2 Ahemfo 18

1 Ahas babarima Hesekia fii ase dii hene wɔ Yuda no, na Ela babarima Hosea adi hene wɔ Israel mfe abiɛsa.

And it comes to pass, in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz, king of Judah, has reigned;

2 Odii hene no na wadi mfirihyia aduonu anum, na odii hene wɔ Yerusalem mfirihyia aduonu akron. Na ne na yɛ Sakaria babea a wɔfrɛ no Abi.

he was a son of twenty-five years in his reigning, and he has reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother [is] Abi daughter of Zechariah.

3 Ɔyɛɛ nea ɛsɔ Awurade ani, sɛnea nʼagya Dawid yɛe pɛpɛɛpɛ.

And he does that which [is] right in the eyes of YHWH, according to all that his father David did,

4 Otutuu abosonnan, bubuu afadum kronkron no, kaa Asera nnua no guu fam. Obubuu kɔbere mfrafrae ɔwɔ a Mose ayɛ no, efisɛ na nnipa no hyew nnuhuam ma no de som. Na wɔfrɛ ɔwɔ no a wɔde kɔbere mfrafrae ayɛ no Nehustan.

he has turned aside the high places, and broken in pieces the standing-pillars, and cut down the Asherah, and beaten down the bronze serpent that Moses made, for up to these days the sons of Israel were making incense to it, and he calls it “a piece of bronze.”

5 Hesekia de ne ho too Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn so. Nʼakyi ne nʼanim no, na ɔhene biara nni hɔ a ɔte sɛ ɔno wɔ Yuda asase so.

In YHWH, God of Israel, he has trusted, and after him there has not been like him among all the kings of Judah, nor [among any] who were before him;

6 Biribiara mu, odii Awurade nokware, na ɔde ntoboase dii ahyɛde a Awurade de maa Mose no nyinaa so.

and he cleaves to YHWH, he has not turned aside from after Him, and keeps His commands that YHWH commanded Moses.

7 Ne saa nti, na Awurade ka ne ho, na Hesekia kɔɔ so wɔ biribiara a ɔyɛe mu. Ɔyɛɛ dɔm tiaa Asiriahene, na wantua sonkahiri amma no.

And YHWH has been with him; in every place where he goes out he acts wisely, and he rebels against the king of Asshur, and has not served him;

8 Afei, okodii Filistifo so nkonim, de kosii Gasa ne nʼahye so, fi ne nkuraa, de kosii wɔn kuropɔn a wɔato ɔfasu atwa ho no.

he has struck the Philistines, even to Gaza and its borders, from a tower of watchers to the fortified city.

9 Hesekia ahenni no mfe anan so a na ɔhene Hosea nso wɔ nʼahenni wɔ Israel mfe ason mu no, Asiriahene Salmaneser kotuaa Israel ano, fii ase kaa Samaria kuropɔn hyɛe.

And it comes to pass, in the fourth year of King Hezekiah—it [is] the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel—Shalmaneser king of Asshur has come up against Samaria and lays siege to it,

10 Mfe abiɛsa akyi a, na ɔhene Hesekia adi ade mfe asia a, na ɛyɛ ɔhene Hosea nso adedi wɔ Israel mfe akron mu no, Samaria bɔe.

and they capture it at the end of three years; in the sixth year of Hezekiah—it [is] the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel—Samaria has been captured,

11 Saa bere no, Asiriahene twaa Israelfo no asu kɔɔ Asiria, de wɔn hyehyɛɛ aman so wɔ Halah wɔ Asubɔnten Habor a ɛwɔ Gosan konkɔn so ne nkurow akɛse a ɛwɔ Media mu.

and the king of Asshur removes Israel to Asshur, and placed them in Halah, and in Habor [by] the river Gozan, and [in] cities of the Medes,

12 Efisɛ wɔantie Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn no. Wobuu nʼapam no so, mmara a Awurade nam Mose so hyehyɛ maa wɔn no.

because that they have not listened to the voice of their God YHWH, and transgress His covenant—all that He commanded Moses, servant of YHWH—indeed, they have not listened nor done [it].

13 Ɔhene Hesekia adedi mfe dunan so, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛtow hyɛɛ Yuda nkurow a na wɔabɔ ho ban no so, dii wɔn so nkonim.

