Fiawo 1 22
1 Aʋawɔwɔ meganɔ Aramtɔwo kple Israelviwo dome o hena ƒe etɔ̃.
For almost three years there was no war between Syria and Israel.
2 Le ƒe etɔ̃lia me, esime Yuda fia Yehosafat va kpɔ Israel fia Ahab ɖa la,
Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to [visit] King Ahab, who ruled Israel.
3 Ahab gblɔ na eŋumewo be, “Mienya be Siriatɔwo gale míaƒe du, Ramot Gilead me kokoko hafi miele afi sia, miele naneke wɔm tso eŋu oa?”
[While they were talking, ] Ahab said to his officials, “Do you realize that the Syrians are still occupying our city of Ramoth in [the] Gilead [region]? And we are doing nothing to retake that city!”
4 Fia Ahab bia Fia Yehosafat be, “Àte ŋu akpe ɖe ŋunye míaho aʋa ɖe Ramot Gilead ŋua?” Yuda fia Yehosafat ɖo eŋu be, “Mele abe wò ene eye nye dukɔ le abe wò dukɔ ene eye nye sɔwo le abe wò sɔwo ene.”
Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will your [army] join my [army] to fight against the people of Ramoth [and retake that city]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “[Certainly] I [will do whatever] you [want], and you may command my troops. You may take my horses into battle, also.”
5 Gake Yehosafat gblɔ kpe ɖe eŋu na Israel fia be, “Bia gbe Yehowa gbã.”
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
6 Ale Israel fia ƒo nyagblɔɖila alafa ene nu ƒu eye wòbia wo be, “Maho aʋa ɖe Ramot Gilead ŋu loo alo magaho aʋa ɖe eŋu oa?” Woɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Yi, elabena Yehowa atsɔe ade fia la ƒe asi me.”
So Ahab summoned about 400 of his prophets together, and he asked them, “Should my [army] go to fight the people in Ramoth and retake that city, or not?” They answered, “Yes, go [and attack them], because God will enable your [army] to defeat them.”
7 Yehosafat bia be, “Yehowa ƒe nyagblɔɖila aɖeke mele afi sia ne míabia gbee oa?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
8 Israel fia ɖo eŋu na Yehosafat be, “Ame ɖeka aɖe gali ame si dzi míato abia gbe Yehowa gake melé fui elabena megblɔa nya nyui aɖeke ɖi tso ŋunye o; nya vɔ̃ ko wògblɔna ɖi tso ŋunye. Eyae nye Mikaya, Imla ƒe viŋutsu.” Yehosafat ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Fia la megagblɔ nya ma o.”
The King of Israel replied, “There is one man we can talk to. We can ask him if he can find out what Yahweh wants. His name is Micaiah; he is the son of Imlah. But I hate him, because when he (prophesies/tells what God says to him) he never says [that] anything good [will happen] to me. He always predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
9 Ale Israel fia la gblɔ na eŋumewo dometɔ ɖeka be, “Yi kaba nàyɔ Mikaya, Imla ƒe vi la vɛ!”
So the king of Israel told one of his officers to summon Micaiah immediately.
10 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me Israel fia kple Yuda fia Yehosafat do woƒe fiawuwo, eye wonɔ fiazikpuiwo dzi le lugbɔƒe le Samariagbo la gbɔ, eye “Nyagblɔɖilawo” katã nɔ nya gblɔm ɖi le woƒe ŋkume.
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were wearing their (royal robes/robes that showed that they were kings). They were sitting on thrones at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of Ahab’s prophets were standing in front of the kings, (prophesying/predicting what was going to happen).
11 Nyagblɔɖilawo dometɔ ɖeka, Zedekiya, Kenana ƒe vi, tsɔ ga wɔ lãdzo aɖe eye wògblɔ be, “Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, ‘Àtsɔ lãdzo sia atutu Siriatɔwo tso afii yi afi mɛ va se ɖe esime woatsrɔ̃.’”
One of them, whose name was Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron [something that resembled] horns of a bull. Then he proclaimed [to Ahab], “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns like these your [army] will keep attacking the Syrians [like a bull attacks another animal] [MET], until you completely destroy them!’”
12 Nyagblɔɖila bubuawo katã lɔ̃ ɖe edzi hegblɔ kple gbe ɖeka be, “Ɛ̃, yi Ramot Gilead eye àkpɔ dzidzedze elabena Yehowa ana nàɖu dzi.”
