2 Ebyomumirembe 18
1 Yekosafaati yali mugagga nnyo era nga wa kitiibwa kinene nnyo, ate nga mukoddomi wa Akabu.
Jehoshaphat became very wealthy and was greatly honored. But then he arranged for one of his family to marry someone from the family of King Ahab [of Israel].
2 Bwe waayitawo emyaka, n’aserengeta okugenda okulaba ku Akabu e Samaliya. Akabu n’amuteekerateekera ekijjulo eky’amaanyi n’amuttira endiga nnyingi n’ente nnyingi, ye n’abantu be yagenda nabo, era n’amusendasenda okulumba Lamosugireyaadi.
Several years later, he went down [from Jerusalem] to Samaria to visit Ahab. Ahab welcomed him and the people who had come with him by slaughtering many sheep and cattle [for a feast].
3 Akabu kabaka wa Isirayiri n’abuuza Yekosafaati kabaka wa Yuda nti, “Onoogenda nange okulumba Lamosugireyaadi?” Yekosafaati n’addamu nti, “Ky’oli kye ndi, era n’abantu bo be bantu bange, tujja kukwegattako mu lutalo.”
Then he asked Jehoshaphat, “Will you [and your army] go with my army to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “My soldiers and I will go to the battle when you tell us to go.”
4 Naye Yekosafaati n’alabula kabaka wa Isirayiri nti, “Sooka weebuuze ku Mukama.”
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
5 Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri n’akuŋŋaanya bannabbi bonna awamu; baali abasajja ebikumi bina, n’ababuuza nti, “Tugende tulumbe Lamosugireyaadi nantiki tulekeyo?” Ne bamuddamu nti, “Tugende, kubanga Mukama anaakigabula mu mukono gwa kabaka.”
So the king of Israel gathered all his 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we go to attack the people of Ramoth [city], or should we not do that?” They replied, “Yes, go [and attack them] because God will enable your army to defeat them.”
6 Naye Yekosafaati n’abuuza nti, “Tewaliwo wano nnabbi wa Mukama gwe tuyinza okwebuuzaako?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
7 Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri n’addamu Yekosafaati nti, “Waliyo omusajja omulala gwe tuyinza okwebuuzaako ku Mukama, ye Mikaaya mutabani wa Imula, naye namukyawa kubanga tandagulako birungi, wabula ebibi ebyereere.” Yekosafaati n’ayogera nti, “Kabaka teyandiyogedde bw’atyo.”
The king of Israel replied, “There is still one man here, whom we can ask to find out what Yahweh wants, his name is Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him because he never says anything good about me. He always predicts [that] bad [things will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
8 Kabaka wa Isirayiri n’alyoka alagira omu ku bakungu be nti, “Kima Mikaaya mutabani wa Imula ku bwangu.”
So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.
9 Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri ne Yekosafaati kabaka wa Yuda ne batuula ku ntebe zaabwe ez’obwakabaka mu gguuliro ku mulyango gwa wankaaki w’e Samaliya, nga bambadde ebyambalo byabwe, nga ne bannabbi bonna balagulira mu maaso gaabwe.
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were sitting there on their thrones, wearing their royal robes. They were at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of [Ahab’s] prophets were standing in front of them, predicting what was going to happen.
10 Zeddekiya mutabani wa Kenaana yali yeeweesereza amayembe ag’ekyuma, n’ayogera nti, “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti, ‘Abasuuli balitomerwa na gano okutuusa lwe balimalibwawo.’”
[One of them whose name was] Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled the horns of a bull. He proclaimed to Ahab, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns [like these], your [army] will keep attacking the army of Syria [like a bull attacks another animal], until you completely destroy them.’”
11 Era ne bannabbi abalala bonna baalagulanga kye kimu nti, “Yambuka olumbe Lamosugireyaadi onoowangula kubanga Mukama anaakiwaayo mu mukono gwa kabaka.”
All the other prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them.”
12 Awo omubaka eyali agenze okuyita Mikaaya, n’amugamba nti, “Laba, ebigambo ebya bannabbi bali abalala byogera kyekimu, kale naawe ba bumu nabo.”
The messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are unitedly predicting that the king will be successful [in the battle]. So be sure to agree with them and say that the king’s army will be successful!”
13 Naye Mikaaya n’ayogera nti, “Nga Mukama bw’ali omulamu Katonda ky’anaŋŋamba ekyo kye nnaayogera.”
But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
14 Awo bwe yatuuka ewa kabaka, kabaka n’amubuuza nti, “Mikaaya tulumbe Lamosugireyaadi, oba tulekeyo?” N’amuddamu nti, “Mugende mukirumbe, munaakiwangula, kubanga banaaweebwayo mu mukono gwo.”
When Micaiah arrived, the king [of Israel] asked him, “Should we go to attack Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
15 Naye kabaka n’amugamba nti, “Nnaakulayizanga emirundi emeka, obutannimbanga wabula okuntegeezanga amazima mu linnya lya Mukama?”
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was lying, so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
16 Awo Mikaaya n’addamu nti, “Nalaba Isirayiri yenna, nga basaasaanye ku nsozi ng’endiga ezitalina musumba, Mukama n’ayogera nti, ‘Abantu bano tebalina abakulembera, buli omu addeyo ewaabwe mirembe.’”
Then Micaiah replied, “[The truth is that in a vision] I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, ‘Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.’”
17 Kabaka wa Isirayiri n’agamba Yekosafaati nti, “Sakugambye nti talina kirungi ky’andagulako, okuggyako ebibi?”
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He [always] predicts that bad things will happen to me.”
