< 2 Samuel 20 >
1 Ntɔkwapɛni bi a wɔfrɛ no Seba na ɔyɛ Bikri a ɔfiri Benyamin babarima, hyɛnee totorobɛnto teaam sɛ, “Yɛne Dawid nni hwee yɛ. Yɛnni agyapadeɛ biara wɔ Yisai babarima no nkyɛn. Israel mmarima, mommra na yɛn nyinaa nkɔ yɛn kurom!”
And there happened to be there a base fellow, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he blew the trumpet, and said, We have no portion in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to his tents, O Israel.
2 Enti, Israel mmarima gyaa Dawid hɔ, kɔdii Seba akyi. Nanso, Yuda mmarima no deɛ, wɔtenaa wɔn ɔhene nkyɛn, na wɔwowaa no firi Asubɔnten Yordan ho, kɔsii Yerusalem.
So all the men of Israel went up from following David, and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.
3 Ɛberɛ a ɔduruu nʼahemfie hɔ wɔ Yerusalem no, ɔhyɛɛ sɛ ne mpenafoɔ edu a ɔgyaa wɔn no, wɔmfa wɔn nkɔhyɛ kɔkoam baabi. Na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔma wɔn wɔn ahiadeɛ nyinaa, nanso ɔne wɔn nna bio. Enti, wɔn mu biara tenaa ase sɛ okunafoɔ, kɔsii ne wuda.
And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, and provided them with sustenance, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.
4 Ɔhene no hyɛɛ Amasa sɛ ɔmfa nnansa mmoaboa Yuda akodɔm ano, na ɔmmɛka biribi nkyerɛ no saa ɛberɛ no mu.
Then said the king to Amasa, Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be thou here present.
5 Enti, Amasa kɔbɔɔ akodɔm no amaneɛ, nanso nʼahoboa no boroo nnansa no.
So Amasa went to call [the men of] Judah together; but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.
6 Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ Abisai sɛ, “Saa ntɔkwapɛni Seba no rebɛha yɛn asene sɛ deɛ Absalom haa yɛn no. Ntɛm, fa mʼakodɔm no, na taa ne so ansa na wabɔ ne ho adwaa wɔ abanbɔeɛ nkuro no mu baabi a yɛn nsa renka no.”
And David said to Abishai, Now will Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou thy lord’s servants, and pursue after him, lest he get him fortified cities, and escape out of our sight.
7 Enti, Abisai ne Yoab yiyii awɛmfoɔ a wɔdi mu firii Yoab akodɔm ne ɔhene no ankasa deɛ mu de tii Seba.
And there went out after him Joab’s men, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
8 Na wɔduruu Gibeon ɔbo kɛseɛ no ho no, Amasa hyiaa wɔn. Na Yoab hyɛ nʼakotadeɛ a ɔde akofena abɔ nʼataaso. Ɔtuu nten kɔɔ nʼanim sɛ, ɔrekɔkyea Amasa pɛ, ɔyɛɛ nwaa twee akofena no firii bɔha mu.
When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was girded with his apparel of war that he had put on, and thereon was a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth it fell out.
9 Yoab bisaa no sɛ, “Me nua, wo ho te sɛn?” Ɛhɔ ara na Yoab de ne nsa nifa sɔɔ nʼabɔgyesɛ mu, sɛ deɛ ɔrefe nʼano.
And Joab said to Amasa, Is it well with thee, my brother? And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him.
10 Amasa anhunu sɛ akofena no hyɛ ne nsa benkum mu. Na Yoab de akofena no wɔɔ ne yam, maa ne nsono tu guu fam. Ɛho anhia sɛ Yoab bɛtia ne so koraa, na Amasa wuiɛ. Yoab ne ne nuabarima Abisai gyaa no hɔ, toaa so tii Bikri babarima Seba.
But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joab’s hand: so he smote him therewith in the body, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. And Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.
11 Yoab akodɔm no mu aberanteɛ a ɔyɛ panin wɔ akodɔm no so no mu baako teaam kyerɛɛ Amasa akodɔm no sɛ, “Obiara a ɔtaa Yoab akyi ne obiara a ɔwɔ Dawid afa no, ɔmmɛdi Yoab akyi.”
And there stood by him one of Joab’s young men, and said, He that favoreth Joab, and he that is for David, let him follow Joab.