All the [other] prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you go up to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them!”
13 Ame si yi ɖayɔ Mikaya la gblɔ nya si dzɔ kple nya si nyagblɔɖilawo nɔ gbɔgblɔm be fia la aɖu dzi le aʋa la me la nɛ. Eyi edzi gblɔ na Mikaya be, “Mexɔe se be, àƒo nu abe nyagblɔɖila mawo ene eye àkpɔ nya nyui aɖe agblɔ.”
Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that the king’s army will defeat the Syrians. So be sure that you agree with them and say (what will be favorable/that the king’s army will be successful).”
14 Ke Mikaya gblɔ be, “Meta Mawu be nya si Yehowa gblɔ nam la ko magblɔ.”
But Micaiah replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell him only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
15 Esi Mikaya va do la, fia la biae be, “Mikaya, ɖe míaho aʋa ɖe Ramot Gilead ŋu loo alo ɖe míagbe aʋahoho ɖe eŋua?” Mikaya gblɔ nɛ be, “Ho aʋa ɖe eŋu enumake elabena Yehowa ana nàɖu dzi.”
When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to fight against [the people of] Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
16 Fia la biae be, “Zi neni magblɔ na wò be nàgblɔ nu si Yehowa ɖo na wò be nàgblɔ la ko?”
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was (lying/being sarcastic), so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you [RHQ] many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
17 Mikaya gblɔ nɛ be, “Mekpɔ Israelviwo katã wokaka ɖe togbɛwo dzi abe alẽ siwo si kplɔla aɖeke mele o la ene eye Yehowa gblɔ nam be, ‘Kplɔla mele ame siawo si o; woneyi aƒe me le ŋutifafa me.’”
So Micaiah said to him, “[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.’”
18 Israel fia la gblɔ na Yehosafat be, “Nyemegblɔe na wò oa? Megblɔa nya nyui aɖeke nam gbeɖe o. Vɔ̃ kokoko wòkpɔna gblɔna ɖaa tso ŋunye.”
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you [RHQ] that he never predicts [that] anything good [will happen to me]! He [always] predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].”
19 Mikaya yi edzi be, “Ɖo to nàse nya si Yehowa gblɔ la ƒe dziyiyi. Mekpɔ Yehowa wònɔ eƒe fiazikpui dzi eye dziƒoʋakɔwo tsi tsitre ƒo xlãe le eƒe ɖusi kple mia dzi.
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 surrounding him, on his right side and on his left side.
20 Yehowa gblɔ be, ‘Ame ka ate ŋu able Ahab nu be wòaho aʋa ɖe Ramot Gilead ŋu eye wòakpɔ eƒe ku le afi ma?’ “Amewo do susu vovovowo ɖa.
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab 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.
21 Mlɔeba la, gbɔgbɔ aɖe do ɖe ŋgɔ, tsi tsitre ɖe Yehowa ŋkume eye wògblɔ be, ‘Mable enu ade eme.’
Finally one [evil] spirit came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’
22 “Yehowa biae be, ‘Aleke nàwɔ nu siae?’ “Mawudɔla la ɖo eŋu be, Mayi abe aʋatsokagbɔgbɔ ene, aɖo nu me na eƒe nyagblɔɖilawo katã. “Yehowa gblɔ be, ‘Esia anyo eye wòadze edzi hã, yi, nàwɔ alea.’
Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’ 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!’
23 “Yehowa de aʋatsokagbɔbgɔ nu me na nyagblɔɖila siawo katã, ke nyateƒe lae nye be Aƒetɔ la ɖo dzɔgbevɔ̃e ɖe ŋuwò.”
So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused all of your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
24 Tete Zedekiya, Kenana ƒe vi, gogo Mikaya eye wòƒo tome nɛ hebiae be, “Ɣe ka ɣie Yehowa ƒe Gbɔgbɔ dzo le gbɔnye eye wòƒo nu na wò?”
Then Zedekiah 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?” [RHQ]
25 Mikaya ɖo eŋu be, “Àkpɔ ŋuɖoɖo na wò biabia sia ne èkpɔ be yebe ɖe xɔ emetɔ aɖe me.”
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken to] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian troops]!”
