1 Ahemfo 13
1 Awurade hyɛɛ Onyame onipa bi ma ɔkɔɔ Bet-El, na ɔduruu hɔ ɛberɛ a na Yeroboam rekɔ afɔrebukyia no ho akɔbɔ afɔdeɛ.
One day a prophet, obeying what Yahweh commanded him to do, went from Judah [north] to Bethel. He arrived there right at the time that Jeroboam was standing at the altar, ready to burn incense.
2 Na ɔfiri Awurade ɔhyɛ nsɛm mu teaam guu afɔrebukyia no sɛ, “Ao, afɔrebukyia! Afɔrebukyia! Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: ‘Wɔbɛwo ɔbabarima bi a wɔbɛto no edin Yosia ato Dawid fie, na wo so na ɔde asɔfoɔ a wɔfiri asɔreeɛ so ha a wɔhye aduhwam ne nnipa nnompe no bɛbɔ afɔdeɛ!’”
Saying what Yahweh told him to say, the prophet shouted, “This is what Yahweh says [about this] altar [APO]: ‘I want you to know that [some day] a descendant [MTY] of King David will be born. His name will be Josiah, and he will come here. He will slaughter at this altar the priests who are burning incense for sacrifices on the hills [in this area], and he will burn the bones of dead people on this altar.’” [APO]
3 Ɛda no ara, Onyankopɔn onipa no yɛɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ, na ɔkaa sɛ, “Yei ne nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ a Awurade ada no adi. Afɔrebukyia no mu bɛpae mmienu, na nsõ a ɛgu soɔ no ahwie agu.”
Then the prophet also said, “This is what will prove to you that Yahweh has said this: This altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be scattered.’”
4 Ɔhene Yeroboam bo fuu Onyame onipa yi sɛ wakasa atia afɔrebukyia yi. Enti ɔtenee ne nsa wɔ ne so, teaam sɛ, “Monkyere no!” Nanso, ne nsa a ɔtenee wɔ ɔbarima no so no senseneeɛ a wantumi anyɛ ho hwee.
When King Jeroboam heard the prophet say that, he pointed his finger at him and said to his servants, “Seize that man!” But immediately the king’s arm became paralyzed/stiff, with the result that he could not move it.
5 Na afɔrebukyia no mu paee mmienu, na nsõ a ɛgu so no hwie guiɛ, sɛdeɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ a Onyankopɔn onipa nam Awurade ɔhyɛ nsɛm so daa no adi kyerɛeɛ no.
And the altar immediately split apart, and the ashes spilled out [on the ground], which is what the prophet said that Yahweh [MTY] had predicted would happen.
6 Afei, ɔhene no srɛɛ Onyankopɔn onipa no sɛ, “Srɛ Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, ma me na me nsa no nnya ahoɔden.” Enti, Onyankopɔn onipa no srɛɛ Awurade maa no, na ɔhene no nsa nyaa ahoɔden ma ɛyɛɛ sɛdeɛ na ɛteɛ kane no.
Then the king said to the prophet, “Please pray that Yahweh will be merciful to me and heal my arm!” So the prophet prayed, and Yahweh completely healed the king’s arm.
7 Afei, ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Onyankopɔn onipa no sɛ, “Ma yɛnkɔ fie, na kɔdidi, na mɛma wo akyɛdeɛ bi.”
Then the king said to the prophet, “Come home with me and eat some food. And I will also give you a reward [for what you have done]!”
8 Nanso, Onyankopɔn onipa no buaa no sɛ, “Mpo, sɛ wode wʼagyapadeɛ mu fa bɛkyɛ me koraa a, me ne wo renkɔ, na burodo nso, merenni na manom nsuo wɔ ha.
But the prophet replied, “Even if you would [promise to] give me half of everything that you own [MTY], I will not go with you, and I will not eat or drink anything with you here,
9 Awurade asɛm so na wɔnam hyɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ wodi burodo anaa wonom nsuo wɔ hɔ. Afei, nsane mfa ɛkwan a wofaa so kɔɔ Bet-El no so.’”
because Yahweh commanded me not to eat or drink anything here. He also commanded me not to return home on the road on which I came here.”
