1 Ndị Eze 20
1 Ugbu a, Ben-Hadad, bụ eze ndị Aram, chịkọtara ndị agha ya niile. Iri ndị eze atọ na abụọ sonyere ya, ha na ịnyịnya ha na ụgbọ agha ha. Ọ rịgooro nọchibido obodo Sameria buso ya agha.
Now Ben-hadad king of Aram assembled his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he marched up, besieged Samaria, and waged war against it.
2 Mgbe ahụ, eze ndị Siria zigaara Ehab, eze Izrel ozi nʼime obodo sị ya, “otu a ka Ben-Hadad sịrị,
Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel,
3 ‘Ọlaọcha na ọlaedo gị, nkem ka ha bụ, ndị nwunye gị na ụmụ gị, bụ ndị dị mma karịsịa nke m ka ha bụ.’”
saying, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and your best wives and children are mine!’”
4 Ehab eze Izrel, zighachiri ozi sị, “Ọ dị mma, onyenwe m, mụ onwe m, na ihe niile m nwere bụ nke gị.”
And the king of Israel replied, “Just as you say, my lord the king: I am yours, along with all that I have.”
5 Ngwangwa ndị ozi Ben-Hadad bịaghachiri zie Ehab ozi ọzọ sị ya, “Otu a ka Ben-Hadad sịrị, ‘Ọ bụ ezie na m ziteere gị ozi, sị, ọlaọcha gị na ọlaedo gị na ndị nwunye gị na ụmụ gị ka ị ga-enye m.
The messengers came back and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: ‘I have sent to you to demand your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
6 Ma ugbu a, nʼoge dị ka nke a, echi, aga m ezite ndị ozi m ka ha bịa nyochaa ụlọ gị niile na ụlọ ndị ozi gị niile. Ihe ọbụla dị oke ọnụahịa nʼanya gị ka ha ga-ewere.’”
But about this time tomorrow I will send my servants to search your palace and the houses of your servants. They will seize and carry away all that is precious to you.’”
7 Eze Izrel kpọrọ ndị okenye niile nke ala ahụ, sị ha, “Leenụ ugbu a, hụkwanụ otu nwoke a si achọ nsogbu. Mgbe o zitere m ozi inye ya ndị nwunye m, na ụmụ, na ọlaọcha m na ọlaedo m, ekwenyere m ya inye ya ihe ndị a.”
Then the king of Israel summoned all the elders of the land and said, “Please take note and see that this man is looking for trouble, for when he demanded my wives, my children, my silver, and my gold, I did not deny him.”
8 Ndị okenye na ndị Izrel zara sị ya, “Aṅala ya ntị! Enyela ya ihe ọbụla.”
And the elders and the people all said, “Do not listen to him or consent to his terms.”
9 Mgbe ahụ, ọ sịrị ndị ozi Ben-Hadad, “Gwanụ onyenwe m, bụ eze, ‘M bụ odibo gị jikeere ime ihe niile ị buru ụzọ kwuo na m ga-enye gị. Ma ekwenyeghị m nʼozi nke ugboro abụọ a.’” Ndị ozi ahụ laghachiri kọọrọ Ben-Hadad ihe niile Ehab kwuru.
So Ahab answered the messengers of Ben-hadad, “Tell my lord the king, ‘All that you demanded of your servant the first time I will do, but this thing I cannot do.’” So the messengers departed and relayed the message to Ben-hadad.
10 Ma Ben-Hadad zigakwaara Ehab ozi ọzọ sị, “Ka chi ndị a mesoo m mmeso, otu ọbụla mmeso ahụ si dị njọ, ma ọ bụrụ na aja Sameria ga-afọdụ inye onye ọbụla nʼetiti ndị ikom m otu njuaka.”
Then Ben-hadad sent another message to Ahab: “May the gods deal with me, and ever so severely, if enough dust remains of Samaria for each of my men to have a handful.”
11 Ma eze Izrel zaghachiri, “Gwa ya, ‘Onye na-ebu agha na-anya isi naanị mgbe a lụchara agha, ọ bụghị tupu a lụọ agha.’”
And the king of Israel replied, “Tell him: ‘The one putting on his armor should not boast like one taking it off.’”
12 Ben-Hadad nụrụ ozi Ehab ziri mgbe ya na ndị eze ndị ọzọ ahụ nọ na-aṅụ mmanya nʼụlọ ikwu ha manyere nʼọgbọ agha ahụ. Ben-Hadad nyere ndị agha ya iwu sị ha, “Jikerenụ, buso ndị Izrel agha.” Ya mere, ha kwadoro ibuso obodo ahụ agha.
Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents, and he said to his servants, “Take your positions.” So they stationed themselves against the city.
