2 Maũndũ 18
1 Na rĩrĩ, Jehoshafatu aarĩ na indo nyingĩ na agatĩĩka mũno, nake agĩtuma ũthoni na Ahabu.
Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab [of Israel].
2 Mĩaka mĩnini yathira-rĩ, agĩikũrũka agĩthiĩ gũceerera Ahabu kũu Samaria. Nake Ahabu akĩmũthĩnjĩra ngʼondu nyingĩ na ngʼombe marĩ hamwe na andũ arĩa maarĩ nake, na akĩmũringĩrĩria matharĩkĩre Ramothu-Gileadi.
Several years later, he went down [from Jerusalem] to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle [for a feast].
3 Ahabu, mũthamaki wa Isiraeli akĩũria Jehoshafatu mũthamaki wa Juda atĩrĩ, “Nĩũgũthiĩ hamwe na niĩ tũgookĩrĩre Ramothu-Gileadi?” Nake Jehoshafatu akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Niĩ tũrĩ o ũndũ ũmwe nawe, o na andũ akwa no ta andũ aku; na nĩtũgaakorwo tũrĩ hamwe nawe kũu mbaara-inĩ”.
Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you [and your army] go with my army to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I will go to the battle when you tell us to go.”
4 No Jehoshafatu agĩcooka akĩĩra mũthamaki wa Isiraeli atĩrĩ, “Amba ũtuĩrie na ũmenye ũtaaro wa Jehova.”
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki wa Isiraeli akĩũngania anabii 400, akĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Tũthiĩ tũkahũũrane na Ramothu-Gileadi kana ndigathiĩ?” Nao makĩmũcookeria makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Thiĩ, nĩgũkorwo Ngai nĩekũneana itũũra rĩu moko-inĩ ma mũthamaki.”
So the king of Israel gathered all his 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we go to attack the people of Ramoth [city], or should we not do that?” They replied, “Yes, go [and attack them] because God will enable your army to defeat them.”
6 Nowe Jehoshafatu akĩũria atĩrĩ, “Kaĩ gũkũ gũtarĩ mũnabii wa Jehova ũrĩa tũngĩũria ũhoro kuuma kũrĩ we?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
7 Mũthamaki wa Isiraeli agĩcookeria Jehoshafatu atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kũrĩ mũndũ ũmwe ũrĩa ũngĩtũtuĩrĩria ũhoro kuuma kũrĩ Jehova, no nĩndĩmũthũire tondũ gũtirĩ hĩndĩ andathagĩra ũndũ mwega, no maũndũ mooru hĩndĩ ciothe. Nake nĩwe Mikaia mũrũ wa Imula.” No Jehoshafatu agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Mũthamaki ndagĩrĩirwo nĩ kuuga ũguo.”
The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, his name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts [that] bad [things will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
8 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki wa Isiraeli agĩĩta ũmwe wa anene ake, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ndehera Mikaia mũrũ wa Imula narua.”
So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.
9 Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũthamaki wa Isiraeli na Jehoshafatu mũthamaki wa Juda, mehumbĩte nguo ciao cia ũthamaki, magĩikarĩra itĩ ciao cia ũnene hau kĩhuhĩro-inĩ kĩa ngano kĩrĩa kĩarĩ itoonyero-inĩ rĩa Samaria, nao anabii othe maarĩ ho makĩratha mohoro marĩ mbere yao.
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on their thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of [Ahab’s] prophets were standing in front of them, predicting what was going to happen.
10 Na rĩrĩ, Zedekia mũrũ wa Kenaana nĩathondekete hĩa cia kĩgera, nake akiuga atĩrĩ, “Jehova ekuuga ũũ: ‘Ici nĩcio mũgaatheeca Asuriata nacio nginya mũmaniine.’”
[One of them whose name was] Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns [like these], your [army] will keep attacking the army of Syria [like a bull attacks another animal], until you completely destroy them.’”
11 Nao anabii acio angĩ othe maarathaga o ũndũ ũmwe, makoiga atĩrĩ: “Tharĩkĩra Ramothu-Gileadi na nĩũgũtooria, tondũ Jehova nĩekũrĩneana moko-inĩ ma mũthamaki.”
All the other prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”
12 Mũndũ ũrĩa watũmĩtwo ageete Mikaia akĩmwĩra ũũ, “Atĩrĩrĩ, anabii arĩa angĩ othe maarĩtie o ta mũndũ ũmwe, mararathĩra mũthamaki ũhootani. Reke kiugo gĩaku gĩtigakararanie na kĩao, na warie ũndũ mwega.”
The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are unitedly predicting that the king will be successful [in the battle]. So be sure to agree with them and say that the king’s army will be successful!”
13 Nowe Mikaia akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo, niĩ ngũmwĩra o ũrĩa Ngai wakwa ekunjĩĩra.”
But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
14 Hĩndĩ ĩrĩa aakinyire-rĩ, mũthamaki akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mikaia, tũthiĩ tũkahũũranĩre itũũra rĩa Ramothu-Gileadi, kana tũtigaathiĩ?” Nake Mikaia akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Rĩtharĩkĩre na ũhootane, tondũ nĩrĩkũneanwo moko-inĩ maku.”
When Micaiah arrived, the king [of Israel] asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
15 Mũthamaki akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Nĩ maita maigana ngũtũũra ngwĩhĩtithagia ndũkae kũnjĩĩra ũhoro ũngĩ tiga ũhoro wa ma thĩinĩ wa rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova?”
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was lying, so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
16 Nake Mikaia akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ndĩronire andũ a Isiraeli othe mahurunjũkĩire irĩma-inĩ ta ngʼondu itarĩ na mũrĩithi, nake Jehova aroiga atĩrĩ, ‘Andũ aya matirĩ na mwathi. O mũndũ nĩarekwo ainũke gwake na thayũ.’”
