2 Ahemfo 18
1 Ahas babarima Hesekia hyɛɛ aseɛ dii ɔhene wɔ Yuda no, na Ela babarima Hosea adi ɔhene wɔ Israel mfeɛ mmiɛnsa.
In the third year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz became king of Judah.
2 Ɔdii ɔhene no na wadi mfirinhyia aduonu enum, na ɔdii ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem mfirinhyia aduonu nkron. Na ne maame yɛ Sakaria babaa a wɔfrɛ no Abi.
He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.
3 Ɔyɛɛ deɛ ɛfata wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛdeɛ ne tete agya Dawid yɛeɛ no.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
4 Ɔtutuu abosonnan, bubuu afadum kronkron no, kaa Asera afɔrebukyia no guu fam. Ɔbubuu kɔbere mfrafraeɛ ɔwɔ a Mose ayɛ no, ɛfiri sɛ, na nnipa no hye nnuhwam ma no de som. Na wɔfrɛ ɔwɔ no a wɔde kɔbere mfrafraeɛ ayɛ no Nehustan.
He removed the high places, shattered the sacred pillars, and cut down the Asherah poles. He also demolished the bronze snake called Nehushtan that Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had burned incense to it.
5 Hesekia de ne ho too Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn so. Nʼakyi ne nʼanim no, na ɔhene biara nni hɔ a ɔte sɛ no wɔ Yuda asase so.
Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. No king of Judah was like him, either before him or after him.
6 Biribiara mu, ɔdii Awurade nokorɛ, na ɔde ntoboaseɛ dii ahyɛdeɛ a Awurade de maa Mose no nyinaa so.
He remained faithful to the LORD and did not turn from following Him; he kept the commandments that the LORD had given Moses.
7 Ne saa enti, na Awurade ka ne ho, na Hesekia kɔɔ so wɔ biribiara a ɔyɛeɛ mu. Ɔyɛɛ dɔm tiaa Asiriahene, na wantua apeatoɔ amma no.
And the LORD was with Hezekiah, and he prospered wherever he went. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him.
8 Afei, ɔkɔdii Filistifoɔ so nkonim, de kɔsii Gasa ne nʼahyeɛ so, firi ne nkuraaseɛ, de kɔsii wɔn kuropɔn a wɔato ɔfasuo atwa ho no.
He defeated the Philistines as far as Gaza and its borders, from watchtower to fortified city.
9 Hesekia ahennie no mfeɛ ɛnan so a na ɔhene Hosea nso wɔ nʼahennie wɔ Israel mfeɛ nson mu no, Asiriahene Salmaneser kɔtuaa Israel, hyɛɛ aseɛ kaa Samaria kuropɔn hyɛeɛ.
In the fourth year of Hezekiah’s reign, which was the seventh year of the reign of Hoshea son of Elah over Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and besieged it.
10 Mfeɛ mmiɛnsa akyi a, na ɔhene Hesekia adi adeɛ mfeɛ nsia mu a, na ɛyɛ ɔhene Hosea nso adedie wɔ Israel mfeɛ nkron mu no, Samaria bɔeɛ.
And at the end of three years, the Assyrians captured it. So Samaria was captured in the sixth year of Hezekiah, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel.
11 Saa ɛberɛ no, Asiriahene twaa Israelfoɔ no asuo, kɔɔ Asiria, de wɔn hyehyɛɛ aman so wɔ Halah wɔ Asubɔnten Habor a ɛwɔ Gosan nkonkɔnoa ne nkuro akɛseɛ a ɛwɔ Media mu.
The king of Assyria exiled the Israelites to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan by the Habor River, and in the cities of the Medes.
12 Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔantie Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn no. Wɔbuu nʼapam no so, mmara a Awurade nam Mose so hyehyɛ maa wɔn no.
This happened because they did not listen to the voice of the LORD their God, but violated His covenant—all that Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded—and would neither listen nor obey.
13 Ɔhene Hesekia adedie mfeɛ dunan so, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛto hyɛɛ Yuda nkuro a na wɔabɔ ho ban no so, dii wɔn so nkonim.
In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked and captured all the fortified cities of Judah.
14 Na Hesekia de saa nkra yi kɔmaa Asiriahene wɔ Lakis sɛ, “Mayɛ mfomsoɔ. Sɛ wobɛfiri ha akɔ nko ara deɛ a, apeatoɔ biara a wobɛgye me no, mɛtua.” Na Asiriahene bisaa mpatadeɛ a ɛboro dwetɛ tɔno 11 ne sikakɔkɔɔ nso bɛyɛ tɔno baako.
