Fiawo 1 20
1 Azɔ la, Aram Fia Ben Hadad ƒo eƒe aʋakɔwo katã nu ƒu eye fia blaetɔ̃-vɔ-eve kple woƒe sɔwo kple tasiaɖamwo kplɔe ɖo. Eyi ɖaɖe to ɖe Samaria eye wòwɔ aʋa kplii.
Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army, and he persuaded 32 other kings to join him with their armies and horses and chariots. They marched to Samaria [city, the capital of Israel], and surrounded it, and [prepared to] attack it.
2 Eɖo ame dɔdɔwo ɖe Ahab, Israel fia gbɔ be woagblɔ nɛ be, “Ben Hadad be,
Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
3 ‘Wò klosalo kple sika nye tɔnye eye srɔ̃wòwo kple viwòwo dometɔ nyuitɔwo nye tɔnye.’”
‘[You must give to] me all your silver and gold, your (good-looking/most beautiful) wives/women and strongest children.’”
4 Israel fia ɖo eŋu be, “Nye aƒetɔ kple fia, abe ale si nègblɔe ene la, nye ŋutɔ kple nu siwo le asinye la nye tɔwò!”
The king of Israel replied to them, “Tell this to King Ben-Hadad: ‘I agree to do what you requested. You can have me and everything that I own.’”
5 Ame dɔdɔawo gava eye wogblɔ be, “Ben Hadad be, ‘Togbɔ be medɔ ame ɖe wò be maxɔ wò klosalo kple sika kple srɔ̃wòwo kple viwòwo hã la,
[The messengers told that to] Ben-Hadad, and he [sent them back with] another message: “I sent a message to you saying that you must give me all your silver and gold and your wives and your children.
6 etsɔ ɣe aleawo ɣi lɔƒo la, maɖo amewo ɖa be woaka wò fiasã me kple ŋuwòmewo ƒe aƒewo me. Woatsɔ nu sia nu si xɔ asi na wò la adzoe!’”
But [in addition to that], about this time tomorrow, I will send some of my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials, and to bring to me everything that pleases them.”
7 Ahab yɔ eƒe aɖaŋudelawo eye wògblɔ na wo be, “Mikpɔ nu si wɔm ŋutsu sia le la ɖa! Ele ge dim togbɔ be mena wònya be ate ŋu axɔ srɔ̃nyewo, vinyewo, nye klosalo kple sika abe ale si wòdi ene gɔ̃ hã.”
King Ahab summoned all the leaders of Israel, and said to them, “You can see/realize for yourselves that this man is trying to cause much trouble. He sent me a message insisting that I must give him my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I agreed to do that.”
8 Aɖaŋuɖolawo ɖo aɖaŋu nɛ be, “Mègatsɔ nu bubu aɖeke wu esiawo nɛ o.”
The leaders and all the other people said to him, “Do not pay any attention to him! Do not do what he is requesting!”
9 Ale Fia Ahab gblɔ na Fia Ben Hadad ƒe ame dɔdɔwo be, “Migblɔ na nye aƒetɔ, fia la be, ‘Matsɔ nu sia nu si nèbia zi gbãtɔ la na wò gake wò amewo maka nye fiasã la kple nye amewo ƒe aƒewo me o.’” Ale ame dɔdɔawo trɔ yi Ben Hadad gbɔ.
So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the king that I agree to give him the things that he first requested, but I do not agree to allow his officials to take anything that they want from my palace and from the houses of my officials.” So the messengers [reported that to King Ben-Hadad, and they] returned with another message from Ben-Hadad.
10 Azɔ la, Siria fia la gblɔ ɖo ɖe Ahab be, “Mawuawo nafiam agafiam ɖe edzi ne nye aʋakɔ metrɔ Samaria wòzu ʋuʋudedi asiʋlo ʋɛ aɖewo ko o!”
In that message he said, “[We will destroy] your city [completely, with the result that] there will not be enough dust and rubble left for each of my soldiers to have one handful! I hope/wish that the gods will strike me dead if we do not do that!”
11 Israel fia Ahab ɖo eŋu be, “Miyi ɖagblɔ na Fia Ben Hadad be, ‘Ame si le aʋa wɔ ge la maƒo adegbe o, ke ame si wɔ aʋa ɖu dzi la koe aƒo adegbe!’”
King Ahab replied [to the messengers], “Tell King Ben-Hadad that a soldier who is putting on his armor [preparing to fight a battle] [MTY] should not boast at that time; he [should wait until] after he wins the battle.”
12 Fia Ahab ƒe ŋuɖoɖo sia va ɖo Fia Ben Hadad kple fia bubuawo gbɔ esi wonɔ aha nom le woƒe agbadɔwo me. Ben Hadad ɖe gbe na eƒe aʋafiawo be, “Midzra ɖo miaho aʋa ɖe wo ŋu.”
