2 Samuel 17

1 Ahitofel ka kyerɛɛ Absalom sɛ, “Mɛyi akodɔm mpem dumienu, na mafiri ha anadwo yi akɔtaa Dawid so.

And Achitophel said to Absalom: I will choose me twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.

2 Mɛto no wɔ ɛberɛ a wabrɛ na nʼaba mu abu. Ɔne nʼakodɔm nyinaa bɛbɔ hu na wɔadwane. Ɔhene no nko ara na mɛbɔ no ahwe,

And coming upon him (for he is now weary, and weak handed) I will defeat him: and when all the people is put to flight that is with him, I will kill the king who will be left alone.

3 na mede nnipa no asane abrɛ wo, sɛdeɛ ayeforɔ kɔ ne kunu nkyɛn. Saa onipa yi nkwa nko ara na worehwehwɛ. Afei nnipa no nyinaa bɛka a wɔrenha obiara.”

And I will bring back all the people, as if they were but one man: for thou seekest but one man: and all the people shall be in peace.

4 Saa nhyehyɛeɛ yi sɔɔ Absalom ne Israel mpanimfoɔ nyinaa ani.

And his saying pleased Absalom, and all the ancients of Israel.

5 Nanso, Absalom kaa sɛ, “Momfrɛ Husai a ɔfiri Arki no mmra na yɛntie deɛ ɔwɔ ka.”

But Absalom said: Call Chusai the Arachite, and let us hear what he also saith.

6 Husai baeɛ no, Absalom kaa deɛ Ahitofel aka no kyerɛɛ no. Afei ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Wʼadwene ne sɛn? Yɛmfa Ahitofel afotuo no anaa? Na sɛ ɛnte saa a, kyerɛ yɛn wʼadwene.”

And when Chusai was come to Absalom, Absalom said to him: Achitophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do it or not? what counsel dost thou give?

7 Husai buaa Absalom sɛ, “Mʼadwene ne sɛ saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ Ahitofel ayɛ mfomsoɔ.

And Chusai said to Absalom: The counsel that Achitophel hath given this time is not good.

8 Wonim wʼagya ne ne dɔm; wɔyɛ akofoɔ akɛseɛ. Saa ɛberɛ yi, wɔn ani abre sɛ sisire a wɔawia ne mma wɔ wiram. Ɛno da nkyɛn a, wʼagya nim de wɔ akodie mu. Ɔne nʼakodɔm no rentena anadwo yi.

And again Chusai said: Thou knowest thy father, and the men that are with him, that they are very valiant, and bitter in their mind, as a bear raging in the wood when her whelps are taken away: and thy father is a warrior, and will not lodge with the people.

9 Sɛ merekasa yi, wakɔtɛ ɔbodan bi mu anaa baabi foforɔ. Na sɛ ɔdi ɛkan to hyɛ mo so na mo mu kakra bi mpo totɔ a, ehu bɛtɔ wo dɔm no so na obiara bɛteam sɛ wɔrekunkum wo dɔm no.

Perhaps he now lieth hid in pits, or in some other place where he list: and when any one shall fall at the first, every one that heareth it shall say: There is a slaughter among the people that followed Absalom.

10 Na sɛ ɛba saa a, ɔsraani a ɔyɛ nnam a nʼakoma te sɛ gyata no koraa, ehu bɛma wabɔ hu. Na Israel nyinaa nim sɛ wʼagya yɛ ɔkofoɔ, na wɔn a wɔka ne ho no nso bo yɛ duru.

And the most valiant man whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall melt for fear: for all the people of Israel know thy father to be a valiant man, and that all who are with him are valiant.

11 “Enti, metu wo fo sɛ, boa Israel nyinaa ano, ɛfiri Dan kɔsi Beer-Seba. Woyɛ saa a wobɛnya akodɔm a wɔn dodoɔ bɛyɛ sɛ mpoano anwea. Na megye medi sɛ wʼankasa bɛdi akodɔm no anim.

