2 Ahemfo 17
1 Ela babarima Hosea fii ase dii hene wɔ Israel no, na ɔhene Ahas nso adi hene wɔ Yuda mfirihyia dumien. Odii hene wɔ Samaria mfe akron.
Hoshea, son of Elah, became king of Israel, in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He reigned in Samaria for nine years.
2 Ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so, nanso na ne bɔne no nnɔɔso sɛ Israel ahemfo a wodii ade ansa na ɔrebedi ade no.
He did what was evil in the Lord's sight, but not in the same way the kings of Israel who were before him.
3 Asiriahene Salmaneser kɔɔ ɔhene Hosea so, kodii ne so nkonim nti, ɔhyɛɛ Israel ma wotuaa sonkahiri a emu yɛ duru maa Asiria.
Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, came and attacked him, and Hoshea submitted to him and paid him tribute.
4 Afei, ɔhene Hosea bisaa mmoa fii Misraimhene a wɔfrɛ no So nkyɛn sɛ ɔmmoa no na ɔntew ne ho mfi Asiriahene tumi ase. Ɔbɔɔ pɔw tiaa Asiriahene. Bere a Asiriahene huu pɔw bɔne a wabɔ no, ɔkyeree no de no too afiase wɔ nʼatuatew ho.
But then the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was being disloyal. Hoshea had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, asking for help, and he also had stopped sending annual tribute to the king of Assyria as he had done previously. So the king of Assyria arrested Hoshea and put him in prison.
5 Na Asiriahene ko faa asasetam no nyinaa, na otuaa Samaria ano mfe abiɛsa.
Then the king of Assyria invaded the whole country, and attacked Samaria, besieging it for three years.
6 Akyiri no, ɔhene Hosea ahenni mfe akron mu no, Samaria hwee ase, ma wotwaa Israelfo asu kɔɔ Asiria. Wɔbɔɔ wɔn atenase wɔ Halah nkurow wɔ asu Habor a ɛwɔ Gosan a ɛfra Media nkuropɔn no mu no so.
In the ninth year of the reign of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River, and in the towns of the Medes.
7 Saa amanehunu yi baa Israelman so, efisɛ nnipa no som anyame afoforo, yɛɛ bɔne tia Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn a oyii wɔn fii wɔn nkoasom mu wɔ Misraim no.
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, the one who had led them out of Egypt, saving them from the power of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods,
8 Wosuasuaa abosonsom aman nneyɛe a enti Awurade pam wɔn fii asase a ɛda wɔn anim no so, ne ɔsom a Israel ahemfo de aba no.
adopting the ways of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites, and the pagan practices introduced by the kings of Israel.
9 Na Israelfo no nso nam sum ase, ayɛ nneɛma pii a na ɛnsɔ Awurade wɔn Nyankopɔn ani. Wosisii abosonnan maa wɔn ho wɔ wɔn nkurow nyinaa so, efi wɔn nkurow akɛse a wɔatwa afasu afa ho, kosi nkuraa.
Secretly the Israelites did things that were not right against the Lord their God. They built high places in all their towns, from watchtowers to fortified cities.
10 Wosisii afadum kronkron ne Asera nnua wɔ koko biara so ne dua biara a ɛyɛ frɔmfrɔm ase.
They set up pagan stone pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
11 Wɔhyew nnuhuam wɔ nsɔre so hɔ, te sɛnea aman a Awurade apam wɔn afi asase a ɛda wɔn anim no so no yɛe pɛ. Enti Israelfo yɛɛ bɔne bebree hyɛɛ Awurade abufuw.
They offered sacrifices on all the high places, just like the nations the Lord drove out before them. They did evil things, angering the Lord.
12 Yiw, Awurade kɔkɔbɔ pɔtee ne ne ntimu no nyinaa akyi no, wɔsom ahoni.
They worshiped idols, even though the Lord had told them, “You are not to do this.”
13 Awurade somaa nʼadiyifo ne adehufo ntoatoaso ma wɔkɔbɔɔ Israel ne Yuda kɔkɔ se, “Monnan mfi mo akwammɔne nyinaa ho. Monyɛ osetie mma mʼahyɛde ne me mmara, nea mehyɛɛ mo agyanom sɛ wonni so no nyinaa, nea menam mʼasomfo adiyifo no so de maa mo no.”
Yet the Lord had warned Israel and Judah repeatedly through all his prophets and seers, saying, “Leave your wicked ways and keep my commandments and instructions. Follow the whole law that I ordered your forefathers to obey, and gave to you through my servants the prophets.”
14 Nanso Israelfo no antie. Na wɔyɛɛ asoɔden sɛ wɔn agyanom, na wɔannye Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, anni.