26 Israel fia ɖe gbe be, “Milé Mikaya eye miakplɔe yi na dumegã Amon kple vinye Yoas.
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
27 Migblɔ na wo be, ‘Fia la be miade ŋutsu sia gaxɔ me eye miana abolo kple tsi koe va se ɖe esime magbɔ le ŋutifafa me!’”
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!”
28 Mikaya ɖo eŋu be, “Ne ètrɔ gbɔ le ŋutifafa me la, ekema Yehowa meƒo nu to dzinye o.” Etrɔ ɖe ame siwo le tsitre le afi ma la gbɔ eye wògblɔ na wo be, “Mide dzesi nya si megblɔ.”
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]!”
29 Ale Israel fia kple Yuda fia kplɔ woƒe aʋakɔwo yi Ramot Gilead.
So the King of Israel and the King of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
30 Israel fia gblɔ na Yehosafat be, “Mado awu bubuwo ale be ame aɖeke makpɔm adze sii o; ke wò ya la, do wò fiawu!” Ale wowɔ ɖe Israel fia ƒe ɖoɖo sia dzi.
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/robe that shows that you are a king).” So Ahab disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
31 Ke Aram fia de se na eƒe tasiaɖam blaetɔ̃-vɔ-eveawo dzi kpɔlawo be womegawɔ aʋa kple ame bubu aɖeke o, ke boŋ woati Israel fia ɖeɖe ko yome.
The King of Syria told this to his thirty-two men who were driving the chariots: “Attack only the king of Israel!”
32 Esi tasiaɖamkulawo ƒe amegãwo kpɔ Yehosafat la, wobu be, “Ame sia kokokoe nye Israel fia la.” Ale wolũ ɖe edzi, ke esi Yehosafat do ɣli la,
So when the men who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing (his royal robes/clothes that showed he was the king)], they pursued him. They shouted, “There is the king of Israel!” But when Jehoshaphat cried out,
33 tasiaɖamkulawo ƒe amegãwo kpɔ be menye eyae nye Israel fia la o, ale wodzudzɔ eyometiti.
they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing him.
34 Ke Syriatɔwo ƒe aʋawɔla ɖeka da aŋutrɔ ɖe Israelʋakɔ la me ko eye wòŋɔ Israel fia la to dometsotso si le eƒe aʋawu etetɔ kple eƒe akɔtakpoxɔnu dome. Israel fia la gblɔ na eƒe tasiaɖamkula be, “Kplɔm dzoe le afi sia elabena mexɔ abi vevie.”
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!”
35 Aʋa la nu nɔ sesẽm ɖe edzi ŋkeke blibo la. Fia la ziɔ ɖe nu ŋuti le eƒe tasiaɖam la me henɔ aʋa la dzi kple Arameatɔwo, eye eƒe ʋu nɔ ɖuɖum ɖe tasiaɖam la me; ke le fiẽ me la, eku.
The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian troops. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of the chariot. And late in the afternoon he died.
36 Esime ɣe nɔ to ɖom la, amewo do ɣli le aʋakɔ la me be, “Ame sia ame nesi yi eƒe du me, ame sia ame nesi ayi eƒe anyigba dzi!”
Just as the sun was going down, someone among the Israeli troops shouted, “[The battle is ended!] Everyone should return home!”
37 Ale fia la ku eye wotsɔe ɖaɖi ɖe Samaria.
So king Ahab died, and they took his body [in the chariot] to Samaria [city] and buried his body there.
38 Esi woklɔ eƒe tasiaɖam la kple eƒe gawu le Samaria ta la to, afi si gbolowo lea tsi le la, avuwo va ɖuɖɔ fia la ƒe ʋu abe ale si Yehowa gblɔe da ɖi ene.
They washed his chariot alongside the pool in Samaria, a pool where the prostitutes bathed. And dogs [came and] licked the king’s blood, just like Yahweh had predicted would happen.
39 Woŋlɔ Fia Ahab ƒe ŋutinya mamlɛa, eƒe nyiɖufiasã kple du siwo wòtso la ƒe ŋutinya ɖe, Israel fiawo ƒe Ŋutinyagbalẽ me.
The account/record of the other things that happened while Ahab was ruling, and about the palace decorated with much ivory [that they built for him], and the cities that were built for him, was written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.
