2 Samuel 17

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

Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Let me now choose out 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 I will come upon him while he is weary and weak handed, and will make him afraid: and all the people that are with him shall flee; and I will smite the king only:

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 unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned: [so] all the people shall be in peace.

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

And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

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

Then said Absalom, Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he 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 Hushai was come to Absalom, Absalom spake unto him, saying, Ahithophel hath spoken after this manner: shall we do [after] his saying? if not, speak thou.

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

And Hushai said unto Absalom, The counsel that Ahithophel 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.

Hushai said moreover, Thou knowest thy father and his men, that they be mighty men, and they be chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field: and thy father is a man of war, 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.

Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some [other] place: and it will come to pass, when some of them be fallen at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, There is a slaughter among the people that follow 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 even he that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt: for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and they which be with him are valiant men.

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 I counsel that all Israel be gathered together unto thee, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude; and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

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

So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground: and of him and of all the men that are with him we will not leave 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.”

Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city, and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there.

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 Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent 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.

Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests. Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

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, Lodge not this night at the fords of the wilderness, but in any wise pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are 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.

Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by En-rogel; and a maidservant used to go and tell them; and they went and told king David: for they might not be seen to come 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 lad saw them, and told Absalom: and they went both of them away quickly, and came to the house of a man in Bahurim, who had a well in his court; and they went down thither.

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 the woman took and spread the covering over the well’s mouth, and strewed bruised corn thereon; and nothing was 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 Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house; and they said, Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to 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 it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David; and they said unto David, Arise ye, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

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

Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

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.

And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home, unto his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, 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.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he 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.

And Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, that went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab’s mother.

26 Israelfoɔ no ne Absalom tenaa Gilead asase so.

And Israel and Absalom pitched in the land of Gilead.

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 it came to pass, when David was come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

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

brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and meal, and parched [corn], and beans, and lentils, and parched [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 cheese of kine, for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat: for they said, The people is hungry, and weary, and thirsty, in the wilderness.