10 Enti, ɔfiri Bet-El faa ɛkwan foforɔ so, sɛ ɔrekɔ efie.
So he started to return home, but he did not go on the road on which he came to Bethel. He went on a different road.
11 Na ɛbaa sɛ na odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa bi te Bet-El. Ne mmammarima bɛkaa deɛ Onyankopɔn onipa no ayɛ wɔ Bet-El da no nyinaa kyerɛɛ no. Afei, wɔkaa asɛm a waka akyerɛ ɔhene no nyinaa, kyerɛɛ wɔn agya no.
At that time there was an old man living in Bethel who was a prophet. His sons came and told him what the prophet [from Judah] had done there on that day, and they also told him what the prophet had said to the king.
12 Odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa no bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Na ɔfaa he?” Na ne mmammarima no kyerɛɛ no kwan a Onyankopɔn onipa no faa so kɔeɛ.
Their father said, “On which road did he go?” So his sons showed him the road on which the prophet from Judah had gone [when he left Bethel].
13 Ɔka kyerɛɛ ne mmammarima no sɛ, “Monhyehyɛ afunumu no mma me ntɛm.” Na wɔhyehyɛɛ afunumu no maa no no, ɔhuri tenaa ne so
Then he said to his sons, “Put a saddle on my donkey.” So they did that, and he got on the donkey.
14 tii Onyankopɔn onipa no. Ɔkɔtoo no sɛ ɔte odum bi ase, na odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa no bisaa no sɛ, “Wo ne Onyankopɔn onipa a wofiri Yuda no anaa?” Ɔbuaa no sɛ, “Aane, me a.”
He went along the road to (find/catch up with) the prophet from Judah. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He said to him, “Are you the prophet who came from Judah?” He replied, “Yes, I am.”
15 Afei, odiyifoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ma yɛnkɔ efie, na kɔdidi.”
The old prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.”
16 Onyankopɔn onipa no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Merentumi nsane mʼakyi. Menni ho ɛkwan sɛ medidi anaa menom nsuo wɔ ha.
He replied, “No, I am not allowed to go with you into your house, or to eat or drink anything with you,
17 Awurade hyɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ wodi aduane biara anaa wonom nsuo ɛberɛ a wowɔ hɔ, anaa wofa ɛkwan a wofaa so kɔɔ hɔ no so sane wʼakyi.’”
because Yahweh told me, ‘Do not eat or drink anything here, and do not return home on the road on which you came.’”
18 Odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa no buaa sɛ, “Me nso, meyɛ odiyifoɔ sɛ wo ara. Na ɔbɔfoɔ bi kaa Awurade asɛm kyerɛɛ me sɛ, ‘Fa no sane bra wo fie, na ɔmmɛdidi na ɔnnom nsuo.’” Nanso na odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa no redaadaa no.
Then the old prophet said to him, “I also am a prophet, like you are. Yahweh sent an angel to tell me that I should take you home with me and give you some food and drink.” But the old man was lying [when he said that].
19 Enti, Onyankopɔn onipa no ne no sane kɔeɛ, kɔdidi nomee wɔ ne fie.
But because of what the old prophet said, the prophet from Judah returned with him to his home and ate some food and drank some water with him.
20 Ɛberɛ a wɔte didipono ho redidi no, nkra firi Awurade nkyɛn baa odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa no so.
While they were sitting at the table, Yahweh spoke to the old man.
21 Ɔteaam guu Onyankopɔn onipa a ɔfiri Yuda no so sɛ, “Sei na Awurade ka: Woabu Awurade asɛm so, na woanni ahyɛdeɛ a Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, hyɛɛ wo no so.
Then he cried out to the prophet from Judah, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘You have disobeyed him, and you have not done what he commanded you to do.
22 Wosane baa ha bɛdii aduane, nom nsuo, nanso ɔka kyerɛɛ wo sɛ nni hwee, nnom hwee. Esiane yei enti, wɔrensie wʼamu wɔ wʼagyanom damena mu.”
Instead, you have come back here and had things to eat and drink in a place where he commanded you not to do that. As a result, you will be killed, and your body will not be buried in the grave where your ancestors are buried.’”
