1 Ahemfo 20
1 Yeinom akyi, Aramhene Ben-Hadad boaboaa nʼakodɔm ano, a nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔ a wɔyɛ ahemfo aboafoɔ aduasa mmienu dea ka ne ho. Wɔkɔtuaa Israel kuropɔn Samaria, to hyɛɛ so.
Ben-hadad, king of Aram, called up his entire army. Together with thirty-two kings and their assembled horses and chariots, he marched to besiege Samaria, to fight against it.
2 Ben-Hadad somaa abɔfoɔ kɔɔ kuro no mu sɛ wɔnkɔka nkyerɛ ɔhene Ahab sɛ, “Ben-Hadad se,
He sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, in the city to tell him, “This is what Ben-hadad says:
3 ‘Mo dwetɛ ne mo sikakɔkɔɔ yɛ me dea. Saa ara na mo yerenom ne mo mma mu papa no nso yɛ me dea.’”
Your silver and gold belong to me now, and your best wives and children also belong to me!”
4 Ahab buaa sɛ, “Mate, me wura! Deɛ mewɔ nyinaa yɛ wo dea.”
“It's as you say, my lord the king,” the king of Israel replied. “I am yours, as well as everything that belongs to me.”
5 Ankyɛre biara Ben-Hadad abɔfoɔ sane baa bio bɛkaa sɛ, “Ben-Hadad se, ‘Maka dada sɛ momfa mo dwetɛ, sikakɔkɔɔ, mo yerenom ne mo mma mma me.
The messengers returned and said, “This is what Ben-hadad says: I have sent you a message demanding you give me your silver, your gold, your wives, and your children.
6 Ɔkyena sɛsɛɛ, mɛsoma me mpanimfoɔ, na wɔabɛhwehwɛ mo ahemfie ne mo nkurɔfoɔ afie. Na biribiara a ɛsom bo ma mo no, wɔbɛfa de akɔ.’”
But around this time tomorrow I'm going to send my men to search your palace and the homes of your officials. They will take and carry away everything you see as valuable.”
7 Na Ahab frɛɛ asase no so ntuanofoɔ no nyinaa, ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monhwɛ sɛdeɛ saa ɔbarima yi pɛ sɛ ɔde ɔhaw ba. Mapene so dada sɛ mede me yerenom, me mma, me dwetɛ ne me sikakɔkɔɔ bɛma no.”
The king of Israel called all the elders of the land and told them, “Look how this man is trying to cause trouble! When he demanded my wives and my children, my silver and my gold, I didn't say no.”
8 Ntuanofoɔ ne nnipa no nyinaa kaa sɛ, “Sɛ ɔbisaa biribi foforɔ biara bio a, mfa mma no.”
All the elders and all the people present responded, “Don't listen to him. Don't agree to his demands.”
9 Enti, Ahab ka kyerɛɛ abɔfoɔ a wɔfiri Ben-Hadad nkyɛn baeɛ no sɛ, “Monkɔka saa asɛm yi nkyerɛ me wura ɔhene sɛ, ‘Biribiara a ɔbisaa kane no deɛ, mede bɛma no. Na deɛ ɔbisaa no akyire no deɛ, merentumi mfa mma no.’” Enti, Ben-Hadad abɔfoɔ no sane kɔbɔɔ no amaneɛ.
So the king told Ben-hadad's messengers, “Tell my lord the king: Everything you demanded at first your servant will do, but I cannot agree to this latest demand.” The messengers took the reply back to him.
10 Na Ben-Hadad soma kɔka kyerɛɛ Ahab sɛ, “Sɛ mansɛe Samaria pasaa, na emu mfuturo dodoɔ bi ka a ɛbɛboro asraafoɔ no mu biara nsabuo ma a, anyame no ntwe mʼaso denden so.”
Ben-hadad responded to him, “May the gods do as much to me and more if there remains enough dust in Samaria to give my subjects a handful each!”
11 Israelhene nso soma ma wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔkofoɔ kɛseɛ a ɔrefa nʼakofena akɔ akono, tu ne ho sɛ ɔkofoɔ kɛseɛ a wadi nkonim dada.”
The king of Israel replied, “Tell him this: A man putting on his armor should not brag like one who is taking it off.”
12 Ahab mmuaeɛ yi duruu Ben-Hadad ne ahemfo a wɔaka no asom ɛberɛ a na wɔrenom nsã wɔ wɔn ntomadan mu. Ɔhyɛɛ ne mmarima no sɛ, “Monsiesie mo ho nkɔko.” Enti, wɔsiesiee wɔn ho sɛ wɔrekɔto ahyɛ kuropɔn no so.
