2 Samuel 24
1 Bio, Awurade abufuw baa Israel so nti, ɔhyɛɛ Dawid sɛ ɔmfa nnipakan so nhaw wɔn a wɔwɔ Israel ne Yuda nyinaa. Awurade see Dawid sɛ, “Kɔ na kɔkan Israelfo ne Yudafo nyinaa.”
The Lord was angry with Israel, and he provoked David against them, saying, “go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2 Enti ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ ne sahene Yoab se, “Kan nnipa a wɔwɔ asase yi so nyinaa, efi Dan a ɛwɔ atifi fam, de besi Beer-Seba a ɛwɔ anafo fam, na ama mahu nnipa dodow a wɔwɔ ha.”
So David told Joab, the army commander, “Go and count the Israelites from Dan to Beersheba, so I can have a total number.”
3 Na Yoab buaa ɔhene no se, “Awurade mma wo ntena ase kosi sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ wʼahenni yi mu ase bɛterɛw mmɔho ɔha. Na adɛn nti na wopɛ sɛ woyɛ eyi?”
But Joab replied to the king, “May the Lord multiply his people a hundred times over, Your Majesty, and may you live to see it! But why does Your Majesty want to do this?”
4 Na ɔhene no hyɛɛ no ketee sɛ, wɔnkan nnipa nti, Yoab ne nʼadwumayɛfo kɔkan nnipa a wɔwɔ Israel.
But the king was adamant so Joab and the army commanders left the king and went to census the people of Israel.
5 Nea edi kan no, wotwaa Yordan kɔtenaa Aroer, kurow a ɛwɔ obon no anafo a ɛkyerɛ Gad no. Afei, wɔkɔɔ Yaser,
They crossed the Jordan and camped on the south side of the town of Aroer, in the middle of the valley, and then continued towards Gad and Jazer.
6 toaa so koduu Gilead a ɛwɔ Tatim-hodsi, toaa so kɔɔ Dan Yaan ne Sidon fa mu.
Then they went on to Gilead, and to the land of Tahtim-hodshi; and then continued towards Dan, and from Dan around to Sidon.
7 Afei, wɔbaa Tiro aban mu ne Hewifo ne Kanaanfo nkuropɔn nyinaa mu. Wɔkɔɔ Yuda anafo, koduu Beer-Seba de wiei.
After this they went to the fortress of Tyre, and all the towns of the Hivites and Canaanites. They ended up in the Negev of Judah at Beersheba.
8 Wowurawuraa asase no nyinaa so, de asram akron ne nnafua aduonu wiee nnipakan no, san kɔɔ Yerusalem.
After traveling throughout the whole country for nine months and twenty days, they returned to Jerusalem.
9 Yoab de ne nnipa dodow a wonyae brɛɛ ɔhene no. Na mmarima a wɔadu sogyadi mfe so wɔ Israel no dodow yɛ mpem ahanwɔtwe, na mpem ahannum nso wɔ Yuda.
Joab reported to the king the number of people that had been counted. In Israel there were 800,000 fighting men who could use the sword, and in Judah there were 500,000.
10 Dawid kan nnipa no nyinaa wiei no, nʼahonim buu no fɔ, nti ɔka kyerɛɛ Awurade se, “Nea meyɛe yi nti, mayɛ bɔne. Enti Awurade, mesrɛ wo, yi saa afɔbu yi fi wo somfo so. Mayɛ nkwaseade.”
Afterwards, David felt really bad for ordering the census. He said to God, “I have committed a terrible sin by doing this. Please take away the guilt of your servant, for I have been very stupid.”
11 Ade kyee no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo Gad a ɔyɛ Dawid ɔdehufo nkyɛn se:
When David got up in the morning, the Lord had sent a message to the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,
12 “Kɔka kyerɛ Dawid sɛ, Sɛnea Awurade se ni: ‘Mede nsɛm abiɛsa reto wʼanim. Yi mu baako na menyɛ ntia wo.’”
“Go and tell David that this is what the Lord says: ‘I'm giving you three options. Choose one of them, and that's what I'll do to you.’”
13 Enti Gad kɔɔ Dawid nkyɛn kobisaa no se, “Ɔkɔm mmra wʼasase yi so mfe abiɛsa ana? Anaa, atamfo a wogu wo so no wubeguan wɔn asram abiɛsa? Anaa, ɔyaredɔm mmra wo man yi mu nnansa? Enti afei, dwene ho yiye, na ma minhu mmuae a memfa nkɔma Awurade.”
