< 2 Ihe E Mere 18 >
1 Ugbu a, Jehoshafat nwere akụnụba na ugwu buru ibu, bịakwa ghọọ ọgọ Ehab.
Now Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and highly honored, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.
2 Mgbe afọ ole na ole gasịrị, Jehoshafat gara Sameria ileta Ehab. Ehab gbuuru ya na ndị ya na ha yi ọtụtụ atụrụ na ehi, ọ kpọrọ oriri kwagide ya ka o buso Ramọt Gilead agha.
Some years later he went to pay Ahab a visit in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people who accompanied him, and encouraged him to attack Ramoth-gilead.
3 Ehab eze Izrel jụrụ Jehoshafat eze Juda, sị, “Ị ga-eso m buso Ramọt Gilead agha?” Jehoshafat zaghachiri, “Otu m dị ka gị onwe gị dị, ndị nke m bụkwa ndị gị. Anyị ga-eso gị gaa agha.”
Ahab, king of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Would you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “You and I are as one, and my men and your men are as one. We will join forces with you in this war.”
4 Ma Jehoshafat gwakwara eze Izrel, sị, “Buru ụzọ chọpụta ntụziaka Onyenwe anyị.”
Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first though, please find out what the Lord says.”
5 Ya mere, eze Izrel kpọkọtara ndị amụma dị narị ndị ikom anọ nʼọnụọgụgụ jụọ ha, sị, “Anyị a ga-ebuso Ramọt Gilead agha, ka ọ bụ m hapụ?” Ha zara, “Gaa, nʼihi na Chineke ga-enyefe ha nʼaka eze.”
So the king of Israel brought out the prophets—four hundred of them—and he asked them, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead,” they replied, “for God will hand it over to the king.”
6 Ma Jehoshafat jụrụ, “Ọ bụ na e nwekwaghị onye amụma Onyenwe anyị nọ nʼebe a, onye anyị nwere ike ịjụta ase nʼaka ya?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there another prophet of the Lord here that we can ask?”
7 Eze Izrel zaghachiri Jehoshafat, sị, “A ka nwere otu onye amụma, onye anyị nwere ike isite nʼaka ya jụọ Onyenwe anyị ase, ọ bụ Maikaya nwa Imla, ma akpọrọ m ya asị, nʼihi na o nweghị oge ọ na-ebu amụma ihe ọma nʼebe m nọ, kama ọ bụ naanị nke ọjọọ.” Jehoshafat sịrị, “Eze ekwesighị ikwu okwu dị otu a.”
“Yes, there's another man who could consult the Lord,” the king of Israel replied, “but I don't like him because he never prophesies anything good for me—it's always bad! His name is Micaiah, son of Imlah.” “You shouldn't talk like that,” said Jehoshaphat.
8 Mgbe ahụ, eze Izrel kpọrọ otu onye na-ejere ya ozi sị ya, “Mee ọsịịsọ kpọta Maikaya nwa Imla nʼebe a.”
The king of Israel called over one of his officials and told him, “Bring me Micaiah, son of Imlah, right away.”
9 Ehab eze Izrel na Jehoshafat eze Juda, onye ọbụla yi uwe eze ya, na-anọkwasị nʼocheeze ya nʼebe ịzọcha ọka nʼọnụ ụzọ ama e si abata obodo Sameria. Ndị amụma ahụ niile nọkwa na-ebu amụma nʼihu ha.
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor beside the gate of Samaria, with all of the prophets prophesying in front of them.
10 Zedekaya nwa Kenaana, mere mpi igwe, ọ kwupụtara sị, “Nke a bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu, ‘Ihe ndị a ka ị ga-eji sọgide ndị Aram, ruo mgbe a ga-ala ha nʼiyi.’”
One of them, Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made himself iron horns. He announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these horns you will gore the Arameans until they're dead!”
11 Ndị amụma ndị ọzọ niile na-ebu otu ihe ahụ nʼamụma, na-asị, “Gaa, busoo Ramọt Gilead agha, ị ga-enwekwa mmeri, nʼihi na Onyenwe anyị ga-enyefe ya nʼaka eze.”
