2 Ndị Eze 23
1 Mgbe ahụ, eze zigara ozi kpọkọta ndị okenye Juda na Jerusalem.
Then the king summoned all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
2 Ọ gara nʼụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị, ya na ndị ikom Juda niile, ndị niile bi na Jerusalem, na ndị nchụaja, na ndị amụma niile, na ndị mmadụ niile, site nʼonye nta ruo na onye ukwu. Ọ gụpụtara na ntị onye ọbụla okwu niile si nʼakwụkwọ ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ, bụ nke achọtara nʼime ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị.
He went to the Lord's Temple with all the people of Judah and Jerusalem, together with the priests and the Levites, all the people from the least to the greatest, and he read to them the whole Book of the Agreement that had been discovered in the Lord's Temple.
3 Eze guzoro nʼakụkụ ogidi, kwee nkwa nʼihu Onyenwe anyị, ịgbaso Onyenwe anyị, na iji obi ya niile, na mkpụrụobi ya niile, debe ihe niile o nyere nʼiwu, nʼihe ama ya niile na ụkpụrụ ya niile. O si otu a mee ka okwu niile nke ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ e dere nʼakwụkwọ guzosie ike. Mgbe ahụ, ndị mmadụ niile kwekwara nkwa idebe ọgbụgba ndụ ahụ.
The king stood by the pillar and made a solemn agreement before the Lord to follow him and to keep his commandments, laws, and regulations with total dedication, and to observe the requirements of the agreement as written in the book. All the people entered into the agreement.
4 Eze nyere Hilkaya onyeisi nchụaja na ndị nchụaja na-esote nʼọkwa, na ndị na-eche ọnụ ụzọ mbata, iwu ka ha site nʼụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị kwapụtasịa ngwongwo niile e mere nye Baal, na Ashera, na usuu ihe niile nke mbara eluigwe. O sunyere ha niile ọkụ nʼazụ Jerusalem, nʼọhịa dị na Ndagwurugwu Kidrọn, buru ntụ ha bulaa Betel.
Then the king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests of second rank, and the doorkeepers to remove from the Lord's Temple everything made for Baal, Asherah, and the worship of sun, moon, and stars. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the Kidron fields and took their ashes to Bethel.
5 Ọ chụdara ndị nchụaja arụsị ndị ahụ niile, bụ ndị eze Juda họpụtara isure ihe na-esi isi ụtọ nʼelu ebe dị elu nke obodo Juda nakwa ebe dị ọkụ. Nʼihi na ndị nchụaja ndị a achụọla aja, surekwaa ihe nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nʼebe ịchụ aja dị nʼelu ugwu niile dị nʼobodo dị iche iche na Juda, nakwa ndị dị gburugburu Jerusalem. Ha bụ ndị surere ihe nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nye Baal, na anyanwụ, ọnwa na kpakpando, nyekwa usuu niile nke mbara eluigwe.
He also dismissed the priests appointed by the kings of Judah to present burnt offerings on the high places of the towns of Judah and in the places all around Jerusalem, those who had sacrificed to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations, and to all the powers of heaven.
6 O sikwa nʼụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị bupụ ogidi chi Ashera, wezuga ya nʼazụ Jerusalem, na Ndagwurugwu Kidrọn. Ebe ahụ ka ọ nọ suo ya ọkụ, supịa ya ka ọ ghọọ ntụ, fesaa ya nʼebe a na-eli ndị mmadụ efu.
He removed the Asherah pole from the Lord's Temple and took it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. He burned it there, ground it into dust, and threw its dust over the graves of the ordinary people.
7 Ọ kwadakwara ụlọ obibi ụmụ ndị ikom na-agba akwụna dị nọ nʼụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị. Nʼebe ndị inyom na-anọ na-akpara Ashera akwa.
He also demolished the quarters of the cult prostitutes that were in the Lord's Temple, where the women used to weave tapestries for the Asherah.
8 O mere ka ndị nchụaja niile site nʼobodo Juda niile bịa, o merụkwara ebe ịchụ aja niile nke dị elu, site na Geba ruo Bịasheba, ebe ndị nchụaja ndị a nọrọ suree ihe nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ. Ọ kwatụrụ ọnụ ụzọ ama nke dị nʼebe ọnụ ụzọ ama Joshua, onye bụ gọvanọ obodo, nke dị nʼakụkụ aka ekpe nke ọnụ ụzọ ama obodo.
