2 Nyakati 18
1 Basi, Yehoshafati alikuwa na mali nyingi sana na heshima. Naye akafanya urafiki na Ahabu kwa mwanawe kumwoa binti wa Ahabu.
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 Baada ya miaka kadhaa akashuka kumtembelea Ahabu huko Samaria. Ahabu akachinja ngʼombe na kondoo wengi kwa ajili yake na watu aliokuwa amefuatana nao. Kisha Ahabu akamshawishi Yehoshafati kukwea pamoja naye ili kuishambulia Ramoth-Gileadi.
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 Ahabu mfalme wa Israeli akamuuliza Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yuda, “Je, utakwenda pamoja nami kupigana dhidi ya Ramoth-Gileadi?” Yehoshafati akamjibu mfalme wa Israeli, “Mimi ni kama wewe, watu wangu ni kama watu wako, farasi wangu ni kama farasi wako. Tutakuwa pamoja nawe vitani.”
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 Lakini Yehoshafati pia akamwambia mfalme wa Israeli, “Kwanza tafuta shauri la Bwana.”
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
5 Kwa hiyo mfalme wa Israeli akawaleta pamoja manabii wanaume wapatao mia nne, akawauliza, “Je, twende vitani dhidi ya Ramoth-Gileadi, au niache?” Wakajibu, “Naam, nenda kwa kuwa Mungu ataiweka Ramoth-Gileadi mkononi mwa mfalme.”
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 Lakini Yehoshafati akauliza, “Je, hayuko nabii wa Bwana hapa ambaye tunaweza kumuuliza?”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
7 Mfalme wa Israeli akamjibu Yehoshafati, “Bado yupo mtu mmoja ambaye kupitia yeye twaweza kumuuliza shauri la Bwana, lakini namchukia kwa sababu huwa hatabiri jambo lolote jema kunihusu mimi, lakini kila mara hunitabiria mabaya tu. Yeye ni Mikaya mwana wa Imla.” Yehoshafati akajibu, “Mfalme hapaswi kusema hivyo.”
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 Kwa hiyo mfalme wa Israeli akamwita mmoja wa maafisa wake na kusema, “Mlete Mikaya mwana wa Imla mara moja.”
So the king of Israel told one of his officials to summon Micaiah immediately.
9 Wakiwa wamevalia majoho yao ya kifalme, mfalme wa Israeli na Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yuda walikuwa wameketi juu ya viti vyao vya kifalme katika sakafu ya kupuria, kwenye ingilio la lango la Samaria, pamoja na manabii wote wakiwa wakitabiri mbele yao.
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 Wakati huu Sedekia mwana wa Kenaana alikuwa ametengeneza pembe za chuma, akatangaza, “Hivi ndivyo Bwana asemavyo, ‘Kwa hizi pembe utawapiga na kuwarudisha Waaramu nyuma mpaka wameangamizwa.’”
[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 Manabii wengine wote walikuwa wanatabiri kitu hicho hicho, wakisema, “Ishambulie Ramoth-Gileadi na uwe mshindi. Kwa kuwa Bwana ataitia mkononi mwa mfalme.”
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 Mjumbe aliyekuwa amekwenda kumwita Mikaya akamwambia, “Tazama, manabii wote kama mtu mmoja wanatabiri ushindi kwa mfalme. Neno lako na likubaliane na lao, nawe unene mema kuhusu mfalme.”
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 Lakini Mikaya akasema, “Hakika kama Bwana aishivyo, nitamwambia kile tu Bwana atakachoniambia.”
But Micaiah said, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell the king only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
14 Alipofika, mfalme akamuuliza, “Mikaya, je, twende vitani dhidi ya Ramoth-Gileadi au niache?” Akamjibu, “Shambulia na ushinde, kwa kuwa watatiwa mkononi mwako.”
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 Mfalme akamwambia, “Je, ni mara ngapi nitakuapisha ili usiniambie kitu chochote ila kweli tu kwa jina la Bwana?”
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 Ndipo Mikaya akajibu, “Niliona Israeli wote wametawanyika vilimani kama kondoo wasio na mchungaji, naye Bwana akasema, ‘Watu hawa hawana bwana. Mwache kila mmoja aende nyumbani kwa amani.’”
