2 Kings 18
1 After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
Ahas babarima Hesekia hyɛɛ aseɛ dii ɔhene wɔ Yuda no, na Ela babarima Hosea adi ɔhene wɔ Israel mfeɛ mmiɛnsa.
2 He was 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah] and he ruled from Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of [a man whose name was] Zechariah.
Ɔdii ɔhene no na wadi mfirinhyia aduonu enum, na ɔdii ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem mfirinhyia aduonu nkron. Na ne maame yɛ Sakaria babaa a wɔfrɛ no Abi.
3 Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
Ɔyɛɛ deɛ ɛfata wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛdeɛ ne tete agya Dawid yɛeɛ no.
4 He destroyed the places where people worshiped Yahweh on the tops of hills, and he broke into pieces the stone pillars [for worshiping the goddess Asherah]. He also broke into pieces the bronze [replica/statue of a] snake that Moses had made. He did that because the people had named it Nehushtan, and they were burning incense in front of it to honor it.
Ɔtutuu abosonnan, bubuu afadum kronkron no, kaa Asera afɔrebukyia no guu fam. Ɔbubuu kɔbere mfrafraeɛ ɔwɔ a Mose ayɛ no, ɛfiri sɛ, na nnipa no hye nnuhwam ma no de som. Na wɔfrɛ ɔwɔ no a wɔde kɔbere mfrafraeɛ ayɛ no Nehustan.
5 Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped.] There was no king who ruled Judah before him or after him who was as [devoted to Yahweh as] he was.
Hesekia de ne ho too Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn so. Nʼakyi ne nʼanim no, na ɔhene biara nni hɔ a ɔte sɛ no wɔ Yuda asase so.
6 He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to Moses.
Biribiara mu, ɔdii Awurade nokorɛ, na ɔde ntoboaseɛ dii ahyɛdeɛ a Awurade de maa Mose no nyinaa so.
7 Yahweh always (helped/was with) him. He was successful in everything that he did. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to (pay taxes to him/do what the king of Assyria wanted him to do).
Ne saa enti, na Awurade ka ne ho, na Hesekia kɔɔ so wɔ biribiara a ɔyɛeɛ mu. Ɔyɛɛ dɔm tiaa Asiriahene, na wantua apeatoɔ amma no.
8 His army defeated [the soldiers of] Philistia as far [south] as Gaza [city] and the nearby villages. They conquered the entire area, from the smallest watchtower to the largest cities surrounded by walls.
Afei, ɔkɔdii Filistifoɔ so nkonim, de kɔsii Gasa ne nʼahyeɛ so, firi ne nkuraaseɛ, de kɔsii wɔn kuropɔn a wɔato ɔfasuo atwa ho no.
9 After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost four years, and when King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost seven years, [the army of] King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and surrounded Samaria [city].
Hesekia ahennie no mfeɛ ɛnan so a na ɔhene Hosea nso wɔ nʼahennie wɔ Israel mfeɛ nson mu no, Asiriahene Salmaneser kɔtuaa Israel, hyɛɛ aseɛ kaa Samaria kuropɔn hyɛeɛ.
10 In the third year they captured the city. That was when Hezekiah has been ruling Judah for almost six years, and when Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost nine years.
Mfeɛ mmiɛnsa akyi a, na ɔhene Hesekia adi adeɛ mfeɛ nsia mu a, na ɛyɛ ɔhene Hosea nso adedie wɔ Israel mfeɛ nkron mu no, Samaria bɔeɛ.
11 The king of Assyria commanded that the people of Israel be taken to Assyria. Some of them were taken to Halah [town], some were taken to a place near the Habor [River] in [the] Gozan [region], and some were taken to cities where the Mede people-group live.
Saa ɛberɛ no, Asiriahene twaa Israelfoɔ no asuo, kɔɔ Asiria, de wɔn hyehyɛɛ aman so wɔ Halah wɔ Asubɔnten Habor a ɛwɔ Gosan nkonkɔnoa ne nkuro akɛseɛ a ɛwɔ Media mu.
12 That happened because the Israelis did not obey Yahweh their God. They disobeyed the agreement that Yahweh had made with their ancestors, and all the laws that Moses, the man who served Yahweh [very well], had told them to obey. They would not obey those laws; they would not even listen to them.
Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔantie Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn no. Wɔbuu nʼapam no so, mmara a Awurade nam Mose so hyehyɛ maa wɔn no.
13 After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost 14 years, [the army of] King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the cities in Judah that had walls around them. They [did not capture Jerusalem, but they] captured all the other cities.
Ɔhene Hesekia adedie mfeɛ dunan so, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛto hyɛɛ Yuda nkuro a na wɔabɔ ho ban no so, dii wɔn so nkonim.