But they refused listen, and they were as stubborn as their forefathers who did not trust the Lord their God.
15 Wɔpoo ne mmara ne nʼapam a ɔne wɔn agyanom yɛe no. Na wɔamfa ne kɔkɔbɔ no anyɛ hwee. Wɔsom abosomhuhuw, maa wɔdan nnipa teta. Wɔhwɛɛ aman a atwa wɔn ho ahyia no nhwɛso so, nam so yɛɛ asoɔden maa Awurade mmara nsɛm a ɔhyɛɛ sɛ wonnsuasua wɔn no.
They gave up on his regulations and the covenant he had made with their forefathers, as well as the decrees he had given them. They followed pointless idols and they became pointless themselves, copying the nations around them that the Lord ordered them not to copy.
16 Wɔantie Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn mmara nsɛm no nyinaa na wɔyɛɛ nantwimma abien ahoni a wɔagu. Wosii Asera dua, som Baal ne wim atumfo nyinaa.
They ignored all the commandments of the Lord their God, and they made themselves two metal idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down in worship to the sun, moon, and stars and served Baal.
17 Na mpo, wɔde wɔn ankasa mmabarima ne wɔn mmabea bɔɔ afɔre wɔ ogya mu. Wɔkɔɔ abisa, wɔyɛɛ abayisɛm, nam so tɔn wɔn ho maa bɔne, de hyɛɛ Awurade abufuw.
They sacrificed their sons and daughters as pagan burnt offerings, and practiced fortune-telling and witchcraft. They gave themselves over to doing what was evil in the Lord's sight, making him angry.
18 Na esiane sɛ Awurade bo fuw nti, ɔpepaa wɔn fii nʼanim. Yuda abusuakuw nko ara na ɛkaa wɔn wɔ asase no so.
So the Lord was extremely angry with Israel, and he banished them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left,
19 Na mpo, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda anni Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, ahyɛde so. Wɔfaa ɔkwan bɔne a Israel faa so no so.
but even Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God, but followed the idolatry that Israel had introduced.
20 Ɛno nti, Awurade poo Israel asefo nyinaa. Ɔde wɔn maa wɔn atamfo, nam so twee wɔn aso, kosii sɛ wɔsɛee wɔn.
The Lord gave up on all the descendants of Israel. He punished them and handed them over to their enemies, until he had banished them from his presence.
21 Na bere a Awurade tew Israel fii Dawid ahemman ho no, wɔfaa Nebat babarima Yeroboam, de no dii wɔn so hene. Na Yeroboam maa Israelfo gyaee Awurade akyidi, ma wɔyɛɛ bɔne kɛse.
When the Lord ripped Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam, son of Nebat, their king. Jeroboam led Israel away from the Lord and made them commit terrible sins.
22 Na Israelfo no kɔɔ so nantew Yeroboam akwammɔne no so. Wɔannyae ahonisom ho bɔneyɛ no,
The Israelites continued to practice all the sins that Jeroboam committed. They did not stop doing them,
23 kosii sɛ ne korakora no, Awurade pepaa wɔn fii hɔ, sɛnea nʼadiyifo hyɛɛ ho nkɔm sɛ ɛbɛba no. Enti wotwaa Israel asu kɔɔ Asiria asase so baabi a wɔte besi nnɛ yi.
so the Lord eventually expelled them from his presence, just as he had said he would through all his servants, the prophets. So the Israelites were deported from their land and taken to Assyria, where they are to this day.
24 Na Asiriahene twee nnipa akuwakuw fii Babilonia, Kuta ne Awa, Hamat ne Sefarwaim, de wɔn beduaa Samaria nkurow so, ma wosii Israelfo anan mu. Enti Asiriafo no faa Samaria ne Israel nkurow a ɛkeka ho no.
The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria instead of the Israelites. They took over ownership of Samaria and lived in its towns.
25 Nanso esiane sɛ saa ahɔho atutenafo yi ansom Awurade bere a woduu hɔ ara pɛ no nti, Awurade maa gyata kɔɔ wɔn mu, kokunkum wɔn mu bi.
When they first started living there they did not worship the Lord, so he sent lions there among them, killing some of them.
26 Enti wɔde nkra kɔmaa Asiriahene se, “Nnipa a woabɔ wɔn atenase wɔ Israel nkurow so no nnim sɛnea wɔsom asase no so Nyankopɔn. Wasoma gyata akɔ wɔn mu akɔsɛe wɔn, efisɛ wɔansom no anisɔ mu.”
The king of Assyria was told, “The peoples that you brought and settled in the towns of Samaria they don't not know the rules of the God of the land. As a result, he has sent lions among them, which are killing them off because they don't know what the God of the land requires.”
