1 Bakonzi 20
1 Beni-Adadi, mokonzi ya Siri, asangisaki mampinga na ye nyonso elongo na bakonzi tuku misato na mibale na bampunda mpe bashar; akendeki kozingela Samari mpe abundisaki yango.
Ben-Hadad, the king of Syria, gathered all his army, and he persuaded 32 other kings to join him with their armies and horses and chariots. They marched to Samaria [city, the capital of Israel], and surrounded it, and [prepared to] attack it.
2 Atindaki bantoma kati na engumba epai ya Akabi, mokonzi ya Isalaele
Ben-Hadad sent messengers into the city to King Ahab, to say this to him: “This is what King Ben-Hadad says:
3 na maloba oyo: — Tala maloba oyo Beni-Adadi alobi: « Palata mpe wolo na yo ezali ya ngai; basi na yo mpe bana mibali na yo, oyo baleki kitoko bazali ya ngai. »
‘[You must give to] me all your silver and gold, your (good-looking/most beautiful) wives/women and strongest children.’”
4 Mokonzi ya Isalaele azongisaki: — Ezali ndenge kaka olobi, mokonzi, nkolo na ngai; ngai mpe nyonso oyo nazali na yango ezali ya yo.
The king of Israel replied to them, “Tell this to King Ben-Hadad: ‘I agree to do what you requested. You can have me and everything that I own.’”
5 Bantoma bazongaki lisusu mpe balobaki: — Tala maloba oyo Beni-Adadi alobi: « Napesaki yo mitindo ete opesa ngai palata na yo, wolo na yo, basi na yo mpe bana na yo ya mibali.
[The messengers told that to] Ben-Hadad, and he [sent them back with] another message: “I sent a message to you saying that you must give me all your silver and gold and your wives and your children.
6 Kasi yeba malamu ete lobi, na ngonga oyo, nakotinda basali na ngai mpo na kotala malamu-malamu ndako na yo mpe bandako ya basali na yo. Bakozwa nyonso ya motuya na miso na yo mpe bakomema yango. »
But [in addition to that], about this time tomorrow, I will send some of my officials to search your palace and the houses of your officials, and to bring to me everything that pleases them.”
7 Mokonzi ya Isalaele abengisaki bampaka nyonso ya mboka mpe alobaki na bango: — Botala ndenge nini moto oyo azali koluka makambo! Tango asengaki ngai basi na ngai mpe bana na ngai ya mibali, wolo mpe palata na ngai, napimelaki ye yango te.
King Ahab summoned all the leaders of Israel, and said to them, “You can see/realize for yourselves that this man is trying to cause much trouble. He sent me a message insisting that I must give him my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, and I agreed to do that.”
8 Bampaka mpe bato nyonso balobaki na ye: — Koyokela ye te mpe kondima bisengeli na ye te.
The leaders and all the other people said to him, “Do not pay any attention to him! Do not do what he is requesting!”
9 Boye Akabi azongisaki epai ya bantoma ya Beni-Adadi: — Boloba na mokonzi, nkolo na ngai: « Mosali na yo akosala nyonso oyo osengaki liboso; kasi na oyo ya mibale, nakosala yango te. » Bazongaki mpe bamemaki eyano epai ya Beni-Adadi.
So Ahab said to Ben-Hadad’s messengers, “Tell the king that I agree to give him the things that he first requested, but I do not agree to allow his officials to take anything that they want from my palace and from the houses of my officials.” So the messengers [reported that to King Ben-Hadad, and they] returned with another message from Ben-Hadad.
10 Beni-Adadi atindaki maloba mosusu epai ya Akabi: — Tika ete banzambe bapesa ngai etumbu ya makasi koleka soki etikali na Samari putulu oyo ekoki kotondisa ata loboko ya moko na moko ya bato oyo bazali kolanda ngai.
In that message he said, “[We will destroy] your city [completely, with the result that] there will not be enough dust and rubble left for each of my soldiers to have one handful! I hope/wish that the gods will strike me dead if we do not do that!”
11 Mokonzi ya Isalaele azongisaki: — Boloba na ye: « Moto oyo alati bibundeli asengeli komikumisa te lokola moto oyo alongoli bibundeli! »
King Ahab replied [to the messengers], “Tell King Ben-Hadad that a soldier who is putting on his armor [preparing to fight a battle] [MTY] should not boast at that time; he [should wait until] after he wins the battle.”
12 Beni-Adadi ayokaki sango yango tango ye elongo na bakonzi bazalaki komela na bandako ya kapo. Apesaki mitindo epai ya bato na ye: — Bomibongisa mpo na etumba. Boye, bamibongisaki mpo na kobundisa engumba.