13 Nʼoge a, otu onye amụma bịakwutere Ehab, bụ eze Izrel sị, “Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị sịrị, ‘Ị hụrụ oke igwe ndị agha a? Aga m enyefe ha nʼaka gị taa, mgbe ahụ ị ga-amatakwa na mụ onwe m bụ Onyenwe anyị.’”
Meanwhile a prophet approached Ahab king of Israel and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this entire great army? Behold, I will deliver it into your hand this very day, and you will know that I am the LORD.’”
14 Ma Ehab jụrụ sị, “Onye ga-eme nke a?” Onye amụma zara, “Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Ọ bụ ụmụ okorobịa bụ ndịisi agha nọ nʼokpuru ndị ọchịagha na-achị akụkụ ala Izrel.’” Ehab jụkwara ọzọ, “Onye ga-amalite agha a?” Onye amụma ahụ zara, “Gị onwe gị.”
“By whom?” Ahab asked. And the prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘By the young officers of the district governors.’” “Who will start the battle?” asked Ahab. “You will,” answered the prophet.
15 Mgbe ahụ, Ehab kpọkọtara ụmụ okorobịa bụ ndịisi agha si nʼakụkụ obodo ya. Ọnụọgụgụ ha dị narị abụọ na iri atọ na mmadụ abụọ. Ọnụọgụgụ ndị agha Izrel ndị ọzọ dị puku asaa.
So Ahab assembled the young officers of the district governors, and there were 232 men. And after them, he assembled the rest of the Israelite troops, 7,000 in all.
16 Nʼetiti ehihie, mgbe Ben-Hadad na iri ndị eze atọ na abụọ ahụ, bụ ndị ahụ bịara inyere ya aka nọ na-aṅụ mmanya, na-aṅụbiga ya oke,
They marched out at noon while Ben-hadad and the 32 kings allied with him were in their tents getting drunk.
17 ụmụ okorobịa, bụ ndị agha, ndị nọ nʼokpuru ndị ọchịagha na-achị akụkụ ala Izrel buru ụzọ pụọ ibu agha. Ma Ben-Hadad, nʼonwe ya ezipụlarị ndị nledo, ndị lọghachiri bịa gwa ya sị, “Ndị agha si Sameria na-abịa.”
And the young officers of the district governors marched out first. Now Ben-hadad had sent out scouts, who reported to him, “Men are marching out of Samaria.”
18 Ọ sịrị, “Ọ bụrụ na ha abịa nʼihi udo, jidenụ ha na ndụ; ọ bụrụ na ha bịara maka ibu agha, jidenụ ha na ndụ!”
“If they have marched out in peace,” he said, “take them alive. Even if they have marched out for war, take them alive.”
19 Ma ụmụ okorobịa ndị ọchịchị a bụ ndị nọ nʼokpuru ndịisi, na-achị akụkụ ala ahụ sitere nʼobodo zọlie ije ebe ndị agha so ha nʼazụ, pụọ ibu agha.
Meanwhile, these young officers of the district governors marched out of the city, with the army behind them,
20 Onye ọbụla nʼime ha gburu onye agha Siria ọbụla lụsoro ya ọgụ. Nke a mere ka ndị agha Siria gbapụ ọsọ, ndị agha Izrel chụsokwara ha. Ma Ben-Hadad, eze Aram, na ndị agha na-agba ịnyịnya, sitekwara nʼihu ọgbọ agha ahụ gbapụkwa ọsọ.
and each one struck down his opponent. So the Arameans fled, with the Israelites in pursuit. But Ben-hadad king of Aram escaped on horseback with the cavalry.
21 Ma eze ndị Izrel pụkwuru ya, nwude ọtụtụ ịnyịnya na ụgbọ agha, butere ndị Aram ọghọm dị ukwuu.
Then the king of Israel marched out and attacked the horses and chariots, inflicting a great slaughter on the Arameans.
22 Emesịa, onye amụma ahụ bịakwutere eze Izrel sị ya, “Mee onwe gị ka ị dị ike nke ọma, mara ihe e kwesiri ka e mee, nʼihi nʼetiti ọkọchị na udu mmiri nke afọ nʼabịa, eze Aram ga-abịa ibuso gị agha ọzọ.”
Afterward, the prophet approached the king of Israel and said, “Go and strengthen your position, and take note what you must do, for in the spring the king of Aram will come up against you.”
23 Ma otu ọ dị, ndịisi agha eze ndị Aram dụrụ ya ọdụ sị, “Chi ha bụ chi ugwu. Nʼihi ya ka ha ji dị ike karịa anyị. Ma ọ bụrụ na anyị ebuso ha agha nʼobosara ala dị larịị, anyị aghaghị ịdị ike karịa ha.
Meanwhile, the servants of the king of Aram said to him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they prevailed over us. Instead, we should fight them on the plains; surely then we will prevail.
