1 Ahemfo 22
1 Ɔko biara ansi Aram ne Israel ntam mfeɛ mmiɛnsa.
Then three years passed without war between Syria and Israel.
2 Na mfeɛ mmiɛnsa no mu, ɔhene Yehosafat a ɔdi adeɛ Yuda kɔɔ Israelhene Ahab nkyɛn.
But in the third year, Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, descended to the king of Israel.
3 Na Ahab abisa ne mpanimfoɔ sɛ, “Moahunu sɛ Aramfoɔ da so te yɛn kuro Ramot Gilead mu? Nanso, yɛnyɛɛ ho hwee!”
And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Are you ignorant that Ramoth Gilead is ours, and that we have neglected to take it from the hand of the king of Syria?”
4 Enti ɔbisaa Yehosafat sɛ, “Wobɛka me ho, na yɛako atia Ramot Gilead anaa?” Na Yehosafat buaa ɔhene Ahab sɛ, “Adɛn? Ɛyɛ asɛm a ɛda ne kwan mu. Wo ne me yɛ anuanom, na mʼakodɔm yɛ wo dea, sɛ wobɛka asɛm a wopɛ akyerɛ wɔn. Mpo, mʼapɔnkɔ da wo da.”
And so he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you come to the battle with me at Ramoth Gilead?”
5 Na Yehosafat ka kaa ho sɛ, “Deɛ ɛdi ɛkan no, ma yɛmmisa Awurade hɔ afotuo.”
And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel: “As I am, so also are you. My people and your people are one. And my horsemen are your horsemen.” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I beg you to inquire today of the word of the Lord.”
6 Enti, ɔhene Ahab frɛɛ nʼadiyifoɔ a wɔn dodoɔ bɛyɛ ahanan no nyinaa, bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Menkɔko ntia Ramot Gilead anaa mennkɔ?” Wɔn nyinaa buaa sɛ, “Kɔ so! Awurade bɛma woadi nkonim animuonyam so.”
Therefore, the king of Israel gathered together the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, “Should I go to Ramoth Gilead to make war, or should I be at peace?” They responded, “Ascend, and the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”
7 Nanso, Yehosafat bisaa sɛ, “Enti, Awurade odiyifoɔ biara nso nni ha? Anka mepɛ sɛ mebisa no saa asɛm korɔ no ara.”
Then Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a particular prophet of the Lord, so that we may inquire by him?”
8 Ɔhene Ahab buaa sɛ, “Awurade odiyifoɔ baako da so wɔ ha, nanso metane no. Ɔnhyɛ nkɔm pa biara sɛ nkɔm bɔne, na ɔhyɛ fa me ho. Ne din de Mikaia a ɔyɛ Imla babarima.” Na Yehosafat kaa sɛ, “Nkasa saa. Momma yɛntie asɛm a ɔwɔ ka.”
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “One man remains, by whom we may be able to inquire of the Lord: Micaiah, the son of Imlah. But I hate him. For he does not prophecy good to me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “You should not speak in this way, O king.”
9 Enti, Israelhene frɛɛ ne mpanimfoɔ no mu baako, ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ka wo ho kɔfa Imla babarima Mikaia bra.”
Therefore, the king of Israel called a certain eunuch, and he said to him, “Hurry to bring here Micaiah, the son of Imlah.”
10 Israelhene Ahab ne Yudahene Yehosafat hyɛɛ wɔn ahemfo ntadeɛ, tenaa wɔn ahennwa mu wɔ aponnwa a ɛbɛn Samaria ɛkwan no ano. Saa ɛberɛ no, na Ahab adiyifoɔ no rehyɛ nkɔm wɔ wɔn anim.
Now the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, were each sitting upon his own throne, clothed in the habit of royal vestments, in a courtyard beside the entrance of the gate of Samaria. And all the prophets were prophesying in their sight.
11 Wɔn mu baako a wɔfrɛ no Sedekia a ɔyɛ Kenaana babarima yɛɛ dadeɛ mmɛn bi ka too dwa sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade ka nie: Mode saa mmɛn yi bɛwowɔ Aramfoɔ no akunkum wɔn.”
Also, Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, made for himself horns of iron, and he said, “Thus says the Lord: With these, you shall threaten Syria, until you destroy it.”
12 Adiyifoɔ a wɔwɔ hɔ no nyinaa penee so, kaa sɛ, “Aane, monkɔ Ramot-Gilead, na monkɔdi nkonim, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade bɛma moadi nkonim.”
And all the prophets were prophesying similarly, saying: “Ascend to Ramoth Gilead, and go forth to success. For the Lord will deliver it into the hands of the king.”
13 Na ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔkɔfaa Mikaia no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Tie, adiyifoɔ no nyinaa hyɛ nkonimdie ho nkɔm ma ɔhene. Hwɛ sɛ wo ne wɔn adwene bɛyɛ baako, na wo nso, wobɛhyɛ nkonimdie ho nkɔm.”
