< 2 Samuel 11 >
1 Osutɔberɛ a ɛdi soɔ no mu, ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ sɛ ahemfo kɔ ɔsa no, Dawid somaa Yoab ne Israel akodɔm nyinaa sɛ wɔnkɔsɛe Amonfoɔ. Wɔkɔtuaa kuropɔn Raba, na Dawid deɛ, ɔkaa Yerusalem.
In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.
2 Ɛda bi anwummerɛ a Dawid ayi nʼani so kakra no, ɔsɔre firii ne mpa so nante faa nʼahemfie no atifi. Ɔgyina hɔ no, ɔhunuu ɔbaa bi sɛ ɔredware. Na ɔbaa no ho yɛ fɛ yie,
One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
3 na Dawid somaa obi sɛ ɔnkɔbisa ne ho nsɛm. Ɔbarima no bɛkaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ Eliam babaa Batseba, a ɔyɛ Hetini Uria yere.”
So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 Na Dawid tuu abɔfoɔ sɛ wɔnkɔfrɛ no mmrɛ no. Ɔbaa Dawid nkyɛn. Dawid ne no daeɛ. (Ɔdwiraa ne ho firii ne nsabuo mu no, na ɛnkyɛreɛ.) Afei, ɔsane kɔɔ efie.
Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.
5 Ɛberɛ a Batseba hunuu sɛ wanyinsɛn no, ɔsoma maa wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ Dawid.
And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 Enti, Dawid soma kɔɔ Yoab nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Fa Hetini Uria brɛ me.”
At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
7 Ɛberɛ a Uria duruu Dawid nkyɛn no, ɔbisaa gyinaberɛ a Yoab ne akodɔm no wɔ mu ne sɛdeɛ ɔko no rekɔ so.
When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing with the war.
8 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ Uria sɛ, “Kɔ efie na kɔhome.” Na mpo, Uria firii ahemfie hɔ no, Dawid soma maa wɔde akyɛdeɛ bi kɔmaa no.
Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.
9 Nanso, Uria ankɔ fie. Ɔne ɔhene asomfoɔ no bi tenaa ahemfie ɛpono no ano.
But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
10 Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee deɛ Uria ayɛ no, ɔfrɛɛ no bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na ɛha wo? Wofirii fie akyɛre na adɛn na woankɔ hɔ ɛnnora anadwo?”
And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?”
11 Uria buaa sɛ, “Apam Adaka no ne Israel akodɔm ne Yuda tete ntomadan mu, ɛnna Yoab nso ne ne mpanimfoɔ abɔ atenaeɛ wɔ wiram baabi petee mu. Na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi akɔ efie akɔnom nsã, adidi na me ne me yere akɔda? Meka ntam sɛ merenyɛ yei na madi ho fɔ.”
Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”
12 Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, tena ha anadwo yi, na ɔkyena wobɛkɔ akodɔm no mu.” Enti, Uria tenaa Yerusalem ɛda no ne nʼadekyeeɛ.
“Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 Na Dawid frɛɛ no anadwoduane apontoɔ, na ɔmaa no nsã ma ɔboroeɛ. Na ɛno mpo, Uria ankɔ efie ankɔhunu ne yere. Ɔdaa ahemfie no ɛkwan ano bio.
Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.
14 Adeɛ kyee anɔpa no, Dawid twerɛɛ krataa maa Uria sɛ ɔmfa nkɔma Yoab.
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
15 Krataa no mu nsɛm kyerɛɛ Yoab sɛ, “Ma Uria nkɔ akono baabi a ɔko no ano yɛ den pa ara. Wo deɛ, sane wʼakyi, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔbɛkum no.”
In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
16 Enti, Yoab maa Uria kɔgyinaa baabi a ɛbɛn kuro no fasuo, a ɛhɔ na ɔnim sɛ atamfoɔ no mmarima a wɔyɛ den no reko.
So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers.
17 Ɛhɔ na wɔkumm Hetini Uria ne Israel asraafoɔ no bebree.
And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of David’s servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18 Na Yoab de ɔsa mu amaneɛ kɔbɔɔ Dawid.
Joab sent to David a full account of the battle
19 Ɔka kyerɛɛ nʼabɔfoɔ no sɛ, “Monka ɔsa mu nsɛm no nyinaa nkyerɛ ɔhene.
and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,
20 Nanso, ebia ne bo bɛfu, ama wabisa sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na akodɔm no kɔbɛn kuro no pɛɛ saa? Na wɔnnim sɛ wɔbɛto agyan afiri afasuo no mu?
if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?
21 Ɔbaabasia anto ayuyammoɔ ammɔ Gideon babarima Abimelek wɔ Tebes ankum no?’ Afei, monka nkyerɛ no sɛ, wɔakum Hetini Uria nso.”
Who was the one to strike Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
22 Enti, abɔfoɔ no kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔbɔɔ ɔsa no mu amaneɛ kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛdeɛ Yoab somaa no sɛ ɔnkɔka.
So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.
23 Abɔfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Mmarima no bu faa yɛn so, na wɔtiaa yɛn petee mu deɛ, nanso yɛpiaa wɔn kɔɔ kuro no ɛpono ano.
The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.
24 Ɛhɔ na agyantofoɔ too wʼasomfoɔ firii ɔfasuo ho, maa ɔhene mmarima no bi wuwuiɛ. Na wo ɔsomfoɔ Hetini Uria nso awu.”
Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.”
25 Dawid ka kyerɛɛ abɔfoɔ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, Monka nkyerɛ Yoab sɛ ɔmmma nʼaba mu mmu, na ɔko mu deɛ obiara tumi wu. Monyere mo ho nko ɔkoden na monni kuropɔn no so nkonim.”
Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”
26 Ɛberɛ a Batseba tee sɛ ne kunu awuo no, ɔsuu no.
When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
27 Na osu no akyi no, Dawid soma ma wɔkɔfaa no baa ne fie. Ɔbɛyɛɛ ne yere, na ɔwoo ɔbabarima. Na deɛ Dawid yɛeɛ no ansɔ Awurade ani.
And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.