14 King Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib, while Sennacherib was in Lachish, saying “What I have done was wrong. Please [tell your soldiers to] stop attacking us. If you do that, I will pay you whatever you tell me to.” So the king of Assyria said that Hezekiah must pay to him (ten tons/9,000 kg.) of silver and (one ton/900 kg.) of gold.
Na Hesekia de saa nkra yi kɔmaa Asiriahene wɔ Lakis sɛ, “Mayɛ mfomsoɔ. Sɛ wobɛfiri ha akɔ nko ara deɛ a, apeatoɔ biara a wobɛgye me no, mɛtua.” Na Asiriahene bisaa mpatadeɛ a ɛboro dwetɛ tɔno 11 ne sikakɔkɔɔ nso bɛyɛ tɔno baako.
15 So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.
Enti, ɔhene Hesekia de dwetɛ a wɔakora no Awurade Asɔredan no mu ne deɛ ɛwɔ ahemfie adekoraeɛ hɔ nyinaa maeɛ.
16 Hezekiah’s men also stripped the gold from the doors of the temple and the gold that he himself had put on the doorposts, and he sent all that gold to the king of Assyria.
Mpo, Hesekia waawae sikakɔkɔɔ a wɔde aduradura Awurade asɔredan no apono ho, de ne nyinaa maa Asiriahene.
17 But the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows from the upper pool into Jerusalem, near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
Yeinom nyinaa akyi, Asiriahene somaa ne sahene, nʼasraadɔmhene ne nʼananmusini firii Lakis ne akodɔm a wɔn mu yɛ duru, kɔɔ Hesekia so wɔ Yerusalem. Asiriafoɔ no gyinaa nsukwan bi a ɛma atifi ɔtadeɛ nsuo a ɛbɛn ɛkwan a ɛde kɔ baabi a wɔpa ntoma ani no ho.
18 They sent a message requesting King Hezekiah to come to them, but the king sent three of his officials [to talk to them]. He sent Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who supervised the palace; Shebna, the official secretary; and Asaph’s son Joah, who communicated the king’s messages to the people.
Wɔfrɛɛ Hesekia, nanso ɔsomaa ne mpanimfoɔ yi sɛ wɔnkɔhyia wɔn: Hilkia babarima Eliakim a ɔhwɛ ahemfie hɔ so, ɔtwerɛfoɔ Sebna ne Asaf babarima Yoa a ɔyɛ ahemfie abakɔsɛm twerɛfoɔ.
19 One of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the king of Assyria, the great king, says: ‘What are you trusting in [to rescue you] [RHQ]?
Na Asiriahene no ara ananmusini no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monka nkyerɛ Hesekia sɛ, “‘Asɛm a otumfoɔ Asiriahene ka nie: Ɛdeɛn na wode wo ho to so a ɛma wogye wo ho di saa?
20 You say that you have weapons to fight us, and some country promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us, ] but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?
Wogye di sɛ wobɛtumi de anosɛm hunu asi akodie mu nyansa ne nʼahoɔden anan? Wʼakyitaafoɔ bɛn na wɔbɛtaa wʼakyi, ama woatumi ako atia Asiria?
21 Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But that is like [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. But it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the king of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].
Misraim anaa? Sɛ wotwere Misraim a, wobɛhunu sɛ, ɛte sɛ abaa a wo mu duru bɛbu no, na awɔ wo ahwire wo nsam. Misraim Farao mpo mu nni ahotosoɔ korakora.
22 But perhaps you will say to me, “No, we are (relying on/trusting in) Yahweh our God [to help us].” [I would reply, ] “Is he not the one whom you [insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship only in front of the altar [in Jerusalem]?”’
Ebia, wobɛka sɛ, “Yɛde yɛn ho to Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn so!” Nanso, ɛnyɛ ɔno na ɔhene Hesekia didii nʼatɛm no? Hesekia ammubu abosonnan ne afɔrebukyia nyinaa, anhyɛ Yudafoɔ sɛ wɔnsom wɔ afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ Yerusalem ha nko ara no so?
23 So I suggest that you make a deal between you and my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you are able to find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
“‘Mɛka asɛm bi akyerɛ wo! Me wura Asiriahene ne wo bɛyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ bi. Sɛ wobɛnya apɔnkɔsotefoɔ mpenu, afiri wʼasraadɔm mu a, ɔbɛma wɔn apɔnkɔ mpenu ama wɔatenatena wɔn so.
24 You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!
Na wʼasraadɔm ketewa sɛɛ yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na woaso daeɛ sɛ wobɛtumi ne me wura akodɔm no mu fa bi a wɔyɛ mmerɛ mpo adi asie. Menim sɛ wode wo ho ato Misraim nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔsotefoɔ mmoa so.
