1 Ndị Eze 13
1 Otu onye nke Chineke si Juda bịa Betel, site nʼokwu nke Onyenwe anyị oge Jeroboam guzo nʼebe ịchụ aja ka ọ chụọ aja.
Suddenly, as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD.
2 O tiri mkpu nʼoke olu megide ebe ịchụ aja ahụ dịka okwu Onyenwe anyị si dị, “Ebe ịchụ aja, ebe ịchụ aja! Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu: ‘A ga-amụ otu nwa nwoke nʼụlọ Devid, aha ya ga-abụ Josaya. Ọ ga-eji ndị nchụaja niile nke ebe dị elu, bụ ndị na-achụ aja nʼelu gị, chụọ aja nʼelu gị. A ga-esurekwa ọkpụkpụ ndị mmadụ ọkụ nʼelu gị.’”
And he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, “O altar, O altar, this is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David, and upon you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense upon you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”
3 Nʼụbọchị ahụ, onye nke Chineke ahụ kwuru okwu banyere ihe ịrịbama ga-emezu. O kwuru sị, “Nke a bụ ihe ịrịbama Onyenwe anyị ji emesi okwu ya ike: Ebe ịchụ aja a ga-agbawa ụzọ abụọ. Ntụ dị nʼelu ya ga-awụsasị nʼala.”
That day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “The LORD has spoken this sign: ‘Surely the altar will be split apart, and the ashes upon it will be poured out.’”
4 Mgbe eze Jeroboam nụrụ ihe onye nke Chineke ahụ kwuru megide ebe ịchụ aja Betel, o setịpụrụ aka ya site nʼebe ịchụ aja ahụ sị, “Jidenụ nwoke a!” Ma aka ahụ ọ setịpụrụ tụgide nwoke ahụ kpọnwụrụ na o nwekwaghị ike iweghachi ya azụ ọzọ.
Now when King Jeroboam, who was at the altar in Bethel, heard the word that the man of God had cried out against it, he stretched out his hand and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward him withered, so that he could not pull it back.
5 Ọzọkwa, ebe ịchụ aja ahụ gbawara abụọ, ntụ dị nʼelu ya wụsịkwara nʼala dịka ihe ịrịbama nke onye amụma Chineke nyere, site nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị.
And the altar was split apart, and the ashes poured out, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
6 Mgbe ahụ, eze sịrị onye nke Chineke ahụ, “Biko, rịọọ Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị, kpekwara m ekpere ka e nyeghachi m aka m.” Ya mere, onye nke Chineke ahụ rịọrọ Onyenwe anyị site nʼekpere, emekwara ka aka eze dịghachi dịkwa ka ọ dị na mbụ.
Then the king responded to the man of God, “Intercede with the LORD your God and pray that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored to him as it was before.
7 Emesịa, eze gwara onye nke Chineke ahụ okwu sị, “Soro m gaa nʼụlọ m. Aga m enye gị ihe oriri, nyekwa gị onyinye.”
Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”
8 Ma onye nke Chineke ahụ zara eze sị, “Ọ bụrụ na i nye m ọkara ihe niile i nwere, agaghị m eso gị baa nʼime ụlọ gị. Agaghị m erikwa nri gị maọbụ ṅụọ mmiri nʼebe a.
But the man of God replied, “If you were to give me half your possessions, I still would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place.
9 Nʼihi na-enyere m iwu site nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị, sị, ‘Erila nri, aṅụkwala mmiri, esitekwala ụzọ i si gaa laghachi.’”
For this is what I was commanded by the word of the LORD: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’”
10 Ya mere, o sitere nʼụzọ ọzọ lawa, nke na-abụghị ụzọ o si bịa Betel.
So the man of God went another way and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.
11 Ma o nwere otu onye amụma bụ agadi bi na Betel. Onye ụmụ ya bịara kọọrọ ihe niile onye nke Chineke ahụ mere nʼụbọchị ahụ na Betel, ha kọkwaara nna ha ihe niile ọ gwara eze.
Now a certain old prophet was living in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their father the words that the man had spoken to the king.
12 Nna ha jụrụ ha, “Olee ụzọ ọ gara?” Ụmụ ya ndị ikom ziri ya ụzọ nke onye nke Chineke ahụ si Juda gara.
“Which way did he go?” their father asked. And his sons showed him the way taken by the man of God, who had come from Judah.
13 Mgbe ahụ, ọ sịrị ụmụ ya ndị ikom, “Jikekwaranụ m ịnyịnya ibu m.” Ha jikekwaara ya ịnyịnya ibu, ọ nọkwasịrị nʼelu ya.
So the prophet said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” Then they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it
14 Ọ gbasooro onye nke Chineke nʼazụ, ọ hụrụ ya ka ọ nọ ala nʼokpuru osisi ook, Ọ sịrị ya, “Ọ bụ gị bụ onye nke Chineke ahụ si Juda bịa?” Ọ zara, “E, ọ bụ mụ onwe m.”
and went after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he replied.
15 Onye amụma ahụ sịrị ya, “Soro m ka anyị gaa nʼụlọ m, ka i rie nri.”
So the prophet said to the man of God, “Come home with me and eat some bread.”
16 Ma ọ sịrị, “Apụghị m iso gị laghachi azụ, maọbụ rie nri, ma ọ bụkwa ṅụọ mmiri ọbụla nʼebe a.
But the man replied, “I cannot return with you or eat bread or drink water with you in this place.
17 Nʼihi na a gwara m site nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị sị, ‘Erikwala nri maọbụ ṅụọ mmiri nʼebe ahụ, maọbụ soro ụzọ ị si gaa lọtakwa.’”
