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!”

Now there happened to be a worthless man, whose name was Sheba, the son of Bikri, a Benjamite. And he blew the trumpet, and said, "We have no share in David, nor do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, 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 Israel deserted David and followed Sheba the son of Bikri, but the men of Judah stayed by their king, from the Jordan 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.

Then David came to his palace at Jerusalem, and the king took the ten women his secondary wives, whom he had left to keep the palace, and placed them under guard, and provided for them, but did not go in to them. So they were kept in confinement until the day of their death, living as widows.

4 Ɔhene no hyɛɛ Amasa sɛ ɔmfa nnansa mmoaboa Yuda akodɔm ano, na ɔmmɛka biribi nkyerɛ no saa ɛberɛ no mu.

Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to me within three days, and be present here yourself."

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

So Amasa went to summon Judah together, but he delayed beyond the set time that had been allotted 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.”

David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bikri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Now then, take your lord's servants with you and pursue after him, otherwise he will get himself to fortified cities and escape from us."

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

So there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and all the warriors. And they went out from Jerusalem to pursue Sheba son of Bikri.

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 that is in Gibeon, Amasa came to meet them. And Joab was wearing his military attire, and over it was a belt with a dagger in its sheath fastened at his waist, and as he advanced 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 you, my brother?" Then 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 did not notice the sword that was in Joab's hand. And he stabbed him with it in the abdomen, so that his intestines spilled out on the ground, and he did not do it to him again. Thus he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued Sheba son of Bikri.

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 one of Joab's young men stood beside Amasa and said, "Whoever is the one that favors Joab and whoever belongs to David, 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.

But Amasa lay covered with his blood in the midst of the road, and anyone who came by, seeing him, stopped. So when the man saw that all the people stopped, he dragged Amasa from the road into a field and threw a garment over him.

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

When he was removed from the road, all the people followed Joab in pursuit of Sheba son of Bikri.

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

He went through all the tribes of Israel to Abel of Beth Maacah, and all the Bikrites assembled and followed 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 all the people who were with Joab came and besieged him in Abel of Beth Maacah. And they built a siege ramp against the city, and it stood against the rampart, and they were battering the wall so that it would collapse.

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 a wise woman called out from the wall, "Listen, listen. Please tell Joab to come here so that I may speak to him.

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.”

So he approached her, and the woman said, "Are you Joab?" And he replied, "I am." Then she said, "Listen to the words of your servant." And he replied, "I'm listening."

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

Then she said, "In the past they used to say, 'Let them inquire in Abel and in Dan whether

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?”

that which the faithful of Israel established has been carried out.' You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?"

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

Joab answered, "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.”

That is not the case. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bikri, has rebelled against king David. Give up him alone and I will withdraw from the city." Then the woman said to Joab, "Look, his head will be thrown to you 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.

Then she spoke to all the city with her wise advice, and they cut off the head of Sheba son of Bikri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from him, each returning to his home. And Joab went back to Jerusalem to the king.

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

Now Joab was in command of the entire army of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was in command of the Cherethites and in command of the Pelethites;

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

and Adoniram was in command of the forced labor; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

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

and Shisha was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were priests;

26 Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid ɔsɔfoɔ.

and also Ira the Jairite was David's priest.