And in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Asshur has come up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and seizes them,

14 Na Hesekia de saa nkra yi kɔmaa Asiriahene wɔ Lakis se, “Mayɛ mfomso. Sɛ wubefi ha akɔ nko ara de a, sonkahiri biara a wubegye me no, metua.” Na Asiriahene bisaa mpata a ɛboro dwetɛ tɔn dubaako ne sikakɔkɔɔ nso bɛyɛ tɔn baako.

and Hezekiah king of Judah sends to the king of Asshur at Lachish, saying, “I have sinned, turn back from off me; that which you put on me I bear”; and the king of Asshur lays on Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold,

15 Enti ɔhene Hesekia de dwetɛ a wɔakora no wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu ne nea ɛwɔ ahemfi adekorae hɔ nyinaa mae.

and Hezekiah gives all the silver that is found in the house of YHWH and in the treasures of the house of the king;

16 Mpo, Hesekia waawae sikakɔkɔɔ a wɔde aduradura asɔredan no apon ho, de ne nyinaa maa Asiriahene.

at that time Hezekiah has cut off the doors of the temple of YHWH, and the pillars that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gives them to the king of Asshur.

17 Eyinom nyinaa akyi no, Asiriahene somaa ne sahene, nʼasraafodɔmhene ne nʼananmusini fii Lakis ne asraafodɔm a wɔn mu yɛ duru, kɔɔ Hesekia so wɔ Yerusalem. Asiriafo no gyinaa nsukwan bi a ɛma atifi ɔtare nsu a ɛbɛn ɔkwan a ɛde kɔ faako a wɔpa ntama ani no ho.

And the king of Asshur sends Tartan, and the chief of the eunuchs, and the chief of the butlers, from Lachish, to King Hezekiah, with a heavy force, to Jerusalem, and they go up and come to Jerusalem, and they go up, and come in and stand by the conduit of the upper pool that [is] in the highway of the fuller’s field.

18 Wɔfrɛɛ Hesekia, nanso ɔsomaa ne mpanyimfo yi sɛ wonkohyia wɔn: Hilkia babarima Eliakim a ɔhwɛ ahemfi hɔ so, ɔkyerɛwfo Sebna ne Asaf babarima Yoa a ɔyɛ ahemfi abakɔsɛm kyerɛwfo.

And they call to the king, and Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who [is] over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer, go out to them.

19 Na ɔsahene no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Monka nkyerɛ Hesekia se, “‘Asɛm a otumfo, Asiriahene ka ni: Dɛn na wode wo ho to so a ɛma wugye wo ho di saa?

And the chief of the butlers says to them, “Now say to Hezekiah, Thus said the great king, the king of Asshur: What [is] this confidence in which you have confided?

20 Woka se wowɔ akodi ho nyansa ne nʼahoɔden, nanso woka nsɛm hunu. Hena na ɔtaa wʼakyi a enti wotew mʼanim atua?

You have said: Only a word of the lips! Counsel and might [are] for battle; now, on whom have you trusted that you have rebelled against me?

21 Hwɛ wʼani da Misraim so, demmire a emu abu a ɛte sɛ pema a wutweri a ɛbɛwɔ wo nsa mu apira wo no! Saa na Misraimhene Farao te ma wɔn a wɔde wɔn ho to ne so no nyinaa.

Now behold, you have trusted for yourself on the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; which a man leans on, and it has gone into his hand and pierced it! So [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those trusting on him.

22 Ebia wobɛka se, “Yɛde yɛn ho to Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn so!” Ɛnyɛ ɔno na ɔhene Hesekia atutu nʼabosonnan ne afɔremuka nyinaa, ahyɛ Yudafo sɛ wɔnsom wɔ afɔremuka a ɛwɔ Yerusalem ha nko ara so no?

And when you say to me, We have trusted in our God YHWH, is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has turned aside, and says to Judah and to Jerusalem, You bow yourselves before this altar in Jerusalem?

23 “‘Mɛka asɛm bi akyerɛ wo! Me wura Asiriahene ne wo bɛyɛ nhyehyɛe bi. Sɛ wubenya apɔnkɔsotefo mpenu, afi wo asraafo mu a, ɔbɛma wɔn apɔnkɔ mpenu ama wɔatenatena wɔn so.

And now, please give a pledge for yourself to my lord the king of Asshur, and I give two thousand horses to you, if you are able to give riders for yourself on them.

24 Na wʼasraafo ketewa sɛɛ yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na woaso dae, sɛ wubetumi ne me wura asraafo no mu fa bi a wɔyɛ mmerɛw no mpo adi asi. Minim sɛ wode wo ho ato Misraim nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔsotefo mmoa so.

And how do you turn back the face of one captain of the least of the servants of my lord, that you trust for yourself on Egypt for chariot and for horsemen?

25 Bio, wugye di sɛ, maba sɛ merebɛtow ahyɛ asase yi so asɛe no kwa a Awurade nsa nni mu? Awurade ankasa ka kyerɛɛ me se menkɔko ntia saa asase yi na mensɛe no.’”

Have I now come up without YHWH against this place to destroy it? YHWH said to me, Go up against this land, and you have destroyed it.”

