1 Berɛsosɛm 19
1 Yeinom akyiri no, Amonhene Nahas wuiɛ, na ne babarima Hanun bɛdii adeɛ.
Some time later, Nahash king of the Ammonites died and was succeeded by his son.
2 Dawid kaa sɛ, “Me ne Hanun bɛyɛ baako, ɛfiri sɛ, nʼagya Nahas ne me yɛɛ baako nokorɛm.” Ɛno enti, Dawid tuu abɔfoɔ maa wɔkɔɔ Hanun nkyɛn, kɔmaa no hyɛden wɔ nʼagya wuo no enti. Nanso, ɛberɛ a abɔfoɔ no duruu Amon asase so no,
And David said, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent messengers to console Hanun concerning his father. But when David’s servants arrived in the land of the Ammonites to console him,
3 Hanun afotufoɔ bisaa no sɛ, “Enti, wogye di ampa ara sɛ, saa mmarima yi baa sɛ wɔrebɛhyɛ wʼagya animuonyam? Dabi! Dawid asoma wɔn sɛ wɔmmɛsra asase yi, na wɔnam so ako agye.”
the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Just because David has sent you comforters, do you really believe he is showing respect for your father? Have not his servants come to you to explore the land, spy it out, and overthrow it?”
4 Enti, Hanun kyeree Dawid abɔfoɔ no, werɛɛ wɔn abɔgyesɛ, twitwaa wɔn ntadeɛ ano wɔ wɔn to ase, maa wɔsane de animguaseɛ kɔɔ Dawid nkyɛn.
So Hanun took David’s servants, shaved their beards, cut off their garments at the hips, and sent them away.
5 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee asɛm no, ɔtuu abɔfoɔ kɔɔ abɔfoɔ no nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔntena Yeriko kɔsi sɛ wɔn abɔgyesɛ no bɛfu, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔn ho ayɛ fɛreɛ.
When someone came and told David about his men, he sent messengers to meet them, since the men had been thoroughly humiliated. The king told them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have grown back, and then return.”
6 Afei, Amonfoɔ hunuu abufutrasoɔ a wɔahyɛ Dawid no, Hanun ne Amonfoɔ soma maa wɔde dwetɛ nkariboɔ ani tɔno 38 kɔgyee nteaseɛnam ne akodɔm firii Aram-naharaim, Aram-maaka ne Soba.
When the Ammonites realized that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah.
7 Wɔsane pɛɛ nteaseɛnam mpem aduasa mmienu, na wɔnyaa akyigyina firii Maakahene ne nʼakodɔm nkyɛn. Saa akodɔm yi kyeree nsraban wɔ Medeba, ɛhɔ na Amon akodɔm a Hanun nya firii nʼankasa nkuro so no kɔkaa wɔn ho.
So they hired for themselves thirty-two thousand chariots, as well as the king of Maacah with his troops, who came and camped near Medeba while the Ammonites came from their cities and marched out for battle.
8 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee saa asɛm yi no, ɔsomaa Yoab ne nʼakofoɔ sɛ wɔne wɔn nkɔko.
On hearing this, David sent Joab and the entire army of mighty men.
9 Amonfoɔ akodɔm no bɛgyinagyinaa kuro no ɛpono ano, na ahemfo a wɔaka no nso gyinagyinaa ɛserɛ no so.
The Ammonites marched out and arrayed themselves for battle at the entrance to the city, while the kings who had come stayed by themselves in the open country.
10 Ɛberɛ a Yoab hunuu sɛ ɛsɛ dɔm no anim kyerɛ ne so wɔ nʼanim ne nʼakyi no, ɔyii nʼakodɔm no mu akofoɔ a wɔnim ako no. Ɔde wɔn hyɛɛ nʼankasa ase, dii wɔn anim kɔko tiaa Aramfoɔ no a wɔgyinagyina ɛserɛ so no.
When Joab saw the battle lines before him and behind him, he selected some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Arameans.
11 Ɔgyaa akodɔm a wɔaka no maa ne nuabarima Abisai sɛ ɔnkɔto nhyɛ Amonfoɔ no so.
And he placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai, who arrayed them against the Ammonites.
12 Na Yoab ka kyerɛɛ ne nuabarima no sɛ, “Sɛ Aramfoɔ no yɛ den ma me dodo a, bra na bɛboa me.” Yoab toaa so sɛ, “Sɛ Amonfoɔ no yɛ den dodo ma wo a, mɛba abɛboa wo.
“If the Arameans are too strong for me,” said Joab, “then you will come to my rescue. And if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to your rescue.
13 Hyɛ wo ho den. Ma yɛmfa akokoɔduru nko nnye yɛn nkurɔfoɔ ne yɛn Onyankopɔn nkuro. Awurade pɛ nyɛ hɔ.”
Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
14 Ɛberɛ a Yoab ne nʼakodɔm to hyɛɛ Aramfoɔ so no, wɔfirii aseɛ dwaneeɛ.
So Joab and his troops advanced to fight the Arameans, who fled before him.
15 Na Amonfoɔ hunuu sɛ Aramfoɔ no redwane no, wɔdwane firi Abisai anim kɔɔ kuropɔn no mu. Afei, Yoab sane kɔɔ Yerusalem.
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Joab’s brother Abishai, and they entered the city. So Joab went back to Jerusalem.
16 Afei, Aramfoɔ no hunuu sɛ ɛnyɛ wɔn afɛ ne Israelfoɔ enti, wɔfrɛɛ Aram akodɔm foforɔ firii Asubɔnten Eufrate ho sɛ wɔmmɛboa. Saa akodɔm a wɔhyɛ Sofak a ɔyɛ Hadadeser akodɔm nyinaa sahene ase no baeɛ.
When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers to bring more Arameans from beyond the Euphrates, with Shophach the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee asɛm a asi no, ɔboaboaa Israel nyinaa ano, de wɔn twaa Asubɔnten Yordan, de nʼakodɔm no gyinagyinaa wɔn mpasua so. Afei, ɔne atamfoɔ no de ɔko hyehyɛɛ so, maa wɔko tiaa no.
When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, advanced toward the Arameans, and arrayed for battle against them. When David lined up to engage them in battle, they fought against him.
18 Ɛha nso, Aramfoɔ no dwane firii Israelfoɔ no anim. Saa ɛberɛ yi, Dawid akodɔm no kunkumm nteaseɛnamkafoɔ mpem nson ne anammɔntwa asraadɔm ɔpeduanan a Sofak a ɔyɛ akodɔm no sahene no ka ho.
But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of their army.
19 Hadadeser asomfoɔ hunuu sɛ Israel adi wɔn so nkonim no, wɔmaa wɔn nsa so, maa Dawid faa wɔn sɛ ne nkoa. Ɛno akyi, Aramfoɔ ampɛ sɛ wɔbɛboa Amonfoɔ bio.
When Hadadezer’s subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Arameans were unwilling to help the Ammonites anymore.
