2 Berɛsosɛm 18
1 Yehosafat yɛɛ ɔdefoɔ a na nʼanimuonyam nso korɔn. Ɔhyehyɛ maa ne babarima waree Israelhene Ahab babaa.
Now Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and highly honored, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab.
2 Mfeɛ kakra bi akyi no, ɔkɔɔ Samaria kɔsraa Ahab. Ahab too ɛpono kɛseɛ bi maa ɔne ne mpanimfoɔ. Wɔkunkumm nnwan ne anantwie bebree, de too ɛpono no. Na Ahab korɔkorɔɔ Yehosafat sɛ ɔmmɛboa no, na ɔnkɔko ntia Ramot-Gilead.
Some years later he went to pay Ahab a visit in Samaria. Ahab sacrificed many sheep and cattle for him and the people who accompanied him, and encouraged him to attack Ramoth-gilead.
3 Ahab bisaa no sɛ, “Wobɛboa me na mako atia Ramot-Gilead anaa?” Na Yehosafat buaa sɛ, “Adɛn, akyinnyeɛ biara nni ho. Me ne wo yɛ anuanom, na mʼakodɔm nso, wotumi kyerɛ wɔn deɛ wɔnyɛ. Yɛbɛboa wo, ama woako dodo.”
Ahab, king of Israel, asked Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, “Would you go with me against Ramoth-gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied, “You and I are as one, and my men and your men are as one. We will join forces with you in this war.”
4 Afei, Yehosafat kaa sɛ, “Deɛ ɛdi ɛkan no, ma yɛmmisa Awurade hɔ afotuo.”
Then Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “But first though, please find out what the Lord says.”
5 Enti, ɔhene Ahab frɛɛ nʼadiyifoɔ ahanan bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Yɛnkɔko ntia Ramot-Gilead anaasɛ yɛnnkɔ?” Wɔn nyinaa buaa sɛ, “Monkɔ na Onyankopɔn bɛma moadi nkonim.”
So the king of Israel brought out the prophets—four hundred of them—and he asked them, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead,” they replied, “for God will hand it over to the king.”
6 Nanso, Yehosafat bisaa sɛ, “Na Awurade odiyifoɔ biara nni ha? Mepɛ sɛ mebisa no asɛm korɔ no ara.”
But Jehoshaphat asked, “Isn't there another prophet of the Lord here that we can ask?”
7 Ɔhene Ahab buaa sɛ, “Ɔbaako da so wɔ ha a ɔbɛtumi abisa Awurade ama me, nanso, mekyiri no. Ɔnhyɛ nkɔm biara sɛ nsɛm a ɛnyɛ. Ne din de Mikaia. Imla babarima ne no.” Yehosafat kaa sɛ, “Nkasa saa. Ma yɛntie asɛm a ɔwɔ ka.”
“Yes, there's another man who could consult the Lord,” the king of Israel replied, “but I don't like him because he never prophesies anything good for me—it's always bad! His name is Micaiah, son of Imlah.” “You shouldn't talk like that,” said Jehoshaphat.
8 Enti, Israelhene frɛɛ ne mpanimfoɔ no baako ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Yɛ ntɛm kɔfrɛ Imla babarima Mikaia brɛ me.”
The king of Israel called over one of his officials and told him, “Bring me Micaiah, son of Imlah, right away.”
9 Israelhene Ahab ne Yudahene Yehosafat hyehyɛɛ wɔn ahentadeɛ yuu tenatenaa wɔn ahennwa so wɔ ayuporobea a ɛbɛn Samaria ɛpono ano hɔ. Na Ahab adiyifoɔ no nyinaa rehyɛ nkɔm wɔ wɔn anim.
Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah, were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor beside the gate of Samaria, with all of the prophets prophesying in front of them.
10 Na wɔn mu baako a ɔyɛ Kenaana babarima Sedekia de nnadeɛ yɛɛ mmɛn, na ɔdaa no adi sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Mode saa mmɛn yi bɛwowɔ Aramfoɔ yi ama wɔawuwu!”
One of them, Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, had made himself iron horns. He announced, “This is what the Lord says: ‘With these horns you will gore the Arameans until they're dead!”
11 Adiyifoɔ a wɔwɔ hɔ no nyinaa penee so, kaa sɛ, “Aane, monkɔ Ramot-Gilead, na monkɔdi nkonim, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade bɛma moadi nkonim.”
