2 Ahemfo 18

1 Ahas babarima Hesekia hyɛɛ aseɛ dii ɔhene wɔ Yuda no, na Ela babarima Hosea adi ɔhene wɔ Israel mfeɛ mmiɛnsa.

And it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign.

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 began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Abi, 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 sight of Jehovah, according to all that David his father 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, and broke the columns, and cut down the Asherahs, and broke in pieces the serpent of brass that Moses had made; for to those days the children of Israel burned incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan.

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.

He trusted in Jehovah the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor [among any] that were before him.

6 Biribiara mu, ɔdii Awurade nokorɛ, na ɔde ntoboaseɛ dii ahyɛdeɛ a Awurade de maa Mose no nyinaa so.

And he clave to Jehovah, and did not turn aside from following him, but kept his commandments, which Jehovah commanded 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 Jehovah was with him; he prospered whithersoever he went forth. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

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 smote the Philistines unto Gazah and its borders, from the watchmen's tower to the 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.

And it came to pass in the fourth year of king Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea the son of Elah, king of Israel, [that] Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up 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 they took it; in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

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.

And the king of Assyria carried away Israel to Assyria, and settled them in Halah and by the Habor, the river of Gozan, 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.

because they hearkened not to the voice of Jehovah their God, but transgressed his covenant, all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded; and they would not hear nor do it.

13 Ɔhene Hesekia adedie mfeɛ dunan so, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛto hyɛɛ Yuda nkuro a na wɔabɔ ho ban no so, dii wɔn so nkonim.

And in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah, and took them.

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.

And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have sinned; retire from me: I will bear what thou layest upon me. And the king of Assyria laid upon 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.

And Hezekiah gave all the silver that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house.

16 Mpo, Hesekia waawae sikakɔkɔɔ a wɔde aduradura Awurade asɔredan no apono ho, de ne nyinaa maa Asiriahene.

At that time Hezekiah stripped the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and the posts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave them 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.

And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rab-shakeh from Lachish, with a strong force, against king Hezekiah, to Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the aqueduct of the upper pool, which is on the highway of the fuller'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.

And they called to the king. Then came forth to them Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, who was over the household, and Shebnah the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the chronicler.

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?

And Rab-shakeh said to them, Say now to Hezekiah, Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

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?

Thou sayest — but it is a word of the lips — There is counsel and strength for war. Now on whom dost thou rely, that thou hast revolted 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.

Now behold, thou reliest upon the staff of that broken reed, upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it goes into his hand and pierces it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that rely upon 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?

And if ye say to me, We rely upon Jehovah our God: is it not he whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall 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.

And now, engage, I pray thee, with my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou canst set the riders upon 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.

How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants? And thou reliest upon Egypt for chariots and for 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!’”

Am I now come up without Jehovah against this place to destroy it? Jehovah 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.”

And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, and Shebnah and Joah said to Rab-shakeh, Speak, we pray thee, to thy servants in Syriac, for we understand it, and talk not with us in the Jewish [language] in the ears of the people that are 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.”

And Rab-shakeh said to them, Is it to thy master and to thee that my master sent me to speak these words? Is it not to the men that sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?

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!

And Rab-shakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jewish [language], and spoke and said, 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.

Thus says the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you; for he will not be able to deliver you out of the [king's] hand.

30 Mommma ɔnnaadaa mo sɛ, momfa mo ho nto Awurade so, nnka sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn! Wɔremfa saa kuropɔn yi mma Asiriahene da.’

Neither let Hezekiah make you rely upon Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will certainly deliver us, and this city shall 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.

Hearken not to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: Make peace with me, and come out to me; and eat every one of his vine and every one of his fig-tree, and drink every one the waters of 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 land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive-trees and of honey, that ye may live and not die; and hearken not to Hezekiah, when he persuades you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us.

33 Anyame a wɔwɔ aman so no atumi agye wɔn nkurɔfoɔ afiri Asiriahene nsam da?

Have any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of 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 of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivvah? and have they delivered Samaria out of 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?”

Which are they among all the gods of the countries, who have delivered their country out of my hand, that Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?

36 Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuaeɛ biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnnkasa.

But the people were silent and answered him not a word; for the king's command was, saying, Answer him not.

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.

And Eliakim the son of Hilkijah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the chronicler, came to Hezekiah with their garments rent, and told him the words of Rab-shakeh.