Isaiah 36
1 When King Hezekiah had been [ruling Judah] for almost 14 years, King Sennacherib of Assyria came [with his army] to attack the cities in Judah that had walls around them. [They did not conquer Jerusalem, but] they conquered all the other cities.
Ɔhene Hesekia adedi mfe dunan so no, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛtow hyɛɛ Yuda nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no so dii so.
2 Then 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 in their positions alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows into the upper pool [into Jerusalem], near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
Afei Asiriahene somaa nʼananmusifo fi Lakis a asraafo dɔm kɛse ka ne ho kohyiaa Ɔhene Hesekia wɔ Yerusalem. Bere a ɔsahene begyinaa nsudorobɛn bi a efi Atifi Tare de kɔ Ntamahorofo Atenae hɔ no,
3 The Israeli officials who went out of the city to talk with them were Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, the (palace administrator/man who supervised the workers in the palace), Shebna the king’s secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, who wrote down the government decisions.
Hilkia babarima Eliakim a na ɔhwɛ ahemfi no ntotoe so; Sebna a na ɔyɛ ɔkyerɛwfo ne Asaf babarima Yoa a na ɔno nso yɛ ɔkyerɛwfo kohyiaa no.
4 Then 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?
Na ɔsahene no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Monka nkyerɛ Hesekia se, “‘Asɛm a otumfo, Asiriahene ka ni: Dɛn na wode wo ho to so a ɛma wugye wo ho di saa?
5 You say that you have weapons to fight us and some country’s 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]?
Woka se wowɔ akodi ho nyansa ne nʼahoɔden, nanso woka nsɛm hunu. Hena na ɔtaa wʼakyi a enti wotew mʼanim atua?
6 Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But [that will be 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].
Hwɛ wʼani da Misraim so, demmire a emu abu a ɛte sɛ pema a wutweri a ɛbɛwɔ wo nsa mu apira wo no! Saa na Misraimhene Farao te ma wɔn a wɔde wɔn ho to ne so no nyinaa.
7 But perhaps you will say to me, ‘[No], we are relying on 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 se, “Yɛde yɛn ho to Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn so!” Ɛnyɛ ɔno na ɔhene Hesekia atutu nʼabosonnan ne afɔremuka nyinaa, ahyɛ Yudafo sɛ wɔnsom wɔ afɔremuka a ɛwɔ Yerusalem ha nko ara so no?
8 So I suggest that you make a deal with my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you can find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
“‘Mɛka asɛm bi akyerɛ wo! Me wura Asiriahene ne wo bɛyɛ nhyehyɛe bi. Sɛ wubenya apɔnkɔsotefo mpenu, afi wo asraafo mu a, ɔbɛma wɔn apɔnkɔ mpenu ama wɔatenatena wɔn so.
9 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 wʼasraafo ketewa sɛɛ yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na woaso dae, sɛ wubetumi ne me wura asraafo no mu fa bi a wɔyɛ mmerɛw no mpo adi asi. Minim sɛ wode wo ho ato Misraim nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔsotefo mmoa so.
10 Furthermore, [do not think that] [RHQ] we have come here to attack and destroy this land without Yahweh’s orders! It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
Bio, wugye di sɛ, maba sɛ merebɛtow ahyɛ asase yi so asɛe no kwa a Awurade nsa nni mu? Awurade ankasa ka kyerɛɛ me se menkɔko ntia saa asase yi na mensɛe no.’”
11 Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “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 become frightened].”
Na Eliakim, Sebna ne Yoa ka kyerɛɛ ɔsahene no se, “Yɛsrɛ mo, monka Arameike kasa nkyerɛ mo asomfo, efisɛ, yɛte ase yiye. Monnka Hebri na nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasu no so no bɛte ase.”
12 But the official replied, “Do you think that my master sent me to say these things [only] to you, and not to the people standing on the wall [RHQ]? [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 Senaherib nanmusini no buae se, “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, wobetua kuropɔn yi. Ɔkɔm ne osukɔm werɛmfo bɛde nkurɔfo no ara kosi sɛ, wobedi wɔn ara agyanan, anom wɔn dwonsɔ.”
13 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!
Afei ɔsahene no sɔre gyina kasaa wɔ Hebri mu se, “Muntie saa nkra yi a efi ɔhempɔn, Asiriahene nkyɛn no!
14 He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!
Sɛnea ɔhene no se ni: Mommma Hesekia nnaadaa mo. Ɔrentumi nnye mo!
15 Do not allow him to persuade you to trust in Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that [the army of] the King of Assyria will never capture this city!’
Mommma Hesekia mfa saa asɛm a ɔkae se, ‘Awurade begye yɛn! Wɔremfa saa kurow yi mma Asiriahene’ no mma mo tirim nyɛ mo dɛ.
16 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 well.
“Munntie Hesekia. Nea Asiriahene ka ni: Mo ne me nyɛ asomdwoe nhyehyɛe na mommra me nkyɛn. Na afei, mɛma mo mu biara adi ɔno ankasa bobe ne borɔdɔma na woanom nsu afi ɔno ankasa abura mu,
17 [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] new wine and, and where we make lots of bread.’
kosi sɛ mɛba abɛfa mo akɔ asase a ɛte sɛ mo de yi so, awi ne nsa foforo asase, aduan ne bobe mfuw asase.
18 Do not allow Hezekiah to mislead you by saying, “Yahweh will rescue us.” The gods that people of other nations worship have never [RHQ] rescued any of them from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria!
“Mommma Hesekia nka se, ‘Awurade begye yɛn,’ mfa nnaadaa mo. Ɔman bi so nyame atumi agye ne man afi Asiriahene nsam pɛn ana?
19 Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
Ɛhe na Hamat ne Arpad anyame no wɔ? Na Sefarwaim anyame no nso wɔ he? Wɔagye Samaria afi me nsam ana?
20 No, no god [RHQ] of any nation has been able to rescue their people from me. So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
Ɔman bɛn so nyame na watumi agye ne manfo afi me tumi ase? Na afei ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na Awurade betumi agye Yerusalem afi me nsam.”
21 But the people [who were listening] were silent. No one said anything, because King [Hezekiah] had commanded, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you], do not answer him.”
Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuae biara, efisɛ na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn se wɔnnkasa.
22 Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah returned to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed]. They told him what the official from Assyria had said.
Afei Hilkia babarima Eliakim a na ɔhwɛ ahemfi no ntotoe so, Sebna a na ɔyɛ ɔkyerɛwfo ne Asaf babarima Yoa a ɔno nso yɛ ɔkyerɛwfo kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn a wɔasunsuane wɔn ntade mu, kɔkaa nea ɔsahene no aka akyerɛ no no.
