2 Ahemfo 19
1 Bere a ɔhene Hesekia tee eyinom no, osunsuan ne ntade mu, na ofuraa atweaatam, na ɔkɔɔ Awurade asɔredan mu.
When Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went into the Lord's Temple.
2 Na ɔsomaa Eliakim a ɔhwɛ ahemfi ntotoe so, Sebna, a ɔyɛ ɔkyerɛwfo ne asɔfo akunini a wɔn nyinaa furafura atweaatam, kɔɔ Amos babarima Odiyifo Yesaia nkyɛn.
He sent Eliakim the palace manager, Shebna, the scribe, and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to see the prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz.
3 Wɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Sɛnea ɔhene Hesekia ka ni: Saa da yi yɛ ɔhaw, animka ne animguase da. Ayɛ te sɛ nea mmofra awo du so, na ahoɔden a wɔde bɛwo wɔn nni hɔ.
They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: Today is a day of trouble, punishment. It's like when babies arrive at the entrance to the birth canal but there's no strength to deliver them.
4 Nanso ebia Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn ate sɛ Asiria nanmusini no regu Onyankopɔn teasefo no anim ase, na wɔbɛtwe nʼaso wɔ ne nsɛnkeka no ho. Enti bɔ mpae ma yɛn a yɛaka no!”
Maybe the Lord your God, hearing the message the army commander delivered on behalf of his master, the king of Assyria—a message sent to insult the living God—will punish him for his words. Please say a prayer for the remnant of us who still survive.”
5 Na ɔhene Hesekia mpanyimfo no kɔkaa ɔhene nkra no kyerɛɛ Yesaia,
After Hezekiah's officials delivered his message to Isaiah,
6 na Yesaia buae se, “Ka kyerɛ wo wura se, ‘Sɛnea Awurade se ni: Mma abususɛm a Asiriahene asomafo no ka tiaa me no nhaw wo.
Isaiah replied to them, “Tell your master, This is what the Lord says: Don't be frightened by the words that you have heard, the words used by the servants of the king of Assyria to blaspheme me.
7 Muntie! Mede honhom bi rebɛhyɛ ne mu, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a sɛ ɔte asɛm bi a ɔbɛsan akɔ ne man mu na hɔ na mɛma wɔde afoa akum no.’”
Look, I'm going to scare him—he'll hear a rumor, and he'll have to return to his own country. When he's there I'll have him killed by the sword.”
8 Bere a ɔsahene no tee sɛ Asiriahene afi Lakis no, ɔsan nʼakyi kohuu sɛ ɔhene no ne Libna reko.
The Assyrian army commander left and went back to join the king of Assyria, having heard the king had left Lachish and was attacking Libnah.
9 Ankyɛ, ɔhene Sanaherib nyaa nkra se, Etiopiahene Tirhaka adi asraafo anim, rebɛko atia no. Na ansa na ɔbɛsan akohyia asraafo no, ɔde saa nkra yi maa sɛ wɔmfa nkɔma Hesekia wɔ Yerusalem.
Sennacherib had received a message about Tirhakah, king of Ethiopia, that said, “Watch out! He has set out to attack you.” So Sennacherib sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
10 “Monka nkyerɛ Yudahene Hesekia se: Mma onyame a wode wo ho ato no so no nnaadaa mo nka se, ‘Wɔremfa Yerusalem mma Asiriahene.’
“Tell Hezekiah, king of Judah: ‘Don't let your God, the one you're trusting in, fool you by saying that Jerusalem won't fall into the hands of the king of Assyria.
11 Moate nea Asiria ahemfo ayɛ amanaman no nyinaa. Wɔasɛe wɔn pasaa. Na mo de, wobegye mo ana?
Look! You've heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries they've invaded— they destroyed them completely! Do you really think you'll be saved?
12 Anyame a wɔwɔ aman a me nenanom sɛee wɔn no, aman te sɛ, Gosan, Haran, Resef ne Edenfo a na wɔwɔ Telasar no anyame gyee wɔn ana?
Did the gods of the nations my forefathers destroyed save them—the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who lived in Telassar?
13 Nsɛm bɛn na ɛtotoo Hamathene ne Arpadhene? Nsɛm bɛn nso na ɛtotoo Sefarwaim, Hena ne Iwa ahemfo?”
Where today is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?”
