2 Samuel 15
1 Yei akyi no, Absalom tɔɔ teaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔ, na ɔbɔɔ mmarima aduonum paa sɛ wɔbɛdi nʼanim.
Some time later, Absalom provided for himself a chariot with horses and fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 Adekyeɛ biara, ɔsɔre ntɛm na wakɔtena kuropɔn no ɛpono ano. Na sɛ nnipa bi de asɛm bɛto ɔhene no anim sɛ ɔmmu ho atɛn a, Absalom bɛbisa faako a wɔfirie, na wɔakyerɛ abusuakuo a wɔfiri mu.
He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out and ask, “What city are you from?” And if he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”
3 Na Absalom bɛka sɛ, “Wʼasɛm yɛ dɛ deɛ, nanso ɔhene nni obiara a ɔbɛtie.
Absalom would say, “Look, your claims are good and right, but the king has no deputy to hear you.”
4 Sɛ meyɛ ɔtemmufoɔ anka mepɛ. Anka nnipa de wɔn nsɛm bɛba mʼanim, na mabu wɔn atɛn.”
And he would add, “If only someone would appoint me judge in the land, then everyone with a grievance or dispute could come to me, and I would give him justice.”
5 Sɛ nnipa pɛ sɛ wɔkoto no a, Absalom mma wɔn nyɛ saa na mmom ɔsɔ wɔn nsa, yɛ wɔn atuu.
Also, when anyone approached to bow down to him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him, and kiss him.
6 Absalom yɛɛ saa de nyaa Israelfoɔ no nyinaa wɔ nʼafa.
Absalom did this to all the Israelites who came to the king for justice. In this way he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 Mfirinhyia ɛnan akyi, Absalom ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no sɛ, “Ma menkɔ Hebron na menkɔbɔ afɔdeɛ mma Awurade sɛdeɛ mahyɛ no bɔ no.
After four years had passed, Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go to Hebron to fulfill a vow I have made to the LORD.
8 Ɛberɛ a na mewɔ Gesur no na mehyɛɛ saa bɔ no sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade de me sane ba Yerusalem a, mɛbɔ afɔdeɛ ama no wɔ Hebron.’”
For your servant made a vow while dwelling in Geshur of Aram, saying: ‘If indeed the LORD brings me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the LORD in Hebron.’”
9 Ɔhene no kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, kɔ na kɔdi wo bɔhyɛ so.” Enti, Absalom kɔɔ Hebron.
“Go in peace,” said the king. So Absalom got up and went to Hebron.
10 Ɛberɛ a ɔwɔ hɔ no, ɔfaa sum ase somaa abɔfoɔ kɔɔ Israel afanan nyinaa kɔhwanyanee ɔmanfoɔ de tiaa ɔhene no. Ne nkra ne sɛ, “Sɛ mote totorobɛnto nne pɛ a, monka sɛ, ‘Absalom adi ɔhene wɔ Hebron.’”
Then Absalom sent spies throughout the tribes of Israel with this message: “When you hear the sound of the horn, you are to say, ‘Absalom reigns in Hebron!’”
11 Absalom faa mmarima ahanu firii Yerusalem kaa ne ho a na wɔnnim Absalom nsusuiɛ yi ho hwee.
Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.
12 Ɛberɛ a Absalom rebɔ afɔdeɛ no, ɔsoma ma wɔkɔfaa Giloni Ahitofel a na ɔyɛ Dawid fotufoɔ firi ne kurom Gilo baeɛ. Ankyɛre nnipa bebree no ara bɛkaa Absalom ho, na atirisopam no mu yɛɛ den.
While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come from his hometown of Giloh. So the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept increasing.
13 Ankyɛre, ɔbɔfoɔ bi baa Yerusalem bɛka kyerɛɛ ɔhene Dawid sɛ, “Israel nyinaa atu di Absalom akyi sɛ wɔayɛ dɔm atia wo.”