Josiah brought to Jerusalem all the priests from the towns of Judah and defiled the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had sacrificed burnt offerings. He demolished the high places of the gates, near to the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the governor of the city, which was left of the town gate.
9 Ma e kweghị ka ndị nchụaja ahụ jee ozi nʼụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị dị na Jerusalem, ma o nyere ha ike iso ndị nchụaja ndị ọzọ rie achịcha a na-ejighị ihe na-eko achịcha mee.
Though the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they did eat unleavened bread with their brother priests.
10 Josaya merụrụ Tofet, laa ya nʼiyi. Tofet bụ ebe ịchụ aja dị na Ndagwurugwu nke Ben Hinom. O mere nke a igbochi mmadụ ọbụla iji nwa ya nwoke, maọbụ nwa ya nwanyị chụọrọ chi Molek aja nsure ọkụ.
He defiled the Topheth altar in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech.
11 O sitere nʼọnụ ụzọ ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị wepụ ịnyịnya ndị ahụ ndị eze Juda doro nsọ nye anyanwụ. Ịnyịnya ndị a dị nʼogige ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị nʼebe dị nso nʼụlọ onyeozi aha ya bụ Netan-Melek. Josaya kpọrọ ụgbọ agha ndị a niile e doro nsọ nye anyanwụ ọkụ.
He removed the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun from the entrance to the Lord's Temple. They were in the courtyard near the room of a eunuch named Nathan-melech. Josiah also burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.
12 Josaya kwadara ebe ịchụ aja niile nke ndị eze Juda wukwasịrị nʼelu ụlọeze, nʼelu elu ụlọ Ehaz. Ọ kwadakwara ebe ịchụ aja niile nke Manase wuru nʼime ogige abụọ nke ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị, kporo ha kpofuo nʼime Ndagwurugwu Kidrọn.
He demolished the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had placed in the two courtyards of the Lord's Temple. The king smashed them to pieces and scattered them in the Kidron Valley.
13 Eze merụkwara ebe ịchụ aja niile dị nʼakụkụ ọwụwa anyanwụ obodo Jerusalem nʼakụkụ ndịda nke Ugwu Mbibi, nke Solomọn eze Izrel wuru nye chi Ashtọret, ihe arụ ndị Saịdọn, na chi Kemosh, ihe arụ ndị Moab, na chi Molek, ihe arụ ụmụ Amọn.
The king also defiled the high places to the east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, the places which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth, the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh, the vile god of the Moabites, and for Molech, the vile god of the Ammonites.
14 Josaya kwadakwara ogidi nkume niile, gbutuo ihe arụsị Ashera niile, werekwa ọkpụkpụ ndị mmadụ wụsa nʼelu ala ahụ niile.
He smashed the sacred stone pillars to pieces, chopped down the Asherah poles, and covered the places with human bones.
15 Josaya kwadakwara ogidi niile dị na Betel, nke Jeroboam nwa Nebat wuru mgbe o dubara ndị Izrel na mmehie. Ọ kwadara ebe ịchụ aja dị nʼebe ahụ, kụjisie nkume e doro nʼebe ahụ, gwerie ha dịka ntụ. Ọ kpọkwara arụsị Ashera ọkụ.
He also demolished the altar at Bethel, the high place set up by Jeroboam, son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin. Then he burned the high place, ground it to dust, and burned the Asherah pole.
16 Josaya legharịkwara anya gburugburu hụ ọtụtụ ili dị nʼelu ugwu. O ziri ndị ohu ya ka ha gaa chịpụtasịa ọkpụkpụ dị nʼili ahụ niile, kpọọ ha ọkụ nʼelu ebe ịchụ aja imerụ ya, dịka okwu Onyenwe anyị si dị, nke onye nke Chineke kwupụtara mgbe o buru amụma banyere ihe ndị a.
As Josiah looked around he saw some tombs there on the hill. He had the bones taken from the tombs, and he burned them on the altar to defile it, just as the Lord had said through the man of God who had prophesied these things.