14 Hesekia nsa kaa krataa a abɔfo no de bae no, ɔkenkanee. Afei ɔforo kɔɔ Awurade asɔredan no mu kɔtrɛw mu wɔ Awurade anim.
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the Lord's Temple and opened it out before the Lord.
15 Na Hesekia bɔɔ mpae kyerɛɛ Awurade se, “Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn a wɔasi wo hene wɔ Kerubim ntam. Wo nko ara na woyɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ asase so ahenni nyinaa so. Wo na wobɔɔ ɔsoro ne asase.
Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying, “Lord, God of Israel, you who live above the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth, you are Creator of heaven and earth.
16 Brɛ wʼaso ase, Awurade, na tie! Bue wʼani, Awurade, na hwɛ. Tie nsɛm a Sanaherib asoma de abɛsopa Onyankopɔn teasefo no.
Please listen with your ears, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see. Listen to the message that Sennacherib has sent to insult the living God.
17 “Awurade, ɛyɛ nokware sɛ Asiria ahemfo asɛe aman yi nyinaa, sɛnea nkra no ka no.
Yes, it's true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have destroyed these nations and their lands.
18 Na wɔatow anyame a wɔwɔ saa aman yi so no agu gya mu, ahyew wɔn, efisɛ wɔnyɛ anyame, na mmom wɔyɛ nnua ne abo a nnipa de wɔn nsa ayɛ.
They have thrown their gods into the fire because they are not really gods—they are just the work of human hands, made of wood and stone so they could destroy them.
19 Afei, Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn, gye yɛn fi ne tumi ase, na ɛbɛma ahenni a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa ahu sɛ wo nko ara, Awurade, na woyɛ Onyankopɔn.”
Now, Lord our God, please save us from him, in order that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that only you, Lord, are God.”
20 Na Amos babarima Yesaia de saa nkra yi kɔmaa Hesekia se, “Sɛɛ na Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se: Esiane sɛ woabɔ me mpae afa Asiriahene Sanaherib ho nti,
Then Isaiah, son of Amoz, sent a message to Hezekiah, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer about Sennacherib, king of Assyria.
21 eyi ne asɛm a Awurade aka atia no: “‘Ɔbabeabun Sion sopa wo, na ɔserew wo. Ɔbabea Yerusalem di wo ho fɛw, na ɔwosow ne ti bere a woreguan.
This is the word the Lord condemning him: The virgin daughter of Zion scorns you and mocks you; the daughter of Jerusalem shakes her head as you run away.
22 Hena na wugye di sɛ woyeyaw no, di ne ho fɛw nso? Hena na womaa wo nne so tiaa no na wohwɛɛ no ahantan so? Ɛyɛ Israel ɔkronkronni no!
Who have you been insulting and ridiculing? Who did you raise your voice against? Who did you look at with so proud eyes? It was against the Holy One of Israel!
23 Wonam wʼasomafo so adi Awurade ho fɛw. Na woaka se, “Me nteaseɛnam dodow nti maforo mmepɔw atenten. Yiw Lebanon mmepɔw a ɛwoware pa ara no. Matwitwa ne sida dua atenten no, ne nʼapepaw a ɛyɛ fɛ no agu fam. Madu ne mmepɔw a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri no so, ne ne kwaeberentuw mu.
By your servants you have mocked the Lord. You said: ‘With my many chariots I have ascended to the high mountains, to the farthest peaks of Lebanon. I have chopped down its tallest cedars, the best of its cypress trees. I have reached its most distant outposts, its deepest forests.
24 Matutu mmura wɔ ahɔho nsase bebree so de ne nsu pa no adwudwo me ho. Mpo, mepaee Misraim nsubɔnten mu sɛnea mʼakofo betumi atwa!”
I have dug wells and drunk water in foreign lands. With the soles of my feet I dried up all the rivers in Egypt.’”
25 “‘Na Montee ɛ? Bere tenten a atwam, na mehyɛ too hɔ. Bere bi a atwam no na medwenee ho; afei mama aba mu sɛ, moadan ɔman a mosɛe nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban.
