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.
The Lord ordered a man of God from Judah to go to Bethel. He arrived just as Jeroboam was standing beside the altar about to present a burnt offering.
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.’”
He shouted out the Lord's condemnation of the altar: “Altar, altar, this is what the Lord says. A son will be born to the house of David. His name will be Josiah, and on you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn offerings on you, and human bones will be burned on 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.”
The same day the man of God gave a sign, saying, “This is the sign to prove that the Lord has spoken. Look! The altar will be split apart, and the ashes on it will spill 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.
When King Jeroboam heard the condemnation the man of God had shouted out against the altar in Bethel, he pointed his hand at him and said, “Arrest him!” But the hand the king had pointed at him had become paralyzed and he couldn't draw 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.
The altar split apart, and the ashes spilled out from it, fulfilling the sign that the man of God had given from 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 said to the man of God, “Please plead with the Lord your God—pray for me that I may have my hand back!” The man of God pleaded with the Lord, and the king was given back the use of his hand 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 to my home and have a meal so I can give you a present.”
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 told the king, “Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I still wouldn't go with you. In fact I refuse to eat or drink anything in this place.
9 Nʼihi na-enyere m iwu site nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị, sị, ‘Erila nri, aṅụkwala mmiri, esitekwala ụzọ i si gaa laghachi.’”
The Lord ordered me not to eat or drink anything, and not to return by the way I came.”
10 Ya mere, o sitere nʼụzọ ọzọ lawa, nke na-abụghị ụzọ o si bịa Betel.
So he went a different way—he did not return 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.
It so happened that an old prophet lived in Bethel. His sons came and told him everything the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their father what the man had said 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 them. So his sons showed him the way taken by the man of God 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.
“Saddle up a donkey for me,” he told his sons. They saddled up a donkey and he got on.
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.”
He rode after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” he asked him. “Yes I am,” the man replied.
15 Onye amụma ahụ sịrị ya, “Soro m ka anyị gaa nʼụlọ m, ka i rie nri.”
“Come home with me and have something to eat,” he told him.
16 Ma ọ sịrị, “Apụghị m iso gị laghachi azụ, maọbụ rie nri, ma ọ bụkwa ṅụọ mmiri ọbụla nʼebe a.
“I can't turn around and go with you, and I won't eat or drink with you in this place,” the man of God replied.
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.’”
“The Lord ordered me, saying ‘You must not eat or drink anything 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.)
But the old prophet told him, “I am also a prophet, just like you. An angel told me God said, ‘Take him home with you so that he can have something to eat and drink’” But he was lying to him.
19 Ya mere, nwoke nke Chineke ahụ soro ya laghachi rie nri, ṅụọkwa mmiri.
So the man of God went back with him, and ate and drank in his house.
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.
As they were sitting at the table, a message from 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.
He called out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not followed the orders 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.’”
instead you went back and ate and drank in the place where he told you not to, your body will not be buried in 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.
After the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his own 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.
But as he went on his way a lion came across him on the road and killed him. His body was left lying in the road, with both 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.
Some passers-by saw the body lying in the road with the lion standing beside it, so they went and let people know about it in the town 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 old prophet who had led the other astray heard what had happened, he said, “It's the man of God who disobeyed the Lord's orders. That's why the Lord put him in the path of the lion, and it has mauled him and killed him, just as the Lord told him would happen.”
27 Mgbe ahụ, ọ sịrị ụmụ ya ndị ikom, “Jikekwaranụ m ịnyịnya ibu.” Ha mere otu a.
The prophet told his sons, “Saddle up a donkey for me.” So they saddled a donkey,
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. It was still lying in the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had not eaten the body or attacked 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.
The prophet picked up the body of the man of God, placed it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own town to mourn over 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!”
He laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him, crying, “My poor 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'd buried him, he told his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave 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 from the Lord that he gave in condemnation against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria, will definitely happen.”
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.
But even after all this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways. He went on choosing priests from all kinds of people. He appointed anyone who wanted 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.
This was because of this sin that the house of Jeroboam was wiped out, completely destroyed from the face of the earth.
