2 Ahemfo 18
1 Ahas babarima Hesekia fii ase dii hene wɔ Yuda no, na Ela babarima Hosea adi hene wɔ Israel mfe abiɛsa.
After King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost three years, Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, began to rule Judah.
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 25 years old when he became the king [of Judah] and he ruled from Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Abijah, the daughter of [a man whose name was] Zechariah.
3 Ɔyɛɛ nea ɛsɔ Awurade ani, sɛnea nʼagya Dawid yɛe pɛpɛɛpɛ.
Hezekiah did things that Yahweh considered to be right, like his ancestor King David had done.
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 destroyed the places where people worshiped Yahweh on the tops of hills, and he broke into pieces the stone pillars [for worshiping the goddess Asherah]. He also broke into pieces the bronze [replica/statue of a] snake that Moses had made. He did that because the people had named it Nehushtan, and they were burning incense in front of it to honor it.
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.
Hezekiah trusted in Yahweh, the God whom the Israelis [worshiped.] There was no king who ruled Judah before him or after him who was as [devoted to Yahweh as] he was.
6 Biribiara mu, odii Awurade nokware, na ɔde ntoboase dii ahyɛde a Awurade de maa Mose no nyinaa so.
He remained loyal to Yahweh and never disobeyed him. He carefully obeyed all the commandments that Yahweh had given to 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.
Yahweh always (helped/was with) him. He was successful in everything that he did. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to (pay taxes to him/do what the king of Assyria wanted him to do).
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.
His army defeated [the soldiers of] Philistia as far [south] as Gaza [city] and the nearby villages. They conquered the entire area, from the smallest watchtower to the largest cities surrounded by walls.
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.
After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost four years, and when King Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost seven years, [the army of] King Shalmaneser of Assyria invaded Israel and surrounded Samaria [city].
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.
In the third year they captured the city. That was when Hezekiah has been ruling Judah for almost six years, and when Hoshea had been ruling Israel for almost nine years.
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.
The king of Assyria commanded that the people of Israel be taken to Assyria. Some of them were taken to Halah [town], some were taken to a place near the Habor [River] in [the] Gozan [region], and some were taken to cities where the Mede people-group live.
12 Efisɛ wɔantie Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn no. Wobuu nʼapam no so, mmara a Awurade nam Mose so hyehyɛ maa wɔn no.
That happened because the Israelis did not obey Yahweh their God. They disobeyed the agreement that Yahweh had made with their ancestors, and all the laws that Moses, the man who served Yahweh [very well], had told them to obey. They would not obey those laws; they would not even listen to them.
13 Ɔhene Hesekia adedi mfe dunan so, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛtow hyɛɛ Yuda nkurow a na wɔabɔ ho ban no so, dii wɔn so nkonim.
After King Hezekiah had been ruling Judah for almost 14 years, [the army of] King Sennacherib of Assyria attacked all the cities in Judah that had walls around them. They [did not capture Jerusalem, but they] captured all the other cities.
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.
King Hezekiah sent a message to Sennacherib, while Sennacherib was in Lachish, saying “What I have done was wrong. Please [tell your soldiers to] stop attacking us. If you do that, I will pay you whatever you tell me to.” So the king of Assyria said that Hezekiah must pay to him (ten tons/9,000 kg.) of silver and (one ton/900 kg.) of gold.
15 Enti ɔhene Hesekia de dwetɛ a wɔakora no wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu ne nea ɛwɔ ahemfi adekorae hɔ nyinaa mae.
So Hezekiah gave to him all the silver that was in the temple and that was stored in the king’s palace.
16 Mpo, Hesekia waawae sikakɔkɔɔ a wɔde aduradura asɔredan no apon ho, de ne nyinaa maa Asiriahene.
Hezekiah’s men also stripped the gold from the doors of the temple and the gold that he himself had put on the doorposts, and he sent all that gold to the king of Assyria.
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.
But the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows from the upper pool into Jerusalem, near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
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.
They sent a message requesting King Hezekiah to come to them, but the king sent three of his officials [to talk to them]. He sent Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, who supervised the palace; Shebna, the official secretary; and Asaph’s son Joah, who communicated the king’s messages to the people.
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?
One of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: “This is what the king of Assyria, the great king, says: ‘What are you trusting in [to rescue you] [RHQ]?
20 Woka se wowɔ akodi ho nyansa ne nʼahoɔden, nanso woka nsɛm hunu. Hena na ɔtaa wʼakyi a enti wotew mʼanim atua?
You say that you have weapons to fight us, and some country promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us, ] but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?
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.
Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But that is like [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. But it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the king of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].
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?
But perhaps you will say to me, “No, we are (relying on/trusting in) Yahweh our God [to help us].” [I would reply, ] “Is he not the one whom you [insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship only in front of the 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.
So I suggest that you make a deal between you and my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you are able to find 2,000 of your men who can ride 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.
You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!
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.’”
Furthermore, (do you think that we have come to destroy Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help?/do not think that we have come to Jerusalem without Yahweh’s help.) [RHQ] It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
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.”
Then Eliakim, Shebna and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Sir, please speak to us in your Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in our Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and be frightened].”
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.”
But the official replied, “Do you think [RHQ] that my master sent me to say these things only to you and not to the people who are standing on the wall? [If you reject this message, ] the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”
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!
Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the king of Assyria. He says,
29 Sɛnea ɔhene se ni: Mommma ɔhene Hesekia nnaadaa mo. Ɔrentumi nnye mo mfi me tumi ase.
‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you. He will not be able to rescue you from my power [MTY].
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.
Do not allow him to persuade you to rely on Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that the army of Assyria will never capture this city!’
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 pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king of Assyria says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. If you do that, I will arrange for each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines, and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own wells.
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!’
You will be able to do that until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and vineyards to [produce grapes for making] wine. It will be a land that has plenty of olive trees and honey. If you do what the king of Assyria commands, you will not die. You will continue to live. ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to persuade you to trust in Yahweh saying that he will rescue you!
33 Anyame a wɔwɔ aman so no atumi agye wɔn nkurɔfo afi Asiriahene nsam da?
The gods that people of other nations worship have never rescued them from the power [MTY] of the king of Assyria [RHQ]!
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?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities] unable to rescue their people from the king of Assyria [RHQ]? What happened to the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah, [towns that we completely destroyed and their gods disappeared] [RHQ]? Did any god rescue Samaria from my power?
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?”
No, none of the gods of the countries [that my army attacked] rescued their people [RHQ] from me! So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
36 Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuae biara, efisɛ na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn se wɔnnkasa.
But the people [who were listening] stayed silent. No one said anything, because King Hezekiah had told them, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you, ] 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.
Then Eliakim the palace administrator and Shebna the court secretary and Joah the royal historian went back to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed], and they told him what the official from Assyria had said.
