1 Ahemfo 21
1 Na ɔbarima bi a wɔfrɛ no Nabot a ofi Yesreel wɔ bobeturo bi a ɛbɛn Samariahene Ahab ahemfi.
King Ahab had a palace in Jezreel [city]. Near the palace was a vineyard owned by a man from that city whose name was Naboth.
2 Ahab ka kyerɛɛ Nabot se, “Fa wo bobeturo no ma me, na memfa asase no nyɛ atosodeturo, efisɛ ɛbɛn mʼahemfi pɛɛ. Sɛ wopene so de ma me a, mɛma wo bobeturo papa, na sɛ nso wopɛ a, bo biara a asase no di no, metua.”
One day, Ahab [went to] Naboth and said to him, “Your vineyard is close to my palace. I would like to buy it, so that I can plant some vegetables there. In exchange, I will give you a better vineyard [somewhere else], or if you prefer, I will pay you for your vineyard.”
3 Nanso Nabot buae se, “Awurade mma ɛmpare me sɛ mede mʼagyanom agyapade bɛma wo.”
But Naboth replied, “That land belonged to my ancestors, [so I want to keep it]. I hope that Yahweh will never allow me to give that land to you!”
4 Enti Ahab san kɔɔ ahemfi hɔ a ne bo afuw ne ho pɔtɔɔ. Ɔkɔdae a wannidi, de nʼanim kyerɛɛ ɔfasu.
So Ahab became very sullen and angry because of what Naboth had said. He went home and lay down on his bed. He turned his face toward the wall, and he refused to eat anything.
5 Ne yere Isebel bebisaa no se, “Adɛn nti na woayɛ bosaa saa? Adɛn nti na wompɛ sɛ wudidi?”
His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, “Why are you so depressed? Why are you refusing to eat anything?”
6 Obuaa no se, “Meka kyerɛɛ Nabot, Yesreelni no se, ɔntɔn ne bobeturo no mma me anaasɛ, mɛma no bi ahyɛ anan, nanso wampene.”
Ahab replied, “I talked to Naboth, that man from Jezreel. I told him that [I wanted] his vineyard. [I said, ] ‘I will buy it from you, or I will give you another vineyard for it.’ But he refused [to let me have it].”
7 Ne yere Isebel bisae se, “Wonyɛ Israelhene ana? Sɔre na didi! Mma eyi nhaw wo. Megye Nabot bobeturo no ama wo!”
His wife replied, “You are [RHQ] the king of Israel, [so you can get whatever you want] Get up, and eat some food and do not worry [about what Naboth said]. I will get Naboth’s vineyard for you.”
8 Na Isebel kyerɛw nkrataa wɔ Ahab din mu, de ne nsɔwano sɔw ano, de kɔmaa mpanyimfo ne akunini a wɔne Nabot te kuropɔn no mu no.
Then Jezebel wrote some letters, and she signed Ahab’s name on them. She used his official seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and other important men who lived in Naboth’s town.
9 Krataa no mu nsɛm ne sɛ: “Yi da bi to hɔ a wɔde bɛyɛ akɔnkyen, na ma Nabot ntena anuonyambea wɔ nnipa no mu.
This is what she wrote in the letters: “Proclaim a day when all the people will [gather together and] (fast/abstain from eating food). Give to Naboth an important place to sit among them.
10 Monhwehwɛ ahuhufo baanu na wɔmmɔ no kwaadu sɛ, wadome Onyankopɔn ne ɔhene. Na afei, momfa no mfi adi, nkosiw no abo nkum no.”
Then find two men who always cause trouble. Give them places to sit opposite/facing him. Tell these men to testify that they heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him by throwing stones at him.”
11 Enti mpanyimfo ne atitiriw a wɔte Nabot kurow no mu no yɛɛ nea Isebel kaa wɔ nkrataa no mu sɛ wɔnyɛ no.
The leaders [received the letters and] did what Jezebel had written in the letters for them to do.
12 Wofii akɔnkyen no ase, de Nabot tenaa anuonyambea wɔ nnipa no mu.
They declared a day on which the people would all (fast/abstain from food). And they gave Naboth a seat in a place where honored people sat, in front of the people.
13 Na ahuhufo baanu no bɛbɔɔ Nabot kwaadu wɔ nnipa no anim sɛ, wadome Onyankopɔn ne ɔhene. Enti wɔde no kɔɔ kurotia, kosiw no abo kum no.
Two men who always caused trouble sat opposite/facing Naboth. While everyone was listening, they stated that they had heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. So the people seized Naboth. They took him outside the city and killed him [by throwing] stones at him.
14 Na wɔsoma kɔɔ Isebel nkyɛn, kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Wɔasiw Nabot abo, ama wawu.”
Then those leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying “We have executed Naboth.”
15 Bere a Isebel tee sɛ wɔasiw Nabot abo, akum no no ara pɛ, ɔka kyerɛɛ Ahab se, “Sɔre na kɔfa Nabot, Yesreelni no bobeturo no a ɔde kamee wo sɛ ɔrentɔn mma wo no. Ɔnte ase bio, na wawu.”
