 Hesro a ofi Karmel; Paarai a ofi Arba;
Hezro, from Carmel [city]; Paarai, from Arba [city];
36 Igal, Natan a ofi Soba babarima; Bani a ofi Gad;
Igal, the son of Nathan, from Zobah [city]; Bani, from the tribe of Gad;
37 Selek a ofi Amon; Naharai a ofi Beerot (Yoab akodekurafo);
Zelek, from the Ammon people-group; Naharai, the man who carried Joab’s weapons, from Beeroth [town];
38 Ira a ofi Yitri; Gareb a ofi Yitri;
Ira and Gareb, from Jattir [town];
39 Hetini Uria. Wɔn nyinaa dodow yɛ aduasa ason.
Uriah, [Bathsheba’s husband], from the Heth people-group. Altogether, there were 37 famous soldiers, [but some of them had died and their names were not included].