Then truly, the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah spoke to him, saying: “Behold, the words of the prophets, as if with one mouth, are predicting good to the king. Therefore, let your word be like theirs, and speak what is good.”
14 Nanso, Mikaia kaa sɛ, “Mmerɛ dodoɔ a Awurade te aseɛ yi, deɛ Awurade aka akyerɛ me sɛ menka no na mɛka.”
But Micaiah said to him, “As the Lord lives, whatever the Lord will have said to me, this shall I speak.”
15 Ɛberɛ a Mikaia bɛduruu ahennimu no, Ahab bisaa no sɛ, “Mikaia, yɛnkɔko ntia Ramot-Gilead anaa yɛnnkɔ?” Na Mikaia buaa sɛ, “Monkɔ! Na Awurade bɛma ɔhene adi nkonim animuonyam so.”
And so he went to the king. And the king said to him, “Micaiah, should we go to Ramoth Gilead to do battle, or should we cease?” And he responded to him, “Ascend, and go forth to success, and the Lord will deliver it into the hands of the king.”
16 Nanso, ɔhene no sɔɔ so sɛ, “Mpɛn ahe na menka sɛ, ɛberɛ biara a wobɛkasa ama Awurade no, ɛsɛ sɛ woka nokorɛ?”
But the king said to him, “I require you under oath, again and again, that you not say to me anything except what is true, in the name of the Lord.”
17 Na Mikaia ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Anisoadehunu mu, mehunuu sɛ Israel abɔ apete mmepɔ no so, te sɛ nnwan a wɔnni ɔhwɛfoɔ. Na Awurade kaa sɛ, ‘Wɔakum wɔn wura. Ma wɔnkɔ efie asomdwoeɛ mu.’”
And he said: “I saw all of Israel scattered among the hills, like sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said: ‘These have no master. Let each of them return to his own house in peace.’”
18 Israelhene ka kyerɛɛ Yehosafat sɛ, “Manka saa ankyerɛ wo? Ɛda biara saa na ɔyɛ. Ɔnhyɛ nkɔm pa biara sɛ nkɔntorɔ na ɔhyɛ fa me ho.”
Therefore, the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Did I not tell you that he prophesies nothing good to me, but always evil?”
19 Mikaia toaa so sɛ, “Tie deɛ Awurade ka. Mehunuu Awurade sɛ ɔte nʼahennwa so a ne sorofoɔ akodɔm nyinaa atwa ne ho ahyia wɔ ne nifa ne ne benkum so.”
Yet truly, continuing, he said: “Because of his, listen to the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon his throne. And the entire army of heaven was standing beside him, to the right and to the left.
20 Na Awurade bisaa sɛ, “Hwan na ɔbɛtumi adaadaa Ahab, ama wakɔ ɔko atia Ramot Gilead, a ɛbɛtumi aba sɛ wɔbɛkum no wɔ hɔ?” Wɔsusuu nsɛm ahodoɔ bebree ho wɔ hɔ,
And the Lord said, ‘Who will mislead Ahab, the king of Israel, so that he may ascend and fall at Ramoth Gilead?’ And one spoke words in this manner, and another spoke otherwise.
21 kɔsii sɛ ne korakora no, honhom bi kɔɔ Awurade nkyɛn kɔkaa sɛ, “Mɛtumi ayɛ!”
But then a spirit went out and stood before the Lord. And he said, ‘I will mislead him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’
22 Awurade bisaa sɛ, “Ɛkwan bɛn so na wobɛfa ayɛ yei?” Na honhom no buaa sɛ, “Mɛkɔ akɔdaadaa Ahab adiyifoɔ, ama wɔadi atorɔ.” Awurade kaa sɛ, “Kɔ so yɛ, na wobɛdi nkonim.
And he said, ‘I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And the Lord said: ‘You will deceive him, and you will prevail. Go forth, and do so.’
23 “Enti afei, Awurade de nkontompo honhom ahyɛ wʼadiyifoɔ anomu. Na Awurade adwene ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ ama wo.”
So now, behold: the Lord has given a lying spirit into the mouth of all your prophets who are here. And the Lord has spoken evil against you.”
24 Ɛnna Kenaana babarima Sedekia kɔɔ Mikaia so, kɔbɔɔ nʼani so. Ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Da bɛn na Awurade honhom firii me mu, bɛkasa kyerɛɛ wo?”
Then Zedekiah, the son of Chenaanah, drew near and struck Micaiah on the jaw, and he said, “So then, has the Spirit of the Lord left me, and spoken to you?”