Ben-Hadad heard that message while he and the other rulers were drinking [wine] in their temporary shelters. He told his men to prepare to attack [MTY] the city. So his men did that.
13 Na tango wana kaka, mosakoli moko ayaki epai ya Akabi, mokonzi ya Isalaele, mpe alobaki na ye: — Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi: « Ozali komona mampinga monene oyo? Nakopesa yango lelo na maboko na yo, bongo okoyeba ete nazali Yawe. »
At that moment, a prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘[Do not be at all afraid of] [RHQ] the large enemy army that you see! I will enable your army to defeat them today, and you will know that it is I, Yahweh, [who have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
14 Akabi atunaki: — Kasi nani akosala yango? Mosakoli azongisaki: — Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi: « Bakonzi ya basoda ya bilenge, bakonzi ya basoda ya bamboka mike nde bakosala yango. » Akabi atunaki: — Nani akobanda etumba? Mosakoli azongisaki: — Ezali yo nde moto okobanda.
Ahab asked, “What group [of our army] will defeat them?” The prophet replied, “The young soldiers who are commanded by the district governors will do it.” The king asked, “Who should lead the attack?” The prophet replied, “You should!”
15 Akabi abengisaki bakonzi ya basoda ya bilenge, bakonzi ya basoda ya bamboka mike; bango nyonso bazalaki bato nkama mibale na tuku misato na mibale. Asangisaki lisusu bato ya Isalaele oyo batikalaki: bazalaki bango nyonso bato nkoto sambo.
So Ahab gathered the young soldiers who were commanded by the district governors. There were 232 of those men. Then he also summoned all the Israeli army. There were [only] 7,000 soldiers.
16 Babimaki na midi na tango Beni-Adadi elongo na bakonzi tuku misato na mibale, oyo bazalaki na ngambo na ye, bazalaki kolangwa masanga na bandako na bango ya kapo.
They started to attack at noon, while Ben-Hadad and the other rulers were getting drunk in their temporary shelters.
17 Bakonzi ya basoda ya bilenge babimaki bato ya liboso. Nzokande Beni-Adadi azwaki sango epai ya banongi na ye oyo balobaki na ye: — Bato bazali kopusana wuta na engumba Samari.
The young soldiers advanced first. Some scouts who had been sent out by Ben-Hadad reported to him, “There are men coming out of Samaria [city]”!
18 Beni-Adadi alobaki: — Soki bayei mpo na kimia, bakanga bango ya bomoi; kasi soki mpe bayei mpo na bitumba, kokanga bango ya bomoi.
He said, “It does not matter whether they are coming to fight against us or to ask for peace. Capture them, but do not kill them
19 Bakonzi ya basoda ya bilenge babimaki na engumba elongo na mampinga sima na bango.
The young Israeli soldiers went out of the city to attack [the Syrian army], and the other soldiers in the Israeli army followed them.
20 Soda moko na moko abomaki monguna na ye. Boye bato ya Siri bakimaki, mpe bato ya Isalaele balandaki bango. Kasi Beni-Adadi, mokonzi ya Siri, akimaki na mpunda elongo na ndambo ya basoda na ye, oyo batambolaka na bashar.
Each [Israeli soldier] killed a [Syrian] soldier. The rest of the Syrian army then ran away, and the Israeli soldiers pursued them. But King Ben-Hadad escaped riding his horse, along with some other men riding horses.
21 Mokonzi ya Isalaele apusanaki, abebisaki bampunda elongo na bashar mpe alongaki bato ya Siri na elonga monene.
Then the king of Israel went out [of the city], and he and his soldiers captured [all] the [other Syrian] horses and chariots, and also killed a large number of Syrian soldiers.
22 Sima na yango, mosakoli ayaki epai ya mokonzi ya Isalaele mpe alobaki: — Lendisa basoda na yo mpe tala nini okoki kosala, pamba te na mobu oyo ekoya, mokonzi ya Siri akoya kobundisa yo lisusu.
Then that same prophet went to King Ahab and said to him, “Go back and prepare your soldiers, and think carefully about what will be necessary for you to do, because the king of Syria with attack with his army again in the springtime of next year.”
23 Na tango wana bakalaka ya mokonzi ya Siri bapesaki ye toli: « Banzambe na bango bazali banzambe ya bangomba. Yango wana balekaki biso na makasi, kasi soki tobundi na bango na bitando, tokoleka bango solo na makasi.
[After the Syrian army was defeated, ] Ben-Hadad’s officials said to him, “The gods that the Israelis [worship] are gods [who live] in the hills. [Samaria is built on a hill, and] that is why their soldiers were able to defeat us. But if we fight against them in the plains/lowlands, we certainly will be able to defeat them.
24 Sala boye: longola bakonzi nyonso na bisika na bango mpe tia bakonzi mosusu ya basoda na bisika ya bato oyo ya liboso.
