2 Berɛsosɛm 23
1 Atalia dii adeɛ mfeɛ nson no, ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛyɛ biribi. Ɔsii ne bo ne asahene baanum, a wɔn ne Yeroham babarima Asaria, Yehohanan babarima Ismael, Obed babarima Asaria, Adaia babarima Maaseia ne Sikri babarima Elisafat yɛɛ apam.
After Joash had been hidden in the temple for six years, Jehoiada the priest decided that it was necessary to do something. So he made an agreement with the army commanders of groups of 100 soldiers: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zicri.
2 Saa mmarima yi faa esum ase, kyinii Yuda nyinaa, frɛfrɛɛ Lewifoɔ ne mmusua ntuanofoɔ a wɔwɔ Yuda nkuro so sɛ, wɔmmra Yerusalem.
They went throughout Judah and gathered the descendants of Levi and the leaders of Israeli families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,
3 Wɔn nyinaa hyiaa wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan mu ne ɔhenberanteɛ Yoas yɛɛ apam. Yehoiada ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Ɛberɛ aduru sɛ ɔhene babarima di adeɛ. Awurade ahyɛ bɔ sɛ, Dawid aseni na ɔbɛyɛ yɛn ɔhene.
the whole group went to the temple and made an agreement with the young king there. Jehoiada said to them, “This is the son of the previous king of Judah. So he is the one who must rule, like Yahweh promised that the descendants of King David must do.
4 Deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ moyɛ nie: Sɛ asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ ba adwuma Homeda a, wɔn mu nkyɛmu mmiɛnsa mu baako na wɔbɛyɛ apono ano ahwɛfoɔ.
“So this is what you must do: One-third of you priests and other descendants of Levi who are starting their work on the Sabbath day must guard the doors [of the temple].
5 Nkyɛmu mmiɛnsa mu baako nso bɛkɔ ahemfie, na nkyɛmu mmiɛnsa mu baako a aka no akɔ Fapem Ɛpono no ano. Afei, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔn a aka no nyinaa tenatena Awurade Asɔredan adihɔ ahodoɔ hɔ.
One-third of you must guard the king’s palace, and one-third of you must guard the Foundation Gate. All the other people will be in the courtyards outside the temple.
6 Monkae sɛ, asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ a wɔwɔ wɔn nnwuma so nko ara na ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛne Awurade Asɔredan no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn na wɔayi wɔn asi hɔ sɛ wɔyɛ kronkron. Ɛsɛ sɛ nnipa a aka no di Awurade mmara so, na wɔtenatena afikyire.
Only the priests and the descendants of Levi who work there will enter the temple. They will be allowed to enter the temple because they are set apart [for that work]. All the others must remain in the courtyards, obeying what Yahweh has commanded.
7 Mo Lewifoɔ na mobɛbɔ ɔhene ho ban, na mobɛkurakura mo akodeɛ. Sɛ obiara a ɔnni ho kwan wura Asɔredan no mu a, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum no. Ɛberɛ biara, mommɛn ɔhene no pɛɛ.”
You descendants of Levi must stand around the young king, each of you with your weapon in your hand. Anyone else who tries to enter the temple you must kill. And stay close to the young king, wherever he goes.”
8 Enti, Lewifoɔ no ne nnipa no yɛɛ biribiara a ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada hyɛɛ sɛ wɔnyɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Asahene no hwɛɛ wɔn a wɔkɔ adwuma saa Homeda no ne wɔn a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔgye wɔn ahome da no so. Ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada amma obiara ankɔ fie.
So the descendants of Levi and all [the men of] Judah did what Jehoiada had told them. He did not allow anyone to go home after having finished his work on that Sabbath day. Each commander took charge of his men, the ones who were finishing their work on that day and those who were starting their work on that day.
9 Na Yehoiada de mpea ne akokyɛm a na ɛyɛ Ɔhene Dawid dea na wɔkoraa wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan mu no maa asahene no.
Then Jehoiada gave each of the commanders the spears and the large and small shields that had been put there in the temple by King David.
10 Ɔde awɛmfoɔ no twaa ɔhene no ho hyiaeɛ a wɔayɛ wɔn akodeɛ krado. Wɔgyinagyinaa saa so wɔ Asɔredan no anafoɔ fam, twaa hɔ kɔɔ atifi fam, twaa afɔrebukyia no ho nyinaa hyiaeɛ.
He commanded all the guards to stand in their positions, each with his sword in his hand, all around the king—around the altar and the temple, from the north side to the south side.
11 Afei, Yehoiada ne ne mmammarima yii ɔhene babarima Yoas baeɛ, na wɔde ahenkyɛ no hyɛɛ no. Wɔmaa Yoas Onyankopɔn mmara nwoma no bi daa no adi sɛ ɔhene. Wɔsraa no ngo, maa obiara teaam sɛ, “Ɔhene nkwa so!”
