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.
One day a prophet, obeying what Yahweh commanded him to do, went from Judah [north] to Bethel. He arrived there right at the time that Jeroboam was standing at the altar, ready to burn incense.
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.’”
Saying what Yahweh told him to say, the prophet shouted, “This is what Yahweh says [about this] altar [APO]: ‘I want you to know that [some day] a descendant [MTY] of King David will be born. His name will be Josiah, and he will come here. He will slaughter at this altar the priests who are burning incense for sacrifices on the hills [in this area], and he will burn the bones of dead people on this altar.’” [APO]
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.”
Then the prophet also said, “This is what will prove to you that Yahweh has said this: This altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be scattered.’”
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 prophet say that, he pointed his finger at him and said to his servants, “Seize that man!” But immediately the king’s arm became paralyzed/stiff, with the result that he could not move it.
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 immediately split apart, and the ashes spilled out [on the ground], which is what the prophet said that Yahweh [MTY] had predicted would happen.
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 prophet, “Please pray that Yahweh will be merciful to me and heal my arm!” So the prophet prayed, and Yahweh completely healed the king’s arm.
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 prophet, “Come home with me and eat some food. And I will also give you a reward [for what you have done]!”
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 prophet replied, “Even if you would [promise to] give me half of everything that you own [MTY], I will not go with you, and I will not eat or drink anything with you here,
9 Nʼihi na-enyere m iwu site nʼokwu Onyenwe anyị, sị, ‘Erila nri, aṅụkwala mmiri, esitekwala ụzọ i si gaa laghachi.’”
because Yahweh commanded me not to eat or drink anything here. He also commanded me not to return home on the road on which I came here.”
10 Ya mere, o sitere nʼụzọ ọzọ lawa, nke na-abụghị ụzọ o si bịa Betel.
So he started to return home, but he did not go on the road on which he came to Bethel. He went on a different road.
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.
At that time there was an old man living in Bethel who was a prophet. His sons came and told him what the prophet [from Judah] had done there on that day, and they also told him what the prophet 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.
Their father said, “On which road did he go?” So his sons showed him the road on which the prophet from Judah had gone [when he left Bethel].
13 Mgbe ahụ, ọ sịrị ụmụ ya ndị ikom, “Jikekwaranụ m ịnyịnya ibu m.” Ha jikekwaara ya ịnyịnya ibu, ọ nọkwasịrị nʼelu ya.
Then he said to his sons, “Put a saddle on my donkey.” So they did that, and he got on the donkey.
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 went along the road to (find/catch up with) the prophet from Judah. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He said to him, “Are you the prophet who came from Judah?” He replied, “Yes, I am.”
15 Onye amụma ahụ sịrị ya, “Soro m ka anyị gaa nʼụlọ m, ka i rie nri.”
The old prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.”
16 Ma ọ sịrị, “Apụghị m iso gị laghachi azụ, maọbụ rie nri, ma ọ bụkwa ṅụọ mmiri ọbụla nʼebe a.
He replied, “No, I am not allowed to go with you into your house, or to eat or drink anything with you,
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.’”
because Yahweh told me, ‘Do not eat or drink anything here, and do not return home on the road on which 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 old prophet said to him, “I also am a prophet, like you are. Yahweh sent an angel to tell me that I should take you home with me and give you some food and drink.” But the old man was lying [when he said that].
19 Ya mere, nwoke nke Chineke ahụ soro ya laghachi rie nri, ṅụọkwa mmiri.
But because of what the old prophet said, the prophet from Judah returned with him to his home and ate some food and drank some water with him.
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, Yahweh spoke to the old man.
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.
Then he cried out to the prophet from Judah, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have disobeyed him, and you have not done what he commanded you to do.
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 have come back here and had things to eat and drink in a place where he commanded you not to do that. As a result, you will be killed, and your body will not be buried in the grave where your ancestors are buried.’”
23 Mgbe onye nke Chineke ahụ risiri nri, ṅụọkwa ihe ọṅụṅụ, ha kwadooro ya ịnyịnya ibu nke onye amụma ahụ kpọghachiri ya azụ.
When they had finished eating, the old man put a saddle on the donkey for the prophet from Judah, [and the prophet from Judah left].
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 was going, a lion met him and killed him. The prophet’s corpse was lying on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it, and the lion was also standing beside the corpse.
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 men passed by and were surprised to see the corpse on the road and the lion standing next to the corpse. So they went into Bethel and reported what they had seen.
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 man who had brought the prophet from Judah to his home heard about it, he said, “That is the prophet who disobeyed what Yahweh told him to do! That is why Yahweh allowed the lion to attack him and kill him. That is what Yahweh said would happen!”
27 Mgbe ahụ, ọ sịrị ụmụ ya ndị ikom, “Jikekwaranụ m ịnyịnya ibu.” Ha mere otu a.
Then he said to his sons, “Put a saddle on my donkey.” So they did that.
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.
Then he rode on the donkey and found the prophet’s corpse on the road, and his donkey and the lion were still standing there alongside the corpse. But the lion had not eaten any of the flesh of the prophet and had not 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 old man picked up the corpse of the prophet and put it on his donkey and brought it back to Bethel, in order to mourn for him and to bury his corpse.
30 O liri ozu onye nke Chineke ahụ nʼili nke aka ya. Mgbe o liri ya, ọ kwara akwa sị, “Ewoo nwanna m!”
He buried the prophet’s corpse in the grave where other people in his family [had been buried]. Then he and his sons mourned for him, saying, “[We are very sorry], 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 they had buried him, the old man said to his sons, “When I die, bury my corpse in the grave where we buried the prophet from Judah. Lay my corpse next to his corpse.
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.”
[And do not forget what he said, because] the things that Yahweh told him to say about the altar in Bethel, and about the shrines on the hills in the towns in Samaria, will surely 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 King Jeroboam still did not turn away from continuing to do evil things. Instead, he appointed more priests [who were not descended from Levi]. Anyone who wanted to be a priest, he appointed to be a priest, in order that he could offer sacrifices on the hills.
34 Nke a bụ mmehie ezinaụlọ Jeroboam. Ọ bụ ya mere alaeze Jeroboam ji daa, meekwa ka e kpochapụ ya nʼelu ụwa.
Because he committed that sin, [a few years later] God got rid of most of Jeroboam’s descendants and did not allow them to become kings of Israel.