25 Furthermore, (do you think that we have come to destroy Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help?/do not think that we have come to Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help.) [RHQ] It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, wogye di sɛ yɛadi mo asase yi so a Awurade akwankyerɛ nni mu? Awurade ankasa na ɔka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ, Kɔ na kɔsɛe no!’”
26 Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Sir, please speak to us in your Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in our Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and be frightened].”
Afei, Hilkia babarima Eliakim ne Sebna ne Yoa ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no ananmusini no sɛ, “Kasa wɔ Arameike mu kyerɛ yɛn, na saa kasa no na yɛte aseɛ yie. Nka Hebri nkyerɛ yɛn, ɛfiri sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasuo no so no bɛte.”
27 But the official replied, “Do you think [RHQ] that my master sent me to say these things only to you and not to the people who are standing on the wall? [If you reject this message, ] the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”
Na ɔsahene no buaa sɛ, “Me wura pɛ sɛ obiara a ɔwɔ Yerusalem te saa asɛm yi, na ɛnyɛ mo nko. Ɔpɛ sɛ wɔte sɛ, sɛ moamma mo nsa so a, wɔbɛtua kuropɔn yi. Ɛkɔm ne sukɔm werɛmfoɔ bɛde nkurɔfoɔ no ara kɔsi sɛ, wɔbɛdi wɔn ara agyanan, anom wɔn dwonsɔ.”
28 Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the king of Assyria. He says,
Afei, ɔsɔre gyinaeɛ, maa ne nne so kasaa wɔ Hebri mu, kyerɛɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasuo no so sɛ, “Montie nkra a ɛfiri Asiria ɔhene kɛseɛ no nkyɛn!
29 ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
Sɛdeɛ ɔhene seɛ nie: Mommma ɔhene Hesekia nnaadaa mo. Ɔrentumi nnye mo mfiri me tumi ase.
30 Do not allow him to persuade you to rely on Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that the army of Assyria will never capture this city!’
Mommma ɔnnaadaa mo sɛ, momfa mo ho nto Awurade so, nnka sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn! Wɔremfa saa kuropɔn yi mma Asiriahene da.’
31 “Do not pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. If you do that, I will arrange for each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines, and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells.
“Monntie Hesekia. Yeinom ne nhyehyɛeɛ a Asiriahene reyɛ. Mo ne me nni no asomdwoeɛ so. Mommue apono no, na mompue mmra. Na mɛma mo mu biara ɛkwan, na moatoa so adidi afiri mo bobe ne borɔdɔma mfikyifuo mu, anom nsuo afiri mo ara mo abura mu.
32 You will be able to do that until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and vineyards to [produce grapes for making] wine. It will be a land that has plenty of olive trees and honey. If you do what the king of Assyria commands, you will not die. You will continue to live. ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to persuade you to trust in Yahweh saying that he will rescue you!
Na mɛyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ de mo akɔ asase foforɔ bi a ɛte sɛ yei so. Ɛyɛ ɔman a atokoɔ, nsã, burodo, bobe nturo, ngo nnua ne ɛwoɔ abu so hɔ. Ɛyɛ asase a nneɛma pa abu so hɔ. Mompere nkwa, na monyi owuo akwa! “Mommma Hesekia nnaadaa mo nka sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn!’
33 The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!
Anyame a wɔwɔ aman so no atumi agye wɔn nkurɔfoɔ afiri Asiriahene nsam da?
34 Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities] unable to rescue their people from the king of Assyria [RHQ]? What happened to the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah, [towns that we completely destroyed and their gods disappeared] [RHQ]? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?
Asɛm bɛn na ɛtoo Hamat ne Arpad anyame no? Na Sefarwaim, Hena ne Iwa anyame nso, wɔwɔ he? Wɔtumi gyee Samaria firii me tumi ase anaa?
35 No, none of the gods of the countries [that my army attacked] rescued their people [RHQ] from me! So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
Ɔman bɛn so anyame na watumi agye ne nkurɔfoɔ afiri me tumi ase? Mommɔ baako pɛ din. Na afei, ɛdeɛn na ɛma mo dwene sɛ Awurade bɛtumi agye Yerusalem?”
36 But the people [who were listening] stayed silent. No one said anything, because King Hezekiah had told them, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you, ] do not answer him.”
Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuaeɛ biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnnkasa.
37 Then Eliakim the palace administrator and Shebna the court secretary and Joah the royal historian went back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed], and they told him what the official from Assyria had said.
Afei, Hilkia babarima Eliakim, ahemfie sohwɛfoɔ ne ɔtwerɛfoɔ Sebna ne Asaf babarima Yoa, ahemfie abakɔsɛm twerɛfoɔ, sane kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn. Wɔsunsuanee wɔn ntadeɛ mu, na wɔkɔhunuu ɔhene no, kaa asɛm a Asiria ɔnanmusini kaeɛ no kyerɛɛ no.