For I have been told by the word of the LORD: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’”
18 Ma onye nke ọzọ sịrị ya, “Mụ onwe m bụkwa onye amụma dịka gị, mmụọ ozi zikwara m ozi site nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị sị, ‘Kpọrọ ya ka o soro gị laghachi nʼụlọ gị, ka o rie nri, ṅụọkwa mmiri.’” (Ma ọ gwara ya okwu ụgha.)
Then the prophet replied, “I too am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” The old prophet was lying to him,
19 Ya mere, nwoke nke Chineke ahụ soro ya laghachi rie nri, ṅụọkwa mmiri.
but the man of God went back with him, ate bread in his house, and drank water.
20 Ma mgbe ha abụọ nọdụ na-eri ihe na tebul, okwu Onyenwe anyị rutere onye amụma agadi ahụ ntị, bụ onye mere ka ọ lọghachi azụ.
While they were sitting at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back,
21 Ọ kpọrọ onye nke Chineke ahụ si Juda bịa sị ya, “Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu, ‘Nʼihi na ị nupula isi nʼokwu ọnụ Onyenwe anyị, hapụ idebe iwu Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị nyere gị.
and the prophet cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have defied the word of the LORD and have not kept the commandment that the LORD your God gave you,
22 Ị laghachikwara nʼebe a, rie nri, ṅụọkwa mmiri, bụ ebe ọ gwara gị sị gị, erila nri, aṅụkwala mmiri. Ya mere, agaghị eli ozu gị nʼala ili nna gị ha.’”
but you went back and ate bread and drank water in the place where He told you not to do so, your body shall never reach the tomb of your fathers.’”
23 Mgbe onye nke Chineke ahụ risiri nri, ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ, ha kwadooro ya ịnyịnya ibu nke onye amụma ahụ kpọghachiri ya azụ.
And after the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the old prophet who had brought him back saddled the donkey for him.
24 Dịka ọ na-alaghachi, otu ọdụm zutere ya nʼụzọ, dọgbuo ya. Ma ọ hapụrụ ozu ya ka ọ tọgbọrọ nʼokporoụzọ, ma ịnyịnya ibu ya ma ọdụm ahụ dọgburu nwoke ahụ guzokwa nʼakụkụ ozu ya.
As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
25 Ndị mmadụ na-agafe hụrụ ozu ahụ ka ọ tọgbọrọ nʼụzọ, hụkwa ka ọdụm ahụ guzo nʼakụkụ ya. Ndị a gara kọọ akụkọ ihe ha hụrụ nʼụzọ nʼobodo ebe onye amụma agadi ahụ bi.
And there were men passing by who saw the body lying in the road with the lion standing beside it, and they went and reported this in the city where the old prophet lived.
26 Mgbe onye amụma ahụ mere ka ọ laghachi azụ nụrụ ihe mere, ọ sịrị, “Ọ bụ onye nke Chineke ahụ nupuru isi nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị. Onyenwe anyị enyefeela ya nʼaka ọdụm, nke dọgburu ma gbukwaa ya, dịka okwu Onyenwe anyị dọrọ ya aka na ntị.”
When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard this, he said, “It is the man of God who disobeyed the command of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, and it has mauled him and killed him, according to the word that the LORD had spoken to him.”
27 Mgbe ahụ, ọ sịrị ụmụ ya ndị ikom, “Jikekwaranụ m ịnyịnya ibu.” Ha mere otu a.
Then the old prophet instructed his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it,
28 Ọ pụrụ gaa chọta ozu nwoke ahụ ka ọ tọgbọrọ nʼụzọ. Ịnyịnya ibu ya na ọdụm ahụ guzokwa nʼakụkụ ozu ahụ. Ọdụm erighị anụ nwoke ahụ, ọ dọgbukwaghị ịnyịnya ibu ahụ.
and he went and found the body lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had not eaten the body or mauled the donkey.
29 Onye amụma agadi ahụ buliri ozu onye nke Chineke ahụ dọkwasị ya nʼelu ịnyịnya ibu ya, buru ya bughachi ya nʼobodo, nʼihi iruru ya ụjụ, nakwa ili ya.
So the old prophet lifted up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him.
30 O liri ozu onye nke Chineke ahụ nʼili nke aka ya. Mgbe o liri ya, ọ kwara akwa sị, “Ewoo nwanna m!”
Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they lamented over him, “Oh, my brother!”
31 Mgbe o lisiri ya, ọ gwara ụmụ ya ndị ikom sị, “Mgbe m nwụrụ, lienụ m nʼotu ili a e liri onye nke Chineke; doonụ ọkpụkpụ m ka ọ dịrị nʼakụkụ ọkpụkpụ ya.
After he had buried him, the prophet said to his sons, “When I die, you must bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried. Lay my bones beside his bones,
32 Nʼihi na ozi ahụ niile o ziri site nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị megide ebe ịchụ aja dị na Betel, na megidekwa ebe ụlọ arụsị niile dị nʼebe dị elu nʼobodo Sameria aghaghị imezu.”
for the message that he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria will surely come to pass.”
33 Nʼagbanyeghị ihe ndị a niile, Jeroboam esiteghị nʼụzọ ọjọọ ya tụgharịa. Kama ọ gara nʼihu họpụta ndị nchụaja maka ebe niile dị elu site nʼetiti ndị mmadụ efu. Onye ọbụla chọrọ ị bụ onye nchụaja ka o doro nsọ maka ije ozi nʼebe niile dị elu.
Even after these events, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil ways, but again he appointed priests for the high places from every class of people. He ordained anyone who desired to be a priest of the high places.
34 Nke a bụ mmehie ezinaụlọ Jeroboam. Ọ bụ ya mere alaeze Jeroboam ji daa, meekwa ka e kpochapụ ya nʼelu ụwa.
And this was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its extermination and destruction from the face of the earth.