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 Mfalme wa Israeli akamwambia Yehoshafati, “Sikukuambia kwamba huwa hatabiri jambo lolote jema kunihusu bali mabaya tu?”
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 Mikaya akaendelea, “Kwa hiyo lisikie neno la Bwana: Nilimwona Bwana ameketi juu ya kiti chake cha enzi pamoja na jeshi lote la mbinguni likiwa limesimama upande wa kulia na wa kushoto.
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 Naye Bwana akasema, ‘Ni nani atakayemshawishi Ahabu, mfalme wa Israeli, ili aishambulie Ramoth-Gileadi na kukiendea kifo chake huko?’ “Mmoja akapendekeza hili na mwingine lile.
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 Mwishoni, roho akajitokeza, akasimama mbele za Bwana na kusema, ‘Nitamshawishi.’ “Bwana akauliza, ‘Kwa njia gani?’
“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 “Akasema, ‘Nitakwenda na kuwa roho ya uongo katika vinywa vya manabii wake wote.’ “Bwana akasema, ‘Utafanikiwa katika kumshawishi. Nenda ukafanye hivyo.’
“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 “Kwa hiyo sasa Bwana ameweka roho ya kudanganya ndani ya vinywa vya hawa manabii wako wote. Bwana ameamuru maafa kwa ajili yako.”
“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 Kisha Sedekia mwana wa Kenaana akatoka na kumpiga Mikaya kofi usoni. Akauliza, “Huyo Roho kutoka kwa Bwana alipita njia gani alipotoka kwangu ili kusema nawe?”
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 Mikaya akajibu, “Utagundua siku hiyo utakapokwenda kujificha kwenye chumba cha ndani.”
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 Kisha mfalme wa Israeli akaagiza, “Mchukueni na mkamrudishe kwa Amoni mtawala wa mji na kwa Yoashi mwana wa mfalme.
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
26 Mkaseme, ‘Hivi ndivyo asemavyo mfalme: Mwekeni mtu huyu gerezani na asipewe chochote ila mkate na maji mpaka nitakaporudi salama.’”
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 Mikaya akasema, “Kama utarudi salama, basi Bwana hajanena kupitia kwangu.” Kisha akaongeza kusema, “Zingatieni maneno yangu, enyi watu wote!”
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 Basi mfalme wa Israeli na Yehoshafati mfalme wa Yuda wakaenda Ramoth-Gileadi.
So the king of Israel and the king of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
29 Mfalme wa Israeli akamwambia Yehoshafati, “Nitaingia vitani nikiwa nimejibadilisha, lakini wewe uvae majoho yako ya kifalme.” Kwa hiyo mfalme wa Israeli akajibadilisha na kwenda vitani.
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 Wakati huu, mfalme wa Aramu alikuwa amewaagiza majemadari thelathini na wawili wa magari ya vita, “Msipigane na yeyote, mdogo au mkubwa, isipokuwa mfalme wa Israeli.”
The King of Syria told his soldiers who were driving the chariots, “Attack only the king of Israel!”
31 Wakati wale majemadari wa magari ya vita walipomwona Yehoshafati, wakafikiri, “Hakika huyu ndiye mfalme wa Israeli.” Kwa hiyo wakageuka ili wamshambulie, lakini Yehoshafati akapiga kelele, naye Bwana akamsaidia. Mungu akawaondoa kwake,
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 wale majemadari wakaona kwamba hakuwa mfalme wa Israeli nao wakaacha kumfuatilia.
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 Lakini mtu fulani akavuta upinde pasipo lengo na kumpiga mfalme wa Israeli katikati ya kiungio cha mavazi yake ya chuma, mfalme akamwambia mwendesha gari lake, “Geuza gari na uniondoe mimi katika mapigano, nimejeruhiwa.”
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 Vita vikaendelea mchana kutwa, naye mfalme wa Israeli akajitegemeza ndani ya gari lake kuwaelekea Waaramu hadi jioni. Basi jioni yake akafa.
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.
