2 Mbiri 18
1 Tsono Yehosafati anali ndi chuma chambiri ndi ulemu, ndipo iye anachita mgwirizano wa ukwati ndi Ahabu.
Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab [of Israel].
2 Patapita zaka zina, iye anapita kukacheza kwa Ahabu mu Samariya. Ahabu anaphera iye pamodzi ndi anthu amene anali naye, nkhosa zambiri ndi ngʼombe ndipo anamuwumiriza kuti akathire nawo nkhondo Ramoti Giliyadi
Several years later, he went down [from Jerusalem] to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle [for a feast].
3 Ahabu mfumu ya Israeli anafunsa Yehosafati mfumu ya Yuda kuti, “Kodi mudzapita nane kukalimbana ndi Ramoti Giliyadi?” Yehosafati anayankha kuti, “Ine ndili ngati inu nomwe, ndi anthu anga ngati anthu anu. Ife tikhala nanu limodzi pa nkhondoyi.”
Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you [and your army] go with my army to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I will go to the battle when you tell us to go.”
4 Koma Yehosafati anatinso kwa mfumu ya Israeli, “Choyamba mupemphe nzeru kwa Yehova.”
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
5 Tsono mfumu ya Israeli inasonkhanitsa aneneri 400 ndipo inawafunsa kuti, “Kodi tipite kukalimbana ndi Ramoti Giliyadi kapena tileke?” Iwo anayankha kuti, “Pitani, pakuti Mulungu adzawupereka mʼdzanja la mfumu.”
So the king of Israel gathered all his 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we go to attack the people of Ramoth [city], or should we not do that?” They replied, “Yes, go [and attack them] because God will enable your army to defeat them.”
6 Koma Yehosafati anafunsanso kuti, “Kodi kuno kulibe mneneri wina wa Yehova amene ife tingafunsireko?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
7 Mfumu ya Israeli inayankha Yehosafati kuti, “Alipo munthu mmodzi amene ife kudzera mwa iye titha kufunsira kwa Yehova, koma ndimadana naye chifukwa sandilosera zabwino koma zoyipa nthawi zonse. Iyeyu ndi Mikaya mwana wa Imula.” Yehosafati anayankha kuti, “Mfumu isanene motero.”
The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, his name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts [that] bad [things will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
8 Choncho mfumu ya Israeli inayitana mmodzi mwa akuluakulu ake ndipo inati, “Kamutengeni Mikaya mwana wa Imula, abwere msanga.”
So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.
9 Mfumu ya Israeli ndi Yehosafati mfumu ya Yuda, atavala mikanjo yawo yaufumu anali atakhala pa mipando yawo yaufumu pabwalo lopunthira tirigu pa khomo la chipata cha Samariya, pamodzi ndi aneneri onse akunenera pamaso pawo.
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on their thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of [Ahab’s] prophets were standing in front of them, predicting what was going to happen.
10 Tsono Zedekiya mwana wa Kenaana anapanga nyanga zachitsulo ndipo analengeza kuti, “Yehova akuti, ‘Ndi nyanga izi udzagunda Aaramu mpaka atawonongedwa!’”
[One of them whose name was] Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns [like these], your [army] will keep attacking the army of Syria [like a bull attacks another animal], until you completely destroy them.’”
11 Aneneri ena onse amanenera chimodzimodzi kuti, “Kathireni nkhondo Ramoti Giliyadi ndipo kapambaneni, pakuti Mulungu adzamupereka mʼdzanja la mfumu.”
All the other prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”
12 Wauthenga amene anapita kukayitana Mikaya anati kwa iye, “Taonani aneneri ena onse ngati munthu mmodzi akulosera za chipambano cha mfumu. Mawu anunso agwirizane ndi awo ndipo muyankhule zabwino.”
The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are unitedly predicting that the king will be successful [in the battle]. So be sure to agree with them and say that the king’s army will be successful!”
13 Koma Mikaya anati, “Pali Yehova wamoyo, ine ndidzanena zimene Mulungu wanga andiwuze.”
But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
14 Iye atafika mfumu inamufunsa kuti, “Mikaya, kodi tipite ku nkhondo kukalimbana ndi Ramoti Giliyadi kapena tileke?” Iye anayankha kuti, “Kathireni nkhondo ndipo kapambaneni, pakuti mzindawo udzaperekedwa mʼdzanja lanu.”
When Micaiah arrived, the king [of Israel] asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
15 Mfumu inati kwa iye, “Kodi ndikuwuze kangati kuti ulumbire kuti usandiwuze chilichonse koma zoonadi mʼdzina la Yehova?”
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was lying, so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
16 Ndipo Mikaya anayankha kuti, “Ine ndinaona Aisraeli atabalalika mʼmapiri monga nkhosa zopanda mʼbusa, ndipo Yehova anati, ‘Anthu awa alibe mbuye wawo. Aliyense apite kwawo mu mtendere!’”