Then a messenger came to David and reported, “The hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”
14 Ɛhɔ ara, Dawid ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima sɛ, “Monyɛ no ntɛm na yɛnnwane mfiri ha, ansa na waduru ha, sɛdeɛ amanehunu bɛpare yɛn ne Yerusalem kuro mu no nyinaa.”
And David said to all the servants with him in Jerusalem, “Arise and let us flee, or we will not escape from Absalom! We must leave quickly, or he will soon overtake us, heap disaster on us, and put the city to the sword.”
15 Nʼafotufoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Yɛgyina wʼakyi. Biribiara a wogye di sɛ ɛyɛ no, yɛ.”
The king’s servants replied, “Whatever our lord the king decides, we are your servants.”
16 Enti, ɔhene no ne ne fiefoɔ sii so kɔɔ prɛko pɛ a wannya biribiara wɔ akyire sɛ ne mpenafoɔ edu bi a wɔbɛhwɛ nʼahemfie no so.
Then the king set out, and his entire household followed him. But he left behind ten concubines to take care of the palace.
17 Ɔhene no ne ne nkurɔfoɔ no faa fam, na wɔfaa kuropɔn no fa bi,
So the king set out with all the people following him. He stopped at the last house,
18 maa Dawid akodɔm no bɛtwaa wɔn ho dii wɔn anim. Nnipa a wɔkaa Dawid ho kɔeɛ no yɛ Gitifoɔ ahansia a wɔfiri Gat a ne banbɔfoɔ nso ka ho.
and all his servants marched past him—all the Cherethites and Pelethites, and six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath.
19 Na ɔhene no bisaa Gatni Itai a ɔyɛ ɔsafohene no sɛ, “Adɛn enti na woka yɛn ho rekɔ? Sane kɔka wo nkurɔfoɔ ho, na monkɔ ɔhene Absalom nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ, woyɛ ɔhɔhoɔ wɔ Israel ne ɔmamfrani a wɔatwa wo asuo.
Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you also go with us? Go back and stay with the new king, since you are both a foreigner and an exile from your homeland.
20 Woduruu ha nnora nko ara. Na ɛsɛ sɛ mehyɛ wo na wo ne yɛn kyini anaa? Me mpo, mennim baabi a yɛbɛkorɔ. Sane wʼakyi na kɔfa wʼakodɔm ka wo ho, na Awurade nkyerɛ wo ne dɔ ne ne nokorɛ.”
In fact, you arrived only yesterday; should I make you wander around with us today while I do not know where I am going? Go back and take your brothers with you. May the LORD show you loving devotion and faithfulness.”
21 Nanso, Itai ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no sɛ, “Mede Awurade din ne wo ara wo nkwa ka ntam sɛ, baabiara a wobɛkɔ no, mɛkɔ bi a deɛ ɛbɛsi biara mfa me ho, sɛ ɛyɛ nkwa anaa owuo.”
But Ittai answered the king, “As surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be!”
22 Dawid buaa no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, ka yɛn ho.” Ɛno enti, Itai ne ne mmarima ahansia ne wɔn fiefoɔ kaa wɔn ho kɔeɛ.
“March on then,” said David to Ittai. So Ittai the Gittite marched past with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
23 Awerɛhoɔ kɛseɛ sii asase no so, ɛberɛ a ɔhene ne nʼakyidifoɔ resene korɔ no. Wɔtwaa Kidron bɔnhwa no de wɔn ani kyerɛɛ ɛserɛ so.
Everyone in the countryside was weeping loudly as all the people passed by. And as the king crossed the Kidron Valley, all the people also passed toward the way of the wilderness.
24 Abiatar ne Sadok ne Lewifoɔ no faa Apam Adaka no, na wɔde sii kwankyɛn. Na wɔbɔɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ hɔ kɔsii sɛ obiara seneeɛ.
Zadok was also there, and all the Levites with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until the people had passed out of the city.
