1 Ahemfo 22
1 Ɔko biara ansi Aram ne Israel ntam mfe abiɛsa.
For almost three years there was no war between Syria and Israel.
2 Na mfe abiɛsa no mu, ɔhene Yehosafat a odi ade wɔ Yuda kɔɔ Israelhene Ahab nkyɛn.
Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to [visit] King Ahab, who ruled Israel.
3 Na Ahab abisa ne mpanyimfo se, “Moahu sɛ Aramfo da so te yɛn kurow Ramot Gilead mu ana? Nanso yɛnyɛɛ ho hwee!”
[While they were talking, ] Ahab said to his officials, “Do you realize that the Syrians are still occupying our city of Ramoth in [the] Gilead [region]? And we are doing nothing to retake that city!”
4 Enti obisaa Yehosafat se, “Wobɛka me ho na yɛako atia Ramot Gilead ana?” Na Yehosafat buaa ɔhene Ahab se, “Adɛn? Ɛyɛ asɛm a ɛda ne kwan mu. Wo ne me yɛ anuanom, na mʼakofo yɛ wo de sɛ wobɛka asɛm a wopɛ akyerɛ wɔn. Mpo, mʼapɔnkɔ da wo da.”
Then he turned to Jehoshaphat and asked, “Will your [army] join my [army] to fight against the people of Ramoth [and retake that city]?” Jehoshaphat replied, “[Certainly] I [will do whatever] you [want], and you may command my troops. You may take my horses into battle, also.”
5 Na Yehosafat ka kaa ho se, “Nea edi kan no, ma yemmisa Awurade hɔ afotu.”
Then he added, “But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do.”
6 Enti ɔhene Ahab frɛɛ nʼadiyifo a wɔn dodow bɛyɛ ahannan no nyinaa, bisaa wɔn se, “Menkɔko ntia Ramot Gilead anaa mennkɔ?” Wɔn nyinaa buae se, “Kɔ so! Awurade bɛma woadi nkonim anuonyam so.”
So Ahab summoned about 400 of his prophets together, and he asked them, “Should my [army] go to fight the people in Ramoth and retake that city, or not?” They answered, “Yes, go [and attack them], because God will enable your [army] to defeat them.”
7 Nanso Yehosafat bisae se, “Enti Awurade diyifo biara nso nni ha? Anka mepɛ sɛ mibisa no saa asɛm koro no ara.”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?”
8 Ɔhene Ahab buae se, “Awurade diyifo baako da so wɔ ha, nanso metan no. Ɔnhyɛ nkɔm pa biara sɛ nkɔm bɔne na ɔhyɛ fa me ho. Ne din de Mikaia a ɔyɛ Imla babarima.” Na Yehosafat kae se, “Nkasa saa. Momma yentie asɛm a ɔwɔ ka.”
The King of Israel replied, “There is one man we can talk to. We can ask him if he can find out what Yahweh wants. His name is Micaiah; he is the son of Imlah. But I hate him, because when he (prophesies/tells what God says to him) he never says [that] anything good [will happen] to me. He always predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].” Jehoshaphat replied, “King Ahab, you should not say that!”
9 Enti Israelhene frɛɛ ne mpanyimfo no mu baako, ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Ka wo ho kɔfa Imla babarima Mikaia bra.”
So the king of Israel told one of his officers to summon Micaiah immediately.
10 Israelhene Ahab ne Yudahene Yehosafat hyɛɛ wɔn ahemfo ntade, tenaa wɔn ahengua mu wɔ apongua a ɛbɛn Samaria kwan no ano. Saa bere no, na Ahab adiyifo no rehyɛ nkɔm wɔ wɔn anim.
The king of Israel and the king of Judah were wearing their (royal robes/robes that showed that they were kings). They were sitting on thrones at the place where people threshed grain, near the gate of Samaria [city]. All of Ahab’s prophets were standing in front of the kings, (prophesying/predicting what was going to happen).
11 Na wɔn mu baako a ɔyɛ Kenaana babarima Sedekia de nnade yɛɛ mmɛn, na ɔdaa no adi se, “Sɛnea Awurade se ni: Mode saa mmɛn yi bɛwowɔ Aramfo yi ama wɔawuwu!”
One of them, whose name was Zedekiah, the son of Kenaanah, had made from iron [something that resembled] horns of a bull. Then he proclaimed [to Ahab], “This is what Yahweh says: ‘With horns like these your [army] will keep attacking the Syrians [like a bull attacks another animal] [MET], until you completely destroy them!’”
