Absalom Atuatew
1Eyi akyi no, Absalom tɔɔ teaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔ, na ɔbɔɔ mmarima aduonum paa sɛ wobedi nʼanim. 2Adekyee biara, ɔsɔre ntɛm na wakɔtena kuropɔn no pon ano. Na sɛ nnipa bi de asɛm bɛto ɔhene no anim sɛ ommu ho atɛn a, Absalom bebisa faako a wofi, na wɔakyerɛ abusuakuw a wofi mu. 3Na Absalom bɛka se, “Wʼasɛm yɛ dɛ de, nanso ɔhene nni obiara a obetie. 4Sɛ meyɛ otemmufo anka mepɛ. Anka nnipa de wɔn nsɛm bɛba mʼanim, na mabu wɔn atɛn.”
5Sɛ nnipa pɛ sɛ wɔkotow no a, Absalom remma wɔn nyɛ saa na mmom obeso wɔn nsa, ayɛ wɔn atuu. 6Absalom yɛɛ saa de nyaa Israelfo no nyinaa wɔ nʼafa.
7Mfirihyia anan akyi no, Absalom ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Ma menkɔ Hebron na menkɔbɔ afɔre mma Awurade sɛnea mahyɛ no bɔ no. 8Bere a na mewɔ Gesur no na mehyɛɛ saa bɔ no se, ‘Sɛ Awurade de me san ba Yerusalem a, mɛbɔ afɔre ama no wɔ Hebron.’ ”
9Ɔhene no kae se, “Eye, kɔ na kodi wo bɔhyɛ so.” Enti Absalom kɔɔ Hebron.
10Bere a ɔwɔ hɔ no, ɔfaa sum ase somaa abɔfo kɔɔ Israel mmaa nyinaa kɔhwanyan ɔmanfo de tiaa ɔhene no. Ne nkra ne se, “Sɛ mote torobɛnto nne pɛ a, monka se, ‘Absalom adi hene wɔ Hebron.’ ” 11Absalom faa mmarima ahannu fii Yerusalem kaa ne ho a na wonnim Absalom nsusuwii yi ho hwee. 12Bere a Absalom rebɔ afɔre no, ɔsoma ma wɔkɔfaa Giloni Ahitofel a na ɔyɛ Dawid fotufo fi ne kurom Gilo bae. Enti pɔwbɔ no mu yɛɛ den na nnipa bebree no ara bɛkaa Absalom ho.
Dawid Guan Fi Yerusalem
13Ankyɛ, ɔbɔfo bi baa Yerusalem bɛka kyerɛɛ ɔhene Dawid se, “Israel nyinaa atu di Absalom akyi sɛ wɔayɛ adɔm atia wo.”
14Ɛhɔ ara, Dawid ka kyerɛɛ ne mmarima se, “Monyɛ no ntɛm na yenguan mfi ha, ansa na wadu ha, sɛnea amanehunu bɛpare yɛn ne Yerusalem kurow mu no nyinaa.”
15Nʼafotufo no buae se, “Yegyina wʼakyi. Biribiara a wugye di sɛ eye no, yɛ.”
16Enti ɔhene no ne ne fifo sii mu kɔɔ prɛko pɛ a wannyaw biribiara wɔ akyi sɛ ne mpenanom du bi a wɔbɛhwɛ nʼahemfi no so. 17Ɔhene no ne ne nkurɔfo no faa fam, na wɔfaa kuropɔn no fa bi, 18maa Dawid asraafo no betwaa wɔn ho dii wɔn anim. Nnipa a wɔkaa Dawid ho kɔe no yɛ Gitifo ahansia a wofi Gat a ne bammɔfo nso ka ho.