Ben-hadad received this message while he and the kings were drinking in their tents. He immediately gave the order to his officers, “Get ready to attack!” So they prepared to attack the city.
13 Na odiyifoɔ bi bɛhunuu ɔhene Ahab ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, ‘Wohunu saa atamfoɔ dɔm yi? Ɛnnɛ, mede wɔn bɛhyɛ wo nsa. Na wobɛhunu sɛ mene Awurade.’”
At the same time a prophet came up to Ahab, king of Israel, and told him, “This is what the Lord says: You see this massive army? Just watch, because I will make you victorious today, and you will be convinced that I am the Lord.”
14 Ahab bisaa sɛ, “Na sɛn na ɔbɛyɛ no?” Na odiyifoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, ‘Akodɔm asahene a wɔtuatua amansini ano no na wɔbɛyɛ.’” Ahab bisaa sɛ, “Enti, yɛnni ɛkan nto nhyɛ wɔn so?” Odiyifoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Aane.”
“But who's going to do this?” Ahab asked. The prophet answered, “This is what the Lord says: It will be the young officers under the district commanders.” “And who's going to start the battle?” he asked. The prophet replied, “You are!”
15 Enti, Ahab boaboaa ɔmansin no asahene ahanu aduasa mmienu akodɔm ano. Afei, ɔfrɛɛ nʼakodɔm a wɔaka a wɔn dodoɔ yɛ mpem nson no.
So Ahab called up the 232 young officers of the district commanders, and assembled the 7,000 soldiers that made up Israel's army.
16 Ɛbɛyɛ owigyinaeɛ a Ben-Hadad ne nʼapamfoɔ ahemfo aduasa mmienu gu so reboro nsã wɔ wɔn ntomadan mu no,
They left at noon while Ben-hadad and the thirty-two kings with him were busy getting drunk in their tents.
17 amansini asahene akodɔm no tuu nten, firii kuro no mu. Wɔrebɛn no, Ben-Hadad akwansrafoɔ ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Akodɔm bi firi Samaria reba.”
The young officers of the district commanders took the lead. The scouts Ben-hadad had sent out came and reported to him, “Enemy soldiers are advancing from Samaria.”
18 Ben-Hadad hyɛɛ sɛ, “Sɛ wɔbaa asomdwoeɛ anaa ɔko so a, monkyere wɔn anikann.”
“If they're coming in peace, take them alive,” he ordered. “If they're coming to attack, take them alive.”
19 Nanso, saa ɛberɛ no, na Ahab amansini asahene no adi akodɔm no anim, kɔ ɔko no.
The young officers of the district commanders advanced from the city, followed by the army.
20 Na Israel ɔsraani biara kumm ne ɔtamfoɔ Aram ɔsraani a ɔne no dii asie. Ɛno enti, amonom hɔ ara, Aram asraafoɔ no bɔɔ hu, dwaneeɛ. Israelfoɔ no taa wɔn, nanso ɔhene Ben-Hadad ne ne nkurɔfoɔ kakra bi deɛ, wɔtenaa apɔnkɔ so dwaneeɛ.
Each man killed his opponent, and the Arameans ran away. The Israelites chased them, but Ben-hadad, king of Aram, escaped on horseback with his cavalry.
21 Nanso wɔsɛee apɔnkɔ ne nteaseɛnam a ɛkaa hɔ no nyinaa, kunkumm Aramfoɔ no.
Then the king of Israel came out and attacked the horses and chariots. He inflicted a great defeat on the Arameans.
22 Akyire yi, odiyifoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ Ahab sɛ, “Siesie wo ho ma ɔko foforɔ na Aramhene bɛba osutɔberɛ mu.”
Later on the prophet came to the king of Israel and told him, “Go and reinforce your defenses, and check what you need to do, because in the spring the king of Aram will come and attack you again.”
23 Wɔdii Ben-Hadad so no, ne mpanimfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Israel anyame no yɛ mmepɔ anyame, na ɛno enti na ɛma wɔdii nkonim no. Na sɛ wɔduru tata so a, yɛbɛdi wɔn so nkonim a yɛremmrɛ ho koraa.
In the meantime the king of Aram's officers told him, “Their gods are gods of the mountains. That's why they could defeat us. But if we fight them in the lowlands, we can beat them.
24 Deɛ ɛho hia ara ne sɛ, saa ɛberɛ yi, ɛsɛ sɛ wode akono asahene sisi ahemfo no ananmu.
You should do this: remove each of the kings from their positions and replace them with commanders.