Ben-Hadad heard that message while he and the other rulers were drinking [wine] in their temporary shelters. He told his men to prepare to attack [MTY] the city. So his men did that.
13 Nyagblɔɖila aɖe va kpɔ Israel fia Ahab eye wògblɔ nɛ be ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, “Èkpɔ futɔ la ƒe aʋakɔ siawoa? Matsɔ wo katã ade asi na wò egbe, ekema ànya mlɔeba be, nyee nye Yehowa!”
At that moment, a prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘[Do not be at all afraid of] [RHQ] the large enemy army that you see! I will enable your army to defeat them today, and you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
14 Ahab bia be, “Ke ame kae awɔ nu sia?” Nyagblɔɖila la ɖo eŋu be, “Alea Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, ‘Ato ɖekakpuiwo, asrafo siwo le nutoa me la dzi.’” Ahab gabia be, “Ame kae adze aʋa la gɔme?” Nyagblɔɖila la ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Miawoe!”
Ahab asked, “What group [of our army] will defeat them?” The prophet replied, “The young soldiers who are commanded by the district governors will do it.” The king asked, “Who should lead the attack?” The prophet replied, “You should!”
15 Ale Ahab ƒo aʋawɔla alafa eve blaetɔ̃-vɔ-eve nu ƒu tso dutawo kpe ɖe Israelʋakɔ mamlɛa, ame akpe adre, ŋu.
So Ahab gathered the young soldiers who were commanded by the district governors. There were 232 of those men. Then he also summoned all the Israeli army. There were [only] 7,000 soldiers.
16 Le ŋdɔ me lɔƒo la, esi Ben Hadad kple Fia bubu blaetɔ̃-vɔ-eveawo ganɔ aha nom hede mumu ge kloe la, Ahab ƒe aʋakɔ ƒe akpa gbãtɔ ɖe zɔ ɖe dua dzi.
They started to attack at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the other rulers were getting drunk in their temporary shelters.
17 Anyigbadzikpɔlawo ƒe ɖekakpuiawo tre hoho. Ben Hadad dɔ amewo ɖa eye wogbɔ va gblɔ nɛ bena, “Samaria ŋutsuwo ho aʋa gbɔna ɖa.”
The young soldiers advanced first. Some scouts who had been sent out by Ben-Hadad reported to him, “There are men coming out of Samaria [city]”!
18 Ben Hadad ɖe gbe na wo be, “Milé wo agbagbe ne wova na ŋutifafa loo alo aʋawɔwɔ!”
He said, “It does not matter whether they are coming to fight against us or to ask for peace. Capture them, but do not kill them
19 Ɖekakpui siwo nye asrafo, siwo le nutoa dzi kpɔm la dze ŋgɔ eye asrafoawo kplɔ wo ɖo do le dua me.
The young Israeli soldiers went out of the city to attack [the Syrian army], and the other soldiers in the Israeli army followed them.
20 Ame sia ame wu Siria srafo ɖeka. Sẽe ko la, vɔvɔ̃ ɖo Syriaʋakɔ blibo la eye wosi. Israelviwo kplɔ wo ɖo. Ben Hadad kple eŋume ʋɛ aɖewo do sɔwo kple tasiaɖamwo hesi.
Each [Israeli soldier] killed a [Syrian] soldier. The rest of the Syrian army then ran away, and the Israeli soldiers pursued them. But King Ben-Hadad escaped riding his horse, along with some other men riding horses.
21 Ke Israelviwo xɔ Syriatɔwo ƒe sɔwo kple tasiaɖamwo ƒe akpa gãtɔ eye wowu Siriatɔ geɖewo.
Then the king of Israel went out [of the city], and he and his soldiers captured [all] the [other Syrian] horses and chariots, and also killed a large number of Syrian soldiers.
22 Nyagblɔɖila la te ɖe Israel fia ŋu eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Dzra ɖo na Siria fia ƒe aʋa bubu hoho ɖe ŋuwò!”
Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, “Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.”
23 Esi Israelviwo ɖu Siriatɔwo dzi la, Ben Hadad ƒe aʋakplɔlawo gblɔ nɛ be, “Israelviwo ƒe mawuwo nye todzimawuwo eya tae woɖu mía dzi; ke míate ŋu aɖu wo dzi bɔbɔe le balime.
[After the Syrian army was defeated, ] Ben-Hadad’s officials said to him, “The gods that the Israelis [worship] are gods [who live] in the hills. [Samaria is built on a hill, and] that is why their soldiers were able to defeat us. But if we fight against them in the plains/lowlands, we certainly will be able to defeat them.