But this seemeth to me to be good counsel: Let all Israel be gathered to thee, from Dan to Bersabee, as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered: and thou shalt be in the midst of them.

12 Na sɛ yɛhunu Dawid a, yɛbɛto ahyɛ no so, sɛdeɛ bosuo gu asase so, a ɔno ne mmarima no mu baako mpo nka.

And we shall come upon him in what place soever he shall be found: and we shall cover him, as the dew falleth upon the ground, and we shall not leave of the men that are with him, not so much as one.

13 Na sɛ Dawid adwane kɔ kuropɔn bi so a, wode Israel akodɔm nyinaa bɛkɔ hɔ. Afei, yɛbɛtumi afa ntampehoma de atwe kuro no afasuo, akɔgu bɔnhwa a ɛbɛn mu, kɔsi sɛ ɛboɔ biara a ɛwɔ mu no bɛyam.”

And if he shall enter into any city, all Israel shall cast ropes round about that city, and we will draw it into the river, so that there shall not be found so much as one small stone thereof.

14 Afei, Absalom ne Israel mpanimfoɔ nyinaa kaa sɛ, “Husai afotuo no yɛ sene Ahitofel deɛ no.” Ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade ahyehyɛ sɛ Ahitofel afotuo pa a ɔde ama no bɛsɛe, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ bɛba Absalom so.

And Absalom, and all the men of Israel said: The counsel of Chusai the Arachite is better than the counsel of Achitophel: and by the will of the Lord the profitable counsel of Achitophel was defeated, that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.

15 Na Husai kɔkaa asɛm a Ahitofel aka ne ɔno ankasa adwenkyerɛ no kyerɛɛ asɔfoɔ Sadok ne Abiatar.

And Chusai said to Sadoc and Abiathar the priests: Thus and thus did Achitophel counsel Absalom, and the ancients of Israel: and thus and thus did I counsel them.

16 Ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ntɛm! Monkɔhwehwɛ Dawid, na monka nkyerɛ no sɛ, ɔnntena Asubɔnten Yordan aworɔso hɔ anadwo yi. Ɛsɛ sɛ ɔtwa kɔ ɛserɛ no so akyi, anyɛ saa a, ɔne nʼakodɔm nyinaa bɛwuwu.”

Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying: Tarry not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but without delay pass over: lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that is with him.

17 Yonatan ne Ahimaas tenaa En-Rogel, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔrenkɔ kuro no mu na wɔnnsane mpue. Na wɔayɛ nhyehyɛeɛ bi sɛ abaawa bi de nkra a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde kɔma ɔhene Dawid no bɛbrɛ wɔn.

And Jonathan and Achimaas stayed by the fountain Rogel: and there went a maid and told them: and they went forward, to carry the message to king David, for they might not be seen, nor enter into the city.

18 Nanso abarimaa bi hunuu wɔn sɛ wɔrefiri En-Rogel akɔ Dawid nkyɛn enti, ɔkɔka kyerɛɛ Absalom. Na wɔdwane kɔɔ Bahurim, maa ɔbarima bi de wɔn kɔsiee abura bi a ɛwɔ nʼadihɔ mu.

But a certain boy saw them, and told Absalom: but they making haste went into the house of a certain man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, and they went down into it.

19 Ɔbarima no yere de ntoma hataa abura no so, de atokoɔ guu so te sɛ deɛ ɔrehata no awia so, na obiara ansusu sɛ nnipa hyɛ abura no mu.

And a woman took, and spread a covering over the mouth of the well, as it were to dry sodden barley: and so the thing was not known.

20 Ɛberɛ a Absalom mmarima no duruu hɔ no, wɔbisaa ɔbaa no sɛ, “Woahunu Ahimaas ne Yonatan anaa?” Ɔbuaa wɔn sɛ, “Na wɔwɔ ha deɛ, nanso wɔatwa asuwa no kɔ.” Absalom mmarima no hwehwɛɛ wɔn, nanso wɔanhunu wɔn enti, wɔsane kɔɔ Yerusalem.