12 Adiyifo a wɔwɔ hɔ no nyinaa penee so kae se, “Yiw, monkɔ Ramot-Gilead, na munkodi nkonim, efisɛ Awurade bɛma moadi nkonim.”
All the [other] prophets [of Ahab] agreed. They said, “Yes! If you go up to attack Ramoth [city] in [the] Gilead [region], you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them!”
13 Na ɔbɔfo a ɔkɔfaa Mikaia no ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Tie, adiyifo no nyinaa hyɛ nkonimdi ho nkɔm ma ɔhene. Hwɛ sɛ wo ne wɔn adwene bɛyɛ baako, na wo nso, wobɛhyɛ nkonimdi ho nkɔm.”
Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that the king’s army will defeat the Syrians. So be sure that you agree with them and say (what will be favorable/that the king’s army will be successful).”
14 Nanso Mikaia buae se, “Mmere dodow a Awurade te ase yi, nea Awurade aka akyerɛ me sɛ menka no, ɛno na mɛka.”
But Micaiah replied, “As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell him only what Yahweh tells me to say.”
15 Bere a Mikaia beduu ahemfi no, Ahab bisaa no se, “Mikaia, yɛnkɔko ntia Ramot-Gilead anaa yɛnnkɔ?” Na Mikaia buae se, “Monkɔ! Na Awurade bɛma ɔhene adi nkonim anuonyam so.”
When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to fight against [the people of] Ramoth, or not?” Micaiah replied, “Sure, go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!”
16 Ɔhene amma nʼano ansi, na obuaa no se, “Mpɛn ahe na menka nkyerɛ wo se, sɛ worekasa ama Awurade a, ka nokwasɛm?”
But King Ahab [realized that Micaiah was (lying/being sarcastic), so he] said to Micaiah, “I have told you [RHQ] many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh [has revealed to you]!”
17 Na Mikaia ka kyerɛɛ no se, “Anisoadehu mu, mihuu sɛ Israel abɔ apete mmepɔw no so, te sɛ nguan a wonni ɔhwɛfo. Na Awurade kae se, ‘Wɔakum wɔn wura. Ma wɔnkɔ fie asomdwoe mu.’”
So Micaiah said to him, “[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.’”
18 Israelhene ka kyerɛɛ Yehosafat se, “Manka saa ankyerɛ wo ana? Da biara saa na ɔyɛ. Ɔnhyɛ nkɔm pa biara sɛ atoro nkɔm na ɔhyɛ fa me ho.”
Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “I told you [RHQ] that he never predicts [that] anything good [will happen to me]! He [always] predicts [that] bad things [will happen to me].”
19 Mikaia toaa so se, “Tie nea Awurade ka. Mihuu Awurade sɛ ɔte nʼahengua so a ne ɔsorofo asraafo nyinaa atwa ne ho ahyia wɔ ne nifa ne ne benkum so.”
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 surrounding him, on his right side and on his left side.
20 Na Awurade bisae se, “Hena na obetumi adaadaa Ahab, ama wakɔ ɔko atia Ramot Gilead, a ebetumi aba sɛ wobekum no wɔ hɔ?” Wosusuw nsɛm ahorow bebree ho wɔ hɔ,
And Yahweh said, ‘Who can persuade Ahab 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.
21 kosii sɛ ne koraa no, honhom bi bɛnee Awurade kae se, “Metumi ayɛ!”
Finally one [evil] spirit came to Yahweh and said, ‘I can do it!’
22 Awurade bisae se, “Ɔkwan bɛn so na wobɛfa ayɛ eyi?” Na honhom no buae se, “Mɛkɔ akɔdaadaa Ahab adiyifo, ama wɔadi atoro.” Awurade kae se, “Kɔ so yɛ, na wubedi nkonim.
Yahweh asked him, ‘How will you do it?’ 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!’
23 “Enti woahu sɛ Awurade de nkontompo honhom ahyɛ wʼadiyifo no anom. Awurade adwene sɛ ɔde amanehunu bɛba wo so.”
So now [I tell you that] Yahweh has caused all of your prophets to lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you.”
24 Afei Kenaana babarima Sedekia kɔɔ Mikaia so, kɔbɔɔ nʼani so. Obisaa no se, “Da bɛn na Awurade honhom fii me mu bɛkasa kyerɛɛ wo?”
