1 Ahemfo 2
1 Dawid rebɛwuo no, ɔde adwuma hyɛɛ Salomo nsa sɛ:
As the day of David's death approached, he commanded Solomon his son, saying,
2 “Merekɔ baabi a ɛsɛ sɛ da bi ɔteasefoɔ biara kɔ, enti yɛ den na kyerɛ wo mmaninyɛ,
“I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.
3 na yɛ deɛ Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, hwehwɛ sɛ woyɛ, nante nʼakwan mu, na di ne mmara ne nʼahyɛdeɛ so sɛdeɛ wɔatwerɛ wɔ Mose mmara no mu no, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wobɛkɔ so wɔ biribiara a wobɛyɛ mu ne baabiara a wobɛkɔ nso.
Keep the commands of Yahweh your God to walk in his ways, to obey his statutes, his commandments, his decisions, and his covenant decrees, being careful to do what is written in the law of Moses, so you may prosper in all you do, wherever you go,
4 Sɛ woyɛ yei a na Awurade bɛdi ne bɔ a ɔhyɛɛ me no so sɛ, ‘Sɛ wʼasefoɔ hwɛ wɔn asetena, na wɔfiri wɔn akoma ne wɔn kra nyinaa mu nante nokorɛ mu wɔ mʼanim a, wɔn mu baako bɛtena Israel ahennwa no so.’
so that Yahweh may fulfill his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons carefully watch their conduct, to walk before me faithfully with all their heart and with all their soul, you will never cease to have a man on the throne of Israel.'
5 “Wonim sɛ Seruia babarima Yoab kumm mʼakodɔm asahene baanu no a ɛyɛ Ner babarima Abner ne Yeter babarima Amasa no. Ɔkunkumm wɔn, hwiee wɔn mogya guiɛ asomdwoeɛ berɛ mu a ɛnyɛ ɔko berɛ mu, na ɔde wɔn mogya kekaa nʼabɔwomu a ɛbɔ nʼasene mu ne ne mpaboa a ɛhyɛ ne nan so.
You know also what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether, whom he killed. He shed the blood of war in peace and put the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the shoes on his feet.
Deal with Joab by the wisdom you have learned, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. (Sheol h7585)
7 “Na yɛ Barsilai a ɔfiri Gilead no mmammarima adɔeɛ, na ma wɔnka wɔn a wɔdidi wɔ wo didipono so no ho. Ɛberɛ a medwane firii wo nuabarima Absalom ho no, wɔyɛɛ me adɔeɛ.
However, show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
8 “Kae Gera Benyaminni a ɔfiri Bahurim no babarima Simei. Ɔdomee me dendeenden, da a meredwane akɔ Mahanaim no. Na ɔbɛhyiaa me wɔ Yordan no, mede Awurade edin kaa ntam sɛ, Merenkum no.
Look, there is with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim. Shimei came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by Yahweh, saying, 'I will not put you to death with the sword.'
9 Nanso, ntam no mma ɔnni bem. Woyɛ ɔnyansafoɔ na wobɛhunu ɛkwan a wobɛfa so aka ne mogya agu.” (Sheol h7585)
Now therefore do not let him go free from punishment. You are a wise man, and you will know what you ought to do to him. You will bring his gray head down to the grave with blood.” (Sheol h7585)
10 Na Dawid wuiɛ, na wɔsiee no wɔ Dawid kurom.
Then David slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David.
11 Ɔdii ɔhene wɔ Israel mfeɛ aduanan a ne nkyerɛmu ne sɛ, ɔdii Hebron so mfeɛ nson ɛnna Yerusalem nso, ɔdii adeɛ mfeɛ aduasa mmiɛnsa.
The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. He had reigned for seven years in Hebron and for thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
12 Enti, Salomo tenaa nʼagya Dawid ahennwa so, na nʼadedie ase timiiɛ yie.
Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.
13 Na Hagit babarima Adoniya kɔɔ Salomo ne maame Batseba nkyɛn. Batseba bisaa no sɛ, “Wobaa no asomdwoeɛ so anaa?” Ɔbuaa no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ asomdwoeɛ so.”
Then Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. She said, “Do you come peacefully?” He replied, “Peacefully.”
14 Na ɔka kaa ho sɛ, “Mepɛ sɛ woyɛ me adɔeɛ bi.” Na Batseba bisaa sɛ, “Adɔeɛ bɛn.”
Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” So she replied, “Speak.”
15 Adoniya kaa sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ wonim no, na ahemman no yɛ me dea. Na Israel nyinaa hwɛ me kwan sɛ wɔn ɔhene. Nanso, nneɛma sesaeɛ, na ahemman no kɔɔ me nuabarima nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade pɛ no saa.
Adonijah said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel expected me to be king. But things changed, and the kingdom was given to my brother, for it was his from Yahweh.
16 Seesei, adeɛ baako na mepɛ sɛ mebisa wo. Mfa nkame me.” Ɔkaa sɛ, “Wotumi bisa me.”
Now I have one request of you, and do not turn away from my face.” Bathsheba said to him, “Speak.”