18 Mikaaya n’ayongerako na bino nti, “Noolwekyo muwulire ekigambo kya Mukama: Nalaba Mukama ng’atudde ku ntebe ye ey’obwakabaka n’eggye lyonna ery’omu ggulu nga liyimiridde okumwetooloola ku mukono gwe ogwa kkono.
But Micaiah continued, saying, “Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! [In a vision] I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven [standing around him], on his right side and on his left side.
19 Awo Mukama n’abuuza nti, ‘Ani anasendasenda Akabu kabaka wa Isirayiri okulumba Lamosugireyaadi n’oluvannyuma afiire eyo?’ “Omu ku bo n’ateesa kino, n’omulala kiri.
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab, the king of Israel, to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?’ “Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
20 Ku nkomerero, omwoyo ogumu ne gusembera, ne guyimirira mu maaso ga Mukama ne gwogera nti, ‘Nze nzija kumusendasenda.’ “Mukama n’agubuuza nti, ‘Ekyo onookikola otya?’
“Finally one spirit, [having received a message from Satan], came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’ “Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’
21 “Ne guddamu nti, ‘Nzija kugenda, mbeere omwoyo omulimba mu kamwa ka buli nnabbi we.’ “Mukama n’agugamba nti, ‘Ggwe onoosobola okumusendasenda, era genda okole bw’otyo.’
“The spirit replied, ‘I will go and inspire all of Ahab’s prophets to tell lies.’ Yahweh said, ‘You will be successful; go and do it!’
22 “Kale nno Mukama atadde omwoyo ogw’obulimba mu kamwa ka bannabbi bo, era Mukama akwogeddeko kabi keereere.”
“So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
23 Awo Zeddekiya mutabani wa Kenaana n’asembera okumpi ne Mikaaya we yali n’amukuba oluyi mu maaso, n’amubuuza nti, “Omwoyo wa Mukama yampiseeko wa okwogera naawe?”
Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, “Do you think that Yahweh’s Spirit left me in order to speak to you?”
24 Mikaaya n’amuddamu nti, “Laba, ekyo olikimanya ku lunaku lw’oligenda okwekweka mu kisenge eky’omunda.”
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [to which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian soldiers]!”
25 Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri n’alagira nti, “Mukwate Mikaaya mumuzzeeyo ewa Amoni ew’omukulu w’ekibuga n’ewa Yowaasi omulangira,
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
26 mwogere nti, ‘Bw’ati bw’ayogera kabaka nti, Omuntu ono mumuteeke mu kkomera, temumuwa kintu kyonna wabula omugaati omutono n’amazzi amatono, okutuusa lwe ndikomawo mirembe.’”
Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely [from the battle]!”
27 Awo Mikaaya n’alangirira nti, “Bw’olikomawo mirembe, Mukama nga tayogeredde mu nze,” ate n’ayongerako na kino nti, “Mmwe mwenna, mwekuume ebigambo byange.”
Micaiah replied, “If you return safely, [it will be clear that] it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!” Then he said [to all those who were standing there], “Do not forget what I have said [to King Ahab]!”
28 Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri ne Yekosafaati kabaka wa Yuda ne bambuka e Lamosugireyaadi.
So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
29 Kabaka wa Isirayiri n’agamba Yekosafaati nti, “Nze nzija kugenda mu lutalo nga nneefudde ng’omuntu omulala, naye ggwe yambala ebyambalo byo.” Awo kabaka wa Isirayiri ne yeefuula ng’omuntu omulala, ne bagenda mu lutalo.
King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I will put on different clothes, [in order that no one will recognize that I am the king.] But you should wear your royal robe.” So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
30 Naye kabaka w’e Busuuli yali alagidde abaduumizi ab’amagaali ge nti, “Temulwanagananga na muntu yenna, oba wa kitiibwa oba si wa kitiibwa, okuggyako kabaka wa Isirayiri.”
The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”
31 Awo abaduumizi ab’amagaali bwe balaba Yekosafaati, ne boogera nti, “Oyo ye kabaka wa Isirayiri.” Ne bakyuka ne bamulumba, naye Yekosafaati n’ayogera mu ddoboozi ery’omwanguka, Mukama n’amubeera, era Katonda n’abaziyiza, n’okubaggyawo n’abaggyawo.
So when the soldiers who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing the royal robes], they thought “He must be the king of Israel!”
32 Abaduumizi ab’amagaali bwe baakizuula nti si ye kabaka wa Isirayiri, ne balekeraawo okumugoba.
So they turned to attack him. But when Jehoshaphat cried out, Yahweh helped him, and they realized that he was not the king of Israel. And God caused them to stop pursuing him.
33 Naye omu ku basajja n’amala ganaanuula omutego gwe, n’alasa kabaka wa Isirayiri mu kifo ekimu ebyambalo bye eby’olutalo we byegattira. Kabaka n’agamba omugoba w’eggaali lye nti, “Kyusa onzigye mu lutalo kubanga nfumitiddwa.”
But one [Syrian] soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, “Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been [severely] wounded!”
34 Olutalo ne lukanya olunaku lwonna, kyokka kabaka wa Isirayiri ne yeewaliriza okusigala mu gaali lye ng’atunuulidde Abasuuli okutuusa akawungeezi, era enjuba bwe yali ng’egwa n’afa.
The battle continued all that day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian soldiers. And late in the afternoon, when the sun was setting, he died.
