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!”
There happened to be there a wicked 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, 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 joined with 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.
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 custody and provided them with sustenance, but didn’t go in to them. So they were shut up to 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 the king said to Amasa, “Call me the men of Judah together within three days, and be 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 stayed longer than the set time which had been appointed to 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 Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom did. Take your lord’s servants and pursue after him, lest he get himself 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.
Joab’s men went out after him with the Cherethites, the Pelethites, and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue 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. Joab was clothed in his apparel of war that he had put on, and on it was a sash with a sword fastened on his waist in its sheath; and as he went along 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.
Joab said to Amasa, “Is it well with you, my brother?” 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 struck him with it in the body and shed out his bowels to the ground, and didn’t strike him again; and he died. Joab and Abishai his brother pursued 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.”
One of Joab’s young men stood by him, and said, “He who favors Joab, and he who 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.
Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the highway. 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 everyone who 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 Sheba the son of Bichri.
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, to Beth Maacah, and all the Berites. 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.
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 who 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 a wise woman cried out of the city, “Hear, hear! Please say to Joab, ‘Come near here, that I may speak with you.’”
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.”
He came near to her; and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Hear the words of your servant.” He answered, “I’m listening.”
18 Ɔkaa sɛ, “Tete no, na yɛka sɛ ‘Yɛrekɔpɛ afotuo wɔ Abel.’
Then she spoke, saying, “They used to say in old times, ‘They shall surely ask counsel at Abel,’ and so they settled a 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 among those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up Yahweh’s inheritance?”
20 Yoab buaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ sɛ mepɛ sɛ mesɛe wo kuropɔn.
Joab answered, “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, has lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Just deliver him, and I will depart from the city.” The woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head will be thrown to you 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 to all the people in her wisdom. They cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and threw it out to Joab. He blew the trumpet, and they were dispersed from the city, every man to his tent. Then 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.
Now Joab was over all the army of Israel, 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.
Adoram was over the men subject to forced labor, Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder,
25 Na Sewa yɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ. Na Sadok ne Abiatar nso yɛ asɔfoɔ.
Sheva was scribe, Zadok and Abiathar were priests,
26 Ɛnna Yairini Ira nso yɛ Dawid ɔsɔfoɔ.
and Ira the Jairite was chief minister to David.