19Na ɔhene no bisaa Gatni Itai a ɔyɛ ɔsafohene no se, “Adɛn nti na woka yɛn ho rekɔ? San kɔka wo nkurɔfo ho, na monkɔ ɔhene Absalom nkyɛn, efisɛ woyɛ ɔhɔho wɔ Israel ne ɔmamfrani a wɔatwa wo asu. 20Wuduu ha nnɛra nko ara. Na ɛsɛ sɛ mehyɛ wo na wo ne yɛn kyin ana? Me mpo, minnim baabi a yɛbɛkɔ. San wʼakyi na kɔfa wo asraafo ka wo ho, na Awurade nkyerɛ wo ne dɔ ne ne nokware.”
21Nanso Itai ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Mede Awurade din ne wo ara wo nkwa ka ntam se, baabiara a wobɛkɔ no, mɛkɔ bi a nea ebesi biara mfa me ho; sɛ ɛyɛ nkwa anaa owu.”
22Dawid buaa no se, “Eye, ka yɛn ho.” Ɛno nti, Itai ne ne mmarima ahansia ne wɔn fifo kaa wɔn ho kɔe.
23Awerɛhow kɛse sii asase no so, bere a ɔhene ne nʼakyidifo retwa mu no. Wotwaa Kidron Bon no de wɔn ani kyerɛɛ sare so.
24Abiatar ne Sadok ne Lewifo no faa Apam Adaka no, na wɔde sii kwankyɛn. Na wɔbɔɔ afɔre wɔ hɔ kosii sɛ obiara senee.
25Na ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Sadok se, “San fa Onyankopɔn Adaka no kɔ kuropɔn no mu. Sɛ minya Awurade anim adom a, ɔbɛsan de me aba ama mahu Adaka no ne ne ntamadan no bio. 26Nanso sɛ ɔka se, ‘Mʼani nnye wo ho’ a mepɛ, ma ɔmfa me mfa ɔkwan a onim sɛ eye ma no no so.”
27Na ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ ɔsɔfo Sadok se, “Me nhyehyɛe ni: Wo ne Abiatar nyɛ komm nsan nkɔ kuropɔn no mu a wo babarima Ahimaas ne Yonatan a ɔyɛ Abiatar babarima ka ho. 28Mɛtwɛn wɔ faako a wotwa Asubɔnten Yordan kɔ sare no so hɔ akosi sɛ mɛte mo nkra. Momma mente asɛm a ebesi wɔ Yerusalem, ansa na makɔ sare so.” 29Enti Sadok ne Abiatar faa Onyankopɔn Adaka no de san kɔɔ Yerusalem, na wɔtenaa hɔ.
30Dawid faa ɔkwan a ɛkɔ Ngo Bepɔw so no so a ɔrekɔ no nyinaa, na ɔretwa adwo. Na wakata ne ti so, na ne nan sisi fam saa ara a ɛkyerɛ awerɛhowdi. Na nnipa a wɔka ne ho no nso katakataa wɔn ti so, twaa adwo bere a wogu so reforo bepɔw no. 31Bere a obi ka kyerɛɛ Dawid se, afei de ne fotufo Ahitofel taa Absalom akyi no, Dawid bɔɔ mpae se, “Awurade, ma Ahitofel afotu nnan nkwaseasɛm.”
32Woduu Ngo Bepɔw no atifi baabi a nnipa som Onyankopɔn no, Dawid huu Husai a ofi Arki a ɔretwɛn no. Na Husai asunsuan nʼatade mu, de dɔte asra ne tirim, de kyerɛ awerɛhowdi. 33Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɛ wo ne me kɔ a, wobɛyɛ adesoa ama me. 34San kɔ Yerusalem, na ka kyerɛ Absalom se, ‘Afei, mɛyɛ wo fotufo sɛnea da bi hɔ no na meyɛ wʼagya fotufo no.’ Ɛba saa a, wubetumi atia Ahitofel afotu mu, asɛe no. 35Asɔfo Sadok ne Abiatar wɔ hɔ. Ka adwene a wɔafa wɔ me ho, pɛ sɛ wɔkyere me no kyerɛ wɔn, 36na wɔbɛsoma wɔn mmabarima Ahimaas ne Yonatan na wɔabɛhwehwɛ me, aka nea ɛrekɔ so akyerɛ me.”