So, this is what you should do: You must remove the 32 kings [who are leading your troops] and replace them with army commanders.
25 Osengeli mpe lisusu kobongisa mampinga lokola oyo owutaki kobungisa: mpunda mpo na mpunda, shar mpo na shar, mpo ete tokoka kobundisa Isalaele na etando. Solo, tokoleka bango na makasi. » Beni-Adadi ayokaki bango mpe asalaki bongo.
Then gather an army like the army that was defeated. Gather an army that has as many horses and chariots as the first army had. Then we will fight the Israelis in the plains/lowlands, and we will surely defeat them.” Ben-Hadad agreed with them, and he did what they suggested.
26 Na mobu oyo elandaki, Beni-Adadi asangisaki mampinga na ye ya Siri mpe amataki na Afeki mpo na kobundisa Isalaele.
In the spring of the following year, he gathered his soldiers and marched [with them] to Aphek [city east of Galilee Lake], to fight against the Israeli army.
27 Akabi mpe na ngambo na ye, asangisaki bato ya Isalaele mpe apesaki bango bibundeli; boye babimaki mpo na kobundisa bato ya Siri. Bato ya Isalaele batongaki milako oyo ezalaki kotalana na bato ya Siri. Mampinga na bango ezalaki lokola bitonga mibale ya mike ya bantaba wana bato ya Siri batondaki na etando mobimba.
The Israeli army was also gathered together, and they were equipped with the things that they needed [for the battle]. Then they marched out and formed two groups facing the Syrian army. Their army was very small; they resembled two small flocks of goats, whereas the Syrian army [was very large and] spread all over the countryside.
28 Moto na Nzambe ayaki mpe alobaki na mokonzi ya Isalaele: — Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi: « Lokola bato ya Siri bakanisi ete Ngai nazali nzambe ya bangomba, kasi ya etando te, nakokaba mampinga monene oyo na maboko na yo mpe okoyeba ete Ngai nazali Yawe. »
A prophet came to King Ahab and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘The Syrians say that I am a god who lives in the hills, and that I am not a god who lives in the valleys. So I will [show that they are wrong by] enabling your men to defeat this huge army [IDM] [in the valley], and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have done it].’”
29 Mikolo sambo, milako ya mampinga nyonso mibale ezalaki etalana. Na mokolo ya sambo, etumba ebandaki mpe bato ya Isalaele babomaki basoda ya mpiko ya Siri nkoto nkama moko.
The two armies stayed in their tents for seven days, in groups that faced each other. Then, on the seventh day, they started fighting. The Israeli army killed 100,000 Syrian soldiers.
30 Basoda ya mpiko ya Siri oyo batikalaki, bakimaki na Afeki epai wapi mir ekweyelaki bato nkoto tuku mibale na sambo. Beni-Adadi akimaki na engumba mpe abombamaki na shambre ya kati penza.
The other Syrian soldiers ran away into Aphek City. Then the wall of the city collapsed and killed 27,000 more Syrian soldiers. Ben-Hadad also escaped into the city, and hid in the back room of a house.
31 Bakalaka na ye balobaki na ye: — Tala, toyokaki ete bakonzi ya Isalaele bazalaka malamu. Pesa nzela ete tokende epai ya mokonzi ya Isalaele, tolata bilamba ya saki na loketo na biso mpe basinga na mito na biso; tango mosusu bakoki kobikisa bomoi na yo.
His officials went to him and said, “We have heard a report that the Israelis act mercifully. So allow us to go to the king of Israel, wearing coarse sacks around our waists and ropes on our heads/necks [to indicate that we will be his slaves]. Perhaps [if we do that, ] he will allow you to remain alive.”
32 Boye balataki bango nyonso bilamba ya saki, bakangaki basinga na mito na bango mpe bakendeki epai ya mokonzi ya Isalaele. Balobaki na ye: — Mosali na yo Beni-Adadi abondeli yo ete oboma ye te. Akabi atunaki: — Boni, azali nanu na bomoi? Azali kaka ndeko na ngai.
[The king permitted them to do that, ] so they wrapped coarse sacks around their waists and put ropes on their heads/necks, and they went to the king of Israel and said to him, “Ben-Hadad, who greatly respects you, says, ‘Please do not kill me.’” Ahab replied, “Is he still alive? He is like a brother to me!”
33 Bantoma ya Beni-Adadi bazwaki eyano yango lokola elembo ya malamu, bakangamaki na maloba wana mpe bagangaki na esengo: — Beni-Adadi azali solo ndeko na yo. Akabi azongisaki: — Bokende kozwa ye. Beni-Adadi abimaki na esika oyo abombamaki mpe ayaki epai ya Akabi, bongo Akabi amatisaki ye na shar na ye.