Then Zedekiah 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?” [RHQ]
25 Na Mikaia buae se, “Ɛrenkyɛ biara, wubehu nokware no, bere a wubeguan akɔtetɛw kokoa mu dan bi mu.”
Micaiah replied, “You will find out for yourself [which of us Yahweh’s Spirit has truly spoken to] on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide [from the Syrian troops]!”
26 Israelhene Ahab hyɛe se, “Monkyere Mikaia, na momfa no nkɔma Amon a ɔyɛ kurow no mu amrado, na momfa no nkɔ me babarima Yoas nkyɛn.
King Ahab commanded [his soldiers], “Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
27 Monka saa asɛm a efi ɔhene nkyɛn yi nkyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Fa saa ɔbarima yi to afiase. Mommma no aduan biara sɛ brodo ne nsu, kosi sɛ mefi akono bɛba asomdwoe mu.’”
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!”
28 Nanso Mikaia buae se, “Sɛ wosan ba asomdwoe mu a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ, Awurade amfa me so ankasa.” Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wogyinagyina hɔ, atwa ne ho ahyia no se, “Saa asɛm a maka yi, monhyɛ no nsow.”
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]!”
29 Na Israelhene ne Yudahene Yehosafat dii wɔn asraafo anim, kɔtow hyɛɛ Ramot-Gilead so.
So the King of Israel and the King of Judah [led their armies] to Ramoth, in [the] Gilead [region].
30 Afei, ɔhene Ahab ka kyerɛɛ Yehosafat se, “Yɛrekɔ ɔko yi, mɛsakra me ho, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a, obiara renhu me. Nanso, wo de, hyɛ wʼahentade.” Enti Ahab sakraa ne ho, na wɔkɔɔ ɔko no.
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/robe that shows that you are a king).” So Ahab disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
31 Saa bere no, na Aramhene aka akyerɛ ne nteaseɛnamkafo aduasa abien no sɛ, “Monkɔtow nhyɛ Israelhene nko ara so!”
The King of Syria told this to his thirty-two men who were driving the chariots: “Attack only the king of Israel!”
32 Enti bere a Aramhene nteaseɛnamkafo no huu Yehosafat sɛ ɔhyɛ nʼahentade no, wɔtaa no. Wɔteɛteɛɛ mu se, “Israelhene no ne no.” Nanso, bere a Yehosafat teɛɛ mu no,
So when the men who were driving the Syrian chariots saw Jehoshaphat [wearing (his royal robes/clothes that showed he was the king)], they pursued him. They shouted, “There is the king of Israel!” But when Jehoshaphat cried out,
33 nteaseɛnamkafo no huu sɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno ne Israelhene no nti, wogyaw nʼakyidi.
they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing him.
34 Aram sraani bi de anibiannaso tow agyan kyerɛɛ Israel asraafo no so, maa ɛkɔwɔɔ Israelhene wɔ ne nkatabo ahyiae so. Ahab teɛɛ mu kyerɛɛ ne teaseɛnamkafo no se, “Fa me fi ha ntɛm, na wɔapira me pa ara.”
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!”
35 Ɔko no kɔɔ so saa ara da mu no nyinaa, na wɔde Ahab twerii biribi wɔ ne teaseɛnam mu a nʼani kyerɛ Aramfo no. Mogya tuu no fi nʼapirakuru no mu, guu teaseɛnam no mu, na onwini dwoe no, owui.
The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Syrian troops. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of the chariot. And late in the afternoon he died.
36 Onwini reyɛ adwo no, wɔteɛteɛɛ mu faa asraafo no nyinaa mu se: “Ɔko no aba awiei. Monsan nkɔ fie!”
Just as the sun was going down, someone among the Israeli troops shouted, “[The battle is ended!] Everyone should return home!”
37 Na ɔhene no wui no, wɔde nʼamu no kɔɔ Samaria, kosiee no wɔ hɔ.
So king Ahab died, and they took his body [in the chariot] to Samaria [city] and buried his body there.
38 Na wɔhoroo ne teaseɛnam no ho wɔ asubura bi a ɛwɔ Samaria a nguamanfo guare hɔ, na akraman bɛtaforoo ɔhene no mogya no, sɛnea Awurade aka ato hɔ no.
They washed his chariot alongside the pool in Samaria, a pool where the prostitutes bathed. And dogs [came and] licked the king’s blood, just like Yahweh had predicted would happen.
39 Nsɛm a ɛfa Ahab ahenni ho ne asonse ahemfi ho asɛm ne nkurow a ɔkyekyeree nyinaa no, wɔakyerɛw agu Israel Ahemfo Abakɔsɛm Nhoma no mu.
