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 man of Belial, whose name was Seba, the son of Bochri, a man of Jemini: and he sounded the trumpet, and said: We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Isai: return to thy dwellings, 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.

And all Israel departed from David, and followed Seba the son of Bochri: but the men of Juda stuck to their king from the Jordan unto 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 when the king was come into his house at Jerusalem, he took the ten women his concubines, whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in ward, allowing them provisions: and he went not in unto them, but 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.

And the king said to Amasa: Assemble to me all the men of Juda against the third day, and be thou here present.

5 Enti, Amasa kɔbɔɔ akodɔm no amaneɛ, nanso nʼahoboa no boroo nnansa no.

So Amasa went to assemble the men of Juda, but he tarried beyond the set time which the king 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 Abisai: Now will Seba the son of Bochri do us more harm than did Absalom: take thou therefore the servants of thy lord, and pursue after him, lest he find fenced cities, and escape us.

7 Enti, Abisai ne Yoab yiyii awɛmfoɔ a wɔdi mu firii Yoab akodɔm ne ɔhene no ankasa deɛ mu de tii Seba.

So Joab’s men went out with him, and the Cerethi and the Phelethi: and all the valiant men went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.

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.

And when they were at the great stone which is in Gabaon, Amasa coming met them. And Joab had on a close coat of equal length with his habit, and over it was girded with a sword hanging down to his flank, in a scabbard, made in such manner as to come out with the least motion and strike.

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: God save thee, my brother. And he took Amasa by the chin 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 did not take notice of the sword, which Joab had, and he struck him in the side, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and gave him not a second wound, and he died. And Joab, and Abisai his brother pursued after Seba the son of Bochri.

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.”

In the mean time some men of Joab’s company stopping at the dead body of Amasa, said: Behold he that would have been in Joab’s stead the companion of David.

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 imbrued with blood, lay in the midst of the way. A certain man saw this that all the people stood still to look upon him, so he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field, and covered him with a garment, that they who passed might not stop on his account.

13 Wɔyii Amasa firii ɛkwan no mu akyi no, mmarima no nyinaa dii Yoab akyi sɛ wɔrekɔkyere Bikri babarima Seba.

And when he was removed out of the way, all the people went on following Joab to pursue after Seba the son of Bochri.

14 Saa ɛberɛ no, Seba kyinii Israel nyinaa boaboaa ne fiefoɔ Bikrifoɔ ano wɔ Abel-Bet-Maaka.

Now he had passed through all the tribes of Israel unto Abela and Bethmaacha: and all the chosen men were gathered together unto 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 Abela, and in Bethmaacha, and they cast up works round the city, and the city was besieged: and all the people that were with Joab, laboured to throw down the walls.

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.”

And a wise woman cried out from the city: Hear, hear, and say to Joab: Come near hither, and I will 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 when he was come near to her, she said to him: Art thou Joab? And he answered: I am. And she spoke thus to him: Hear the words of thy handmaid. He answered: I do hear.

18 Ɔkaa sɛ, “Tete no, na yɛka sɛ ‘Yɛrekɔpɛ afotuo wɔ Abel.’

And she again said: A saying was used in the old proverb: They that inquire, let them inquire in Abela: and so they made an end.

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?”

Am not I she that answer truth in Israel, and thou seekest to destroy the city, and to overthrow a mother in Israel? Why wilt thou throw down the inheritance of the Lord?

20 Yoab buaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ mesɛe wo kuropɔn.

And Joab answering said: God forbid, God forbid that I should, I do not throw down, nor 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 mount Ephraim, Seba the son of Bochri by name, hath lifted up his hand against king David: deliver him only, and we will depart from the city. And the woman said to Joab: Behold his head shall be thrown to thee from 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.

So she went to all the people, and spoke to them wisely: and they cut off the head of Seba the son of Bochri, and cast it out to Joab. And he sounded the trumpet, and they departed from the city, every one to their home: and Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

23 Yoab bɛyɛɛ Dawid akodɔm so sahene bio. Na Yehoiada babarima Benaia nso yɛ ɔhene banbɔfoɔ so panin.

So Joab was over all the army of Israel: and Banaias the son of Joiada was over the Cerethites and Phelethites,

24 Adorinam na na ɔhwɛ adwumayɛfoɔ so, na Yehosafat a ɔyɛ Ahilud babarima twerɛ ahemfo ho abakɔsɛm.

But Aduram over the tributes: and Josaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder.

25 Na Sewa yɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ. Na Sadok ne Abiatar nso yɛ asɔfoɔ.

And Siva was scribe: and Sadoc and Abiathar, priests.

26 Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid ɔsɔfoɔ.

And Ira the Jairite was the priest of David.