All the prophets were prophesying the same thing, saying, “Go ahead, attack Ramoth-gilead; you will be successful, for the Lord will hand it over to the king.”
12 Ɔbɔfoɔ a ɔkɔfrɛɛ Mikaia no ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Hwɛ, adiyifoɔ no nyinaa hyɛ ɔhene no bɔ sɛ ɔbɛdi nkonim. Hwɛ sɛ wone wɔn bɛyɛ adwene, na hyɛ nkonimdie ho bɔ.”
The messenger who went to call Micaiah told him, “Look, all the prophets are unanimous in prophesying positively to the king. So please make sure to speak positively like them.”
13 Nanso, Mikaia buaa sɛ, “Mmerɛ dodoɔ a Awurade te aseɛ yi, deɛ Awurade aka akyerɛ me sɛ menka no na mɛka.”
But Micaiah replied, “As the Lord lives, I can only say what my God tells me.”
14 Ɛberɛ a Mikaia bɛduruu ɔhene Ahab anim no, ɔbisaa no sɛ, “Mikaia, yɛnkɔko ntia Ramot-Gilead anaa yɛnnkɔ?” Mikaia buaa sɛ, “Monkɔko! Ɛbɛyɛ nkonimdie a ɛho wɔ nyam.”
When he came before the king, the king asked him, “Should we go up and attack Ramoth-gilead, or should I not?” “Yes, go ahead and be victorious,” Micaiah replied, “for they will be handed over to the king.”
15 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, “How many times must I make you swear to tell me only the truth in the name of the Lord?”
16 Na Mikaia ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Anisoadehunu mu no, mehunuu sɛ Israel nyinaa abɔ apete wɔ mmepɔ no so sɛ nnwan a wɔnni ɔhwɛfoɔ. Na Awurade kaa sɛ, ‘Wɔakum wɔn wura. Fa wɔn kɔ efie asomdwoeɛ mu.’”
So Micaiah answered, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep without a shepherd. The Lord said, ‘These people have no master; let each of them go home in peace.’”
17 Israelhene ka kyerɛɛ Yehosafat sɛ, “Manka ankyerɛ wo? Daa, saa na ɔyɛ. Ɔnhyɛɛ nkɔm papa biara nkyerɛɛ me da. Nsɛm a ɛnyɛ dɛ na ɔka kyerɛ me.”
The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn't I tell you he never prophesies anything good for me, only bad?”
18 Mikaia toaa so sɛ, “Tie deɛ Awurade ka! Mehunuu sɛ Awurade te nʼahennwa so a ɔsoro asraadɔm nyinaa tete ne nifa ne ne benkum so.
Micaiah went on to say, “So listen to what the Lord says. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, surrounded by the whole army of heaven standing to his right and to his left.
19 Na Awurade bisaa sɛ, ‘Hwan na ɔbɛtumi adaadaa Israelhene Ahab ama wakɔtu Ramot-Gilead so sa na wɔakum no wɔ hɔ?’ “Adwenkyerɛ bebree baa ho,
The Lord asked, ‘Who will trick Ahab, king of Israel, into attacking Ramoth-gilead so he will be killed there?’ One said this, another said that, and another said something else.
20 kɔsii sɛ ne korakora no, honhom bi kɔɔ Awurade nkyɛn kɔkaa sɛ, ‘Mɛtumi ayɛ!’” Awurade bisaa sɛ, “‘Ɛkwan bɛn so na wobɛfa ayɛ yei.’”
Finally a spirit came and approached the Lord and said, ‘I will trick him.’ ‘How are you going to do that?’ the Lord asked.
21 Na honhom no buaa sɛ, “Mɛkɔ akɔdaadaa Ahab adiyifoɔ, ama wɔadi atorɔ.” Awurade kaa sɛ, “Kɔ so yɛ, na wobɛdi nkonim.
‘I will go and be a lying spirit and make all his prophets tell lies,’ the spirit replied. ‘That will work,’ the Lord responded. ‘Go and do it.’
22 “Enti, woahunu sɛ Awurade de nkontompo honhom ahyɛ wʼadiyifoɔ no anom. Awurade adwene sɛ ɔde amanehunu bɛba wo so.”
As you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit into these prophets of yours, and the Lord has pronounced your death sentence.”