17 Na ɔtoaa so sɛ, “Kɔbisa ɔhene Salomo ma me, na ɔremfa dekodeɛ no nkame wo. Bisa no na ɔmfa Abisag Sunamni no mma me sɛ me yere.”
He said, “Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not turn away from your face, so that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”
18 Na Batseba buaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, mɛka ho asɛm akyerɛ ɔhene ama wo.”
Bathsheba said, “Very well, I will speak to the king.”
19 Enti Batseba kɔɔ ɔhene Salomo nkyɛn sɛ ɔrekɔkasa ama Adoniya. Ɔhene no sɔree sɛ ɔrebɛhyia no, bɔɔ ne mu ase ansa na ɔretena nʼahennwa so. Na ɔhyɛɛ sɛ wɔmfa adwa mmrɛ ɔhene maame, na ɔtenaa ɔhene nifa so.
Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. The king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne and had a throne brought for the king's mother. She sat at his right hand.
20 Ɔka kyerɛɛ ɔhene sɛ, “Mewɔ adeɛ ketewaa bi bisa wo, na mfa nkame me.” Ɔhene no buaa no sɛ, “Bisa me, me maame. Meyɛ ama wo.”
Then she said, “I wish to ask one small request of you, for you will not turn away from my face.” The king answered her, “Ask, my mother, for I will not turn away from your face.”
21 Enti, ɔkaa sɛ, “Ma wɔmfa Sunamni Abisag mma wo nuabarima Adoniya awadeɛ.”
She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.”
22 Ɔhene Salomo bisaa ne maame sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wopɛ sɛ Adoniya ware Sunamni Abisag? Ɛnneɛ, sɛ wobɛbisa ahemman nso ama no. Wonim sɛ ɔyɛ me nua panin na ɔsɔfoɔ Abiatar ne Seruia babarima Yoab nso boa no!”
King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Why do you not ask the kingdom for him also, for he is my elder brother—for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah?”
23 Na ɔhene Salomo de Awurade edin kaa ntam sɛ, “Sɛ Adoniya amfa ne nkwa antwa saa abisadeɛ yi so a, Onyankopɔn ne me nni no denden so pa ara.
Then King Solomon swore by Yahweh, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life.
24 Na seesei deɛ, mmerɛ dodoɔ a Awurade te ase yi, ɔno a watim mʼase wɔ mʼagya Dawid ahennwa so, na wabɔ me fie ahennie mu nnidisoɔ atenaseɛ ama me, sɛdeɛ ɔhyɛɛ me bɔ no, Adoniya deɛ, twa ara na ɛtwa sɛ ɔwu ɛnnɛ yi ara.”
Now therefore as Yahweh lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house as he promised, surely Adonijah will be put to death today.”
25 Enti, Salomo hyɛɛ Yehoiada babarima Benaia sɛ ɔnkum no, na ɔkumm Adoniya.
So King Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Benaiah found Adonijah and put him to death.
26 Na ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Abiatar sɛ, “Sane kɔ wo kurom Anatot. Wofata sɛ wowuo, nanso merenku wo seesei, ɛfiri sɛ, wosoaa Awurade Otumfoɔ Adaka no maa mʼagya, na wo ne no nyinaa na mohunuu amane wɔ nʼabɛbrɛsɛ nyinaa mu.”
Then to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields. You are worthy of death, but I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord Yahweh before David my father and suffered in every way my father suffered.”
27 Enti, Salomo worɔɔ Abiatar atadeɛ sɛ ɔsɔfoɔ, nam so dii mmara a Awurade hyɛɛ wɔ Silo fa Eli asefoɔ ho no so.
So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to Yahweh, that he might fulfill the word of Yahweh, which he had spoken concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.
28 Ɛwom, ahyɛaseɛ no na ɔnni Absalom akyi, nanso Yoab de ne ho kɔdɔm Adoniya adɔnyɛ no. Ɛberɛ a Yoab tee Adoniya wuo no, ɔtuu mmirika kɔɔ Awurade ntomadan kronkron no mu, na ɔkɔsosɔɔ mmɛn a ɛtuatua afɔrebukyia no ho no mu.
The news came to Joab, for Joab had supported Adonijah, though he had not supported Absalom. So Joab fled to the tent of Yahweh and took hold of the horns of the altar.
29 Ɛberɛ a ɔhene Salomo tee asɛm yi, ɔsomaa Yehoiada babarima Benaia sɛ ɔnkɔkum no.
It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of Yahweh and was now beside the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, execute him.”
30 Na Benaia kɔɔ Awurade ntomadan kronkron no mu kɔka kyerɛɛ Yoab sɛ, “Ɔhene se firi adi.” Nanso, Yoab buaa sɛ, “Dabi, mɛwu wɔ ha.” Enti, Benaia sane kɔɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn kɔkaa asɛm a Yoab aka no kyerɛɛ no.
So Benaiah came to the tent of Yahweh and said to him, “The king says, 'Come out.'” Joab replied, “No, I will die here.” So Benaiah returned to the king, saying, “Joab said he wanted to die at the altar.”