Then Micaiah replied, “[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.’”
17 Nake mũthamaki wa Isiraeli akĩĩra Jehoshafatu atĩrĩ, “Githĩ ndikwĩrire atĩ ndarĩ hĩndĩ angĩĩndathĩra ũhoro mwega, tiga o ũrĩa mũũru?”
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He [always] predicts that bad things will happen to me.”
18 Mikaia agĩthiĩ na mbere, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio thikĩrĩria kiugo kĩa Jehova: Ndĩronire Jehova aikarĩire gĩtĩ gĩake kĩa ũnene, arĩ na mbũtũ yothe ya igũrũ ĩrũgamĩte ĩmũthiũrũrũkĩirie mwena wa ũrĩo na wa ũmotho.
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 [standing around him], on his right side and on his left side.
19 Nake Jehova aroria atĩrĩ, ‘Nũũ ũkũheenereria Ahabu mũthamaki wa Isiraeli nĩguo atharĩkĩre Ramothu-Gileadi, nĩgeetha athiĩ agakuĩre kuo?’ “Ũmwe akiuga ũũ, na ũrĩa ũngĩ akiuga ũũ.
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, 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.
20 Marigĩrĩrio-inĩ, roho ũmwe ũkiumĩra, ũkĩrũgama mbere ya Jehova, ũkiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ niĩ ngũmũheenereria.’ “Jehova akĩũria atĩrĩ, ‘Ũkũmũheenereria atĩa?’
“Finally one spirit, [having received a message from Satan], came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’ “Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’
21 “Naguo roho ũcio ũkiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩgũthiĩ ngũthiĩ nduĩke roho wa maheeni tũnua-inĩ twa anabii ake othe.’ “Nake Jehova akiuga atĩrĩ, ‘Wee nĩũkũhota kũmũheenereria. Thiĩ ũgeeke ũguo.’
“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!’
22 “Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova nĩekĩrĩte roho wa maheeni tũnua-inĩ twa anabii aya aku. Jehova nĩagwathĩrĩirie mwanangĩko.”
“So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
23 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Zedekia mũrũ wa Kenaana akĩambata na akĩringa Mikaia rũhĩ ũthiũ. Akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Kaĩ roho wa Jehova agereire kũ rĩrĩa oimire kũrĩ niĩ nĩguo aarie nawe?”
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah 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?”
24 Mikaia agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Nĩũkamenya mũthenya ũrĩa ũgaathiĩ kwĩhitha kanyũmba ka na thĩinĩ.”
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [to which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian soldiers]!”
25 Mũthamaki wa Isiraeli agĩathana, akiuga atĩrĩ, “Oyai Mikaia mũmũcookie kũrĩ Amoni mwathi wa itũũra inene, na kũrĩ Joashu mũrũ wa mũthamaki,
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
26 na mũmwĩre atĩrĩ, ‘Mũthamaki ekuuga ũũ: Mũndũ ũyũ nĩaikio njeera na ndakaheo kĩndũ gĩa kũrĩa tiga mũgate na maaĩ nginya rĩrĩa ngaacooka na thayũ.’”
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]!”
27 Mikaia akiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũngĩgaacooka na thayũ-rĩ, no gũtuĩkire atĩ Jehova ndaarĩtie na niĩ.” Agĩcooka akiuga atĩrĩ, “Iguai ũhoro wakwa inyuĩ andũ aya inyuothe!”
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]!”
28 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki wa Isiraeli na Jehoshafatu mũthamaki wa Juda makĩambata nginya Ramothu-Gileadi.
So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
29 Nake mũthamaki wa Isiraeli akĩĩra Jehoshafatu atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũtoonya mbaara-inĩ ndĩĩgarũrĩte ndikamenyeke no wee wĩkĩre nguo cia ũthamaki.” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũthamaki wa Isiraeli akĩĩgarũra ndakamenyeke na agĩtoonya mbaara-inĩ.
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.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
30 Na rĩrĩ, mũthamaki wa Asuriata nĩathĩte anene ake a ngaari cia ita akameera atĩrĩ, “Mũtikarũe na mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ, mũnini kana mũnene, tiga o mũthamaki wa Isiraeli.”
The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”
31 Rĩrĩa anene a mbũtũ cia ngaari cia ita moonire Jehoshafatu magĩĩciiria atĩrĩ, “Ũyũ nĩwe mũthamaki wa Isiraeli” Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩgarũrũka mamũtharĩkĩre, no Jehoshafatu agĩkaya, nake Jehova akĩmũteithia. Ngai akĩmaroria na kũngĩ, makĩmweherera,
So when the soldiers who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing the royal robes], they thought “He must be the king of Israel!”
32 nĩgũkorwo rĩrĩa anene a ngaari cia ita moonire atĩ tiwe warĩ mũthamaki wa Isiraeli, magĩtiga gũthingatana nake.
So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.
33 No mũndũ ũmwe akĩgeeta ũta wake, agĩikia mũguĩ o ro ũguo, naguo ũkĩratha mũthamaki wa Isiraeli o gatagatĩ-inĩ ka magathĩkanĩrio ma nguo yake ya mbaara. Nake mũthamaki akĩĩra mũtwarithia wa ngaari ya ita atĩrĩ, “Garũra ngaari ũndute mbaara-inĩ. Nĩndagurario.”
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!”
34 Nayo mbaara ĩkĩneneha mũthenya wothe, na mũthamaki wa Isiraeli agĩĩtiirania ngaari-inĩ yake ya mbaara angʼetheire Asuriata o nginya hwaĩ-inĩ. Narĩo riũa rĩgĩthũa-rĩ, agĩkua.
The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.
