2 Samuel 14
1 Na Yoab hunuu sɛ ɔhene pɛ sɛ ɔhunu Absalom.
Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.
2 Enti, ɔsoma ma wɔkɔɔ Tekoa kɔfaa ɔbaa nyansafoɔ bi a wagye edin yie brɛɛ no. Yoab ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hyɛ da yɛ wo ho sɛ wowɔ ayie mu, na fira ayitoma. Nnware anaa mfa aduhwam mpete wo ho nso. Yɛ wo ho sɛ ɔbaa a wadi awerɛhoɔ nna bebree.
So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.
3 Na kɔ ɔhene nkyɛn kɔka asɛm a merebɛka akyerɛ wo yi kyerɛ no.” Na Yoab kaa asɛm a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔbaa no kɔka no kyerɛɛ no.
Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 Na Tekoani baa no duruu ɔhene no anim no, ɔhwee fam de nʼanim butuu fam teaam sɛ, “Ao Nana! Boa me!”
When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”
5 Ɔhene no bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ asɛm bɛn?” Ɔbuaa no sɛ, “Meyɛ okunafoɔ.
“What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
6 Me mma baanu kɔdii ako wɔ akono. Na ɛsiane sɛ na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛpata ɔko no enti, wɔkumm wɔn mu baako.
And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
7 Nanso, abusua no nkaeɛ no bisaa sɛ, ‘Ma yɛn nsa nka wo ba no. Yɛbɛkum no, ɛfiri sɛ, woakum ne nuabarima. Ɔmfata sɛ ɔbɛdi efie agyapadeɛ so.’ Na sɛ meyɛ saa nso a, na menni obiara a waka, na me kunu din ne me fie bɛyera wɔ asase so ha.”
Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”
8 Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Gyae asɛm no ma me. Kɔ efie na mɛhwɛ sɛ obiara remfa ne nsa nka no.”
“Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”
9 Ɔkaa sɛ, “Ao, me wura, meda wo ase. Na sɛ mmoa a woaboa me yi enti, sɛ obi kasa tia wo a, mɛfa ho soboɔ no.”
But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”
10 Ɔhene no kaa sɛ, “Mma yei nha wo. Sɛ nnipa bi mpene a, fa wɔn brɛ me wɔ ha. Na mɛtumi ama wo awerɛhyɛmu sɛ, obiara nwiinwii wɔ ho bio.”
“If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”
11 Afei, ɔbaa no kaa sɛ, “Fa Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, no din ka ntam kyerɛ me sɛ, woremma obiara ntɔ me babarima no so were. Merenhwehwɛ mogyahwieguo bio.” Ɔhene no nso kaa sɛ, “Mmerɛ dodoɔ a Awurade te ase yi, wo ba no tirinwi a ɛwɔ ne tiri so mu baako mpo ho renka.”
“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
12 Afei, ɔbaa no kaa sɛ, “Ma wo ɔsomfoɔ nka biribi nkyerɛ me wura ɔhene.” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Kɔ so kasa.”
Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.
13 Ɔbaa no bisaa sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wonyɛ mma Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔahyɛ bɔ sɛ wobɛyɛ ama me no. Woabu wo ho fɔ sɛ woasi saa gyinaeɛ yi. Wompɛ sɛ woma wʼankasa wo ba a wɔatwa no asuo no ba efie.
The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?
14 Sɛ ɛkɔsi sɛn ara, obiara bɛwu. Na sɛdeɛ nsuo hwie gu fam a wosesa a ɛnyɛ yie no, saa ara na nkwa teɛ. Ɛno enti na Onyankopɔn sane de yɛn ba ne nkyɛn ɛberɛ a yɛate yɛn ho afiri ne ho no. Wɔn a ɔhwɛ wɔn no, ɔmma wɔnnhwere wɔn kra; enti wo nso, ɛnsɛ sɛ woyɛ saa.
For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.
15 “Na maba sɛ merebɛdi ama me babarima, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde owuo hunahuna me ne me ba no. Meka kyerɛɛ me ho sɛ, ‘Ebia, ɔhene bɛtie me,
Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.
16 na wagye yɛn afiri wɔn a wɔbɛtwa yɛn afiri Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ ho no nsam.’