Then Jehoiada and his sons brought Joash out. They put a crown on his head and gave him [a scroll] on which were written the rules [that the kings needed to obey], and proclaimed that he was now the king. They anointed him with olive oil and shouted, “We hope that the king will live for many years!”
12 Ɛberɛ a Atalia tee gyegyeegye a ɔmanfoɔ reyɛ, na wɔretutu mmirika, na wɔrekamfo ɔhene no, ɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Awurade asɔredan mu hɔ, kɔhwɛɛ asɛm korɔ a asi.
When Athaliah heard the noise being made by the people running [toward the king] and cheering, she ran to the temple.
13 Na ɔhunuu sɛ ɔhene foforɔ no gyina nʼafa baabi wɔ afadum no ho wɔ Asɔredan no kwan ano a ɛkyerɛ ne tumi. Na mpanimfoɔ ne totorobɛntohyɛnfoɔ atwa ne ho ahyia, ama nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so nyinaa regye wɔn ani, rehyɛn ntotorobɛnto. Nnwontofoɔ a wɔnam nnwontodeɛ so bɔɔ nnwom de dii ɔmanfoɔ no anim ahokeka so. Ɛberɛ a Atalia hunuu yei no, ɔde ahometeɛ sunsuanee ne ntadeɛ mu teateaam sɛ, “Amammɔeɛsɛm! Amammɔeɛsɛm!”
She saw the young king there, standing alongside the pillar at the entrance of the temple, [which is the place at the temple] where the kings usually stood. The army commanders and trumpet players were standing beside the king, and all the people of Judah were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers with their musical instruments were leading the people while they praised God. Then Athaliah tore her robes and started screaming, “You are committing treason!”
14 Na ɔsɔfoɔ Yehoiada hyɛɛ asafohene a wɔhwɛ akodɔm no so no sɛ, “Montwe no mfiri Asɔredan mu ha, na obiara a ɔbɛyɛ sɛ ɔregye no no, monkum no. Nanso, monnkum no wɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu ha.”
Jehoiada the Supreme Priest said to the army commanders, “Kill her, but do not kill her at the temple of Yahweh!” Then he said to them, “Bring Athaliah out in front of the troops and kill anyone who tries to follow her!”
15 Enti, wɔtwee no de no kɔɔ ɛkwan a apɔnkɔ fa so ba ahemfie hɔ so, kumm no hɔ.
[She tried to flee, but] they seized her as she reached the gate where horses enter the palace area, and they killed her there.
16 Na Yehoiada ne ɔhene no ne ɔmanfoɔ no yɛɛ apam sɛ, wɔbɛyɛ Awurade nkurɔfoɔ.
Then Jehoiada made an agreement that he and the king and all the other people would be Yahweh’s people.
17 Na nnipa no nyinaa kɔɔ Baal asɔredan no mu, kɔbubu guiɛ. Wɔsɛee afɔrebukyia no, dwerɛɛ ohoni no, kumm Baal ɔsɔfoɔ Matan wɔ afɔrebukyia no anim.
Then all the people who were there went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars [of Baal]. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of those altars.
18 Yehoiada nam ahyɛdeɛ a Dawid ka too hɔ so, de Lewifoɔ asɔfoɔ sisii Awurade Asɔredan no dwumadie ahodoɔ no ano. Ɔhyɛɛ nso sɛ, wɔmmɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ mma Awurade, sɛdeɛ Mose mmara kyerɛ no, na wɔnto nnwom nsɛpɛ wɔn ho, sɛdeɛ Dawid ahyɛ no.
Then Jehoiada appointed the priests, who were also descended from Levi, to work at the temple. They were part of the group to whom King David had given various jobs at the temple, to sacrifice the animals that were to be completely burned on the altar, doing what was written in the laws that Moses had given to them. He also told them to rejoice and sing, which was also what David had commanded.
19 Ɔde apono ano ahwɛfoɔ no sisii Awurade Asɔredan apono ano, sɛdeɛ wɔremma wɔn a wɔn ho nte no nkɔ mu.
He also put guards at the gates of the temple in order that anyone who was unacceptable to God would not be allowed to enter.
20 Afei, asahene, atitire, ntuanofoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ nyinaa dii ɔhene no akyi, de no pue firii Awurade Asɔredan mu hɔ. Wɔfaa atifi fam ɛpono no ano, wuraa ahemfie hɔ, de ɔhene no kɔtenaa adehyeɛ ahennwa no so.
Jehoiada took with him the army commanders, the important men, the leaders and many others, and brought the king down from the temple. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate, and put the king on his throne.
21 Enti, nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so nyinaa dii ahurisie, na asomdwoeɛ baa ɔman no mu, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔakum Atalia.
Then all the people of Judah rejoiced. And there was calm throughout the city, because Athaliah had been killed.