So Gad went and told David, “You can choose three years of famine in your land; or three months of running from your enemies while they chase you; or three days of plague in your land. So think about it and decide how I should reply to the One who sent me.”
14 Dawid ka kyerɛɛ Gad se, “Yɛwɔ ahohiahia mu. Momma yɛmfa yɛn ho nhyɛ Awurade nsa, efisɛ nʼadɔe dɔɔso; nanso mma me nkɔtɔ nnipa nsam.”
David replied to Gad, “This is an awful situation for me! Please, let the Lord decide my punishment, for he is merciful. Don't let me be punished by people.”
15 Enti Awurade tow ɔyaredɔm guu Israel so anɔpa no ma edii nnansa. Na nnipa mpem aduɔson fii Dan kosi Beer-Seba wuwui.
So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the time designated, and seventy thousand people died from Dan to Beersheba.
16 Bere a ɔbɔfo no reyɛ ahoboa akɔsɛe Yerusalem no, Awurade nuu ne ho wɔ asɛm no ho, na ɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Eye! Gyae.” Saa bere no na Awurade bɔfo no adu Yebusini Arauna awiporowbea hɔ.
But just as the angel was getting ready to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord relented from causing such a disaster and told the destroying angel, “That's enough. You can stop now.” Right then the angel of the Lord was standing beside the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
17 Bere a Dawid huu ɔbɔfo no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Awurade se, “Me na mayɛ bɔne. Eyinom de wonnim ho hwee, dɛn na wɔayɛ? Ma wo bɔfo nsɛe me ne me fifo.”
When David saw the angel striking down the people, he said to the Lord, “I'm the one who has sinned; I'm the one who has done wrong. These people are just sheep. What have they done? Punish me and my family instead.”
18 Da no, Gad kɔɔ Dawid nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Kɔ na kosi afɔremuka ma Awurade wɔ Yebusini Arauna awiporowbea hɔ.”
On that day Gad went to David and told him, “Go and build an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 Na Dawid kɔyɛɛ nea Awurade hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no.
So David went and did what the Lord had ordered, as Gad had told him.
20 Bere a Arauna huu sɛ ɔhene ne ne mmarima reba no, opue bɛkotow ɔhene, de nʼanim butuw fam.
When Araunah looked up, he saw the king and his officials approaching. So he went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.
21 Arauna bisae se, “Adɛn nti na woaba, me wura?” Dawid buae se, “Merebɛtɔ awiporowbea hɔ, na masi afɔremuka wɔ hɔ ama Awurade, sɛnea Awurade bɛma ɔyaredɔm no agyae.”
“Why has Your Majesty come to see me, your servant?” Araunah asked. “To buy your threshing floor so I can build an altar to the Lord in order that the plague on the people may be stopped.” David replied.
22 Arauna ka kyerɛɛ Dawid se, “Me wura fa na fa yɛ nea wopɛ. Nantwi a wɔde bɛbɔ ɔhyew afɔre ni. Wubetumi de awiporowbea nnua ne nantwi mpamho nnua no ayɛ nnyina wɔ afɔremuka no so.
“Take it, and Your Majesty can use it to make offerings as you think best,” Araunah told David. “Here are the oxen for burnt offerings, and here are the threshing boards and the yokes for the oxen for firewood.
23 Mede ne nyinaa bɛma wo, na mesrɛ se, Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn nnye afɔre yi.”
Your Majesty, I, Araunah, give it all to the king.” Araunah concluded by saying, “May the Lord your God respond positively to you.”
24 Na ɔhene no buaa Arauna se, “Dabi da, mepɛ sɛ mɛtɔ, na merentumi mmɔ ɔhyew afɔre mma Awurade, me Nyankopɔn, a mammɔ ho ka biara.” Enti Dawid tuaa dwetɛ bɛyɛ gram ahannum aduoson anum de tɔɔ awiporowbea ne nantwi no.
“No, I insist on paying you for it,” the king replied. “I won't present burnt offerings to the Lord my God that didn't cost me anything.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.
25 Dawid sii afɔremuka wɔ hɔ maa Awurade, na ɔbɔɔ ɔhyew afɔre ne asomdwoe afɔre hɔ. Na Awurade tiee ne mpaebɔ maa ɔyaredɔm no gyaee.
David built an altar to the Lord there, and presented burnt offerings and friendship offerings. The Lord answered his prayer for the country, and the plague on Israel was stopped.