Ben-Hadad’s officials were trying to find out if Ahab would act mercifully, and when Ahab said “brother,” they (were optimistic/thought that Ahab would be merciful). So they replied, “Yes, he is like your brother!” Ahab said, “Go and bring him to me.” So they [went and] brought Ben-Hadad to him. [When Ben-Hadad arrived, ] Ahab told him to get in his chariot [and sit with him].
34 Beni-Adadi alobaki: — Bingumba nyonso oyo tata na ngai abotolaki tata na yo, nazongiseli yo yango; okotonga zando na yo na Damasi mpo na koteka biloko na yo ndenge kaka tata na ngai asalaki na Samari. Akabi azongisaki: — Nakotika yo kokende soki nasali boyokani elongo na yo. Akabi asalaki boyokani elongo na Beni-Adadi mpe atikaki ye kozonga epai na ye.
Ben-Hadad said to him, “I will give back to you the towns that my father’s army took from your father. And I will allow you to set up market areas for your merchants in Damascus [my capital], just as my father did in Samaria [your capital].” Ahab replied, “Because you agree to do that, I will not execute you.” So Ahab made an agreement with Ben-Hadad, and allowed him to go home.
35 Na tango wana, moko kati na bana ya basakoli alobaki na moninga na ye, na etinda ya Yawe: — Nasengi na yo ete obeta ngai. Kasi moninga na ye aboyaki kobeta ye.
Then Yahweh spoke to a member of a group of prophets and said to him, “Ask one of your fellow prophets to strike and wound you.” [So he did what Yahweh told him to do]. [He said to one of his fellow prophets, ‘Strike me and wound me].’ But that man refused to do it.
36 Bongo alobaki na ye: — Lokola oboyi kotosa Liloba na Yawe, tango kaka okotika ngai, nkosi ekoboma yo. Moninga na ye akendeki, akutanaki na nkosi, mpe ebomaki ye.
So the prophet said to him, “Because you refused to obey what Yahweh told you to do, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left that prophet, a lion suddenly pounced on him and killed him.
37 Mwana wana ya basakoli akendeki kokutana na moto mosusu mpe asengaki na ye ete abeta ye. Moto wana abetaki ye makasi mpe azokisaki ye.
Then the prophet found another prophet, and said to him, “Strike me!” So that man hit him [very hard] and injured him.
38 Mwana ya basakoli amibongolaki na elateli na ye, azipaki elongi na ye na nzela ya eteni ya elamba mpo ete bayeba ye te, mpe akendeki kotelema na nzela oyo mokonzi Akabi akolekela.
Then the prophet put a large bandage/cloth over his face so that no one would recognize him. Then he went and stood alongside the road, waiting for the king to come by.
39 Tango mokonzi azalaki koleka, mosakoli agangaki: — Mokonzi, wana nazalaki kati na bitumba, moto moko abimaki kati na mampinga mpe amemelaki ngai mokangami ya bitumba. Alobaki na ngai: « Batela moto oyo ete akima te! Soki akimi, okokufa na esika na ye to okofuta ngai palata nkoto misato. »
When the king passed by, the prophet cried out to him, saying “Your majesty, [after I was wounded] while I was fighting in a battle, a soldier brought to me one of our enemies that he had captured, and said to me, ‘Guard this man! If he escapes, you must pay me 3,000 pieces of silver, and if you do not pay that, you will be executed!’
40 Wana mosali na yo azalaki kosala awa, kuna, mokangami yango akimaki. Bongo Akabi, mokonzi ya Isalaele, alobaki: — Etumbu na yo ekozala ndenge kaka olobi.
But while I was busy doing other things, the man escaped!” The king of Israel said to him, “That is your problem! You yourself have said that you deserve to be punished.”
41 Mbala moko, mosakoli alongolaki eteni ya elamba oyo ezipaki elongi na ye; mpe Akabi, mokonzi ya Isalaele, asosolaki ete moto yango azali moko kati na bana ya basakoli.
The prophet immediately took off the bandage, and the king of Israel recognized that he was one of the prophets.
42 Mosakoli alobaki na mokonzi: — Tala maloba oyo Yawe alobi: « Lokola obikisi moto oyo Ngai nakatelaki etumbu ya kufa, yo nde moto okokufa na esika na ye; mpe bato na yo bakokufa na esika ya bato na ye. »
And the prophet said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have allowed that man [Ben-Hadad] to escape after I commanded you to be sure to execute him! Since you did not do that, you will be killed instead. And your army will be destroyed because you allowed [some of] his army to escape!’”
43 Mokonzi ya Isalaele azongaki epai na ye, na Samari, na mawa mpe na kanda.
The king went back home to Samaria, very angry and depressed/dejected.