25 Na Mikaia buaa sɛ, “Ɛrenkyɛre biara, wobɛhunu nokorɛ no wɔ ɛberɛ a wobɛdwane akɔtɛ kɔkoam dan bi mu.”
And Micaiah said, “You shall see in the day when you will enter into a room within a room, so that you may conceal yourself.”
26 Israelhene Ahab hyɛɛ sɛ, “Monkyere Mikaia, na momfa no nkɔma Amon a ɔyɛ kuro no mu amrado, na momfa no nkɔ me babarima Yoas nkyɛn.
And the king of Israel said: “Take Micaiah, and let him dwell with Amon, the ruler of the city, and with Joash, the son of Amalech.
27 Monka saa nhyɛ a ɛfiri ɔhene nkyɛn nkyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Fa saa ɔbarima yi to afiase, na burodo ne nsuo nko na momfa mma no nni, kɔsi sɛ mɛsane afiri akono aba asomdwoeɛ mu.’”
And tell them: ‘Thus says the king: Put this man in prison, and sustain him with the bread of affliction, and with the water of distress, until I return in peace.’”
28 Nanso, Mikaia buaa sɛ, “Sɛ wosane ba asomdwoeɛ mu a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ, Awurade amfa me so ankasa.” Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔgyinagyina hɔ, atwa ne ho ahyia no sɛ, “Saa asɛm a maka yi, monhyɛ no nso.”
And Micaiah said, “If you will have returned in peace, the Lord has not spoken through me.” And he said, “May all the people hear it.”
29 Na Israelhene ne Yudahene Yehosafat dii wɔn akodɔm anim, kɔto hyɛɛ Ramot-Gilead so.
And so, the king of Israel, and Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, ascended to Ramoth Gilead.
30 Afei, ɔhene Ahab ka kyerɛɛ Yehosafat sɛ, “Yɛrekɔ ɔko yi, mɛsakyera me ho, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, obiara renhunu me. Nanso, wo deɛ, hyɛ wʼahentadeɛ.” Enti, Ahab sakyeraa ne ho, na wɔkɔɔ ɔko no.
Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat: “Take up your armor, and enter the battle. And be clothed in your own garments.” But the king of Israel changed his clothing, and he entered the war.
31 Saa ɛberɛ no, na Aramhene ahyɛ ne nteaseɛnamkafoɔ aduasa mmienu no sɛ, “Monto nhyɛ Israelhene nko ara so!”
Now the king of Syria had instructed the thirty-two commanders of the chariots, saying, “You shall not fight against anyone, small or great, except against the king of Israel alone.”
32 Enti, ɛberɛ a Aramhene nteaseɛnamkafoɔ no hunuu Yehosafat sɛ ɔhyɛ nʼahentadeɛ no, wɔtaa no. Wɔteateaam sɛ, “Israelhene no ne no.” Nanso, ɛberɛ a Yehosafat teaam no,
Therefore, when the commanders of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they suspected that he was the king of Israel. And making a violent assault, they fought against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out.
33 nteaseɛnamkafoɔ no hunuu sɛ ɛnyɛ ɔno ne Israelhene no enti, wɔgyaa nʼakyidie.
And the commanders of the chariots understood that he was not the king of Israel, and so they turned away from him.
34 Aram sraani bi de anibiannasoɔ too agyan kyerɛɛ Israel asraafoɔ no so, ma ɛkɔwɔɔ Israelhene wɔ ne nkataboɔ ahyiaeɛ so. Ahab teaam kyerɛɛ ne teaseɛnamkafoɔ no sɛ, “Fa me firi ha ntɛm, na wɔapira me pa ara.”
But a certain man bent his bow, aiming the arrow without certitude, and by chance he struck the king of Israel, between the lungs and the stomach. Then he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn your hand, and carry me away from the army, for I have been grievously wounded.”
35 Ɔko no kɔɔ so saa ara da mu no nyinaa, na wɔde Ahab tweree biribi wɔ ne teaseɛnam mu a nʼani kyerɛ Aramfoɔ no. Mogya tuu no firi nʼapirakuro no mu, guu teaseɛnam no mu, na onwunu dwoeɛ no, ɔwuiɛ.
Then the battle was undertaken throughout that day. And the king of Israel was standing on his chariot opposite the Syrians, and he died in the evening. For the blood was flowing from the wound into the joints of the chariot.
36 Onwunu reyɛ adwo no, wɔteateaam faa akodɔm no nyinaa mu sɛ: “Ɔko no aba awieeɛ. Monsane nkɔ efie!”
And a herald proclaimed throughout the entire army, before the setting of the sun, saying: “Let each one return to his own city, and to his own land.”
37 Na ɔhene no wuiɛ no, wɔde nʼamu no kɔɔ Samaria, kɔsiee no wɔ hɔ.
Then the king died, and he was carried into Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria.
