1 Ahemfo 19
1 Bere a Ahab duu fie no, ɔkaa nea Elia ayɛ nyinaa ne sɛnea wakunkum Baal adiyifo nyinaa no kyerɛɛ Isebel.
When Ahab got home, he told [his wife] Jezebel what Elijah had done. He told her that Elijah had killed all the prophets of Baal.
2 Enti Isebel de saa nkra yi kɔmaa Elia se, “Sɛ ɔkyena sesɛɛ na minkum wo, sɛnea woakum nkurɔfo yi a, anyame no nkum me bi.”
So Jezebel sent this message to Elijah: “By this time tomorrow I will have [killed] you, just like you [killed all those prophets of Baal]. If I do not do that, I hope the gods will kill me.”
3 Elia tee nkra no, osuroe, enti oguan de peree ne ti. Ɔkɔɔ kurow bi a ɛwɔ Yuda a wɔfrɛ no Beer-Seba, gyaw ne somfo wɔ hɔ,
When Elijah received [her message], he was afraid. So [taking his servant with him], he fled in order that he would not be killed. He went [far south] to Beersheba, in Judah. He left his servant there.
4 na nʼankasa nantew da mu nyinaa kɔɔ sare so. Ɔkɔtenaa dutan bi a na ayɛ frɔmfrɔm ase, na ɔbɔɔ mpae sɛ anka onwu. Ɔkae se, “Nea mahu no ara dɔɔ me so, Awurade. Twa me nkwa so na minnye nsen mʼagyanom.”
Then he went by himself further [south] into the desert. He walked all day. He sat down under a broom tree and prayed that [Yahweh] would allow him to die. He said, “Yahweh, I’ve had enough. So allow me to die, because for me to live is no better than [being with] my ancestors [who have died].”
5 Na ɔdaa dua no ase. Na ne nna mu no, ɔbɔfo bɛkaa no, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɔre na didi.”
Then he lay down under the broom tree and slept. But while he was sleeping, an angel touched him and [woke him up and] said to him, “Get up and eat some food!”
6 Ɔhwɛɛ ne ho hyia huu brodo bi a wɔato no nnyansramma so, ne kuruwa a nsu wɔ mu. Enti odidii, nom nsu no, san daa bio.
Elijah looked around and saw some bread which had been baked on hot stones, and he also saw a jar of water. So he ate some bread and drank some water and lay down [to sleep] again.
7 Na Awurade bɔfo no san baa bio bɛkaa no kae se, “Sɔre na didi pii ka ho, na ɔkwan a ɛda wʼanim no ware.”
Then the angel [who had been sent by] Yahweh came again and touched him, and said, “Get up and eat some [more] food, because you need [more strength] to go on a long journey.”
8 Enti ɔsɔre didi nomee. Aduan no maa no nyaa ahoɔden a ɔde betwa kwan adaduanan, awia ne anadwo akɔ Horeb a ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn bepɔw no so.
So he got up and ate and drank some more, and because of doing that, he got enough strength to enable him to travel for forty days and nights to Sinai Mountain, the mountain [that was dedicated to] God.
9 Okoduu ɔbodan bi ho, na ɔdaa mu anadwo no. Na Awurade bisaa no se, “Elia, dɛn na woreyɛ wɔ ha?”
He went into a cave there and slept there that night. [The next morning, ] Yahweh said to him “Elijah, why are you here?”
10 Elia buae se, “Mede ahoɔden asom Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn. Nanso Israelfo abu apam a wɔne wo hyehyɛe no so, nam so abubu wʼafɔremuka nyinaa, akunkum wʼadiyifo a anka obiara. Me nko ara na maka, nanso wɔrehwehwɛ me akum me nso.”
Elijah replied, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
11 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Fi adi kogyina mʼanim wɔ bepɔw no so.” Na bere a Elia gyina hɔ no, Awurade bɛfaa hɔ, na mframa dennen bi bɔ sii bepɔw no mu. Na mframa no ano den no twitwaa abotan no mu. Nanso na Awurade nni mframa no mu. Mframa no akyi no, asase wosowee. Nanso na Awurade nni asasewosow no mu.
Yahweh said to him, “Go out and stand in front of me on this mountain while I pass by.” [Suddenly] a strong windstorm struck the mountain. As a result, rocks were loosened from the mountainside. But Yahweh was not in the wind. Then there was an earthquake, but Yahweh was not in the earthquake.