25 Na ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Sadok sɛ, “Sane fa Onyankopɔn Adaka no kɔ kuropɔn no mu. Sɛ menya Awurade anim adom a, ɔbɛsane de me aba ama mahunu Adaka no ne ne ntomadan no bio.
Then the king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and let me see both it and His dwelling place again.
26 Nanso, sɛ ɔne me awie a, ma ɔnyɛ deɛ ɛyɛ ma no.”
But if He should say, ‘I do not delight in you,’ then here I am; let Him do to me whatever seems good to Him.”
27 Na ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Sadok sɛ, “Me nhyehyɛeɛ nie: Wo ne Abiatar nyɛ kodɛɛ nsane nkɔ kuropɔn no mu a wo babarima Ahimaas ne Yonatan a ɔyɛ Abiatar babarima ka ho.
The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Return to the city in peace—you with your son Ahimaaz, and Abiathar with his son Jonathan.
28 Mɛtwɛn wɔ faako a wɔtwa Asubɔnten Yordan kɔ ɛserɛ no so hɔ kɔsi sɛ mɛte mo nkra. Momma mente asɛm a ɛbɛsi Yerusalem, ansa na makɔ ɛserɛ so.”
See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”
29 Enti, Sadok ne Abiatar faa Onyankopɔn Adaka no de sane kɔɔ Yerusalem, na wɔtenaa hɔ.
So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 Dawid faa ɛkwan a ɛkɔ Ngo Bepɔ so no so a, ɔrekɔ no nyinaa, na ɔretwa adwo. Na wakata ne tiri so, ɛnna ne nan sisi fam saa ara a ɛkyerɛ awerɛhoɔdie. Na nnipa a wɔka ne ho no nso katakataa wɔn tiri so, twaa adwo ɛberɛ a wɔgu so reforo bepɔ no.
But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went up. His head was covered, and he was walking barefoot. And all the people with him covered their heads and went up, weeping as they went.
31 Ɛberɛ a obi ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, afei deɛ ne ɔfotufoɔ Ahitofel taa Absalom akyi no, Dawid bɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ, “Ao Awurade, ma Ahitofel ntu Absalom ɛfo bɔne!”
Now someone told David: “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” So David pleaded, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness!”
32 Wɔduruu Ngo Bepɔ no atifi baabi a nnipa som Onyankopɔn no, Dawid hunuu Husai a ɔfiri Arki a ɔretwɛn no. Na Husai asunsuane nʼatadeɛ mu, de dɔteɛ afɔre ne tirim, de kyerɛ awerɛhoɔdie.
When David came to the summit, where he used to worship God, Hushai the Archite was there to meet him with his robe torn and dust on his head.
33 Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɛ wo ne me kɔ a, wobɛyɛ adesoa ama me.
David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me.
34 Sane kɔ Yerusalem, na ka kyerɛ Absalom sɛ, ‘Afei, mɛyɛ wo fotufoɔ sɛdeɛ da bi hɔ no na meyɛ wʼagya fotufoɔ no.’ Ɛba saa a, wobɛtumi atia Ahitofel afotuo mu, asɛe no.
But you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me if you return to the city and say to Absalom: ‘I will be your servant, my king; in the past I was your father’s servant, but now I will be your servant.’
35 Asɔfoɔ Sadok ne Abiatar wɔ hɔ. Ka adwene a wɔafa wɔ me ho, pɛ sɛ wɔkyere me no kyerɛ wɔn,
Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? Report to them everything you hear from the king’s palace.
36 na wɔbɛsoma wɔn mmammarima Ahimaas ne Yonatan na wɔabɛhwehwɛ me, aka deɛ ɛrekɔ so akyerɛ me.”
Indeed, their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with everything you hear.”
37 Enti, Dawid adamfo Husai sane kɔɔ Yerusalem, kɔduruu hɔ berɛ korɔ no a Absalom nso duruu hɔ no mu.
So David’s friend Hushai arrived in Jerusalem just as Absalom was entering the city.
