< Jeremiah 41 >

1 Ishmael was a member of the king’s family. He had been one of King Zedekiah’s important officials. In October of that year, he went to Mizpah with ten other men to [talk with] Gedaliah. While they were eating together,
Ɔbosome a ɛtɔ so nson mu no, Elisama babarima Netania babarima Ismael a ɔyɛ ɔdehyeɛ a na anka ɔyɛ ɔhene adwumayɛfoɔ no mu baako no ne mmarima edu baa Ahikam babarima Gedalia nkyɛn wɔ Mispa. Ɛberɛ a wɔn nyinaa gu so redidi no,
2 Ishmael and the other ten men jumped up, and with their swords they killed Gedaliah—the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to be their governor!
Netania babarima Ismael ne ne mmarima edu no a wɔka ne ho no sɔreeɛ na wɔde akofena wɔɔ Ahikam babarima Gedalia, a ɔyɛ Safan nana nso no kumm no. Na ɔyɛ obi a Babiloniahene ayi no sɛ amrado wɔ asase no so.
3 Ishmael [and the other men] also killed all the Jews and the soldiers from Babylonia who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Ismael kumm Yudafoɔ a na wɔka Gedalia ho wɔ Mispa ne Babilonia asraafoɔ a na wɔwɔ hɔ no nso.
4 The next day, before anyone had found out that Gedaliah had been murdered,
Adeɛ kyeeɛ no, ansa na obiara bɛte Gedalia wuo no,
5 eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria [cities] came to worship at the temple of Yahweh [in Mizpah]. They had shaved off their beards and torn their clothes and cut themselves [to show that they were mourning]. And they had brought grain offerings and incense [to burn on the altar].
mmarima aduɔwɔtwe a wɔawerɛ wɔn bɔgyesɛ, asunsuane wɔn ntadeɛ mu na wɔasesa wɔn honam ani firi Sekem, Silo ne Samaria baeɛ a wɔde aduane afɔrebɔdeɛ ne nnuhwam reba Awurade efie.
6 Ishmael went out of the city to meet them, crying as he went. When he reached them, he said, “Come [and see what has happened to] Gedaliah!”
Netania babarima Ismael de agyaadwoɔ firii Mispa kɔhyiaa wɔn. Ɛberɛ a ɔhyiaa wɔn no ɔkaa sɛ, “Mommra Ahikam babarima Gedalia nkyɛn.”
7 But as soon as they had all entered the town, Ishmael and his men killed [most of] them and threw their corpses into a well.
Wɔduruu kuropɔn no mu no, Netania babarima Ismael ne mmarima a wɔka ne ho no kumm wɔn na wɔtoo wɔn afunu guu abura bi mu.
8 There were [only] ten of them whom they (spared/did not kill). They were not killed because they promised to Ishmael that [if he allowed them to remain alive, they would bring him] lots of wheat and barley and olive oil and honey that they had hidden.
Nanso nnipa no mu edu ka kyerɛɛ Ismael sɛ, “Nkum yɛn! Yɛwɔ ayuo ne atokoɔ, ngo ne ɛwoɔ a yɛde asie wɔ afuo bi mu.” Enti ɔgyaa wɔn na wankum wɔn nso.
9 The well where Ishmael’s men had thrown the corpses of the men whom they had murdered was the deep well that King Asa’s [men] had dug [in order that they would have water in the city] if the army of King Baasha of Israel would surround the city. Ishmael’s men filled that well with corpses.
Abura a Ismael too nnipa a ɔkunkumm wɔn no afunu ne Gedalia guu mu no, na ɛyɛ deɛ ɔhene Asa atu sɛ ɔde bɛbɔ ne ho ban atia Israelhene Baasa. Netania babarima Ismael de afunu hyɛɛ no ma.
10 Then Ishmael [and his men] captured the king’s daughters and some of the other people who had been left in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan in order that Gedaliah would take care of them. Ishmael and his men took those people and started back toward the Ammon area.
Ismael faa nnipa a na wɔaka wɔ Mispa no nyinaa nnommum; ɔhene mmammaa ne wɔn a wɔkaa hɔ no nyinaa a Nebusaradan a ɔtua ɔhene awɛmfoɔ ano no ayi Ahikam babarima Gedalia sɛ ɔnhwɛ wɔn so no. Netania babarima Ismael faa wɔn nnommum na ɔsii mu kɔɔ Amonfoɔ nkyɛn.
11 But Johanan and all the other leaders of the Israeli soldiers who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia heard about what Ishmael [and his men] had done.
Ɛberɛ a Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔka ne ho no nyinaa tee awudisɛm a Netania babarima Ismael adie no,
12 So they [immediately] went with all their men to stop them. They caught up with them at the large pool near Gibeon [city].
wɔfaa wɔn asraafoɔ nyinaa sɛ wɔ ne Netania babarima Ismael rekɔko. Wɔkɔtoo no wɔ ɔtadeɛ kɛseɛ bi a ɛwɔ Gibeon no ho.
13 When all the people whom Ishmael and his men had captured saw Johanan and the soldiers who were with him, they [shouted] joyfully.
Ɛberɛ a nnipa a wɔka Ismael ho no nyinaa hunuu Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔka ne ho no, wɔn ani gyeeɛ.
14 So all those who had been captured in Mizpah escaped, and they started to help Johanan.
Nnipa a na Ismael afa wɔn nnommum wɔ Mispa no nyinaa dane kɔɔ Karea babarima Yohanan afa.
15 But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and fled to the Ammon area.
Nanso Netania babarima Ismael ne ne mmarima baawɔtwe dwane firii Yohanan anim kɔɔ Amonfoɔ nkyɛn.
16 Then Johanan and the men who were with him [gathered together] all the people whom they had rescued at Gibeon. They included soldiers and women and children and some of the king’s palace officials. They were all people whom Ishmael [and his men] had captured after they had killed Gedaliah.
Afei, Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔka ne ho no dii Mispa nkaeɛfoɔ a ɔgyee wɔn firii Netania babarima Ismael nsam ɛberɛ a ɔkumm Ahikam babarima Gedalia no akyi no anim: Ɔde asraafoɔ, mmaa, mmɔfra ne asɛnniiɛ adwumayɛfoɔ firi Gibeon baeɛ.
17 They took them all to Geruth-Kimham [village] near Bethlehem. And they all prepared to go to Egypt.
Wɔsii mu sɛ wɔrekɔ Misraim no, wɔsoɛe wɔ Gerut Kimham a ɛbɛn Betlehem.
18 They were worried about what the soldiers of Babylonia [would do to them when they found out] that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, who had been appointed by the King of Babylonia to be their governor.
Na wɔredwane Babiloniafoɔ no. Na wɔsuro Babiloniafoɔ no ɛfiri sɛ na Netania babarima Ismael akum Ahikam babarima Gedalia a Babiloniahene yii no sɛ amrado a ɔhwɛ asase no so no.

< Jeremiah 41 >