So Hezekiah king of Judah sent word to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, “I have done wrong; withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand from me.” And the king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 Enti, ɔhene Hesekia de dwetɛ a wɔakora no Awurade Asɔredan no mu ne deɛ ɛwɔ ahemfie adekoraeɛ hɔ nyinaa maeɛ.
Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
16 Mpo, Hesekia waawae sikakɔkɔɔ a wɔde aduradura Awurade asɔredan no apono ho, de ne nyinaa maa Asiriahene.
At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold with which he had plated the doors and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and he gave it to the king of Assyria.
17 Yeinom nyinaa akyi, Asiriahene somaa ne sahene, nʼasraadɔmhene ne nʼananmusini firii Lakis ne akodɔm a wɔn mu yɛ duru, kɔɔ Hesekia so wɔ Yerusalem. Asiriafoɔ no gyinaa nsukwan bi a ɛma atifi ɔtadeɛ nsuo a ɛbɛn ɛkwan a ɛde kɔ baabi a wɔpa ntoma ani no ho.
Nevertheless, the king of Assyria sent the Tartan, the Rabsaris, and the Rabshakeh, along with a great army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They advanced up to Jerusalem and stationed themselves by the aqueduct of the upper pool, on the road to the Launderer’s Field.
18 Wɔfrɛɛ Hesekia, nanso ɔsomaa ne mpanimfoɔ yi sɛ wɔnkɔhyia wɔn: Hilkia babarima Eliakim a ɔhwɛ ahemfie hɔ so, ɔtwerɛfoɔ Sebna ne Asaf babarima Yoa a ɔyɛ ahemfie abakɔsɛm twerɛfoɔ.
Then they called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebnah the scribe, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder, went out to them.
19 Na Asiriahene no ara ananmusini no ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monka nkyerɛ Hesekia sɛ, “‘Asɛm a otumfoɔ Asiriahene ka nie: Ɛdeɛn na wode wo ho to so a ɛma wogye wo ho di saa?
The Rabshakeh said to them, “Tell Hezekiah that this is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: What is the basis of this confidence of yours?
20 Wogye di sɛ wobɛtumi de anosɛm hunu asi akodie mu nyansa ne nʼahoɔden anan? Wʼakyitaafoɔ bɛn na wɔbɛtaa wʼakyi, ama woatumi ako atia Asiria?
You claim to have a strategy and strength for war, but these are empty words. In whom are you now trusting, that you have rebelled against me?
21 Misraim anaa? Sɛ wotwere Misraim a, wobɛhunu sɛ, ɛte sɛ abaa a wo mu duru bɛbu no, na awɔ wo ahwire wo nsam. Misraim Farao mpo mu nni ahotosoɔ korakora.
Look now, you are trusting in Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff that will pierce the hand of anyone who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.
22 Ebia, wobɛka sɛ, “Yɛde yɛn ho to Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn so!” Nanso, ɛnyɛ ɔno na ɔhene Hesekia didii nʼatɛm no? Hesekia ammubu abosonnan ne afɔrebukyia nyinaa, anhyɛ Yudafoɔ sɛ wɔnsom wɔ afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ Yerusalem ha nko ara no so?
But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the LORD our God,’ is He not the One whose high places and altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem: ‘You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?
23 “‘Mɛka asɛm bi akyerɛ wo! Me wura Asiriahene ne wo bɛyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ bi. Sɛ wobɛnya apɔnkɔsotefoɔ mpenu, afiri wʼasraadɔm mu a, ɔbɛma wɔn apɔnkɔ mpenu ama wɔatenatena wɔn so.
Now, therefore, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria. I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them!
24 Na wʼasraadɔm ketewa sɛɛ yi, ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na woaso daeɛ sɛ wobɛtumi ne me wura akodɔm no mu fa bi a wɔyɛ mmerɛ mpo adi asie. Menim sɛ wode wo ho ato Misraim nteaseɛnam ne apɔnkɔsotefoɔ mmoa so.
For how can you repel a single officer among the least of my master’s servants when you depend on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
25 Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, wogye di sɛ yɛadi mo asase yi so a Awurade akwankyerɛ nni mu? Awurade ankasa na ɔka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ, Kɔ na kɔsɛe no!’”
