2 Ndị Eze 23
1 Mgbe ahụ, eze zigara ozi kpọkọta ndị okenye Juda na Jerusalem.
Then the king summoned all the elders of Jerusalem and [of the other places in] Judah.
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.
They went together to the temple, along with the priests and the prophets, and many other [HYP] people, from the most important people to the least important people. And while they listened, the king read to them all of the laws that Moses had written. He read from the scroll that had been found in the 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.
Then the king stood next to the pillar [where the kings stood when they made important announcements], and while Yahweh was listening, he repeated his promise to sincerely obey [DOU] all of Yahweh’s commands and regulations [DOU]. He also promised to (fulfill the conditions of/do what was written in) the agreement he made with Yahweh. And all the people also promised to obey 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 commanded Hilkiah the Supreme Priest and all the other priests who assisted him and the men who guarded the entrance to the temple to bring out from the temple all the items that people had been using to worship Baal, the goddess Asherah, and the stars. [After they carried them out, ] they burned all those things outside the city near the Kidron Valley. Then they took all the ashes to Bethel, [because that city was already considered to be desecrated/unholy].
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.
There were many pagan priests that the previous kings of Judah had appointed to burn incense on the altars on the tops of hills in Judah. They had been offering sacrifices to Baal, to the sun, the moon, the planets, and the stars. The king stopped them from doing those things.
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 [commanded that] the statue of the goddess Asherah [be] taken out of the temple. Then they took it outside Jerusalem, down to the Kidron Brook, and burned it. Then they pounded the ashes to powder and scattered that over the graves in the public cemetery.
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 destroyed the rooms in the temple where the temple male prostitutes lived. That was where women wove robes that were used to worship the goddess 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 also brought [to Jerusalem] all the priests who were offering sacrifices in the other cities in Judah. He also desecrated the places on the tops of hills where the priests had burned incense [to honor idols], from Geba [in the north] to Beersheba [in the south]. Those priests were not allowed to offer sacrifices in the temple, but they [were allowed to] eat the unleavened bread that the priests [who worked in the temple] ate. He also [commanded that] the altars that were dedicated to the goat demons near the gate built by Joshua, the mayor of Jerusalem, [be] destroyed. Those altars were at the left of the main gate into the city.
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.
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.
Josiah also desecrated the place named Topheth, in the Hinnom Valley, in order that no one could offer his son or daughter there to be completely burned for a sacrifice to [the god] 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 also removed the horses that the [previous] kings of Judah had dedicated to worshiping the sun, and he burned the chariots that were used in that worship. Those horses and chariots were kept in the courtyard outside the temple, near the entrance to the temple, and near the room where [one of Josiah’s] officials, whose name was Nathan-Melech, lived.
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.
Josiah also commanded his servants to tear down the altars that the previous kings of Judah had built on the roof of the palace, above the room where King Ahaz had stayed. They also tore down the altars that had been built by King Manasseh in the two courtyards outside the temple. He commanded that they be smashed to pieces and thrown down into 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.
He also commanded that the altars that King Solomon had built east of Jerusalem, south of Olive Tree Hill, be desecrated. Solomon had built them for the worship of the disgusting idols—the [statue of the goddess] Astarte [worshiped by the people in] Sidon [city], Chemosh the god of the Moab people-group, and Molech the god of the Ammon people-group.
14 Josaya kwadakwara ogidi nkume niile, gbutuo ihe arụsị Ashera niile, werekwa ọkpụkpụ ndị mmadụ wụsa nʼelu ala ahụ niile.
They also broke into pieces the stone pillars that the Israeli people worshiped, and cut down the [pillars that honored the goddess] Asherah, and they scattered the ground there with human bones [to desecrate it].
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.
Furthermore, he commanded them to tear down the place of worship at Bethel which had been built by King Jeroboam, the king who persuaded the people of Israel to sin. They tore down the altar. Then they broke its stones into pieces and pounded them to become powder. They also burned the statue [of the goddess] Asherah.
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.