37Enti Dawid adamfo Husai san kɔɔ Yerusalem, koduu hɔ bere koro a Absalom nso duu hɔ no mu.
Absalom’s conspiracy
1In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him. 2He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, ‘What town are you from?’ He would answer, ‘Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.’ 3Then Absalom would say to him, ‘Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.’ 4And Absalom would add, ‘If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice.’
5Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6Absalom behaved in this way towards all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.
7At the end of four15:7 Some Septuagint manuscripts, Syriac and Josephus; Hebrew forty years, Absalom said to the king, ‘Let me go to Hebron and fulfil a vow I made to the Lord. 8While your servant was living at Geshur in Aram, I made this vow: “If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship the Lord in Hebron.15:8 Some Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew does not have in Hebron.” ’
9The king said to him, ‘Go in peace.’ So he went to Hebron.
10Then Absalom sent secret messengers throughout the tribes of Israel to say, ‘As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, then say, “Absalom is king in Hebron.” ’ 11Two hundred men from Jerusalem had accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and went quite innocently, knowing nothing about the matter. 12While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he also sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counsellor, to come from Giloh, his home town. And so the conspiracy gained strength, and Absalom’s following kept on increasing.
David flees
13A messenger came and told David, ‘The hearts of the people of Israel are with Absalom.’
14Then David said to all his officials who were with him in Jerusalem, ‘Come! We must flee, or none of us will escape from Absalom. We must leave immediately, or he will move quickly to overtake us and bring ruin on us and put the city to the sword.’
15The king’s officials answered him, ‘Your servants are ready to do whatever our lord the king chooses.’
16The king set out, with his entire household following him; but he left ten concubines to take care of the palace. 17So the king set out, with all the people following him, and they halted at the edge of the city. 18All his men marched past him, along with all the Kerethites and Pelethites; and all the six hundred Gittites who had accompanied him from Gath marched before the king.
19The king said to Ittai the Gittite, ‘Why should you come along with us? Go back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner, an exile from your homeland. 20You came only yesterday. And today shall I make you wander about with us, when I do not know where I am going? Go back, and take your people with you. May the Lord show you kindness and faithfulness.’15:20 Septuagint; Hebrew May kindness and faithfulness be with you
21But Ittai replied to the king, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.’
22David said to Ittai, ‘Go ahead, march on.’ So Ittai the Gittite marched on with all his men and the families that were with him.
23The whole countryside wept aloud as all the people passed by. The king also crossed the Kidron Valley, and all the people moved on towards the wilderness.
24Zadok was there, too, and all the Levites who were with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set down the ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
25Then the king said to Zadok, ‘Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favour in the Lord’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling-place again. 26But if he says, “I am not pleased with you,” then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.’
27The king also said to Zadok the priest, ‘Do you understand? Go back to the city with my blessing. Take your son Ahimaaz with you, and also Abiathar’s son Jonathan. You and Abiathar return with your two sons. 28I will wait at the fords in the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.’ 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the ark of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30But David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went; his head was covered and he was barefoot. All the people with him covered their heads too and were weeping as they went up. 31Now David had been told, ‘Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.’ So David prayed, ‘Lord, turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.’
32When David arrived at the summit, where people used to worship God, Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him, his robe torn and dust on his head. 33David said to him, ‘If you go with me, you will be a burden to me. 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, “Your Majesty, I will be your servant; I was your father’s servant in the past, but now I will be your servant,” then you can help me by frustrating Ahithophel’s advice. 35Won’t the priests Zadok and Abiathar be there with you? Tell them anything you hear in the king’s palace. 36Their two sons, Ahimaaz son of Zadok and Jonathan son of Abiathar, are there with them. Send them to me with anything you hear.’
37So Hushai, David’s confidant, arrived at Jerusalem as Absalom was entering the city.