25 Momfa asraafoɔ foforɔ a wɔn dodoɔ te sɛ wɔn a wohweree wɔn no ara. Ma yɛn apɔnkɔ no dodoɔ, nteaseɛnam ne mmarima dodoɔ saa ara, na yɛbɛtumi ne wɔn adi asie wɔ tata so. Akyinnyeɛ biara nni ho sɛ yɛbɛdi wɔn so.” Enti, ɔhene Ben-Hadad yɛɛ wɔn abisadeɛ maa wɔn.
You also have to raise another army to replace the one you lost—horse for horse, chariot for chariot. Then we can fight them in the lowlands and we will definitely beat them.” Ben-hadad listened to their advice and did as they said.
26 Na afe so no, ɔfrɛɛ Aram asraafoɔ, tuu nten kɔɔ Israelfoɔ so wɔ Afek sɛ wɔne wɔn rekɔko.
When spring came Ben-hadad called up the Aramean army and went to attack Israel at Aphek.
27 Israel boaboaa nʼasraafoɔ ano, twaa sa, de wɔn ho hyɛɛ ɔko no mu. Na sɛ wɔde Israel akodɔm no toto Aram akodɔm no dodoɔ a wɔahyɛ hɔ ma no ho a, na Israel akodɔm no dodoɔ te sɛ mmirekyikuo nketewa mmienu bi.
The Israelite army was also called up and provided with supplies. They went to confront the Arameans. But when the Israelites set up their camp opposite the enemy they looked like couple of flocks of goats in comparison with the Aramean army that filled the whole land.
28 Onyankopɔn onipa no kɔɔ Israelhene nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Aramfoɔ no aka sɛ, ‘Awurade yɛ mmepɔ Awurade na ɔnyɛ tata so Awurade. Enti, mɛboa wo ma woadi akodɔm buburugyaa yi so. Na ɛbɛma woahunu sɛ, mene Awurade no.’”
Then the man of God came to the king of Israel and said, “This is what the Lord says: Because the Arameans have said, ‘The Lord is only a god of the mountains and not of the valleys,’ I will make you victorious over the whole of this massive army. Then you will be convinced that I am the Lord.”
29 Asraadɔm mmienu yi bobɔɔ wɔn atenaeɛ, ma ɛdii nhwɛanimu nnanson. Na nnanson so no, ɔko no hyɛɛ aseɛ. Ɛda no ara, Israelfoɔ no kunkumm Aram anammɔntwa asraafoɔ no ɔpeha.
The armies camped opposite each other for seven days. On the seventh day the battle took place. The Israelites killed 100,000 of the Aramean infantry in one day.
30 Nkaeɛ no dwane kɔtɛɛ Afek ɔfasuo akyi, nanso ɔfasuo no bu guu wɔn so, kumm ɔpeduonu nson. Ben-Hadad dwane kɔtɛɛ kɔkoam dan bi mu wɔ kuro no mu.
The rest ran away to the town of Aphek, where a wall collapsed on 27,000 of those that remained. Ben-hadad also ran to the town and hid in an inside room.
31 Ben-Hadad mpanimfoɔ ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Owura, yɛate sɛ Israel ahemfo wɔ ahummɔborɔ. Ɛno enti, momma yɛmfira ayitoma, mfa ahoma mmɔ yɛn ti ase, mfa nkyerɛ ahobrɛaseɛ. Na ebia, ɔhene Ahab bɛma woatena ase.”
Ben-hadad's officers said to him, “Look, we've heard that the Israelite kings are merciful. Let's surrender to the king of Israel, wearing sackcloth around our waists and ropes on our heads. Maybe he will let you live.”
32 Enti, wɔfirafiraa ayitoma, de nhoma bobɔɔ wɔn ti, kɔɔ Israelhene nkyɛn kɔsrɛɛ no sɛ, “Wo ɔsomfoɔ Ben-Hadad se, ‘Mesrɛ wo, ma me ntena nkwa mu.’” Israelhene no bisaa sɛ, “Ɔda so te ase anaa? Ɔyɛ me nuabarima!”
So wearing sackcloth around their waists and ropes on their heads, they went and surrendered to the king of Israel, and told him, “Your servant Ben-hadad asks, ‘Please let me live.’” The king replied “Is he still alive? I think of him as my brother.”