27 Na Asiriahene nso hyɛe se, “Soma asɔfo a wɔatwa wɔn asu no mu baako fi Samaria, na ɔnsan nkɔ Israel. Ma ɔnkyerɛ ahɔho no kwan a wɔfa so som asase no so Nyankopɔn.”
The king of Assyria gave the order: “Send back one of the priests you deported from Samaria, and let him go back and live there and teach the rules of the God of the land.”
28 Enti asɔfo a wɔatwa wɔn asu afi Samaria no mu baako san kɔɔ Bet-El, kɔkyerɛɛ ahɔho no ɔkwan a wɔfa so som Awurade.
So one of the priests who had been deported from Samaria returned to live in Bethel, and taught them how to worship the Lord.
29 Nanso saa ahɔho akuwakuw ahorow yi kɔɔ so som wɔn ankasa anyame. Kurow biara a wɔtete mu no, wɔde wɔn ahoni kosisii abosonnan a Israelfo no asisi no mu.
But the people of the different nations went on making their own gods in the towns where they had settled, and they placed them in the shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made.
30 Wɔn a wofi Babilonia no som wɔn nyame Sukot-Benot ahoni. Wɔn a wofi Kuta som wɔn nyame Nergal. Na wɔn a wofi Hamat som Asima.
Those from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima.
31 Awifo som wɔn anyame Nibhas ne Tartak. Na mpo, nnipa a wofi Sefarwaim hyew wɔn ankasa mma sɛ afɔrebɔde, de maa Adramelek ne Anamelek.
The Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites sacrificed their children as burnt offerings to their gods Adrammelech and Anammelech.
32 Saa ahɔho yi som Awurade de, nanso woyii asɔfo bi fii wɔn mu a, na wɔbɔ afɔre wɔ abosonnan mu.
While they worshiped the Lord, they also appointed priests from all kinds of their own people to offer sacrifices for them in the shrines of the high places.
33 Na wɔsom Awurade de, nanso wɔkɔɔ so faa amanne kwan a wɔn aman a wofi so no fa so som no so.
So even though they worshiped the Lord, they also worshiped their own gods following the practices of the nations they had come from.
34 Na eyi da so kɔ so wɔ wɔn mu de besi nnɛ. Na wɔda so yɛ kan nnebɔne no a anka ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsom Awurade, di ne mmara, ne nkyerɛkyerɛ ne ahyɛde a ɔde maa Yakob a ɔsesaa ne din ma ɛbɛyɛɛ Israel asefo no so.
Even to this day they are still following their former practices. None of them truly worship the Lord or observe the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments that the Lord gave to the descendants of Jacob, the one he named Israel.
35 Nanso na Awurade ne Yakob asefo ayɛ apam, ahyɛ wɔn se, “Monnsom anyame foforo, monnkotow wɔn, na monnsom wɔn, na mommmɔ afɔre mma wɔn.
For the Lord had made an agreement with the Israelites, ordering them, “Don't worship other gods or bow down to them; don't serve them or offer sacrifices to them.
36 Awurade a ɔnam nsɛnkyerɛnne akɛse ne tumi so yii mo fii Misraim no nko ara na monsom no. Ɔno nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ mosom no, na mokotow no, na mobɔ afɔre ma no.
You must worship only the Lord, who led you out of Egypt, helping you with his great power and strong arm. Only bow down to him; only offer sacrifices to him.
37 Monhwɛ yiye, na munni mmara, nkyerɛkyerɛ ne ahyɛde a ɔkyerɛw maa mo no so. Ɛnsɛ sɛ mosom anyame foforo biara.
Always pay attention to observe the regulations, requirements, laws, and commandments he gave you in writing, and don't worship other gods.
38 Mommma mo werɛ mmfi apam a me ne mo yɛe no, na monnsom anyame foforo biara.
Don't forget the agreement I have made with you, and don't worship other gods.
39 Monsom Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn nko ara. Ɔno na obegye mo afi mo atamfo nyinaa nsam.”
You must worship only the Lord your God, and he will save you from all your enemies.”
40 Nanso nnipa no antie, kɔɔ so faa wɔn akwan dedaw no so.
But they refused to listen, and continued their former idolatrous practices.
41 Enti bere a ahɔho yi resom Awurade no, bere koro no ara mu, na wɔresom wɔn ahoni. Na ebesi nnɛ, wɔn asefo yɛ ade koro no ara.
Even while these people from different nations were worshiping the Lord, they were actually worshiping their idols. Their children and grandchildren continue to do as their forefathers did to this day.
