2 Berɛsosɛm 13
1 Ɛberɛ a Yeroboam dii ɔhene wɔ Israel no, ne mfeɛ dunwɔtwe so, na Abia hyɛɛ aseɛ dii ɔhene wɔ Yuda.
When Jeroboam had been ruling [Israel] for almost 18 years, Abijah became the king of Judah.
2 Ɔdii ɔhene mfeɛ mmiɛnsa wɔ Yerusalem. Na ne maame din de Maaka a ɔyɛ Uriel a ɔfiri Gibea no babaa. Na ɔko baa Abia ne Yeroboam ntam.
He ruled in Jerusalem for three years. His mother was Micaiah (OR, Maacah), the daughter of Uriel from Gibeah [town]. There was a war between [the armies of] Abijah and Jeroboam.
3 Ɔhene Abia de akofoɔ akɛseɛ mpem ahanan dii Yuda anim, kɔhyiaa Yeroboam a ɔno nso akɔfa mmarima akofoɔ akokoɔdurufoɔ ɔpeha nwɔtwe afiri Israel.
Abijah went into the battle, taking 400,000 of his capable soldiers, and Jeroboam prepared to fight them, taking 800,000 of his capable troops.
4 Ɛberɛ a Yuda akodɔm no duruu Efraim mmepɔ nsase no so no, Abia gyinaa bepɔ Semaraim so, teaam kyerɛɛ Yeroboam ne Israelfoɔ akodɔm no sɛ, “Montie me!
Abijah stood on the top of Zemaraim Mountain, which is in the hilly area that belonged to the tribe of Ephraim, and he shouted, “Jeroboam and all you other people of Israel, listen to me!
5 Monnim sɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, ne Dawid yɛɛ daa apam de Israel ahennwa maa ɔne nʼasefoɔ afebɔɔ?
You should know that Yahweh, the God to whom all we Israelis belong, has appointed David and his descendants to be the kings of Israel forever. He has confirmed that by making a permanent agreement.
6 Nanso, Nebat babarima Yeroboam a na ɔyɛ Dawid babarima Salomo ɔsomfoɔ teta bi no bɛyɛɛ ne wura ɔfatwafoɔ.
But Jeroboam, who was [only] an official of David’s son King Solomon, rebelled against his king.
7 Na ɛmaa ahuhufoɔ dɔm kɔboaa no, bu faa Salomo babarima Rehoboam so na ɛsiane sɛ na ɔnyiniiɛ, na ɔnni osuahunu biara enti, wantumi annyina ne wɔn anni asie.
And when Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king and was still young and inexperienced, a group of worthless scoundrels gathered around you, Jeroboam, and rebelled against Rehoboam.
8 “Wogye di yie sɛ wobɛtumi agyina, atia Awurade ahennie a Dawid asefoɔ tua ano? Wʼakodɔm no so yie. Nantwie mma a Yeroboam de sikakɔkɔɔ yɛeɛ ne mo anyame.
“And now you are planning to fight against the kingdom that Yahweh established to be governed by David’s descendants. It is true that you have a huge army, and you and your soldiers have brought with you the golden [statues of] calves that Jeroboam’s workers made to be gods for all of you.
9 Woapam Awurade asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ no, na woahyɛ wʼankasa asɔfoɔ te sɛ abosomman no pɛ. Ɛnnɛ yi, woma obiara bɛyɛ ɔsɔfoɔ. Obiara a ɔde nantwie ba ne nnwennini nson bɛba sɛ wɔnnyina so nhyɛ no ɔsɔfoɔ no, ɔtumi bɛyɛ ɔsɔfoɔ ma saa mo anyame no.
But you expelled the priests that Yahweh [appointed], men who are descendants of Aaron [the first Supreme Priest], and you expelled the descendants of Levi, and you appointed the priests that you wanted, like the people of other countries do. You allow anyone to become a priest of idols that are not gods if he comes to dedicate himself to be a priest by sacrificing a young bull and seven rams.
10 “Na yɛn deɛ, Awurade ne yɛn Onyankopɔn, na yɛnnyaa no da. Aaron asefoɔ nko ara na wɔsom Awurade sɛ asɔfoɔ, na Lewifoɔ nko ara na wɔtumi boa wɔn wɔ wɔn dwumadie mu.
“As for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not abandoned him. Our priests who serve Yahweh are descendants of Aaron, and the descendants of Levi assist them.
