2 Samuel 10
1 Akyire no, Amonhene Nahas wuiɛ. Ne babarima Hanun na ɔdii nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene.
Sometime after this, Nahash, the Ammonite king died and his son Hanun succeeded him.
2 Dawid kaa sɛ, “Mɛyɛ Nahas babarima Hanun adɔeɛ, sɛdeɛ nʼagya yɛɛ me adɔeɛ no.” Nʼagya wuo enti, Dawid tuu abɔfoɔ kɔɔ ne nkyɛn kɔmaa no hyɛden. Ɛberɛ a Dawid abɔfoɔ baa Amonfoɔ asase so no,
David said, “I will be kind to Hanun, son of Nahash, just as his father was kind to me.” So David sent representatives to take his condolences to Hanun regarding his father. But when they arrived in the country of the Ammonites,
3 Amonfoɔ atitire no kɔbisaa wɔn wura Hanun sɛ, “Wogye di sɛ ba a Dawid somaa nʼabɔfoɔ baa wo nkyɛn bɛmaa wo hyɛden no kyerɛ anidie ampa ara anaa? Wonnye nni sɛ Dawid somaa wɔn akwansra so, sɛ wɔmmɛhwɛ wo kuropɔn na wɔabɛtu agu?”
the Ammonite military leaders said to Hanun their king, “Do you really believe David sent condolences to you out of respect for your father? Isn't it more likely that David sent his representatives to scout out the city, spy on it, and then conquer it?”
4 Ɛno enti, Hanun kyeree Dawid abɔfoɔ no, yii obiara abɔgyesɛ fa, twitwaa wɔn ntadeɛ to mfimfini hɔ, tutuu mu, na wɔgyaa wɔn ɛkwan, maa wɔde animguaseɛ kɔeɛ.
So Hanun had David's representatives detained, shaved off half of each man's beard, cut off their clothes at the buttocks, and then sent them back home.
5 Ɛberɛ a wɔbɔɔ Dawid amaneɛ no, ɔtuu abɔfoɔ ma wɔkɔhyiaa mmarima no, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔguu wɔn anim ase yie. Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Montena Yeriko kɔsi sɛ mo abɔgyesɛ bɛfu ansa na moasane aba.”
When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet them, because they were very embarrassed. The king instructed them, “Stay in Jericho until your beards have re-grown, and then you can return.”
6 Ɛberɛ a Amonfoɔ hunuu sɛ wɔahyɛ Dawid abufuo no, wɔkɔbɔɔ Aramfoɔ asraafoɔ ɔpeduonu paa firii Bet-Rehob ne Soba. Saa ara na Maakahene nso maa wɔn mmarima apem firii ne nkyɛn, na Tob nso wɔnyaa mmarima mpem dumienu.
When the Ammonites realized they had become like a bad smell to David, they sent a request to the Arameans and hired twenty thousand of their foot soldiers from Beth Rehob and Zobah, as well as one thousand men from the king of Maakah, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.
7 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee saa asɛm yi no, ɔsomaa Yoab ne nʼakofoɔ sɛ wɔne wɔn nkɔko.
When David learned of this, he sent Joab and the entire army to confront them.
8 Amonfoɔ no gyinaa wɔn kuro no ɛpono ano. Saa ɛberɛ no na Aramfoɔ a wɔfiri Soba ne Rehob ne mmarima a wɔfiri Tob ne Maaka no wɔ mfikyire baabiara retwɛn ɔtamfoɔ no.
The Ammonites set up their battle lines near the entrance to their town gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah took up positions by themselves in the open fields.
9 Ɛberɛ a Yoab hunuu sɛ ɔbɛko akofanu no, ɔyii akodɔm a wɔyɛ nnam. Ɔno ara dii wɔn so safohene, dii wɔn anim, kɔko tiaa Aramfoɔ no wɔ mfikyire hɔ.