24 Mee ihe a, wepụ ndị eze a niile site nʼebe ha nọ, jiri ndị na-achị ala gbanwee ha.
So do this: Dismiss all the kings from their positions and replace them with other officers.
25 Kpọkọtaakwa ndị agha ọzọ, ndị dị ukwuu nʼọnụọgụgụ, dịka ndị agha i du gaa agha na mbụ. Nyekwa anyị ịnyịnya na ụgbọ agha ga-ezuru anyị. Anyị ga-apụkwa buso ndị Izrel agha nʼobosara ala dị larịị. Ọ dịkwaghị ihe ga-egbochi anyị imeri ha nʼoge a.” Ben-Hadad, eze Aram, kwenyere, meere ha dịka ha rịọrọ ya.
And you must raise an army like the one you have lost—horse for horse and chariot for chariot—so we can fight the Israelites on the plain, where we will surely prevail.” And the king approved their plan and acted accordingly.
26 Mgbe otu afọ gasịrị, Ben-Hadad chịkọtakwara ndị Aram niile duru ha gaa Afek ibuso Izrel agha.
In the spring, Ben-hadad mobilized the Arameans and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
27 Mgbe a kpọkọtara ndị agha niile nọ nʼIzrel nye ha ngwa agha, ha pụrụ izute ha. Ndị agha Izrel mara ụlọ ikwu ha na ncherita ihu ndị agha Siria, dịka igwe ewu nta abụọ, ebe ndị Aram jupụtara ala ahụ niile.
The Israelites also mobilized, gathered supplies, and marched out to meet them. The Israelites camped before them like two small flocks of goats, while the Arameans covered the countryside.
28 Onye nke Chineke bịara gwa eze ndị Izrel, “Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị sịrị, ‘Nʼihi na ndị Aram na-eche na Onyenwe anyị bụ chi nke ugwu, na ọ bụghị chi ala ndagwurugwu, aga m arara igwe ndị agha a nyefee gị nʼaka, ka gị na ndị gị mata nʼeziokwu na m bụ Onyenwe anyị.’”
Then the man of God approached the king of Israel and said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because the Arameans think the LORD is a god of the hills and not of the valleys, I will deliver all this great army into your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
29 Ọ bụ ụbọchị asaa ka ha mara ụlọ ikwu ha na ncherita ihu ibe ha. Ma nʼụbọchị nke asaa ahụ, ndị agha malitere ibu agha. Ndị Izrel merụrụ narị puku ndị agha Aram ahụ nʼotu ụbọchị.
For seven days the armies camped opposite each other, and on the seventh day the battle ensued, and the Israelites struck down the Arameans—a hundred thousand foot soldiers in one day.
30 Ma ndị fọdụrụ nʼetiti ndị agha Aram gbapụrụ ọsọ gbalaga nʼobodo Afek. Ebe ahụ ka mgbidi obodo Afek nọ dagbuo iri puku ndị agha abụọ na asaa nʼime ha. Ma Ben-Hadad nʼonwe ya gbalagara, gbaba nʼime obodo ahụ, gaa zoo onwe ya nʼime ime otu ụlọ.
The rest of them fled into the city of Aphek, where the wall fell on twenty-seven thousand of the remaining men. Ben-hadad also fled to the city and hid in an inner room.
31 Mgbe ahụ, ndịisi agha ya bịakwutere ya sị ya, “Lee, anyị nụrụ na ndị eze Izrel bụ ndị obi ebere. Ka anyị yiri akwa mkpe nʼukwu anyị, kee ụdọ nʼolu anyị, gaa rịọọ eze Izrel. Ma eleghị anya ọ ga-edebe gị ndụ.”
Then the servants of Ben-hadad said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful. Let us go out to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads. Perhaps he will spare your life.”
32 Ya mere, ha yikwasịrị onwe ha akwa mkpe, nyarakwa ụdọ nʼolu ha, jekwuru eze Izrel sị ya, “Ohu gị bụ Ben-Hadad na-asị, ‘Biko, kwee ka m dịrị ndụ.’” Eze jụrụ ha sị, “Ọ bụ ezie na ọ ka dị ndụ ugbu a? Nwanne m ka ọ bụ.”
So with sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their heads, they went to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-hadad says, ‘Please spare my life.’” And the king answered, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”
33 Okwu a mere ka ndị ozi eze Aram nwee olileanya. Ha mere ngwangwa kwugharịakwa ihe ahụ o kwuru. Ha sịrị, “E, Nwanne gị bụ Ben-Hadad.” Mgbe ahụ, eze Ehab nyere ha iwu sị, “Gaanụ kpọpụta ya, dutekwanụ ya nʼebe a.” Mgbe Ben-Hadad bịara, Ehab mere ka ọ rigota nʼụgbọ agha nke ya.