23 Na Onyankopɔn onipa no didi nom wieeɛ no, odiyifoɔ no hyehyɛɛ nʼafunumu no maa no,
When they had finished eating, the old man put a saddle on the donkey for the prophet from Judah, [and the prophet from Judah left].
24 na Onyankopɔn onipa no sii ɛkwan so bio. Na ɔrekɔ no ara, gyata bi ba bɛkumm no. Nʼamu no daa ɛkwan mu a, na afunumu no ne gyata no gyinagyina ho.
But as he was going, a lion met him and killed him. The prophet’s corpse was lying on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it, and the lion was also standing beside the corpse.
25 Nnipa ba bɛtoo so sɛ amu no da ɛkwan mu a gyata no gyina ho. Enti, wɔkɔbɔɔ amaneɛ wɔ Bet-El baabi a odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa no te hɔ.
Some men passed by and were surprised to see the corpse on the road and the lion standing next to the corpse. So they went into Bethel and reported what they had seen.
26 Ɛberɛ a odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa no tee asɛm no, ɔkaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn onipa no a wanni Awurade ahyɛdeɛ so no. Awurade ama nʼasɛm no aba mu sɛ ɔmaa gyata to hyɛɛ no so, kumm no.”
When the old man who had brought the prophet from Judah to his home heard about it, he said, “That is the prophet who disobeyed what Yahweh told him to do! That is why Yahweh allowed the lion to attack him and kill him. That is what Yahweh said would happen!”
27 Na odiyifoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ ne mmammarima no sɛ, “Monhyehyɛ afunumu no mma me.” Na wɔhyehyɛɛ afunumu no.
Then he said to his sons, “Put a saddle on my donkey.” So they did that.
28 Ɔkɔeɛ kɔhunuu sɛ amu no da ɛkwan mu. Na afunumu no ne gyata no da so gyinagyina ne ho a, gyata no nwee amu no, nto nhyɛɛ afunumu no nso so.
Then he rode on the donkey and found the prophet’s corpse on the road, and his donkey and the lion were still standing there alongside the corpse. But the lion had not eaten any of the flesh of the prophet and had not attacked the donkey.
29 Enti, odiyifoɔ no faa Onyankopɔn onipa no amu no de no too nʼafunumu no so, sane de no kɔɔ kurom, kɔsuu no, siee no.
The old man picked up the corpse of the prophet and put it on his donkey and brought it back to Bethel, in order to mourn for him and to bury his corpse.
30 Ɔde amu no too nʼankasa ne damena mu, firii awerɛhoɔ mu, suu no sɛ, “Ao, me nua!”
He buried the prophet’s corpse in the grave where other people in his family [had been buried]. Then he and his sons mourned for him, saying, “[We are very sorry], my brother!”
31 Akyire yi, odiyifoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ ne mmammarima no sɛ, “Sɛ mɛwu a, monsie me wɔ damena a wɔasie Onyankopɔn onipa wɔ mu no mu. Momfa me nnompe ngu ne nnompe ho.
After they had buried him, the old man said to his sons, “When I die, bury my corpse in the grave where we buried the prophet from Judah. Lay my corpse next to his corpse.
32 Na asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ ɔnka ntia afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ Bet-El ne abosomfie no a ɛwowɔ Samaria nkuro so no, ɛbɛba mu.”
[And do not forget what he said, because] the things that Yahweh told him to say about the altar in Bethel, and about the shrines on the hills in the towns in Samaria, will surely happen.”
33 Nanso, yei akyi koraa no, Yeroboam annane ne ho amfiri nʼakwammɔne no so. Ɔkɔɔ so yii asɔfoɔ firi nnipa no mu. Obiara a ɔpɛ no, ɔtumi yɛɛ ɔsɔfoɔ wɔ abosomfie hɔ.
But King Jeroboam still did not turn away from continuing to do evil things. Instead, he appointed more priests [who were not descended from Levi]. Anyone who wanted to be a priest, he appointed to be a priest, in order that he could offer sacrifices on the hills.
34 Yei bɛyɛɛ bɔne kɛseɛ, na ɛnam so sɛee Yeroboam ahemman, ma ne fiefoɔ nyinaa wuwuiɛ.
Because he committed that sin, [a few years later] God got rid of most of Jeroboam’s descendants and did not allow them to become kings of Israel.