23 Na Kenaana babarima Sedekia kɔɔ Mikaia so, kɔbɔɔ no sotorɔ bisaa sɛ, “Da bɛn na Awurade honhom gyaa me bɛkasa kyerɛɛ wo?”
Then Zedekiah, son of Chenaanah, went and slapped Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go when he left me to speak to you?”
24 Na Mikaia buaa sɛ, “Ɛrenkyɛre biara, wobɛhunu nokorɛ no wɔ ɛberɛ a wobɛdwane akɔtɛ kɔkoam dan bi mu.”
“You'll soon find out when you try and find some secret place to hide!” Micaiah replied.
25 Israelhene Ahab hyɛɛ sɛ, “Monkyere Mikaia, na momfa no nsane nkɔma Amon a ɔyɛ kuropɔn no so amrado ne me babarima Yoas.
The king of Israel ordered, “Place Micaiah under arrest and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to my son Joash.
26 Monka saa asɛm a ɛfiri ɔhene nkyɛn yi nkyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Fa saa ɔbarima yi to afiase. Mommma no aduane biara sɛ burodo ne nsuo, kɔsi sɛ mɛfiri akono aba asomdwoeɛ mu.’”
Tell them these are the king's instructions: ‘Put this man in jail. Give him only bread and water until my safe return.’”
27 Nanso, Mikaia buaa sɛ, “Sɛ woba asomdwoeɛ mu a, na ɛkyerɛ sɛ, Awurade amfa me so ankasa!” Afei, ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn a wɔgyinagyina hɔ no sɛ, “Monhwɛ asɛm a maka no yie.”
“If you do in fact return safely then the Lord has not spoken through me,” Micaiah declared. “Pay attention everyone to all I've said!”
28 Enti, Israelhene ne Yudahene Yehosafat dii wɔn akodɔm anim, tuu Ramot-Gilead so sa.
The king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, went to attack Ramoth-gilead.
29 Afei, ɔhene Ahab ka kyerɛɛ Yehosafat sɛ, “Yɛrekɔ ɔko yi, mɛsesa me ho sɛdeɛ obiara renhunu me nanso, wo deɛ, wobɛhyɛ wʼahentadeɛ.” Enti, Ahab sesaa ne ho, na wɔkɔɔ ɔko no.
The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “When I go into battle I will be in disguise, but you should wear your royal robes.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle.
30 Saa ɛberɛ no, na ɔhene Aram aka akyerɛ ne nteaseɛnamkafoɔ no sɛ, “Monkɔto nhyɛ Israelhene nko ara so.”
The king of Aram had already given these orders to his chariot commanders: “Head straight for the king of Israel alone. Don't fight with anyone else, whoever they are.”
31 Enti, ɛberɛ a Aram nteaseɛnamkafoɔ no hunuu Yehosafat sɛ ɔhyɛ nʼahentadeɛ yuu no, wɔkɔɔ ne so. Wɔteaam sɛ, “Israelhene no na ɔte hɔ no.” Nanso, Yehosafat teaam frɛɛ Awurade sɛ ɔmmɛgye no nkwa. Na Awurade yii nkurɔfoɔ no ani firii ne so, de gyee no nkwa.
So when the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they shouted, “There's the king of Israel!” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat called out for help, and the Lord did help him. God redirected them away from him,
32 Ɛberɛ a nteaseɛnamkafoɔ no hunuu sɛ ɔnyɛ Israelhene no, wɔgyaee ne so taa.
for when the chariot commanders realized that he wasn't the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.
33 Na Aram ɔsraani bi de anibiannasoɔ totoo nʼagyan guu Israel akodɔm no mu, maa bɛmma no bi kɔwɔɔ Israelhene nkataboɔ ahyiaeɛ wɔ ne mmɔtoam. Ahab teaam kyerɛɛ nteaseɛnamkafoɔ no sɛ, “Momfa me mfiri ha, na wɔapira me pira bɔne.”
However, an enemy archer shot an arrow at random, hitting the king of Israel between the joints of his armor by his breastplate. The king told his charioteer, “Turn around and get me out of the fight, because I've been wounded!”
34 Ɔko no kɔɔ so da mu no nyinaa. Ahab kɔtweree ne teaseɛnam a nʼani kyerɛ Aramfoɔ no de kɔsii anwummerɛ. Na ɛyɛɛ sɛdeɛ owia rekɔtɔ no, ɔwuiɛ.
The battle lasted all day. The king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot to face the Arameans until the evening. But he died at sunset.
