2 Ihe E Mere 16
1 Nʼafọ nke iri atọ na isii nke ọchịchị Asa, Baasha eze Izrel, busoro Juda agha, wuchie Rema igbochi onye ọbụla na-apụ apụ maọbụ onye na-abata abata nʼoke ala Asa, eze Juda.
When Asa had been ruling [Judah] for almost 36 years, King Baasha of Israel went [with his army] to attack Judah. They [captured the town of] Ramah [north of Jerusalem] and started to build a wall around [it], in order to prevent any people from entering or leaving the area in Judah that was ruled by King Asa [because the only road into Judah from Israel went through Ramah].
2 Mgbe ahụ, Asa chịịrị ọlaọcha na ọlaedo niile dị nʼụlọakụ ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị, na ndị dị nʼụlọeze ya, zigara Ben-Hadad, eze Aram, onye na-achị na Damaskọs, sị,
So Asa told his workers to take all the silver and gold that was in the storerooms of the temple and in his own palace, and take and give it to Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, who was ruling in Damascus. [He sent him a message, ] saying
3 “Biko, ka anyị gbaa ndụ dịka nna m na nna gị mere. Lee, ana m ezitere gị ọlaọcha na ọlaedo. Ugbu a, mebie ọgbụgba ndụ dị nʼetiti gị na Baasha, bụ eze Izrel, ka o si nʼebe m nọ wezuga onwe ya.”
“I want there to be a peace treaty between me and you, like there was between my father and your father. Look, I am sending you [a lot of] silver and gold. So please cancel the treaty that you have made with Baasha, the king of Israel, in order that he will take his soldiers away from attacking mine, [because he will be afraid of your army].”
4 Ben-Hadad kwenyere eze Asa, zipụ ndị ọchịagha ndị agha ya ka ha gaa buso obodo Izrel niile agha. Ha lụgburu Ijon, Dan, Ebel-Maim na obodo niile a na-achịkọbata ihe dị na Naftalị.
Ben-Hadad agreed to do what King Asa [suggested]. He sent the commanders of his armies [with their soldiers] to attack some of the towns in Israel. They captured Ijon, Dan, Abel-Beth-Maacah and all the cities in the area belonging to the tribe of Naphtali where supplies were kept.
5 Mgbe Baasha nụrụ nke a, ọ kwụsịrị iwu Rema, hapụkwa ọrụ ya.
When Baasha heard about that, he [commanded his troops to] stop fortifying Ramah and doing other work there.
6 Mgbe ahụ, eze Asa chịịrị ndị ikom niile nke Juda. Ha bịara bupusịa nkume na osisi niile dị na Rema, nke Baasha ji na-ewu ihe. O ji ihe ndị a wulie Geba na Mizpa.
Then King Asa gathered all the men of Judah, and they took away from Ramah all the stones and timber that Baasha’s men had been using [to build the wall around that town]. They took those materials to [the town of] Geba and [the city of] Mizpah [north of Jerusalem] and built walls around them.
7 Nʼoge ahụ Hanani, bụ onye ọhụ ụzọ bịakwutere Asa, bụ eze Juda sị ya, “Ebe ọ bụ na ị hapụrụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị, tụkwasị eze Aram obi, lee na usuu ndị agha Siria esitela nʼaka gị wezuga onwe ha.
At that time the prophet Hanani went to King Asa and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria and not on Yahweh our God, you missed your opportunity to destroy the army of the king of Syria.
8 Ndị Kush na ndị Libịa, ha abụghị usuu ndị agha ji ọtụtụ ụgbọ agha, na ndị na-agba ịnyịnya? Ma mgbe ị dabeere na Onyenwe anyị, o nyefere ha nʼaka gị.
The huge armies from Ethiopia and Libya with all their chariots and soldiers [riding] on horses [were certainly very powerful. But] when you relied on Yahweh, he enabled your army to defeat them.
9 Nʼihi na anya Onyenwe anyị na-agazu ụwa niile, ịgba ha ume bụ ndị obi ha zuruoke nʼebe ọ nọ. I meela omume nzuzu na nke a, site ugbu a gaa nʼihu ị ga na-enwe agha.”
That happened because Yahweh sees [what is happening] all over the earth, and he strengthens those who completely trust him. You have done a very foolish thing, so from now on other armies will be fighting your army.”
10 Iwe were Asa megide onye ọhụ ụzọ a nʼihi nke a; iwe were ya nke ukwuu nke mere na ọ tụnyere Hanani nʼụlọ mkpọrọ. Sitekwa nʼoge ahụ, Asa bidoro imekpa ụfọdụ nʼime ndị ya ahụ.
Asa was very angry with the prophet because of what the prophet had said. So he [commanded his officials to] put Hanani in prison. At that same time, he started to treat some of his people very cruelly.
11 Ihe banyere ihe ọzọ niile nʼoge ọchịchị Asa, site na mmalite ruo ọgwụgwụ ka e dere nʼime akwụkwọ ndị eze Juda na Izrel.
All the things that Asa did while he was ruling, from the time he started to rule until he died, are written in the scroll containing the record of the [activities of the] kings of Judah and Israel.
12 Nʼime iri afọ atọ na itoolu nke ọchịchị ya, eze Asa rịara ọrịa nke metụtara ụkwụ ya abụọ. Ọ bụ ezie na ọrịa a siri nọọ ike ma nʼime ọnọdụ ya ọ chọghị enyemaka site nʼaka Onyenwe anyị kama ọ bụ naanị ndị dibịa ka o jekwuru.
When Asa had been ruling for almost 39 years, he was afflicted with a disease in his feet. The disease was very severe, but in spite of that, he did not request help from Yahweh. Instead he sought help only from doctors.
13 Asa nwụrụ nʼiri afọ anọ na otu nke ọchịchị eze ya, sooro ndị nna nna ya ha dina nʼọnwụ.
When he had been ruling for almost 40 years, he died.
14 Ha liri ya nʼili nke ọ waara onwe ya nʼobodo Devid. Ha dobere ya nʼelu ihe ịdọba ozu nke jupụtara na ụda dị iche iche, na mmanụ na-esi isi ụtọ nke a gwọkọtara nke ọma, surekwara ya ihe nsure ọkụ nʼebe ọ dị ukwuu iji kwanyere ya ugwu.
He was buried in the tomb that his workers had made for him in [the part of Jerusalem called] ‘The City of David’. They laid his corpse on a bed covered with spices and various perfumes that had been mixed together. They also lit a huge fire to honor him.