11 Wɔde ɔhyeɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ ne ɔhyeɛ aduhwam brɛ Awurade daa anɔpa ne anwummerɛ. Wɔde Hyiadan mu Burodo no to ɛpono kronkron no so, na daa anwummerɛ, wɔsɔ sikakɔkɔɔ kaneadua no. Yɛredi Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn, nkyerɛkyerɛ so, nanso moagya no.
Every morning and every evening they present to Yahweh offerings to be completely burned [on the altar], and they burn fragrant incense. [Each week] they place the sacred bread on the sacred table, and each morning they light the lamps that are on the gold lampstand. We are obeying what Yahweh our God requires us to do. But you have abandoned him.
12 Enti, ɛsɛ sɛ mote aseɛ sɛ Onyankopɔn ka yɛn ho. Ɔno ne yɛn kannifoɔ. Nʼasɔfoɔ hyɛn wɔn totorobɛnto, di yɛn anim, de yɛn kɔ ɔko tia mo. Ao Israelfoɔ, monnko ntia Awurade, mo agyanom Onyankopɔn, na morenni nkonim.”
Yahweh is with us; he is our leader. The priests whom he has appointed will blow their trumpets to signal [that we are ready] to fight a battle against you. You Israeli men, do not fight against Yahweh, the God to whom your ancestors belonged, because you will not be successful and win the battle against him.”
13 Nanso, na Yeroboam ayɛ nwaa ama nʼakodɔm a wɔwɔ hɔ no bi afa Yuda mmarima akyi akɔtɛ wɔn.
[While he was speaking, ] Jeroboam sent some of his troops around the army of Judah. So while the soldiers who were with Jeroboam were in front of the army of Judah, the other soldiers of Israel were behind the army of Judah.
14 Ɛberɛ a Yuda hunuu sɛ wɔfiri wɔn anim ne wɔn akyi ato ahyɛ wɔn so no, wɔsu frɛɛ Awurade sɛ ɔmmoa wɔn. Na asɔfoɔ no hyɛnee ntotorobɛnto,
When the soldiers of Judah turned and saw that they were going to be attacked from the front and from the rear, they cried out to Yahweh. The priests blew their trumpets,
15 na Yuda mmarima no hyɛɛ aseɛ teateaam. Wɔn ko no mu nteateamu no mu no, Onyankopɔn kaa Yeroboam ne Israel akodɔm no guiɛ, wɔ Abia ne Yuda akodɔm anim.
and the men of Judah shouted a loud battle-cry. Then Yahweh [enabled Abijah and the army of Judah to] defeat Jeroboam and [the army of] Israel.
16 Israel akodɔm no dwane firii Yuda, na Onyankopɔn maa Yuda dii nkonim.
The soldiers of Israel fled from the soldiers of Judah, and God enabled the army of Judah to defeat them.
17 Abia ne nʼakodɔm kunkumm Israel akodɔm no bebree. Ɛda no, wɔn a wɔtotɔɔɛ wɔ Israel akodɔm a wɔdi mu no yɛ mpem ahanum.
Abijah and his troops struck the capable soldiers of Israel and killed 500,000 of them.
18 Na Yuda dii Israel so nkonim, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde wɔn ho too Awurade, wɔn agyanom Onyankopɔn no so.
So the soldiers of Israel were defeated, and the soldiers of Judah won the battle because they trusted in Yahweh, the God to whom their ancestors belonged.
19 Abia ne nʼakodɔm kɔɔ so taa Yeroboam akodɔm no, faa wɔn nkuro no bi te sɛ Bet-El, Yesana ne Efron ne ɛho nkurotoɔ.
Abijah’s army pursued the army of Jeroboam, and they captured from the people of Israel the cities of Bethel, Jeshanah, and Ephron, and the surrounding villages.
20 Enti, ɛberɛ a Abia te ase no deɛ, Yeroboam a ɔyɛ Israelhene annya tumi biara, na akyire no, Awurade bɔɔ no ma ɔwuiɛ.
During the remaining time that Abijah ruled, Jeroboam did not become powerful again. Then Yahweh caused him to become very ill, and he died.
21 Yudahene Abia kɔɔ so nyaa tumi. Ɔwaree yerenom dunan. Ɔwoo mmammarima aduonu mmienu ne mmaa dunsia.
But Abijah became more powerful. He married 14 wives and had 22 sons and 16 daughters.
22 Abia ahennie ho nsɛm nkaeɛ ne ne nsɛm ne dwuma a ɔdiiɛ no, wɔatwerɛ agu Odiyifoɔ Ido Nkyerɛmu Nwoma mu.
An account of the other things that Abijah did while he was the king, including what he said and what he did, is in the scroll written by the prophet Iddo.