And when Absalom’s servants were come into the house, they said to the woman: Where is Achimaas and Jonathan? and the woman answered them: They passed on in haste, after they had tasted a little water. But they that sought them, when they found them not, returned into Jerusalem.

21 Afei mmarima baanu no firii abura no mu, de mmirika kɔɔ ɔhene Dawid nkyɛn kɔbɔɔ no amaneɛ sɛ, “Firi ha tware asuo no ntɛm so anadwo yi!” Wɔkaa Ahitofel afotuo a ɛbɛma wɔakyere no akum no no kyerɛɛ no.

And when they were gone, they came up out of the well, and going on told king David, and said: Arise, and pass quickly over the river: for this manner of counsel has Achitophel given against you.

22 Enti, Dawid ne nnipa no nyinaa tutuu so, kɔtwaa Yordan. Ɛduruu ahemadakye no, na obiara atwa Yordan kɔ nʼagya.

So David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over the Jordan, until it grew light, and not one of them was left that was not gone over the river.

23 Ahitofel hunuu sɛ nʼanim agu ase, ɛfiri sɛ wɔamfa nʼafotuo no, ɔhyehyɛɛ nʼafunumu tenaa ne so, kɔɔ ne kurom. Ɔtotoo ne nneɛma yie, na ɔhyɛɛ ne ho akɔmfo. Enti, ɔwuiɛ ma wɔsiee no wɔ nʼagya da mu.

But Achitophel seeing that his counsel was not followed, saddled his ass, and arose and went home to his house and to his city, and putting his house in order, hanged himself, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father.

24 Ankyɛre na Dawid duruu Mahanaim. Saa ɛberɛ yi na Absalom aboaboa Israel akodɔm no nyinaa ano a ɔdi wɔn anim rekɔtwa Asubɔnten Yordan.

But David came to the camp, and Absalom passed over the Jordan, be and all the men of Israel with him.

25 Absalom yii Amasa de no tuaa akodɔm no ano, sii Yoab a na anka ɔyɛ Dawid sahene no ananmu. Amasa yɛ ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Yitra, a ɔyɛ Israelni a ɔwaree Abigail a ɔyɛ Nahas babaa, na ɔyɛ Seruia nuabaa, a ɔyɛ Yoab na no ba.

Now Absalom appointed Amasa in Joab’s stead over the army: and Amasa was the son of a man who was called Jethra of Jezrael, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Naas, the sister of Sarvia who was the mother of Joab.

26 Israelfoɔ no ne Absalom tenaa Gilead asase so.

And Israel camped with Absalom in the land of Galaad.

27 Na Dawid duruu Mahanaim no, Nahas a ɔfiri Raba babarima Sobi Amonni no, kyeaa no fɛ so. Saa ara na Amiel a ɔfiri Lo-debar babarima Makir ne Gileadni Barsilai a ɔfiri Rogelim nso gyee no fɛ so.

And when David was come to the camp, Sobi the son of Naas of Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammihel of Lodabar, and Berzellai the Galaadite of Rogelim,

28 Wɔbrɛɛ no kɛtɛ, nkuku ne nkaka, atokoɔ, asikyiresiam, nkyeweɛ, asɛ ne asɛdua,

Brought him beds, and tapestry, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and fried pulse,

29 ɛwoɔ ne nufosuo ani sradeɛ ne anantwie nufosuo a akyenkyene mua. Wɔde brɛɛ Dawid ne ne nkurɔfoɔ a wɔka ne ho no. Na wɔkaa sɛ, “Mo nyinaa moabrɛbrɛ, na ɛkɔm ne sukɔm de mo ɛfiri sɛ moanante ɛkwan tenten wɔ ɛserɛ so.”

And honey, and butter, and sheep, and fat calves, and they gave to David and the people that were with him, to eat: for they suspected that the people were faint with hunger and thirst in the wilderness.