12 Amasa daa ne mogyabura mu, wɔ ɛkwan no mfimfini. Na ɔbarima no hunuu sɛ akodɔm no aduru hɔ a wɔagyina rehwɛ Amasa no, ɔtwee no firii ɛkwan no mu, de no too wiram, de atadeɛ kataa ne so.
And Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he carried Amasa out of the highway into the field, and cast a garment over him, when he saw that every one that came by him stood still.
13 Wɔyii Amasa firii ɛkwan no mu akyi no, mmarima no nyinaa dii Yoab akyi sɛ wɔrekɔkyere Bikri babarima Seba.
When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab, to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.
14 Saa ɛberɛ no, Seba kyinii Israel nyinaa boaboaa ne fiefoɔ Bikrifoɔ ano wɔ Abel-Bet-Maaka.
And he went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, and to Beth-maacah, and all the Berites: and they were gathered together, and went also after him.
15 Yoab akodɔm no duruu hɔ no, wɔto hyɛɛ Abel-Bet-Maaka so. Wɔsisii epie wɔ kuro no akyi, de bɔɔ wɔn ho ban firii atamfoɔ ho na wɔpempem afasuo no, pɛɛ sɛ wɔdwiri guo.
And they came and besieged him in Abel of Beth-maacah, and they cast up a mound against the city, and it stood against the rampart; and all the people that were with Joab battered the wall, to throw it down.
16 Na ɔbaa nyansafoɔ bi teaam firi kuro no mu sɛ, “Montie! Montie! Monka nkyerɛ Yoab sɛ, ɔmmra ha, na menka asɛm bi nkyerɛ no.”
Then cried a wise woman out of the city, Hear, hear; say, I pray you, unto Joab, Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.
17 Yoab kɔɔ ne nkyɛn, na ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Wo na wɔfrɛ wo Yoab no?” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Aane.” Ɔkaa sɛ, “Tie asɛm a wʼafenaa pɛ sɛ ɔka no.” Ɔbuaa sɛ, “Meretie.”
And he came near unto her; and the woman said, Art thou Joab? And he answered, I am. Then she said unto him, Hear the words of thy handmaid. And he answered, I do hear.
18 Ɔkaa sɛ, “Tete no, na yɛka sɛ ‘Yɛrekɔpɛ afotuo wɔ Abel.’
Then she spake, saying, They were wont to speak in old time, saying, They shall surely ask [counsel] at Abel: and so they ended [the matter].
19 Yɛpɛ asomdwoeɛ ne nokorɛ wɔ Israel. Wopɛ sɛ wosɛe kuro a adi nokorɛ wɔ Israel. Adɛn enti na wopɛ sɛ wosɛe ade a ɛyɛ Awurade dea?”
I am of them that are peaceable and faithful in Israel: thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel: why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of Jehovah?
20 Yoab buaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ mesɛe wo kuropɔn.
And Joab answered and said, Far be it, far be it from me, that I should swallow up or destroy.
21 Deɛ merehwehwɛ no ara ne ɔbarima bi a ne din de Seba a ɔyɛ Bikri babarima a ɔfiri Efraim bepɔ so, na wama ne ho so atia ɔhene, ɔhene Dawid. Fa saa ɔbarima no bra, na mɛfiri kuro no mu.” Ɔbaa no ka kyerɛɛ Yoab sɛ, “Wɔbɛto ne ti afiri ɔfasuo no so ama wo.”
The matter is not so: but a man of the hill-country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David; deliver him only, and I will depart from the city. And the woman said unto Joab, Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall.
22 Afei, ɔbaa no kɔkaa nʼafotu pa no kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa. Na wɔtwaa Bikri babarima Seba ti, to maa Yoab. Enti, ɔhyɛnee totorobɛnto, maa ne mmarima no bɔ hweteeɛ, maa obiara kɔɔ ne fie. Na Yoab sane kɔɔ ɔhene nkyɛn wɔ Yerusalem.
Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. And he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.
23 Yoab bɛyɛɛ Dawid akodɔm so sahene bio. Na Yehoiada babarima Benaia nso yɛ ɔhene banbɔfoɔ so panin.
Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;
24 Adorinam na na ɔhwɛ adwumayɛfoɔ so, na Yehosafat a ɔyɛ Ahilud babarima twerɛ ahemfo ho abakɔsɛm.
and Adoram was over the men subject to taskwork; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder;
25 Na Sewa yɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ. Na Sadok ne Abiatar nso yɛ asɔfoɔ.
and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;
26 Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid ɔsɔfoɔ.
and also Ira the Jairite was chief minister unto David.