17 Josaya jụrụ ndị guzo nʼebe ahụ ajụjụ sị, “Ọ bụ ili onye bụ nke a?” Ndị ikom obodo ahụ zara sị, “Ọ bụ ili onye nke Chineke ahụ si Juda bịa buo amụma megide ebe ịchụ aja Betel. O buru amụma na ihe ndị a ị na-eme ebe ịchụ aja a ga-emezu.”
Then he asked, “Whose gravestone is this that I see?” “It's the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed exactly what you have done to the altar of Bethel,” the townspeople replied.
18 Mgbe ahụ, Josaya zara sị ha, “Hapụnụ ya ka o guzoro onwe ya. Ka nwoke ọbụla gharakwa ịchịpụta ọkpụkpụ ya.” Ha hapụrụ ọkpụkpụ ya, hapụkwa ọkpụkpụ onye amụma ahụ si Sameria bịa.
“Let him rest in peace,” said Josiah. “Don't anyone touch his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, together with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.
19 Dịka o mere na Betel, otu a ka Josaya wepụrụ ma merụkwaa ebe ịchụ aja niile dị nʼebe niile dị elu nke ndị eze Izrel wuru nʼobodo niile nke Sameria, bụ ebe ịchụ aja kpasuru Onyenwe anyị iwe.
Josiah destroyed, just as he did at Bethel, all the shrines of the high places in the towns of Samaria that the kings of Israel had built that had angered the Lord.
20 O gburu ndị nchụaja chi ndị a niile nʼelu ebe ịchụ aja ha, suo ọkpụkpụ ha ọkụ nʼelu ebe ịchụ aja ha. Mgbe o mesịrị ihe ndị a, ọ laghachiri na Jerusalem.
Josiah slaughtered all the priests who were there at the high places on the altars, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem.
21 Eze nyere ndị Juda niile iwu sị ha, “Meerenụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke unu Mmemme Ngabiga, dịka e dere ya nʼakwụkwọ ọgbụgba ndụ a.”
The king sent out an order to all the people, “Observe the Passover of the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Agreement.”
22 O nwebeghị mgbe e mere ụdị Mmemme Ngabiga dịka nke a nʼoge ọbụla, site nʼụbọchị ndị ikpe bụ ndị duru Izrel maọbụ nʼụbọchị ndị eze Izrel na eze niile chịrị Juda, ọ dịghị nke yiri Mmemme Ngabiga a.
Such a Passover as this had not been observed from the days of the judges who ruled Israel on through all the days of the kings of Israel and Judah.
23 Ma ọ bụ nʼafọ nke iri na asatọ nke ọchịchị eze Josaya, nʼime Jerusalem ka a nọ mee Mmemme Ngabiga a nye Onyenwe anyị.
But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was observed to honor the Lord in Jerusalem.
24 Ọzọkwa, Josaya gara nʼihu kpochapụ ndị niile na-ajụta mmụọ ọjọọ ase, na ndị dibịa afa, na arụsị ezinaụlọ dị iche iche, na arụsị a pịrị apị, na ihe arụ niile nke a hụrụ nʼime Juda na Jerusalem niile. O mere nke a ka e mezuo ihe niile e dere nʼime akwụkwọ ahụ Hilkaya onye nchụaja chọtara nʼụlọ Onyenwe anyị.
In addition, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods and idols, and all the disgusting practices that were present in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. He did this to fulfill the words of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had found in the Lord's Temple.
25 Ọ dịghị eze ọzọ nʼime ndị niile buru ya ụzọ chịa nke dịka Josaya, onye chigharịkwutere Onyenwe anyị. Onye ji obi ya niile, na mmụọ ya niile na ike ya niile debe iwu niile e nyere Mosis. Ọ dịkwaghị eze ọzọ dịka ya, onye biliri mgbe ọ nwụsịrị.
Never before was there a king like him who committed himself to the Lord in all his thoughts and attitudes, and with all his strength, keeping all the Law of Moses. There was no king like him afterwards either.
26 Ma ihe ndị a emeghị ka iwe ọkụ Onyenwe anyị na-ewe megide Juda dajụọ, bụ iwe a kpasuru ya nʼihi ihe ọjọọ niile nke Manase mere.
However, the Lord had not given up his furious hostility, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to anger him.
