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.
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, the reign of Hoshea son of Elah began. He ruled in Samaria over Israel 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 sight of Yahweh, yet not as 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 attacked him, and Hoshea became his servant and brought 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.
Then the king of Assyria realized that Hoshea had been plotting against him, for Hoshea had sent messengers to So king of Egypt; also, he offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. So the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.
5 Na Asiriahene ko faa asasetam no nyinaa, na otuaa Samaria ano mfe abiɛsa.
Then the king of Assyria attacked throughout all the land, and attacked Samaria and besieged 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 Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria. He put them in Halah, at the Habor River of Gozan, and in the cities 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.
This captivity happened because the people of Israel had sinned against Yahweh their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. The people had been worshiping 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.
and walking in the practices of the nations whom Yahweh had driven out before the people of Israel, and in the practices of the kings of Israel that they had done.
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.
The people of Israel did secretly—against Yahweh their God—things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their cities, from the watchtower to the fortress.
10 Wosisii afadum kronkron ne Asera nnua wɔ koko biara so ne dua biara a ɛyɛ frɔmfrɔm ase.
They also set up 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.
There they burned incense in all the high places, as the nations had done, those whom Yahweh had carried away before them. The Israelites performed wicked things to provoke Yahweh to anger;
12 Yiw, Awurade kɔkɔbɔ pɔtee ne ne ntimu no nyinaa akyi no, wɔsom ahoni.
they worshiped idols, about which Yahweh had said to them, “You will not do this thing.”
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 Yahweh had testified to Israel and to Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, and be careful to keep all the law I commanded your fathers, and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.”
14 Nanso Israelfo no antie. Na wɔyɛɛ asoɔden sɛ wɔn agyanom, na wɔannye Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, anni.
But they would not listen; instead they were very stubborn like their fathers who did not trust in Yahweh 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 rejected his statutes and the covenant that he had made with their ancestors, and the covenant decrees that he had given to them. They followed useless practices and they themselves became useless. They followed the pagan nations who were around them, those that Yahweh had commanded them not to imitate.
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 Yahweh their God. They made cast metal figures of two calves to worship. They made an Asherah pole, and they worshiped all the stars of the heavens and 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 made their sons and daughters pass through the fire, they used divination and enchantments, they sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and they provoked him to anger.
18 Na esiane sɛ Awurade bo fuw nti, ɔpepaa wɔn fii nʼanim. Yuda abusuakuw nko ara na ɛkaa wɔn wɔ asase no so.
Therefore Yahweh was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. There was no one left but the tribe of Judah alone.
19 Na mpo, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda anni Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, ahyɛde so. Wɔfaa ɔkwan bɔne a Israel faa so no so.
Even Judah did not keep the commandments of Yahweh their God, and they followed the practices that Israel had done.
20 Ɛno nti, Awurade poo Israel asefo nyinaa. Ɔde wɔn maa wɔn atamfo, nam so twee wɔn aso, kosii sɛ wɔsɛee wɔn.
So Yahweh rejected all the descendants of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hand of those who would take the possession as spoil, until he had cast them out of his sight.
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.
He tore Israel from the royal line of David, and they made Jeroboam son of Nebat king. Jeroboam drove Israel away from following Yahweh and made them commit a great sin.
22 Na Israelfo no kɔɔ so nantew Yeroboam akwammɔne no so. Wɔannyae ahonisom ho bɔneyɛ no,
The people of Israel followed all the sins of Jeroboam and they did not depart from 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 Yahweh removed Israel from his sight, as he had said through all his servants the prophets that he would. So Israel was carried away out of their own land to Assyria, and it is this way to this present 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 and from Kuthah, and from Avva, and from Hamath and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria in place of the people of Israel. They took over Samaria and lived in its cities.
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.
It happened at the beginning of their residence there that they did not honor Yahweh. So Yahweh sent lions among them which killed 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.”
So they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, “The nations that you have carried away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the practices required by the god of the land. So he has sent lions among them, and, see, the lions are killing people there because they do not know the practices required by the god of the land.”
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.”
Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, “Take one of the priests there whom you brought from there, and let him go and live there, and let him teach them the practices required by 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 whom they had carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel; he taught them how they should honor Yahweh.
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.
Every ethnic group made gods of their own, and put them in the high places that the Samaritans had made—every ethnic group in the cities where they lived.
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.
The people of Babylon made Succoth Benoth; the people of Kuthah made Nergal; the people of 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. The Sepharvites burned their children in the fire to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of the Sepharvites.
32 Saa ahɔho yi som Awurade de, nanso woyii asɔfo bi fii wɔn mu a, na wɔbɔ afɔre wɔ abosonnan mu.
They also honored Yahweh, and appointed from among themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the temples at 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.
They honored Yahweh and also worshiped their own gods, in the customs of the nations from among whom they had been taken away.
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.
To this day they persist in their old customs. They neither honor Yahweh, nor do they follow the statutes, decrees, the law, or the commandments that Yahweh gave to the people of Jacob—whom 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.
and with whom Yahweh had made a covenant and commanded them, “You will not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor worship them, nor sacrifice 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.
But Yahweh, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and a raised arm, is the one you must honor; it is to him that you will prostrate yourselves, and it is to him that you will sacrifice.
37 Monhwɛ yiye, na munni mmara, nkyerɛkyerɛ ne ahyɛde a ɔkyerɛw maa mo no so. Ɛnsɛ sɛ mosom anyame foforo biara.
The statutes and the decrees, the law and the commandments that he wrote for you, you will keep them forever. So you must not fear other gods,
38 Mommma mo werɛ mmfi apam a me ne mo yɛe no, na monnsom anyame foforo biara.
and the covenant that I have made with you, you will not forget; neither will you honor other gods.
39 Monsom Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn nko ara. Ɔno na obegye mo afi mo atamfo nyinaa nsam.”
But Yahweh your God is who you will honor. He will rescue you from the might of your enemies.”
40 Nanso nnipa no antie, kɔɔ so faa wɔn akwan dedaw no so.
They would not listen, because they continued to do what they had done in the past.
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.
So these nations feared Yahweh and they also worshiped their carved figures, and their children did the same—as did their children's children. They continue to do what their ancestors did, up to this day.
