2 Ebyomumirembe 16
1 Mu mwaka ogw’amakumi asatu mu omukaaga ogw’obufuzi bwa Asa, Baasa kabaka wa Isirayiri n’alumba Yuda, n’azimba ebigo ku Laama okuziyiza omuntu yenna okuyingira wadde okufuluma mu nsalo ya Asa kabaka wa Yuda.
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 Awo Asa n’addira ffeeza ne zaabu ebyali mu mawanika ga yeekaalu ya Mukama, n’ebyali mu lubiri lwa kabaka, n’abiweereza Benikadadi kabaka w’e Busuuli, eyabeeranga e Ddamasiko, n’aweereza n’obubaka nti,
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 “Wabeerewo endagaano wakati wo nange, ng’eri eyaliwo wakati wa kitange ne kitaawo. Laba, nkuweerezza ffeeza ne zaabu omenyewo endagaano yo wakati wo ne Baasa kabaka wa Isirayiri, anveeko.”
“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 Benikadadi n’akkiriziganya ne kabaka Asa, era n’aweereza abaduumizi b’eggye lye okulumba ebibuga bya Isirayiri; ne bawamba Yiyoni, ne Ddaani ne Aberumayimu, n’ebibuga byonna eby’amaterekero ebya Nafutaali.
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 Awo Baasa bwe yawulira ekyo, n’alekeraawo okuzimba mu Laama, n’omulimu n’agukomya.
When Baasha heard about that, he [commanded his troops to] stop fortifying Ramah and doing other work there.
6 Kabaka Asa n’aleeta Yuda yenna e Laama, ne baggyayo amayinja n’embaawo Baasa bye yali azimbisa, Asa n’abikozesa okuzimba Geba ne Mizupa.
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 Mu biro ebyo Kanani omulabi n’ajja eri Asa kabaka wa Yuda, n’amugamba nti, “Olw’okwesiga kabaka w’e Busuuli mu kifo ky’okwesiga Mukama Katonda wo, eggye lya kabaka w’e Bwasuli kyelivudde likuddukako.
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 Abaesiyopiya n’Abalubimu tebaali ggye ddene nga balina amagaali mangi n’abeebagala embalaasi bangi? Naye, olwokubanga weesiga Mukama, kyeyava abagabula mu mukono gwo.
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 Kubanga amaaso ga Mukama galaba wonna mu nsi, nga ganyweza emitima gy’abo abamwesigira ddala. Ky’okoze kya busirusiru, era okuva ne leero ojja kubeeranga n’entalo.”
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 Awo Asa n’anyiigira nnyo omulabi, n’amuteeka ne mu kkomera. Mu kiseera kye kimu Asa n’ayisa bubi nnyo abantu abamu.
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 Ebyafaayo eby’obufuzi bwa Asa okuva ku ntandikwa okutuusa ku nkomerero, byawandiikibwa mu kitabo kya bassekabaka ba Yuda ne Isirayiri.
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 Mu mwaka ogw’amakumi asatu mu mwenda ogw’obufuzi bwe, Asa n’alwala ebigere. Newaakubadde ng’obulwadde bweyongera, teyanoonyanga buyambi okuva eri Mukama, yabunoonyanga mu basawo bokka.
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 Awo mu mwaka ogw’amakumi ana mu ogumu ogw’obufuzi bwe, Asa ne yeebakira awamu ne bajjajjaabe.
When he had been ruling for almost 40 years, he died.
14 N’aziikibwa mu ntaana gye yali yeezimbidde mu kibuga kya Dawudi. Ne bamuteeka ku kitanda ekyaliko obuloosa obwenjawulo n’obuwoowo obwa buli kika, ne bamukumira n’ekyoto ky’omuliro kinene nnyo okujjukira bye yakola.
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.