All the prophets were prophesying the same thing, saying, “Go ahead, attack Ramoth-gilead; you will be successful, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
12 Onyeozi ahụ nke gara ịkpọ Maikaya sịrị ya, “Lee, ndị amụma ndị ọzọ na-agụpụghị onye ọbụla na-ebu amụma ọganihu nye eze. Mee ka okwu gị na ha dakọta. Kwuokwa ihe ga-adị eze mma.”
The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “Look, all the prophets are unanimous in prophesying positively to the king. So please make sure to speak positively like them.”
13 Ma Maikaya sịrị, “Dịka Onyenwe anyị na-adị ndụ, aga m agwa ya naanị ihe Chineke m kwuru.”
But Micaiah replied, “As the Lord lives, I can only say what my God tells me.”
14 Mgbe ọ bịarutere, eze jụrụ ya, “Maikaya, ọ bụ anyị gaa buso Ramọt Gilead agha, ka ọ bụ m hapụ?” Ọ zara, “Gaa, ma nwekwa mmeri, nʼihi na a ga-enyefe ha nʼaka gị.”
When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead and be victorious,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be handed over to the king.”
15 Eze sịrị ya, “Ugboro ole ka m ga-eme ka ị ṅụọ iyi na ị gaghị agwa m ihe ọzọ, karịa naanị eziokwu nʼaha Onyenwe anyị?”
But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me only the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Mgbe ahụ, Mikaya zara, “Ahụrụ m Izrel niile ka ha gbasasịrị nʼelu ọtụtụ ugwu dịka atụrụ na-enweghị onye ọzụzụ atụrụ ma Onyenwe anyị sịrị, ‘Ndị a enweghị onyendu, ka onye ọbụla laghachi nʼụlọ ya nʼudo.’”
So Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These people have no master; let each of them go home in peace.’”
17 Eze Izrel sịrị Jehoshafat, “Ọ bụ na m agwaghị gị na ọ dịghị mgbe ọ na-ebu amụma ihe ọma banyere m, kama naanị ihe ọjọọ?”
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn't I tell you he never prophesies anything good for me, only bad?”
18 Maikaya gara nʼihu sị, “Ya mere, nụrụnụ okwu Onyenwe anyị: Ahụrụ m Onyenwe anyị ka ọ nọkwasịrị nʼocheeze ya, hụkwa usuu nke eluigwe ka ha na-eguzo nʼaka nri ya nakwa nʼaka ekpe ya.
Micaiah went on to say, “So listen to what the Lord says. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, surrounded by the whole army of heaven standing to his right and to his left.
19 Ma Onyenwe anyị sịrị, ‘Onye ga-aga rafuo Ehab, eze Izrel, ka ọ gaa buso Ramọt Gilead agha, gaa nwụọ nʼebe ahụ?’ “Otu onye tụpụtara aro nke a, ebe onye ọzọ tụpụtara nke ọzọ.
The Lord asked, ‘Who will trick Ahab, king of Israel, into attacking Ramoth-gilead so he will be killed there?’ One said this, another said that, and another said something else.
20 Nʼikpeazụ, otu mmụọ pụtara guzo nʼihu Onyenwe anyị sị, ‘Mụ onwe m ga-arafu ya.’ “Onyenwe anyị jụrụ ya sị, ‘Olee otu ị ga-esi mee nke a?’
Finally a spirit came and approached the Lord and said, ‘I will trick him.’ ‘How are you going to do that?’ the Lord asked.
21 “Ọ zara, ‘Aga m apụ bụrụ mmụọ nrafu nʼọnụ ndị amụma ya niile.’ “Onyenwe anyị sịrị, ‘Ị ga-enwe ike ịrafu ya. Gaa mee otu a.’
‘I will go and be a lying spirit and make all his prophets tell lies,’ the spirit replied. ‘That will work,’ the Lord responded. ‘Go and do it.’
22 “Ma ugbu a, Onyenwe anyị etinyela mmụọ okwu ụgha nʼọnụ ndị amụma gị niile ndị a. Onyenwe anyị ekwubiela nʼihe ọjọọ ga-adakwasị gị.”
As you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced your death sentence.”