24 Azɔ la, na aʋafiawo naxɔ fiawo teƒe.
So, this is what you should do: You must remove the 32 kings [who are leading your troops] and replace them with army commanders.
25 Ƒo ƒu aʋakɔ bubu nu abe esi tsrɔ̃ la ene. Na sɔwo, tasiaɖamwo kple aʋawɔla xexlẽme mawo tututu mí eye míawɔ aʋa kpli wo le balime. Ekema ɖikeke aɖeke meli be míaɖu wo dzi kokoko o!” Ale Fia Ben Hadad wɔ nu si wogblɔ nɛ.
Then gather an army like the army that was defeated. Gather an army that has as many horses and chariots as the first army had. Then we will fight the Israelis in the plains/lowlands, and we will surely defeat them.” Ben-Hadad agreed with them, and he did what they suggested.
26 Esi ƒe trɔ la, eƒo Aramea aʋakɔ la nu ƒu eye wòho aʋa ɖe Israel ŋu azɔ le Afek.
In the spring of the following year, he gathered his soldiers and marched [with them] to Aphek [city east of Galilee Lake], to fight against the Israeli army.
27 Israel hã ƒo eƒe aʋawɔlawo nu ƒu, wodi nuɖuɖu da ɖi eye woyi aʋagbedzi. Ke Israelʋakɔ la dze abe gbɔ̃viwo ƒe ha eve ko ene ne wotsɔe sɔ kple Arameatɔwo ƒe aʋakɔ si gbagba ɖe balime la ŋu!
The Israeli army was also gathered together, and they were equipped with the things that they needed [for the battle]. Then they marched out and formed two groups facing the Syrian army. Their army was very small; they resembled two small flocks of goats, whereas the Syrian army [was very large and] spread all over the countryside.
28 Mawu ƒe ame aɖe yi Israel fia la gbɔ eye wògblɔ nya siawo tso Yehowa gbɔ nɛ: “Esi Siriatɔwo gblɔ be, ‘Yehowa nye to dzi Mawu eye menye balime ƒe Mawu o’ ta la, makpe ɖe mia ŋu miaɖu aʋakɔ gã sia dzi eye mianya be nyee nye Yehowa nyateƒe.”
A prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘The Syrians say that I am a god who lives in the hills, and that I am not a god who lives in the valleys. So I will [show that they are wrong by] enabling your men to defeat this huge army [IDM] [in the valley], and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have done it].’”
29 Aʋakɔ eveawo ƒu asaɖa anyi dze ŋgɔ wo nɔewo ŋkeke adre eye aʋa la dze egɔme le ŋkeke adrelia gbe. Israelviwo wu Siriatɔ akpe alafa ɖeka le ŋkeke gbãtɔ dzi.
The two armies stayed in their tents for seven days, in groups that faced each other. Then, on the seventh day, they started fighting. The Israeli army killed 100,000 Syrian soldiers.
30 Aʋawɔla siwo susɔ la si yi Afek ƒe gliwo megbe, ke gliawo ƒe akpa aɖe mu dze wo dzi eye wo dometɔ akpe blaeve-vɔ-adre ku. Ben Hadad si yi du la me eye wòbe ɖe aƒe aɖe ƒe xɔ ememetɔ me.
The other Syrian soldiers ran away into Aphek City. Then the wall of the city collapsed and killed 27,000 more Syrian soldiers. Ben-Hadad also escaped into the city, and hid in the back room of a house.
31 Eƒe aʋakplɔlawo gblɔ nɛ be, “Amegã, míese be Israel fiawo nye nublanuikpɔnamelawo. Na míata akpanya, akaka ɖa ɖe ta eye míayi Fia Ahab gbɔ kpɔ be ana nànɔ agbe mahã?”
His officials went to him and said, “We have heard a report that the Israelis act mercifully. So allow us to go to the king of Israel, wearing coarse sacks around our waists and ropes on our heads/necks [to indicate that we will be his slaves]. Perhaps [if we do that, ] he will allow you to remain alive.”
32 Ale woyi Fia Ahab gbɔ eye woɖe kuku nɛ be, “Wò dɔla, Fia Ben Hadad le kuku ɖem be, ‘Na manɔ agbe!’” Israel Fia bia be, “Oo, egale agbea? Nɔvinyee!”
[The king permitted them to do that, ] so they wrapped coarse sacks around their waists and put ropes on their heads/necks, and they went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Ben-Hadad, who greatly respects you, says, ‘Please do not kill me.’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is like a brother to me!”
33 Ameawo ɖo eŋu kaba be, “Ɛ̃, nɔviwò, Fia Ben Hadad, gale agbe!” Israel Fia gblɔ na wo be, “Miyi ɖakplɔe vɛ.” Esi Ben Hadad va ɖo la, Ahab na wòge ɖe eƒe tasiaɖam me!