Then Josiah looked around and saw some tombs there on the hill. He commanded his men to take the bones out of those tombs and burn them on the altar. By doing that, he desecrated the altar. That was what a prophet had predicted many years before when Jeroboam was standing close to that altar at a festival. Then Josiah looked up and saw the tomb of the prophet who had predicted that.
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.”
Josiah asked, “Whose tomb is that?” The people of Bethel replied, “It is the tomb of the prophet who came from Judah and predicted that these things that you have just now done to this altar would happen.”
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.
Josiah replied, “Allow his tomb to remain as it is. Do not remove the prophet’s bones from the tomb.” So the people did not remove those bones, or the bones of the other prophet, the one who had come 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.
In every city in Israel, at Josiah’s command, they tore down the shrines that had been built by the previous kings of Israel, which had caused Yahweh to become very angry. He did to all those shrines/altars the same thing that he had done to the altars at Bethel.
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.
He ordered that all the priests who offered sacrifices on the altars on the tops of hills must be killed on those altars. Then he burned human bones on every one of those altars [to desecrate 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.”
Then the king commanded all the people to celebrate the Passover Festival to honor Yahweh their God, which was written in the law of Moses that they should do [every year].
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.
During all the years that leaders ruled Israel and during all the years that kings had ruled Israel and Judah, they had not celebrated that festival.
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 now, after Josiah had been ruling for almost 18 years, to [honor] Yahweh they celebrated the Passover Festival 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.
Furthermore, Josiah got rid of all the people in Jerusalem and other places in Judah who practiced sorcery and those who requested the spirits of dead people [to tell them what they should do]. He also removed from Jerusalem and from the other places in Judah all the household idols and all the other idols and abominable things. He did those things in order to obey what had been written in the scroll that Hilkiah had found in the 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.
Josiah was totally devoted to Yahweh. There had never been [in Judah or Israel] a king like him. He obeyed all the laws of Moses. And there has never since then been a king like Josiah.
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.
But Yahweh had become extremely angry with the people of Judah because of all the things that [King] Manasseh had done to infuriate him, and he continued to be very angry.
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.’”
He said, “I will do to Judah what I have done to Israel. I will banish the people of Judah, with the result that they will never enter my presence again. And I will reject Jerusalem, the city that I chose [to belong to me], and I will abandon the temple, the place where I said that I [MTY] should be worshiped.”
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?
[If you want to know more about] [RHQ] all the other things that Josiah did, they are written in the scroll called ‘The History 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 the king of Judah, King Neco of Egypt led his army north to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah tried to stop the army of Egypt at Megiddo [city], but Josiah was killed in a battle there.
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 officials placed his corpse in a chariot and took it back to Jerusalem, where it was buried in his own tomb, a tomb where the other previous kings had not been buried. Then the people of Judah poured [olive] oil on [the head of] Josiah’s son Joahaz, to appoint him to be the new king.
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.
Joahaz was 23 years old when he became the king [of Judah], but he ruled from Jerusalem for [only] three months. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah from Libnah [city].
32 O mere ihe dị njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị dịka ndị eze buru ya ụzọ.
Joahaz did many things that Yahweh said were evil, just like many of his ancestors 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.
King Neco’s [army came from Egypt and captured him and] tied him up with chains and took him as a prisoner to Riblah [town] in Hamath [district], to prevent him from continuing to rule in Jerusalem. Neco forced the people of Judah to pay to him (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of silver and (75 pounds/34 kg.) 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.
King Neco appointed another son of Josiah, Eliakim, to be the new king, and he changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. Then he took Joahaz to Egypt, and later Joahaz died there in Egypt.
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.
King Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people [of Judah]. He collected more from the rich people and less from the poor people. He collected silver and gold from them, in order to pay to the king of Egypt what he commanded them to give.
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 years old when he became the king [of Judah], and he ruled from Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah from Rumah [town].
37 O mere ihe dị njọ nʼanya Onyenwe anyị, dịka ihe niile nna ya ha ndị bu ya ụzọ mere.
He did many things that Yahweh says are evil, like his ancestors had done.