When Jezebel found out that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab, “Naboth is dead. Now you can go and take possession of the vineyard that he refused to sell to you.”
16 Enti ɛhɔ ara, Ahab sian kɔfaa Nabot bobeturo no.
When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to claim that he now owned it.
17 Na Awurade asɛm baa Tisbini Elia hɔ sɛ,
Then Yahweh spoke to Elijah the prophet. He said,
18 “Kɔ na kohyia Israelhene Ahab a odi Samaria so no. Mprempren ara ɔwɔ Nabot bobeturo no mu a ɔrebɛfa.
“Go to Samaria and talk to Ahab, the king of Israel. He is in the vineyard of a man named Naboth. He has gone there to claim that he now owns it.
19 Ka kyerɛ no se, ‘Ɛnnɔɔso sɛ wukum Nabot? Ɛsɛ sɛ wobɔ no korɔn nso? Nea woayɛ yi nti beae a akraman taforoo Nabot mogya no, ɛhɔ ara na akraman bɛtaforo wo mogya, Yiw, wʼankasa wo mogya!’”
Tell Ahab that this is what I, Yahweh, say to him: ‘You have murdered Naboth and taken his land.’ So I am telling you this: ‘In the same place where [Naboth died and] dogs came and licked up Naboth’s blood, [you will die and] the dogs will lick up your blood, too!’”
20 Ahab ka kyerɛɛ Elia se, “Woahu me, me tamfo.” Obuae se, “Yiw maba bio efisɛ woatɔn wo ho ama ɔbɔnefo no wɔ Awurade ani so.
So when Elijah met with Ahab, Ahab said to him, “You, my enemy, have found me!” [RHQ] Elijah answered, “Yes, I have found you. You have never stopped doing the things that Yahweh says are wrong.
21 ‘Mede ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ bɛbrɛ wo. Mɛhyew wʼasefo nyinaa, na matwa ɔbarima a otwa to koraa wɔ Israel, sɛ ɔyɛ akoa anaa ɔdehye, afi Ahab ho.
So this is what Yahweh says to you: ‘I will soon get rid of you. I will kill you, and I will also kill every male in your household, including those who are slaves and those who are not slaves.
22 Mɛma wo fi ayɛ sɛ Nebat babarima Yeroboam ne Ahiya babarima Baasa afi, efisɛ woahyɛ me abufuw ama Israel ayɛ bɔne!’
Your family will all be killed, just like the family of King Jeroboam and like the family of King Baasha were killed. I will get rid of you because you have caused me to become very angry, and you have also led the Israeli people to sin.’
23 “Na Isebel nso, Awurade ka se, Yesreel akraman bɛwe ne nam wɔ kuropɔn no afasu ho.
Yahweh has also told me that [your wife] Jezebel [will be killed, and] dogs in Jezreel will eat her corpse.
24 “Wɔn a na wɔwɔ Ahab afa a wowuwuu wɔ kurow no mu no nso, akraman bɛwe wɔn nam, na apete nso asosɔw wɔn a wowuwuu wɔ wuram no nam.”
The [dead bodies of the] members of your family who die in this city [will not be buried, they] will be eaten by dogs, and [the corpses of] those who die in the fields will be eaten by vultures.”
25 (Obiara nni hɔ a ɔtɔn ne ho maa bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛnea Ahab yɛe no, efisɛ ne yere Isebel tuu no fo bɔne.
There was no man no man like Ahab who always did things that Yahweh considered to be evil. His wife Jezebel incited/urged him to do [many of] those things.
26 Ɔyɛɛ bɔne ara, kosii sɛ ɔkɔɔ ahoni so, te sɛ Amorifo a Awurade pam wɔn wɔ Israelfo anim no).
The most abominable/detestable thing that Ahab did was to worship idols, just like the Amor people-group had done. And that is why Yahweh took the Amor people’s land from them and gave it to the Israelis.
27 Ahab tee saa asɛm yi no, osunsuan ne ntade mu, furaa atweaatam, kyenee kɔm. Ofuraa atweaatam no saa de awerɛhow a emu yɛ den kyinkyinii.
After Elijah finished talking to Ahab, Ahab tore his clothes [to show that he was sorry for all the sins that he had committed]. He put on rough clothes that were made from sacks, and he refused to eat anything. He even wore those rough clothes made from sacks when he slept, to show that he was sorry.
28 Na Awurade asɛm baa Tisbini Elia hɔ sɛ,
Then Yahweh said this to Elijah:
29 “Woahu sɛnea Ahab brɛɛ ne ho ase wɔ mʼanim? Esiane sɛ ɔbrɛɛ ne ho ase nti, meremfa saa ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ yi a ɛwɔ hɔ ma no nnɛ yi mmrɛ no. Ɛbɛba ne mmabarima so; mɛsɛe nʼasefo nyinaa.”
“I have seen [RHQ] that Ahab is now very sorry for all the evil things that he has done. So the things that I promised to do to his [family] will not happen while he is still alive. I will cause them to happen after his son becomes king. Then those things will happen to his family.” [MTY]