33 Mmarima no yɛɛ ntɛm sɔɔ anidasoɔ a ɛnni nnyinasoɔ yi mu, buaa sɛ, “Aane, wo nua Ben-Hadad.” Israelhene no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monkɔfa no mmra.” Ɛberɛ a wɔde Ben-Hadad baeɛ no, Ahab ma ɔkɔtenaa ne teaseɛnam mu.
The men thought this was a good sign and they immediately took the king at his word, saying, “Yes, Ben-hahad is your brother.” “Go and fetch him!” said the king. So Ben-hadad came out of hiding and surrendered to Ahab, who pulled him up into his chariot.
34 Ben-Hadad ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Mede nkuro a mʼagya gye firii wʼagya nsam no bɛsane ama wo, na woahyehyɛ adwadie wɔ Damasko, sɛdeɛ mʼagya yɛɛ wɔ Samaria no.” Na Ahab kaa sɛ, “Saa nhyehyɛeɛ yi so na mɛgyina na magyaa wo.” Enti, wɔyɛɛ apam, na wɔgyaa Ben-Hadad.
Ben-hadad said to him, “I will return the towns my father took from your father, and you can organize your own places for trade in Damascus, like my father did in Samaria.” “By making this agreement I set you free,” Ahab replied. He made a treaty with Ben-hadad and let him go.
35 Ɛberɛ no ara mu, Awurade see adiyifokuo no mu baako sɛ, ɔnka nkyerɛ ɔfoforɔ sɛ, “Fa wʼakodeɛ no bɔ me.” Nanso wanyɛ.
Following a message he received from the Lord, one of the sons of the prophets said to his colleague, “Please hit me.” But the man refused to hit him.
36 Na saa odiyifoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ ɔfoforɔ no sɛ, “Sɛ woantie Awurade nne enti, sɛ wofiri ha ara pɛ a, gyata bɛkye wo, akum wo.” Ampa ara, ɔfirii hɔ ara pɛ na gyata kyeree no kumm no.
So the prophet told him, “Since you have not done what the Lord said, once you leave me a lion is going to kill you.” When the man left, a lion came and killed him.
37 Na odiyifoɔ no kɔɔ ɔbarima foforɔ nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Fa wʼakodeɛ yi bɔ me.” Ɔno deɛ, ɔbɔɔ odiyifoɔ no, piraa no.
The prophet found another man and said, “Please hit me!” So the man hit him, wounding him.
38 Odiyifoɔ no twɛn ɔhene no wɔ kwankyɛn a ɔde ntomaban akyekyere nʼani, de pɛɛ sɛ ɔsakyera ne ho.
Then the prophet went and stood beside the road, waiting for the king. He had disguised himself with a bandage over his eyes.
39 Ɔhene no retwam no, odiyifoɔ no frɛɛ no sɛ, “Owura, na mewɔ akono na ɔbarima bi de odeduani brɛɛ me. Ɔkaa sɛ, ‘Wɛn saa ɔbarima yi, na sɛ biribi enti ɔdwane a, wɔbɛkum wo anaasɛ wɔbɛbɔ wo ka dwetɛ kilogram aduasa nwɔtwe.’
As the king was passing by, he shouted out to the king: “Your servant had gone out fighting right in the middle of the battle, when all of a sudden a man came over with a prisoner and told me, ‘Guard this man! If for any reason he escapes, you will pay for his life with your life, or you will be fined a talent of silver.’
40 Na ɛberɛ a mʼani abere redi dwuma bi no, odeduani no dwaneeɛ. Na ɔhene no kaa sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ wʼankasa wo mfomsoɔ. Wo ara woabu wo ho atɛn.’”
But while your servant was busy with other things, the man got away.” “So that will be your punishment then,” the king of Israel told him. “You have sentenced yourself.”
41 Ɛhɔ ara na odiyifoɔ no sanee ntomaban no firii nʼani, na Israelhene no hunuu no sɛ ɔyɛ adiyifoɔ no mu baako.
Then the prophet quickly took off the bandage from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized he was one of the prophets.
42 Na odiyifoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Esiane sɛ woagyaa ɔbarima a mekaa sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum no no enti, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum wo seesei si nʼanan mu. Na anka ɛsɛ sɛ ne nkurɔfoɔ na mokunkum wɔn, na mmom, wo nkurɔfoɔ na wɔbɛkunkum wɔn.”
He told the king, “This is what the Lord says: You have let go a man I had decided should die. Therefore you will pay for his life with your life, your people for his people.”
43 Enti, Israelhene a ne bo afu ne ho no kɔɔ Samaria.
The king of Israel went home to Samaria, sulking and infuriated.