23 Mgbe ahụ, Zedekaya nwa Kenaana, gara nso maa Maikaya aka na nti, jụọ ya, “Olee ụzọ ka mmụọ ahụ sitere na Onyenwe anyị gara, mgbe ọ hapụrụ m bịa ịgwa gị okwu?”
Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went and slapped Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go when he left me to speak to you?”
24 Maikaya zaghachiri, “Ị ga-achọpụta nke a nʼụbọchị ị ga-agbaba nʼime ime ụlọ izo onwe gị.”
“You'll soon find out when you try and find some secret place to hide!” Micaiah replied.
25 Eze Izrel nyere iwu sị, “Jidenụ Maikaya kpụgara ya Amọn, onye na-achị obodo a, na Joash, nwa eze.
The king of Israel ordered, “Place Micaiah under arrest and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to my son Joash.
26 Ị ga-asịkwa, ‘Otu a ka eze sịrị: Tinye nwoke a nʼụlọ mkpọrọ, nye ya naanị achịcha na mmiri ọṅụṅụ tutu ruo mgbe m lọghachiri nʼudo.’”
Tell them these are the king's instructions: ‘Put this man in jail. Give him only bread and water until my safe return.’”
27 Maikaya kwupụtara sị, “Ọ bụrụ na ị lọghachi nʼudo, ọ pụtara na ọ bụghị Onyenwe anyị si nʼọnụ m kwuo okwu.” O kwukwara sị, “Unu niile, hụbakwanụ okwu m ndị a niile ama.”
“If you do in fact return safely then the Lord has not spoken through me,” Micaiah declared. “Pay attention everyone to all I've said!”
28 Ya mere, eze Izrel na Jehoshafat eze Juda pụrụ gawa Ramọt Gilead.
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to attack Ramoth-gilead.
29 Eze Izrel gwara Jehoshafat, sị, “Aga m ejikere onwe m dịka m bụ onye ọzọ banye nʼọgbọ agha, ma gị onwe gị yiri uwe eze gị.” Ya mere, eze Izrel nwogharịrị onwe ya ka onye ọzọ baa nʼọgbọ agha.
The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle I will be in disguise, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30 Ma eze Aram enyelarị ndị ọchịagha, ndị na-agba ụgbọ agha iwu sị, “Unu ebusola onye ọbụla agha, maọbụ onye ukwu maọbụ onye nta, karịakwa naanị eze Izrel.”
The king of Aram had already given these orders to his chariot commanders: “Head straight for the king of Israel alone. Don't fight with anyone else, whoever they are.”
31 Mgbe ndị ọchịagha na-achị ụgbọ agha hụrụ Jehoshafat, ha chere nʼobi ha, “Onye a bụ eze Izrel.” Nʼihi ya, ha tụgharịrị ibuso ya agha, ma Jehoshafat tiri mkpu, nke mere na Onyenwe anyị nyeere ya aka. Chineke wezugara ha site nʼebe ọ nọ,
So when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “There's the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat called out for help, and the Lord did help him. God redirected them away from him,
32 nʼihi na mgbe ndị ọchịagha, na-achị ndị na-agba ụgbọ agha hụrụ na ọ bụghị eze Izrel, ha kwụsịrị ịchụso ya.
for when the chariot commanders realized that he wasn't the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
33 Ma otu onye dọrọ ụta ya gbapụ ya na-ebughị onye ọbụla nʼobi, gbata ya eze Izrel nʼetiti njikọ ihe ikpuchi obi na uwe agha ya. Eze gwara onye ọkwọ ụgbọ agha, sị, “Tụgharịa, si nʼebe a bupụ m nʼihi na emerụọla m ahụ.”
However, an enemy archer shot an arrow at random, hitting the king of Israel between the joints of his armor by his breastplate. The king told his charioteer, “Turn around and get me out of the fight, because I've been wounded!”
34 Agha ahụ siri ike nʼụbọchị ahụ niile. Eze Izrel guzobere onwe ya ka ọ kwụrụ ọtọ nʼime ụgbọ agha ya na-eche ndị Aram ihu ruo uhuruchi. Ọ nwụrụ mgbe anyanwụ dara.
The battle lasted all day. The king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot to face the Arameans until the evening. But he died at sunset.