Joab realized he would have to fight both in front of him and behind him, he chose some of Israel's best troops and he took charge of them to lead the attack the Arameans.
10 Ɔgyaa akodɔm a wɔaka no maa ne nuabarima Abisai sɛ ɔnkɔto nhyɛ Amonfoɔ no so.
He put the rest of the army under the command of Abishai, his brother. They were to attack the Ammonites.
11 Yoab ka kyerɛɛ ne nuabarima no sɛ, “Sɛ Aramfoɔ no yɛ den dodo ma me a, ɛyɛ a, bɛboa me. Na sɛ Amonfoɔ no nso yɛ den dodo ma wo a, me nso, mɛba abɛboa wo.
Joab told him, “If the Arameans are stronger than me, you come and help me. If the Ammonites are stronger than you, I'll come and help you.
12 Hyɛ wo ho den. Ma yɛmfa akokoɔduru nko nnye yɛn nkurɔfoɔ ne yɛn Onyankopɔn nkuro. Awurade pɛ nyɛ hɔ.”
Be brave, and fight your best for our people and the towns of our God. May the Lord do what he sees as good!”
13 Ɛberɛ a Yoab ne nʼakodɔm to hyɛɛ Aramfoɔ no so no, wɔhyɛɛ aseɛ dwaneeɛ.
Joab attacked the Arameans with his forces and they ran away from him.
14 Na Amonfoɔ no hunuu sɛ Aramfoɔ no redwane no, wɔdwane firii Abisai ho kɔhyɛɛ kuro no mu. Ɔko no guiɛ no, Yoab sane kɔɔ Yerusalem.
When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had run away, they also ran away from Abishai, and retreated into the town. So Joab went back to Jerusalem after fighting the Ammonites.
15 Afei, Aramfoɔ no hunuu sɛ ɛnyɛ wɔn afɛ ne Israelfoɔ. Enti, wɔboaa wɔn ho ano bio no.
As soon as the Arameans saw they had been defeated by the Israelites they reassembled their forces.
16 Aram akodɔm foforɔ bi bɛkaa wɔn ho a Hadadeser na ɔsoma ma wɔkɔfaa wɔn firii Asubɔnten Eufrate fa nohoa baeɛ. Saa akodɔm yi bɛduruu Helam a Sobak na na ɔyɛ wɔn ɔsahene, na ɔyɛ ɔsahene a ɔtua Hadadeser akodɔm nyinaa ano nso.
Hadadezer sent for more Arameans to be brought from beyond the Euphrates River. They arrived in Helam under the leadership of Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army.
17 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee deɛ ɛreba no, ɔboaboaa Israel nyinaa ano, de wɔn twaa Asubɔnten Yordan, dii akodɔm no anim, kɔduruu Helam. Ɛhɔ na Aramfoɔ no fifirii wɔn mpasua so to hyɛɛ Dawid so.
When this was reported to David, he assembled all Israel together. He crossed the Jordan and advanced on Helam. The Arameans positioned themselves in battle line against David and fought him.
18 Nanso, bio, Aramfoɔ no dwane firii Israelfoɔ no anim. Saa ɛberɛ yi, Dawid akodɔm no kunkumm nteaseɛnamkafoɔ ahanson ne apɔnkɔsotefoɔ mpem aduanan a Sobak a na ɔyɛ wɔn sahene no ka ho.
But the Aramean army ran away from the Israelites, and David killed 700 charioteers and 40,000 infantry. He also attacked Shobach, their army commander, and he died there.
19 Hadadeser ne nʼadɔmfoɔ Aramfoɔ hunuu sɛ Israel adi wɔn so nkonim no, wɔmaa wɔn nsa so, na wɔbɛyɛɛ Israelfoɔ nkoa. Ɛno akyi, Aramfoɔ suroo sɛ wɔbɛboa Amonfoɔ.
When all the kings allied with Hadadezer realized that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. As a result, the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites any more.