Ben-Hadad’s officials were trying to find out if Ahab would act mercifully, and when Ahab said “brother,” they (were optimistic/thought that Ahab would be merciful). So they replied, “Yes, he is like your brother!” Ahab said, “Go and bring him to me.” So they [went and] brought Ben-Hadad to him. [When Ben-Hadad arrived, ] Ahab told him to get in his chariot [and sit with him].
34 Ben Hadad gblɔ nɛ be, “Magbugbɔ du siwo fofonye xɔ le fofowò si la na wò; àte ŋu atsa asi kple Damasko abe ale si fofonye wɔ le Samaria ene.” Ahab gblɔ be, “Bla nu kplim, ekema maɖe asi le ŋuwò nàdzo.” Ale wòbla nu kplii eye wòɖe asi le eŋu wòdzo.
Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will give back to you the towns that my father’s army took from your father. And I will allow you to set up market areas for your merchants in Damascus [my capital], just as my father did in Samaria [your capital].” Ahab replied, “Because you agree to do that, I will not execute you.” So Ahab made an agreement with Ben-Hadad, and allowed him to go home.
35 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Yehowa ƒe gbe va na nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe nusrɔ̃lawo dometɔ ɖeka be, wòagblɔ na nɔvia aɖe be, “Tsɔ wò yi dzam!” Ke nɔvia gbe.
Then Yahweh spoke to a member of a group of prophets and said to him, “Ask one of your fellow prophets to strike and wound you.” [So he did what Yahweh told him to do]. [He said to one of his fellow prophets, ‘Strike me and wound me].’ But that man refused to do it.
36 Ale nyagblɔɖila la gblɔ nɛ be, “Esi mèɖo to Yehowa ƒe gbe o ta la, dzata aɖe awu wò ne èdzo le gbɔnye ko.” Nyateƒe, esi wòtrɔ be yeadzo ko la, dzata aɖe wui.
So the prophet said to him, “Because you refused to obey what Yahweh told you to do, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left that prophet, a lion suddenly pounced on him and killed him.
37 Nyagblɔɖila la trɔ ɖe ame bubu gbɔ gblɔ nɛ be, “Tsɔ wò yi dzam.” Ame la dzae eye wòde abi eŋu.
Then the prophet found another prophet, and said to him, “Strike me!” So that man hit him [very hard] and injured him.
38 Nyagblɔɖila la tso mɔ na fia la. Etsɔ avɔ kakɛ bla eƒe ŋkuwo dzi, ale be womagadze si ye o.
Then the prophet put a large bandage/cloth over his face so that no one would recognize him. Then he went and stood alongside the road, waiting for the king to come by.
39 Esi fia la tso eme va yina la, nyagblɔɖila la do ɣli yɔe gblɔ be, “Wò dɔla yi afi si aʋa la bi dzo le eye ame aɖe va gbɔnye kple aʋaléleawo dometɔ ɖeka eye wògblɔ nam be, ‘Nɔ ame sia ŋuti dzɔm. Ne ebu la, wò agbe axɔ ɖe eƒe agbe teƒe alo nàxe klosalo kilogram blaetɔ̃-vɔ-ene.’
When the king passed by, the prophet cried out to him, saying “Your majesty, [after I was wounded] while I was fighting in a battle, a soldier brought to me one of our enemies that he had captured, and said to me, ‘Guard this man! If he escapes, you must pay me 3,000 pieces of silver, and if you do not pay that, you will be executed!’
40 Esi wò dɔla nɔ srẽɖi dzem le afii kple afi kemɛ la, amea si dzo.” Israel fia gblɔ nɛ be, “Esiae nye wò afiatsotso. Wò ŋutɔe tso afia, bu fɔ ɖokuiwò.”
But while I was busy doing other things, the man escaped!” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your problem! You yourself have said that you deserve to be punished.”
41 Tete nyagblɔɖila la ɖe avɔ kakɛ la ɖa le eƒe ŋkume eye fia la dze sii be yeƒe nyagblɔɖilawo dometɔ ɖekae.
The prophet immediately took off the bandage, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 Nyagblɔɖila la gblɔ nɛ be, “Yehowa gblɔ be, ‘Esi nèɖe asi le ame si mebe wòaku la ŋu wògale agbe ta la, ele be nàku ɖe eteƒe eye wò amewo atsrɔ̃ ɖe eƒe amewo teƒe.’”
And the prophet said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have allowed that man [Ben-Hadad] to escape after I commanded you to be sure to execute him! Since you did not do that, you will be killed instead. And your army will be destroyed because you allowed [some of] his army to escape!’”
43 Ale Israel fia trɔ yi Samaria kple dɔmedzoe kple moyɔyɔ.
The king went back home to Samaria, very angry and depressed/dejected.