31 Ɔhene no tee asɛm a Yoab kaeɛ no, ɔka kyerɛɛ Benaia sɛ, “Yɛ deɛ ɔkaeɛ no. Ku no wɔ afɔrebukyia no ho, na sie no. Yei bɛyi adwenemherɛ mogyahwieguo ho afɔdie afiri me ne mʼagya fiefoɔ so.
The king said to him, “Do as he has said. Kill him and bury him so that you may take away from me and from my father's house the blood that Joab shed without cause.
32 Na Awurade bɛtua no kum a ɔkumm mmarima ateneneefoɔ amapa baanu a na wɔyɛ sene no no so ka. Na mʼagya nnim Ner babarima Abner a na ɔyɛ Israel akodɔm sahene ne Yeter babarima Amasa a na ɔno nso yɛ Yuda akodɔm sahene no wuo ho hwee.
May Yahweh return his blood on his own head, because he attacked two men more righteous and better than himself and killed them with the sword, Abner son of Ner, the captain of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, the captain of the army of Judah, without my father David knowing it.
33 Yoab ne nʼasefoɔ deɛ, saa awudie ahodoɔ yi ho afɔdie ntena wɔn so, na Awurade mma Dawid ne nʼasefoɔ ne nʼahennwa asomdwoeɛ afebɔɔ!”
So may their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever. But to David and his descendants, and to his house, and to his throne, may there be peace forever from Yahweh.”
34 Enti, Yehoiada babarima Benaia sane kɔɔ ntomadan kronkron no mu, kɔkumm Yoab, na wɔsiee Yoab wɔ ne kurom wiram baabi.
Then Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and attacked Joab and killed him. He was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
35 Na ɔhene no yii Yehoiada babarima Benaia sɛ ɔnsi Yoab anan sɛ ɔsafohene. Na ɔyii ɔsɔfoɔ Sadok de no sii Abiatar anan.
The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in his place, and he put Zadok the priest in Abiathar's place.
36 Ɔhene no soma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ Simei ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Si efie wɔ Yerusalem ha na tena mu. Nanso, mfiri kuro no mu nkɔ baabiara.
Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there to any other place.
37 Na da a wobɛtwa Kidron bɔnhwa no, wobɛwu; na wo mogya bɛgu wʼankasa wo tiri so.”
For on the day you go out, and pass over the Kidron Valley, know you for certain that you will surely die. Your blood will be on your own head.”
38 Na Simei buaa sɛ, “Wʼatemmuo no yɛ kronn. Biribiara a me wura ɔhene bɛhyɛ sɛ menyɛ no, mɛyɛ.” Enti, Simei tenaa Yerusalem kyɛree yie.
So Shimei said to the king, “What you say is good. As my master the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for many days.
39 Na mfeɛ mmiɛnsa akyi no, Simei asomfoɔ baanu dwane kɔɔ Gathene Akis, Maaka babarima nkyɛn. Ɛberɛ a Simei hunuu baabi a wɔwɔ no,
But at the end of three years, two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah, the king of Gath. So they told Shimei, saying, “See, your servants are in Gath.”
40 ɔhyehyɛɛ nʼafunumu, kɔɔ Gat, kɔhwehwɛɛ wɔn. Ɔhunuu wɔn no, ɔde wɔn sane baa Yerusalem.
Then Shimei arose, saddled his donkey and went to Achish in Gath to seek his servants. He went and brought his servants back from Gath.
41 Salomo tee sɛ Simei afiri Yerusalem akɔ Gat asane aba.
When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,
42 Enti, wɔsoma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ Simei baeɛ, na ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Mamma woanka ntam Awurade edin mu sɛ, worenkɔ baabiara, na sɛ anyɛ saa a, wobɛwu? Na wobuaa sɛ, ‘Atemmuo no yɛ kronkron; na mɛdi asɛm a woaka no so.’
the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by Yahweh and testify to you, saying, 'Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any other place, you will surely die'? Then you said to me, 'What you say is good.'
43 Na adɛn enti na woanni wo ntanka no so amma Awurade, na woantie me nhyɛ?”
Why then have you not kept your oath to Yahweh and the command that I gave you?”
44 Na ɔhene no ka kaa ho sɛ, “Akyinnyeɛ biara nni ho sɛ wokae amumuyɛ a woyɛɛ mʼagya, ɔhene Dawid. Awurade bɛtwe wʼaso wɔ ho.
The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wickedness that you did to my father David. Therefore Yahweh will return your wickedness on your own head.
45 Na medeɛ, mɛnya Awurade nhyira, na daa Dawid aseni atena ahennwa no so.”
But King Solomon will be blessed and the throne of David will be established before Yahweh forever.”
46 Na ɔhene no nhyɛ so, Yehoiada babarima Benaia faa Simei de no firii adi kɔkumm no. Enti ahemman no timiiɛ wɔ Salomo nsam.
Then the king gave a command to Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He went out and put Shimei to death. So the rule was well established in Solomon's hand.