Then Micaiah replied, “[The truth is that in a vision] I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”
17 Mfumu ya Israeli inati kwa Yehosafati, “Kodi ine sindinakuwuzeni kuti sandinenera zabwino koma zoyipa zokhazokha?”
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He [always] predicts that bad things will happen to me.”
18 Mikaya anapitiriza ndi kunena kuti, “Imvani tsono mawu a Yehova: Ine ndinaona Yehova atakhala pa mpando wake waufumu ndi gulu lonse lakumwamba litayima ku dzanja lake lamanja ndi lamanzere.
But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven [standing around him], on his right side and on his left side.
19 Ndipo Yehova anati, ‘Ndani amene adzamunyengerere Ahabu mfumu ya Israeli kuti akathire nkhondo Ramoti Giliyadi ndi kukafera komweko?’ “Wina ananena zina, winanso ananena zina.”
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ “Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
20 Pomaliza mzimu wina unatuluka ndi kuyima pamaso pa Yehova ndipo unati, “Ine ndikamunyengerera!” Yehova anafunsa kuti, “Ukagwiritsa ntchito njira yanji?”
“Finally one spirit, [having received a message from Satan], came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’ “Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’
21 Mzimuwo unati, “Ine ndidzapita ndi kukhala mzimu wabodza mʼkamwa mwa aneneri ake onse!” Yehova anati, “‘Iwe ukamunyengadi iyeyo. Pita kachite zimenezo.’
“The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’
22 “Choncho Yehova wayika mzimu wabodza mʼkamwa mwa aneneri anuwa. Yehova waneneratu kuti inu mukaona tsoka.”
“So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
23 Ndipo Zedekiya mwana wa Kenaana anapita pafupi ndi kumenya khofi Mikaya. Zedekiya anafunsa kuti, “Kodi mzimu wochokera kwa Yehova unadzera njira iti pamene unachoka kwa ine kupita kwa iwe?”
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?”
24 Mikaya anayankha kuti, “Udzadziwa pa tsiku limene uzikalowa mʼchipinda chamʼkati kuti ukabisale.”
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [to which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian soldiers]!”
25 Pamenepo mfumu ya Israeli inalamula kuti, “Tengani Mikaya ndipo mupite naye kwa Amoni, wolamulira mzindawo ndi kwa Yowasi mwana wa mfumu,
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
26 ndipo mukanene kuti, ‘Chimene mfumu ikunena ndi ichi; Muyike munthu uyu mʼndende ndipo musamupatse kanthu kalikonse koma buledi ndi madzi pangʼono mpaka nditabwera mwamtendere.’”
Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely [from the battle]!”
27 Mikaya anayankhula kuti, “Ngati inu mukabwera mwamtendere, Yehova sanayankhule kudzera mwa ine.” Ndipo anawonjeza kuti, “Anthu nonsenu, mumve zimene ndanenazi.”
Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”
28 Choncho mfumu ya Israeli ndi Yehosafati mfumu ya Yuda anapita ku Ramoti Giliyadi.
So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
29 Mfumu ya Israeli inati kwa Yehosafati, “Ine ndipita ku nkhondo modzibisa koma iwe uvale mikanjo yaufumu.” Kotero mfumu ya Israeli inadzibisa ndipo inapita ku nkhondoko.
King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king.] But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
30 Tsono mfumu ya Aramu inalamulira olamulira magaleta kuti, “Musamenyane ndi wina aliyense, wamngʼono kapena wamkulu koma mfumu ya Israeli yokha.”
The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”
31 Olamulira magaleta ataona Yehosafati, iwo anaganiza kuti, “Mfumu ya Israeli ndi iyi.” Kotero anatembenuka kukamenyana naye koma Yehosafati anafuwula, ndipo Yehova anamuthandiza. Mulungu anawabweza mʼmbuyo,
So when the soldiers who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing the royal robes], they thought “He must be the king of Israel!”
32 pakuti olamulira magaleta ataona kuti sanali mfumu ya Israeli, anasiya kumuthamangitsa.
So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.
33 Koma munthu wina anaponya muvi wake mwachiponyeponye ndipo analasa mfumu ya Israeli pakati polumikizira malaya achitsulo. Mfumu inawuza oyendetsa galeta kuti, “Bwerera, undichotse pa nkhondo pano. Ndavulazidwa.”
But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been [severely] wounded!”
34 Nkhondo inakula kwambiri tsiku lonse, ndipo mfumu ya Israeli inakhala tsonga mʼgaleta lake kuyangʼanana ndi Aaramu mpaka madzulo. Ndipo pamene dzuwa linkalowa inamwalira.
The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.