12 Na asasewosow no akyi, ogya puei. Nanso na Awurade nni ogya no mu. Na ogya no akyi, nne bi a ɛyɛ bɔkɔɔ te sɛ nea wɔde ka asomsɛm bae.
Then there was a fire, but Yahweh was not in the fire. Then there was a sound like someone whispering quietly.
13 Elia tee nne no, ɔde nʼatade kataa nʼanim na ofi ɔbodan no mu, kogyinaa ano kwan no ano. Na nne bi bisae se, “Elia, dɛn na woreyɛ wɔ ha?”
When Elijah heard that, he wrapped his cloak around his face. He went out of the cave and stood at its entrance. And he heard Yahweh speaking to him, saying again, “Elijah, why are you here?”
14 Obuaa bio se, “Mede ahoɔden asom Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn. Nanso Israelfo abu apam a wɔne wo hyehyɛe no so, nam so abubu wʼafɔremuka nyinaa, akunkum wʼadiyifo a anka obiara. Me nko ara na maka, nanso wɔrehwehwɛ me akum me nso.”
He replied again, “I have zealously served you, Yahweh, God Almighty. But the Israeli people have broken the agreement that they made with you. They have torn down your altars, and they have killed all of your prophets. I am the only one whom they have not killed, and now they are trying to kill me, too. [So I am running away from them].”
15 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no se, “San wʼakyi kɔ faako a wufi bae, na kɔ Damasko sare so. Na sɛ wudu hɔ a, sra Hasael ngo, si no Aramhene.
Then Yahweh told him, “Go back to the desert near Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint [with olive oil] a man named Hazael, [to appoint him] to be the king of Syria.
16 Afei, sra Nimsi babarima Yehu, na ɔnyɛ Israelhene, na sra Safat babarima Elisa a ofi Abel-Mehola, na onsi wʼanan mu sɛ me diyifo.
Then anoint Jehu, the son of Nimshi, to be the king of Israel, and also anoint Elisha the son of Shaphat, from Abel-Meholah [town], to become my prophet after you are dead.
17 Obiara a obeguan afi Hasael ho no, Yehu bekum no, na obiara a obeguan afi Yehu ho nso no, Elisa bekum no.
Hazael’s army [will kill many people, and] those who escape from [being killed by] his army will be killed by Jehu’s [army], and those who escape from [being killed by] Jehu’s army will be killed by Elisha.
18 Eyinom akyi no, mɛbɔ nnipa afoforo mpem ason bi a wɔwɔ Israel a wɔnkotow Baal, mfew nʼano da, no ho ban.”
But [you need to know that] there are still 7,000 people in Israel who have never bowed to [worship] Baal or kissed his [idol].”
19 Na Elia fii hɔ kɔ kohuu Safat babarima Elisa, na ɔde anantwi mpamho dumien refuntum afuw a nʼankasa reka mpamho a ɛto so dumien no. Elia kɔɔ ne nkyɛn kɔtow nʼatade guu ne so.
So Elijah went [to Syria] and found Elisha as he was plowing a field with a team of oxen. There were eleven other men who were in front of him, plowing with teams of oxen in the same field. Elijah went to Elisha, and took off his own coat and put it on Elisha, [to show Elisha that he wanted him to take his place as a prophet. Then he started to walk away].
20 Elisa gyaw anantwi no hɔ, tuu mmirika dii Elia akyi, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ma menkɔkra mʼagya ne me na ansa na me ne wo akɔ.” Elia buae se, “San kɔ. Dɛn na mayɛ wo?”
Elisha left the oxen standing there and ran after Elijah, and said to him, “I will go with you, but first let me kiss my parents goodbye.” Elijah replied, “Okay, go home. But do not forget why I have [given my cloak] to you!”
21 Afei, Elisa san kɔɔ anantwi no ho kokunkum wɔn. Ɔde funtumfiri no ho nnua no yɛɛ nnyansin de noaa nam no de maa mmarima no ma wɔwee. Afei ɔkɔ kodii Elia akyi ma ɔbɛyɛɛ ne somfo.
So Elisha went back [to his oxen]. He killed them [and cut them in pieces] and used the wood from the plow to build a fire to roast the meat. He distributed the meat to the other people [in his town], and they all ate some. Then he went with Elijah and became his helper.