38 Na wɔhoroo ne teaseɛnam no ho wɔ asubura bi a ɛwɔ Samaria a adwamanfoɔ dware hɔ, na nkraman bɛtaferee ɔhene no mogya no, sɛdeɛ Awurade aka ato hɔ no.
And they washed his chariot in the pool of Samaria. And the dogs licked up his blood. And they washed the reins, in accord with the word of the Lord which he had spoken.
39 Nsɛm a ɛfa Ahab ahennie ho ne asonse ahemfie ho asɛm ne nkuro a ɔkyekyeree nyinaa no, wɔatwerɛ agu Israel Ahemfo Abakɔsɛm Nwoma no mu.
But the rest of the words of Ahab, and all that he did, and the house of ivory that he built, and all the cities that he constructed, were these not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
40 Ɛberɛ a Ahab wuiɛ no, wɔsiee no wɔ nʼagyanom mu. Na ne babarima Ahasia dii nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene.
And so, Ahab slept with his fathers. And Ahaziah, his son, reigned in his place.
41 Asa babarima Yehosafat bɛdii Yuda so ɛberɛ a na Ahab adi adeɛ wɔ Israel ne mfeɛ ɛnan so no.
Yet truly, Jehoshaphat, the son of Asa, had begun to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, the king of Israel.
42 Ɔdii adeɛ no, na wadi mfeɛ aduasa enum, na ɔdii adeɛ Yerusalem mfirinhyia aduonu enum. Na ne maame din de Asuba a ɔyɛ Silhi babaa.
He was thirty-five years old when he had begun to reign, and he reigned for twenty-five years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
43 Na Yehosafat yɛ ɔhene papa a ɔdii nʼagya Asa anammɔn akyi. Ɔyɛɛ adeɛ a ɛsɔ Awurade ani. Nanso, nʼahennie mu no, wantumi ammubu abosonnan enti, nnipa kɔɔ so bɔɔ afɔdeɛ, hyee aduhwam wɔ hɔ.
And he walked in the entire way of Asa, his father, and he did not decline from it. And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord. Yet truly, he did not take away the high places. For still the people were sacrificing and burning incense in the high places.
44 Yehosafat ne Israelhene tenaa ase asomdwoeɛ mu.
And Jehoshaphat had peace with the king of Israel.
45 Nsɛm a ɛfa Yehosafat ahennie ho nkaeɛ no, faako a ne tumi kɔduruiɛ ne ako a ɔdiiɛ no nyinaa, wɔatwerɛ agu Yuda Ahemfo Abakɔsɛm Nwoma no mu.
But the rest of the words of Jehoshaphat, and his works that he did, and the battles, were these not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Judah?
46 Ɔpamoo abosomfie so adwamanfoɔ a na wɔgu so bɔ adwaman, firi nʼagya Asa berɛ so no nyinaa.
Then, too, the remnant of the effeminate, who had remained in the days of Asa, his father, he took away from the land.
47 Saa ɛberɛ no, na ɔhene nni Edom gye kuro no sohwɛfoɔ nko.
At that time, there was no king appointed in Idumea.
48 Yehosafat yɛɛ adwadihyɛn bebree sɛ ɛnkɔ Ofir nkɔpɛ sikakɔkɔɔ. Nanso, ahyɛn no antumi anyɛ adwuma, ɛsɛee wɔ Esion-Geber.
Yet truly, king Jehoshaphat had made a navy on the sea, which would sail to Ophir for gold. But they were unable to go, because the ships were broken down at Eziongeber.
49 Saa ɛberɛ no, Ahab babarima Ahasia susuu ho kyerɛɛ Yehosafat sɛ, “Ma me mmarima ne wo mmarima nkɔ ɛpo so akwan nsrahwɛ.” Nanso, Yehosafat ampene so.
Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants on the ships.” But Jehoshaphat was not willing.
50 Yehosafat wuiɛ no, wɔsiee no nʼagyanom nkyɛn wɔ Dawid kurom. Ne babarima Yehoram na ɔdii nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene.
And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and he was buried with them in the city of David, his father. And Jehoram, his son, reigned in his place.
51 Ahab babarima Ahasia hyɛɛ aseɛ dii Israel so ɛberɛ a na Yehosafat adi adeɛ mfeɛ dunson wɔ Yuda. Ɔdii adeɛ Samaria mfeɛ mmienu.
Then Ahaziah, the son of Ahab, began to reign over Israel, in Samaria, in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah. And he reigned over Israel for two years.
52 Na ɔfaa nʼagya ne ne maame ne Nebat babarima Yeroboam anammɔn so, somm ahoni, yɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so.
And he did evil in the sight of the Lord. And he walked in the way of his father and his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.
53 Ɔsomm Baal, sɔree no, nam so fuu Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, bo sɛdeɛ nʼagya yɛeɛ no.
Also, he served Baal, and he adored him, and he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, in accord with all that his father had done.