Now the men were looking for a sign of hope, and they quickly grasped at this word and replied, “Yes, your brother Ben-hadad.” “Go and get him!” said the king. Then Ben-hadad came out, and Ahab had him come up into his chariot.
34 Mgbe ahụ, Ben-Hadad gwara Ehab sị, “Obodo niile nke nna m naara nna gị, ka m ga-enyeghachi gị. I nwere ike iwuru onwe gị ọdụ ahịa nʼama obodo Damaskọs dịka nna m wuru nʼime Sameria.” Ehab kwuru, “Ọ bụrụ na anyị agbaa ndụ, aga m eme ka i nwere onwe gị.” Ya mere, ha abụọ gbara ndụ. Ehab hapụkwara ya ka ọ laa nʼudo.
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will restore the cities my father took from your father; you may set up your own marketplaces in Damascus, as my father did in Samaria.” “By this treaty I release you,” Ahab replied. So he made a treaty with him and sent him away.
35 Emesịa, okwu Onyenwe anyị rutere otu onye nʼetiti ụmụ ndị amụma. Ọ gwara otu nwoke nʼime ụmụ ndị amụma ahụ nọ ya nso sị ya, “Jiri ngwa agha dị gị nʼaka tie m ihe.” Ma nwoke ahụ jụrụ ime ihe onye amụma ahụ kwuru.
Meanwhile, by the word of the LORD, one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me, please!” But the man refused to strike him.
36 Nʼihi nke a, onye amụma gwara nwoke ahụ okwu sị, “Ebe ọ bụ na ị jụrụ ime ihe Onyenwe anyị nyere nʼiwu, lee ihe ga-adakwasị gị. Mgbe i si nʼebe a na-ala nʼụlọ gị, ọdụm ga-ezute gị nʼụzọ dọgbuo gị.” Amụma a mezukwara, nʼihi na mgbe nwoke ahụ tụgharịrị si nʼebe ahụ na-ala, ọdụm lụsoro ya ọgụ nʼụzọ gbuo ya.
Then the prophet said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, as soon as you depart from me a lion will kill you.” And when he left, a lion found him and killed him.
37 Onye amụma ahụ pụkwara chọta onye ọzọ sị ya, “Biko, tie m ihe.” Nwoke ahụ tiri ya ihe tihịa ya ahụ.
Then the prophet found another man and said, “Strike me, please!” So the man struck him and wounded him,
38 Mgbe ahụ, onye amụma ahụ e tiri ihe jiri akwa kechie ihu ya, ka mmadụ ọbụla ghara ịmata onye ọ bụ. Ọ pụrụ gaa guzo nʼakụkụ ụzọ ebe eze Izrel ga-esi gafee.
and the prophet went and waited on the road for the king, disguising himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 Mgbe eze na-agafe, onye amụma ahụ tiri mkpu sị, “Onyenwe m, biko gee m ntị. Lee, otu onye agha bịakwutere m mgbe m nọ nʼihu agha sị m, ‘Lee nwoke a a dọtara nʼagha; chee ya nche. Ekwekwala ka ọ gbanarị gị. Nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na o site nʼaka gị gbapụ, ị ga-anwụ, maọbụ i jiri otu talenti ọlaọcha gbara isi gị.’
As the king passed by, he cried out to the king: “Your servant had marched out into the middle of the battle, when suddenly a man came over with a captive and told me, ‘Guard this man! If he goes missing for any reason, your life will be exchanged for his life, or you will weigh out a talent of silver.’
40 Ma mgbe m nọ na-arụ ọrụ ọzọ, nwoke ahụ a dọtara nʼagha gbapụrụ. Ahụkwaghị m ya anya ọzọ.” Mgbe ahụ, eze Izrel zara sị ya, “I jirila ọnụ gị maa onwe gị ikpe. Ị ghaghị ịnata ahụhụ dịrị gị.”
But while your servant was busy here and there, the man disappeared.” And the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you have pronounced it on yourself.”
41 Mgbe ahụ, onye amụma ahụ mere ngwangwa wepụ akwa ahụ o ji kechie anya ya abụọ. Eze Izrel matakwara na ọ bụ otu onye nʼime ndị amụma.
Then the prophet quickly removed the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets.
42 Onye amụma ahụ gwara eze okwu sị ya, “Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Ebe i mere ka nwoke a laa, bụ onye m nyere gị nʼaka ime ka ọ nwụọ, ugbu a, ị ghaghị ịnwụ nʼọnọdụ ya. A ga-alakwa ndị gị nʼiyi, nʼọnọdụ ndị nke ya.’”
And the prophet said to the king, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Because you have let slip from your hand the man I had devoted to destruction, your life will be exchanged for his life, and your people for his people.’”
43 Nʼihi okwu a, eze Izrel ji iwe na ihu mgbarụ laa nʼụlọ ya dị na Sameria.
Sullen and angry, the king of Israel went home to Samaria.