27 Ya mere, Onyenwe anyị sịrị, “Aga m ekpochapụ Juda niile site nʼihu m, dịka m si kpochapụ Izrel niile. Aga m ajụkwa obodo ahụ m họpụtara, bụ Jerusalem, jụkwa ụlọnsọ ukwu a nke m kwuru banyere ya sị, ‘Nʼime ya ka Aha m ga-adị.’”
So the Lord announced, “I'm also going to banish Judah from my presence, just as I banished Israel. I will abandon this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the Temple regarding which I said, My name will be there.”
28 Ma banyere ihe ndị ọzọ niile mere nʼoge ọchịchị Josaya na ihe niile o mere, ọ bụ na e deghị ha nʼakwụkwọ akụkọ ihe mere nʼoge ndị eze Juda?
The rest of what happened in Josiah's reign, and all he did, are recorded in the Book of Chronicles of the Kings of Judah.
29 Nʼoge Josaya bụ eze, Fero Neko, eze Ijipt, gbagoro gaa nʼakụkụ osimiri Yufretis inyere eze Asịrịa aka. Eze Josaya pụkwara izute ya nʼagha, ma Neko zutere ya nʼagha, gbuo ya na Megido.
While Josiah was still king, Pharaoh Neco, king of Egypt, led his army to help the king of Assyria at the Euphrates River. King Josiah took his army to fight him at Megiddo, but when Neco saw Josiah he killed him.
30 Ndị na-ejere Josaya ozi sị na Megido buru ozu ya nʼime ụgbọ agha bulata ya na Jerusalem, lie ya nʼili nke aka ya. Ndị ala ahụ kpọọrọ Jehoahaz nwa nwoke Josaya, tee ya mmanụ, mee ya eze nʼọnọdụ nna ya.
His servants put his body in a chariot, brought him back from Megiddo to Jerusalem, and buried him in his own tomb. Then the people of the land chose Jehoahaz, son of Josiah, anointed him, and made him king in succession to his father.
31 Jehoahaz gbara iri afọ abụọ na atọ mgbe o bidoro ịchị, ma ọ chịrị na Jerusalem ọnwa atọ. Aha nne ya bụ Hamutal, nwa Jeremaya onye Libna.
Jehoahaz was twenty-three when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for three months. His mother's name was Hamutal, daughter of Jeremiah. She came from Libnah.
32 O mere ihe dị njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị dịka ndị eze buru ya ụzọ.
He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, just as all his forefathers had done.
33 Ma Fero Neko keere ya agbụ na Ribla nʼala Hamat, ime ka ọ ghara ịchịkwa na Jerusalem. Neko kwagidere ndị Juda ka ha tụọrọ ya ụtụ narị talenti ọlaọcha, na otu talenti ọlaedo.
Pharaoh Neco imprisoned Jehoahaz at Riblah in the land of Hamath to stop him ruling in Jerusalem. He also imposed on Judah a tribute of one hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.
34 Fero Neko mere Eliakịm nwa nwoke Josaya, eze, nʼọnọdụ Josaya bụ nna ya. Ọ gụgharịrị aha Eliakịm ka ọ bụrụ Jehoiakim. Ma o duuru Jehoahaz gaa Ijipt, ebe ọ nọ nwụọ.
Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim, son of Josiah, king in succession to his father Josiah, and he changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim. Neco took Jehoahaz to Egypt, where he died.
35 Jehoiakim kwụrụ Fero Neko ọlaọcha na ọlaedo ahụ ọ nara nʼaka ya. Ka o nwee ike mee nke a, o kere ụtụ nʼala ahụ, werekwa ike nara ndị ala ahụ ọlaọcha na ọlaedo, dịka mkpebi ha si dị banyere ihe onye ahụ ga-akwụ.
Jehoiakim paid the silver and gold to Pharaoh Neco, but in order to meet Pharaoh's demand he taxed the land and required payment of the silver and the gold from the people, each in proportion to their wealth.
36 Jehoiakim gbara iri afọ abụọ na ise mgbe ọ malitere ịbụ eze. Ọ chịrị afọ iri na otu na Jerusalem. Aha nne ya bụ Zebida nwa Pedaya, onye Ruma.
Jehoiakim was twenty-five when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother's name was Zebidah, daughter of Pedaiah She came from Rumah.
37 O mere ihe dị njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị, dịka ihe niile nna ya ha ndị bu ya ụzọ mere.
He did evil in the Lord's sight, just as his forefathers had done.