For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’
17 “Aane, ɔhene no bɛma yɛn asomdwoeɛ bio. ‘Menim sɛ wote sɛ Onyankopɔn ɔbɔfoɔ a wobɛtumi ahunu papa ne bɔne ntam nsonsonoeɛ. Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, nka wo ho.’”
And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”
18 Ɔhene bisaa sɛ, “Mepɛ sɛ mehunu adeɛ baako.” Ɔbaa no kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ ɛdeɛn, me wura?”
Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.
19 Na ɔhene no bisaa sɛ, “Yoab na ɔsomaa wo ha anaa?” Ɔbaa no buaa sɛ, “Me wura, Daasebrɛ, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matwa yei ho atorɔ? Obiara ntumi mfa biribiara nhinta wo. Ɛyɛ nokorɛ sɛ Yoab na ɔsomaa me, na ɔkyerɛɛ me asɛm a menka.
So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.
20 Ɔyɛɛ saa, sɛdeɛ mɛfa ɛkwan foforɔ so de saa asɛm yi ato wʼanim. Na wo nso, wonim nyansa te sɛ Onyankopɔn ɔbɔfoɔ, na biribiara a ɛsi yɛn ntam ha no nso, wote aseɛ.”
Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”
21 Enti, ɔhene no soma ma wɔkɔfaa Yoab baeɛ, na ɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, kɔ na kɔfa aberanteɛ Absalom bra.”
Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Yoab hwee ɔhene no nan ase, hyiraa no sɛ, “Ne korakora mu no, woapene me so, na woayɛ mʼabisadeɛ ama me.”
Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”
23 Na Yoab kɔɔ Gesur kɔfaa Absalom baa Yerusalem.
So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 Nanso, ɔhene maa ahyɛdeɛ yi sɛ, “Absalom tumi kɔ ɔno ankasa ne fie, nanso ɔnhwɛ na wamma mʼanim ha.” Enti, Absalom anhunu ɔhene no.
But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.
25 Israel nyinaa, na obiara nni hɔ a ne ho yɛ fɛ, te sɛ Absalom. Ɛfiri ne tiri so kɔsi ne nan ase, na wohunu sɛ ɔyɛ ɔbarima ankasa.
Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.
26 Afe biara, na ɔyi ne ti pɛnkorɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, ne nwi no yɛ adesoa ma no. Na sɛ ɔyi na ɔkari a, na ɛyɛ kilogram mmienu ne fa.
And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.
27 Na ɔwɔ mmammarima baasa ne ɔbabaa baako. Na ne babaa no din de Tamar. Na Tamar nso kura ahoɔfɛ a ɛmma ɔka.
Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.
28 Absalom tenaa Yerusalem mfeɛ mmienu a wanhunu ɔhene no da.
Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.
29 Afei, Absalom soma kɔfrɛɛ Yoab sɛ ɔnkɔka bi mma no, nanso Yoab ankɔ. Absalom somaa ne mprenu so, nanso Yoab ankɔ.
Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still would not come.
30 Ɛno enti, Absalom ka kyerɛɛ nʼasomfoɔ sɛ, “Monkɔ na momfa ogya nkɔto Yoab atokoɔ afuo a ɛbɛn me deɛ no ho mu.” Na wɔde ogya kɔtoo afuo no mu, sɛdeɛ Absalom hyɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ no.
Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31 Na Yoab baa Absalom nkyɛn bɛbisaa no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wʼasomfoɔ akɔto mʼafuo mu ogya?”
Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
32 Na Absalom buaa no sɛ, “Ɛfiri sɛ, na mepɛ sɛ wokɔbisa ɔhene ma me sɛ, adɛn enti na ɔmaa me sane firi Gesur baeɛ, nanso ɔmpɛ sɛ ɔhunu mʼanim koraa? Ɛnneɛ, sɛ anka metenaa me dada mu hɔ ara a, anka ɛyɛ. Ma menhunu ɔhene no, na sɛ medi fɔ wɔ biribi ho a, ɔtumi kum me.”
“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”
33 Enti, Yoab kaa asɛm a Absalom aka akyerɛ no no kyerɛɛ ɔhene no. Afei, Dawid frɛɛ ne ba a wate ne ho no, ma ɔbaa nʼanim. Absalom bɛduruu ɔhene no anim no, ɔbɔɔ ne mu ase, na Dawid fee nʼano.
So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.