So now, was it apart from the LORD that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The LORD Himself said to me, ‘Go up against this land and destroy it.’”
26 Afei, Hilkia babarima Eliakim ne Sebna ne Yoa ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no ananmusini no sɛ, “Kasa wɔ Arameike mu kyerɛ yɛn, na saa kasa no na yɛte aseɛ yie. Nka Hebri nkyerɛ yɛn, ɛfiri sɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasuo no so no bɛte.”
Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, along with Shebnah and Joah, said to the Rabshakeh, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Do not speak with us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
27 Na ɔsahene no buaa sɛ, “Me wura pɛ sɛ obiara a ɔwɔ Yerusalem te saa asɛm yi, na ɛnyɛ mo nko. Ɔpɛ sɛ wɔte sɛ, sɛ moamma mo nsa so a, wɔbɛtua kuropɔn yi. Ɛkɔm ne sukɔm werɛmfoɔ bɛde nkurɔfoɔ no ara kɔsi sɛ, wɔbɛdi wɔn ara agyanan, anom wɔn dwonsɔ.”
But the Rabshakeh replied, “Has my master sent me to speak these words only to you and your master, and not to the men sitting on the wall, who are destined with you to eat their own dung and drink their own urine?”
28 Afei, ɔsɔre gyinaeɛ, maa ne nne so kasaa wɔ Hebri mu, kyerɛɛ nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasuo no so sɛ, “Montie nkra a ɛfiri Asiria ɔhene kɛseɛ no nkyɛn!
Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out loudly in Hebrew: “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!
29 Sɛdeɛ ɔhene seɛ nie: Mommma ɔhene Hesekia nnaadaa mo. Ɔrentumi nnye mo mfiri me tumi ase.
This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you; he cannot deliver you from my hand.
30 Mommma ɔnnaadaa mo sɛ, momfa mo ho nto Awurade so, nnka sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn! Wɔremfa saa kuropɔn yi mma Asiriahene da.’
Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
31 “Monntie Hesekia. Yeinom ne nhyehyɛeɛ a Asiriahene reyɛ. Mo ne me nni no asomdwoeɛ so. Mommue apono no, na mompue mmra. Na mɛma mo mu biara ɛkwan, na moatoa so adidi afiri mo bobe ne borɔdɔma mfikyifuo mu, anom nsuo afiri mo ara mo abura mu.
Do not listen to Hezekiah, for this is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then every one of you will eat from his own vine and his own fig tree, and drink water from his own cistern,
32 Na mɛyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ de mo akɔ asase foforɔ bi a ɛte sɛ yei so. Ɛyɛ ɔman a atokoɔ, nsã, burodo, bobe nturo, ngo nnua ne ɛwoɔ abu so hɔ. Ɛyɛ asase a nneɛma pa abu so hɔ. Mompere nkwa, na monyi owuo akwa! “Mommma Hesekia nnaadaa mo nka sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn!’
until I come and take you away to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey—so that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, for he misleads you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’
33 Anyame a wɔwɔ aman so no atumi agye wɔn nkurɔfoɔ afiri Asiriahene nsam da?
Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?
34 Asɛm bɛn na ɛtoo Hamat ne Arpad anyame no? Na Sefarwaim, Hena ne Iwa anyame nso, wɔwɔ he? Wɔtumi gyee Samaria firii me tumi ase anaa?
Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? Have they delivered Samaria from my hand?
35 Ɔman bɛn so anyame na watumi agye ne nkurɔfoɔ afiri me tumi ase? Mommɔ baako pɛ din. Na afei, ɛdeɛn na ɛma mo dwene sɛ Awurade bɛtumi agye Yerusalem?”
Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered his land from my hand? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”
36 Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuaeɛ biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnnkasa.
But the people remained silent and did not answer a word, for Hezekiah had commanded, “Do not answer him.”
37 Afei, Hilkia babarima Eliakim, ahemfie sohwɛfoɔ ne ɔtwerɛfoɔ Sebna ne Asaf babarima Yoa, ahemfie abakɔsɛm twerɛfoɔ, sane kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn. Wɔsunsuanee wɔn ntadeɛ mu, na wɔkɔhunuu ɔhene no, kaa asɛm a Asiria ɔnanmusini kaeɛ no kyerɛɛ no.
Then Hilkiah’s son Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the scribe, and Asaph’s son Joah the recorder came to Hezekiah with their clothes torn, and they relayed to him the words of the Rabshakeh.
