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.”
Yahweh was angry with the Israeli people again, so he incited David to cause trouble for them. He said to David, “Send [some men] to count the people 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 the king said to Joab, the commander of his army, “Go [with your officers] through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan [city in the far north] to Beersheba [town in the far south], and count the people, in order that I may know how many people [there are who are able to be soldiers in the army].”
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, “Your Majesty, I wish/desire that Yahweh our God will cause there to be 100 times as many people [in Israel] as there are now, and I wish/desire that you would see that happen [before you die]. But why do you want us 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 commanded Joab and his officers to do it. So they left the king and went out to count 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 [River] and set up their tents south of Aroer [town], in the middle of the valley, in the territory [that was given to the tribe] of Gad. From there they went [north] to Jazer [city]
6 toaa so koduu Gilead a ɛwɔ Tatim-hodsi, toaa so kɔɔ Dan Yaan ne Sidon fa mu.
Then they went [north] to [the] Gilead [region] and to Kadesh [city], in the land where the Heth people-group lived. Then they went to Dan [city in the far north of Israel], and then further west, to Sidon [city near the Mediterranean Sea].
7 Afei, wɔbaa Tiro aban mu ne Hewifo ne Kanaanfo nkuropɔn nyinaa mu. Wɔkɔɔ Yuda anafo, koduu Beer-Seba de wiei.
Then they went [south] to Tyre, a city with high walls around it, and to all the cities where the Hiv and Canaan people-groups live. Then they went [east] to Beersheba, in the southern part of Judah.
8 Wowurawuraa asase no nyinaa so, de asram akron ne nnafua aduonu wiee nnipakan no, san kɔɔ Yerusalem.
After nine months and 20 days, when they had finished going throughout the land [and counting the people], 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.
They reported to the king the number of people that they had counted. There were 800,000 men in Israel and 500,000 men in Judah who were able to become soldiers in the army [MTY].
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.”
But after David’s men had counted the people, David regretted [IDM] that he had told them to do that. [One night] he said to Yahweh, “I have committed a very big sin. Please forgive me, because what I have done is very foolish.”
11 Ade kyee no, Awurade asɛm baa odiyifo Gad a ɔyɛ Dawid ɔdehufo nkyɛn se:
When David got up the next morning, Yahweh gave a message to the prophet Gad. He said to him,
12 “Kɔka kyerɛ Dawid sɛ, Sɛnea Awurade se ni: ‘Mede nsɛm abiɛsa reto wʼanim. Yi mu baako na menyɛ ntia wo.’”
“Go and tell this to David: ‘I am allowing you to choose one of three things [to punish you]. I will do whichever one you choose.’”
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 to David and told him [what Yahweh had said]. He said to David, “You can choose whether there will be three years of famine in your land, or three months of your [army] running away from your enemies, or three days when there will be a (plague/very severe illness) in your land. You think about it and choose [which one you want, and tell me], and I will return to Yahweh and tell him what your answer is.”
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 said to Gad, “All those are very terrible things for me to choose between! But allow Yahweh to punish [MTY] me, because he is very merciful. Do not allow humans to punish me, [because they will not be merciful].”
15 Enti Awurade tow ɔyaredɔm guu Israel so anɔpa no ma edii nnansa. Na nnipa mpem aduɔson fii Dan kosi Beer-Seba wuwui.
So Yahweh sent a plague on the Israeli people. It started that morning and did not stop until the time that he had chosen/set. All over the land, from Dan to Beersheba, there were 70,000 Israelis who died [because of the plague].
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.
When [Yahweh’s] angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy [the people by this plague], Yahweh changed his mind about punishing [any more] people. He said to the angel who was killing them [with the plague], “Stop what you are doing [IDM]! That is enough!” [When he said that, ] the angel was standing at the ground where Araunah, from the Jebus people-group, threshed grain.
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 who was causing the people to become sick and die, he said to Yahweh, “Truly, I am the one who has committed the sin. I have done a very wicked thing, but these people are [as innocent as] sheep [MET]. They have certainly not [RHQ] done anything [that is wrong]. So you should punish [IDM] me and my family, [not these people]!”
18 Da no, Gad kɔɔ Dawid nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Kɔ na kosi afɔremuka ma Awurade wɔ Yebusini Arauna awiporowbea hɔ.”
That day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up to the place where Araunah threshes grain, and build an altar to [worship] Yahweh there.”
19 Na Dawid kɔyɛɛ nea Awurade hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnyɛ no.
So David did what Gad told him to do, which was what Yahweh had commanded, [and he went up there].
20 Bere a Arauna huu sɛ ɔhene ne ne mmarima reba no, opue bɛkotow ɔhene, de nʼanim butuw fam.
When Araunah looked down and saw the king and his officials coming toward him, he prostrated himself on the ground in front of the king, with his face touching 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.”
Araunah said, “Your Majesty, why have you come to me?” David replied, “[I have come] to buy this ground where you thresh grain, in order to build an altar to Yahweh [and offer sacrifices on it], in order that he will stop the plague.”
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.
Araunah replied to David, “Your Majesty, offer to Yahweh whatever you wish/want. Here, take my oxen to use for the offering that will be completely burned on the altar. And here, take their yokes and the boards [that I use] for the threshing, [and use them] for the wood that you will burn.
23 Mede ne nyinaa bɛma wo, na mesrɛ se, Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn nnye afɔre yi.”
I, Araunah, am giving all this to you, the king.” Then he said, “I desire/hope that Yahweh our God will accept your offering.”
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.
But the king said to Araunah, “No, [I will not take these things as a gift.] I will pay you for it. I will not take sacrifices that have cost me nothing, and offer them to Yahweh to be completely burned on the altar.” So he paid 50 pieces of silver to Araunah for the oxen and the ground.
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.
Then David built an altar to Yahweh, and he offered [the oxen] to be completely burned on the altar, and he also offered sacrifices to maintain fellowship with Yahweh. Then, Yahweh answered David’s prayers, and he caused the plague in Israel to end.