The Lord replies, “Haven't you heard? I decided it long ago; I planned it in the olden days. Now I am making sure it happens—that you are to knock down fortified towns into piles of rubble.
26 Wɔn nkurɔfo a tumi afi wɔn nsa no ho adwiriw wɔn, na animguase aka wɔn. Wɔte sɛ afuw so nnua, ne afifide foforo a ɛyɛ mmrɛw. Wɔte sɛ sare a efifi ɔdan atifi a ɛhyew ansa na anyin.
Their people, powerless, are terrified and humiliated. They're like plants in a field, like soft green shoots, like grass that sprouts on rooftop—scorched before it can even grow.
27 “‘Nanso minim nea wote bere a woba ne bere a wokɔ ne sɛnea wo bo huru tia me.
But I know you very well—where you live, when you come in, when you leave, and your furious anger against me.
28 Na esiane sɛ wo bo huru tia me na wʼahantan adu mʼasom nti, mede me darewa bɛhyɛ wo hwenem, na mede akwankyerɛ dade ahyɛ wʼanom, mɛma wo afa ɔkwan a wofaa so bae no so asan wʼakyi.’
Because of your furious anger against me, and because I know how you disrespect me, I'm going to put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will force you to return the same way you came.”
29 “Eyi na ɛbɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne ama wo, Hesekia: “Saa afe yi wubedi nea ɛno ankasa fifii. Afe a ɛto so abien no, wubedi nea efi mu ba. Nanso afe a ɛto so abiɛsa no de, wo ara dua na twa, yɛ bobe nturo na di so aba.
“Hezekiah, this will be a sign to prove this is true: This year you'll eat what grows by itself. The second year you'll eat what grows from that. But in the third year you'll sow and reap, you'll plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
30 Bio, nkae bi a ofi Yuda fi begye ntin wɔ fam na wasow aba wɔ soro.
The remnant that's left of Judah will revive again, sending roots below and bearing fruit above.
31 Na nkae bi befi Yerusalem aba, na nkae dɔm afi Bepɔw Sion so. Asafo Awurade pɛ mu na eyi bɛyɛ.
For a remnant will come out of Jerusalem, and survivors will come from Mount Zion. The intense determination of the Lord will make sure this happens.
32 “Eyi ne asɛm a Awurade ka fa Asiriahene ho: “Ɔrenhyɛn saa kuropɔn yi mu na ɔrentow bɛmma wɔ ha. Ɔremfa nkatabo mmegyina kuropɔn no akyi na ɔrensi pie ntua nʼano.
This is what the Lord says about the king of Assyria: He shall not enter this city or shoot an arrow at it. He shall not advance towards it with a shield, or build a siege ramp against it.
33 Ɔhene no kwan a ɔfaa so bae no ara so na ɔbɛsan afa akɔ nʼankasa man mu. Awurade ka se, ɔrenwura saa kurow yi mu.
He shall return the same way he came, and he shall not enter this city, says the Lord.
34 Esiane mʼankasa mʼanuonyam ne mʼakoa Dawid nti, mɛbɔ ho ban.”
I will defend this city and save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.”
35 Saa anadwo no, Awurade bɔfo kɔɔ Asiria nsraban mu, kokum Asiria asraafo no mpem ɔha aduɔwɔtwe anum. Asiriafo a wɔkae no nyan anɔpa no, wohuu sɛ afunu gugu mmɔnten so baabiara.
That night the angel of the Lord went to the Assyrian camp and killed 185,000. When the survivors woke up in the morning, they were surrounded by dead bodies.
36 Na Asiriahene Sanaherib gyaee ɔko no, kɔɔ nʼankasa nʼasase so. Ɔkɔtenaa nʼahenkurow Ninewe mu.
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, gave up and left. He returned home to Nineveh and stayed there.
37 Da koro bi a ɔresom wɔ ne nyame Nisrok abosonnan mu no, ne mmabarima Adramelek ne Sareser de wɔn afoa kokum no. Woguan fii hɔ kɔtenaa Ararat asase so, na ne babarima foforo Esarhadon bedii nʼade sɛ Asiriahene.
While he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisroch, his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer killed him with the sword and then ran away to the land of Ararat. His son Esar-haddon succeeded him as king.