40 Woɖi Ahab ɖe tɔgbuiawo dome eye via Ahazia zu Israel fia ɖe eteƒe.
When Ahab died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried. Then his son Ahaziah became king.
41 Le Yuda la, Yehosafat, Asa ƒe vi zu Israel fia le Ahab ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe enelia me.
Before King Ahab died, when he had been ruling in Israel for four years, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat started to rule in Judah.
42 Yehosafat xɔ ƒe blaetɔ̃ vɔ atɔ̃ eye wòɖu fia le Yerusalem ƒe blaeve vɔ atɔ̃. Dadaa ŋkɔe nye Azuba, Silhi ƒe vinyɔnu.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
43 Ewɔ Yehowa ƒe sewo katã dzi abe fofoa Asa ene, edze agbagba ɣe sia ɣi be yeadze Yehowa ŋu, ke meɖe nuxeƒewo ɖa le togbɛawo dzi o ale ameawo saa vɔ eye wodoa dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ le afi ma.
Jehoshaphat was a good king, just like his father Asa had been. He did things that pleased Yahweh. But while he was king, he did not remove all the pagan altars [that the people had built] on the hilltops. So the people continued to offer sacrifices [to idols] on those altars and burned incense there.
44 Nu bubu hãe nye ewɔ ŋutifafa kple Ahab, Israel fia.
Jehoshaphat also made [a] peace [agreement] with the king of Israel.
45 Woŋlɔ Yehosafat ƒe nuwɔnawo kple eƒe dziɖuɖuwo le aʋawo me ɖe Yuda fiawo ƒe ŋutinyagbalẽ me.
All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his [troops] won, are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
46 Yehosafat tu ŋutsu siwo nɔ gbolo wɔm le nuxeƒewo tso fofoa Asa ƒe fiaɖuɣi la ƒe xɔwo katã goŋgoŋ.
Jehoshaphat’s father Asa [had tried to expel] the male prostitutes that stayed at the pagan shrines, but some of them were still there. Jehoshaphat got rid of them.
47 Fia aɖeke menɔ Edom ɣe ma ɣi o: fiateƒenɔla koe nɔ anyi.
At that time, there was no king in Edom; a ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
48 Fia Yehosafat tu tɔdziʋu gãwo be woayi Ofir atsɔ sika agbɔe, ke womete ŋu trɔ gbɔ o, elabena wogbã le Ezion Geber.
Jehoshaphat [ordered some Israeli men to] build a fleet/group of ships to sail [south] to [the] Ophir [region] to get gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber/Elath, so the ships never sailed.
49 Ahazia, Fia Ahab ƒe vi, ame si ɖu fia ɖe Ahab yome la gblɔ na Yehosafat be wòana ye hã yeƒe amewo nayi gake Yehosafat gbe.
Before the ships were wrecked, Ahab’s son Ahaziah suggested to Jehoshaphat, “Allow my sailors to go with your sailors,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Esi Fia Yehosafat ku la, woɖii ɖe tɔgbuiawo dome le fofoa David ƒe du me eye via Yehoram ɖu fia ɖe eteƒe.
When Jehoshaphat died, his [body] was buried where his ancestors were buried in [Jerusalem, ] the city where King David [had ruled]. Then Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became king.
51 Le Yuda fia Yehosafat ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe wuiadrelia me la, Ahazia, Ahab ƒe vi dze fiaɖuɖu gɔme ɖe Israel dzi le Samaria. Eɖu fia ƒe eve.
Before King Jehoshaphat died, when he had been ruling in Judah for 17 years, Ahab’s son Ahaziah began to rule in Israel. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
52 Ewɔ nu vɔ̃ le Yehowa ƒe ŋkume elabena eto fofoa kple dadaa kple Yeroboam, Nebat ƒe vi, ame si kplɔ Israel de nu vɔ̃ me la ƒe afɔtoƒe.
He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, doing the [evil] things that his father and mother had done and the evil things that Jeroboam had done—the king who had led all the Israeli people to sin [by worshiping idols].
53 Esubɔ Baal eye wòto esia me do dɔmedzoe na Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la abe ale si fofoa wɔ ene.
Ahaziah bowed in front of Baal’s idol and worshiped it. That caused Yahweh, the God who was the true God of the Israeli people, to become very angry, just as Ahaziah’s father had caused Yahweh to become angry.