26 Afei, Hilkia babarima Eliakim ne Sebna ne Yoa ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no ananmusini no se, “Kasa wɔ Arameike mu kyerɛ yɛn, na saa kasa no na yɛte ase yiye. Nka Hebri nkyerɛ yɛn, efisɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ fasu no so no bɛte.”

And Eliakim son of Hilkiah says—and Shebna and Joah—to the chief of the butlers, “Please speak to your servants [in] Aramaic, for we are understanding, but do not speak with us [in] Jewish, in the ears of the people who [are] on the wall.”

27 Na Senaherib nanmusini no buae se, “Me wura pɛ sɛ obiara a ɔwɔ Yerusalem te saa asɛm yi, na ɛnyɛ mo nko. Ɔpɛ sɛ wɔte sɛ, sɛ moamma mo nsa so a, wobetua kuropɔn yi. Ɔkɔm ne osukɔm werɛmfo bɛde nkurɔfo no ara kosi sɛ, wobedi wɔn ara agyanan, anom wɔn dwonsɔ.”

And the chief of the butlers says to them, “For your lord, and to you, has my lord sent me to speak these words? Is it not for the men—those sitting on the wall—to eat their own dung and to drink their own water, with you?”

28 Afei, ɔsɔre gyinae, maa ne nne so kasaa wɔ Hebri mu, kyerɛɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasu no so se, “Muntie nkra a efi Asiria ɔhene kɛse no nkyɛn!

And the chief of the butlers stands and calls with a great voice [in] Jewish, and speaks and says, “Hear a word of the great king, the king of Asshur—

29 Sɛnea ɔhene se ni: Mommma ɔhene Hesekia nnaadaa mo. Ɔrentumi nnye mo mfi me tumi ase.

thus said the king: Do not let Hezekiah lift you up, for he is not able to deliver you out of his hand;

30 Mommma Hesekia mfa saa asɛm a ɔkae se, ‘Awurade begye yɛn! Wɔremfa saa kurow yi mma Asiriahene’ no mma mo tirim nyɛ mo dɛ.

and do not let Hezekiah make you trust in YHWH, saying, YHWH certainly delivers us, and this city is not given into the hand of the king of Asshur.

31 “Munntie Hesekia. Nea Asiriahene ka ni: Mo ne me nyɛ asomdwoe nhyehyɛe na mommra me nkyɛn. Na afei, mɛma mo mu biara adi ɔno ankasa bobe ne borɔdɔma na woanom nsu afi ɔno ankasa abura mu.

Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus said the king of Asshur: Make a blessing with me, and come out to me, and each eat of his vine, and each [eat] of his fig tree, and each drink the waters of his own well,

32 Na mɛyɛ nhyehyɛe de mo akɔ asase foforo bi a ɛte sɛ eyi so. Ɛyɛ ɔman a atoko, nsa, brodo, bobe nturo, ngonnua ne ɛwo abu so hɔ. Ɛyɛ asase a nneɛma pa abu so hɔ. Mompere nkwa, na munyi owu akwa! “Mommma Hesekia nnaadaa mo nka se, ‘Awurade begye yɛn!’

until my coming in, and I have taken you to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive oil, and honey; and live, and do not die; and do not listen to Hezekiah when he persuades you, saying, YHWH delivers us.

33 Anyame a wɔwɔ aman so no atumi agye wɔn nkurɔfo afi Asiriahene nsam da?

Have each of the gods of the nations ever delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Asshur?

34 Asɛm bɛn na ɛtoo Hamat ne Arpad anyame no? Na Sefarwaim, Hena ne Iwa anyame nso, wɔwɔ he? Wotumi gyee Samaria fii me tumi ase ana?

Where [are] the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where [are] the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah, that they have delivered Samaria out of my hand?

35 Ɔman bɛn so anyame na watumi agye ne nkurɔfo afi me tumi ase? Mommɔ baako pɛ din. Na afei, dɛn na ɛma mo dwene sɛ Awurade betumi agye Yerusalem?”

Who [are they] among all the gods of the lands that have delivered their land out of my hand, that YHWH delivers Jerusalem out of my hand?”

36 Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuae biara, efisɛ na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn se wɔnnkasa.

And the people have kept silent, and have not answered him a word, for the command of the king is, saying, “Do not answer him.”

37 Afei Hilkia babarima Eliakim a na ɔhwɛ ahemfi no ntotoe so, Sebna a na ɔyɛ ɔkyerɛwfo ne Asaf babarima Yoa a ɔno nso yɛ ɔkyerɛwfo kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn a wɔasunsuane wɔn ntade mu, kɔkaa nea ɔsahene no aka akyerɛ no no.

And Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who [is] over the house, comes in, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph, the remembrancer, to Hezekiah, with torn garments, and they declare to him the words of the chief of the butlers.