The account/record of the other things that happened while Ahab was ruling, and about the palace decorated with much ivory [that they built for him], and the cities that were built for him, was written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Israel’.
40 Bere a Ahab wui no, wosiee no wɔ nʼagyanom mu. Na ne babarima Ahasia dii nʼade sɛ ɔhene.
When Ahab died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried. Then his son Ahaziah became king.
41 Asa babarima Yehosafat bedii Yuda so bere a na Ahab adi ade wɔ Israel ne mfe anan so no.
Before King Ahab died, when he had been ruling in Israel for four years, Asa’s son Jehoshaphat started to rule in Judah.
42 Odii ade no, na wadi mfe aduasa anum, na odii ade Yerusalem mfirihyia aduonu anum. Na ne na din de Asuba a ɔyɛ Silhi babea.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
43 Na Yehosafat yɛ ɔhene papa a odii nʼagya Asa anammɔn akyi. Ɔyɛɛ ade a ɛsɔ Awurade ani. Nanso, nʼahenni mu no, wansɛe abosonnan a na nnipa kɔbɔ afɔre, kɔhyew nnuhuam wɔ hɔ no.
Jehoshaphat was a good king, just like his father Asa had been. He did things that pleased Yahweh. But while he was king, he did not remove all the pagan altars [that the people had built] on the hilltops. So the people continued to offer sacrifices [to idols] on those altars and burned incense there.
44 Yehosafat ne Israelhene tenaa ase asomdwoe mu.
Jehoshaphat also made [a] peace [agreement] with the king of Israel.
45 Nsɛm a ɛfa Yehosafat ahenni ho nkae no, faako a ne tumi kodui ne ako a odii no nyinaa, wɔankyerɛw angu Yuda Ahemfo Abakɔsɛm Nhoma no mu.
All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his [troops] won, are written in the scroll called ‘The History of the Kings of Judah’.
46 Ɔpam abosomfi so nguamanfo a na wogu so bɔ aguaman fii nʼagya Asa bere so no nyinaa.
Jehoshaphat’s father Asa [had tried to expel] the male prostitutes that stayed at the pagan shrines, but some of them were still there. Jehoshaphat got rid of them.
47 Saa bere no, na ɔhene nni Edom gye kurow no sohwɛfo nko.
At that time, there was no king in Edom; a ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
48 Yehosafat yɛɛ aguadihyɛn bebree sɛ ɛnkɔ Ofir nkɔhwehwɛ sikakɔkɔɔ. Nanso ahyɛn no antumi anyɛ adwuma. Ɛsɛee wɔ Esion-Geber.
Jehoshaphat [ordered some Israeli men to] build a fleet/group of ships to sail [south] to [the] Ophir [region] to get gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion-Geber/Elath, so the ships never sailed.
49 Saa bere no, Ahab babarima Ahasia susuw ho kyerɛɛ Yehosafat se, “Ma me mmarima ne wo mmarima nkɔ po so akwan nsrahwɛ.” Nanso Yehosafat ampene so.
Before the ships were wrecked, Ahab’s son Ahaziah suggested to Jehoshaphat, “Allow my sailors to go with your sailors,” but Jehoshaphat refused.
50 Yehosafat wui no, wosiee no nʼagyanom nkyɛn wɔ Dawid kurom. Ne babarima Yehoram na odii nʼade sɛ ɔhene.
When Jehoshaphat died, his [body] was buried where his ancestors were buried in [Jerusalem, ] the city where King David [had ruled]. Then Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram became king.
51 Ahab babarima Ahasia fii ase dii Israel so bere a na Yehosafat adi ade mfe dunson wɔ Yuda. Odii ade wɔ Samaria mfe abien.
Before King Jehoshaphat died, when he had been ruling in Judah for 17 years, Ahab’s son Ahaziah began to rule in Israel. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
52 Na ɔfaa nʼagya ne ne na ne Nebat babarima Yeroboam anammɔn so, som ahoni, yɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so.
He did many things that Yahweh considered to be evil, doing the [evil] things that his father and mother had done and the evil things that Jeroboam had done—the king who had led all the Israeli people to sin [by worshiping idols].
53 Ɔsom Baal, sɔree no, nam so fuw Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, bo sɛnea nʼagya yɛe no.
Ahaziah bowed in front of Baal’s idol and worshiped it. That caused Yahweh, the God who was the true God of the Israeli people, to become very angry, just as Ahaziah’s father had caused Yahweh to become angry.
