2 Ahemfo 19
1 Ɛberɛ a ɔhene Hesekia tee yeinom no, ɔsunsuanee ne ntadeɛ mu, ɛnna ɔfiraa ayitoma, na ɔkɔɔ Awurade asɔredan mu.
When King Hezekiah heard it, he tore his clothes, covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the LORD’s house.
2 Na ɔsomaa ahemfie sohwɛfoɔ Eliakim, ɔtwerɛfoɔ Sebna ne asɔfoɔ mpanin a wɔn nyinaa hyehyɛ ayitadeɛ kɔɔ Amos babarima odiyifoɔ Yesaia nkyɛn.
He sent Eliakim, who was over the household, Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.
3 Wɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ ɔhene Hesekia ka nie: Saa ɛda yi yɛ ɔhaw, animka ne animguaseɛ da. Ayɛ te sɛ deɛ mmɔfra awoɔ duru so na ahoɔden a wɔde bɛwo wɔn nni hɔ.
They said to him, “Hezekiah says, ‘Today is a day of trouble, of rebuke, and of rejection; for the children have come to the point of birth, and there is no strength to deliver them.
4 Nanso, ebia Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn ate sɛ Asiria ɔnanmusini no regu Onyankopɔn teasefoɔ no anim ase, na wɔbɛtwe nʼaso wɔ ne nsɛnkeka no ho. Enti mommɔ mpaeɛ mma nkaeɛfoɔ a wɔte nkwa mu no.”
It may be the LORD your God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master has sent to defy the living God, and will rebuke the words which the LORD your God has heard. Therefore lift up your prayer for the remnant that is left.’”
5 Na ɔhene Hesekia mpanimfoɔ no kɔkaa ɔhene nkra no kyerɛɛ Yesaia,
So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.
6 na Yesaia buaa sɛ, “Ka kyerɛ wo wura sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Mma abususɛm a Asiriahene asomafoɔ no ka tiaa me no nha wo.
Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master this: ‘The LORD says, “Do not be afraid of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.
7 Montie! Mede honhom bi rebɛhyɛ ne mu, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a sɛ ɔte asɛm bi a ɔbɛsane akɔ ne ɔman mu, na ɛhɔ na mɛma wɔde akofena akum no.’”
Behold, I will put a spirit in him, and he will hear news, and will return to his own land. I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.”’”
8 Ɛberɛ a ɔsahene no tee sɛ Asiriahene afiri Lakis no, ɔsanee nʼakyi kɔhunuu sɛ ɔhene no ne Libna reko.
So Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah; for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.
9 Ankyɛre, ɔhene Sanaherib nyaa nkra sɛ, Etiopiahene Tirhaka adi akodɔm anim, rebɛko atia no. Na ansa na ɔbɛsane akohyia akodɔm no, ɔtoo saa nkra yi sɛ wɔmfa nkɔma Hesekia wɔ Yerusalem.
When he heard it said of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, “Behold, he has come out to fight against you,” he sent messengers again to Hezekiah, saying,
10 “Monka nkyerɛ Yudahene Hesekia sɛ: Ɛmma onyame a wode wo ho ato no so no nnaadaa mo nka sɛ, ‘Asiriahene rentumi mfa Yerusalem.’
“Tell Hezekiah king of Judah this: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, Jerusalem will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.
11 Moate deɛ Asiria ahemfo ayɛ amanaman no nyinaa. Wɔasɛe wɔn pasaa. Na mo deɛ wɔbɛgye mo anaa?
Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly. Will you be delivered?
12 Anyame a wɔwɔ aman a me nananom sɛee wɔn no, aman te sɛ Gosan, Haran, Resef ne Edenfoɔ a na wɔwɔ Telasar no anyame gyee wɔn anaa?
Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?
13 Ɛhe na Hamathene ne Arpadhene, kuropɔn Sefarwaim anaa Hena anaa Iwa ahemfo no wɔ?”
Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivvah?’”
14 Hesekia nsa kaa krataa a abɔfoɔ no de baeɛ no, ɔkenkaneeɛ. Afei ɔforo kɔɔ Awurade asɔredan no mu kɔtrɛɛ mu wɔ Awurade anim.
Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the LORD’s house, and spread it before the LORD.
15 Na Hesekia bɔɔ mpaeɛ kyerɛɛ Awurade sɛ: “Ao, Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn a wodi ɔhene firi Kerubim ntam, wo nko ara na woyɛ Onyankopɔn wɔ asase so ahennie nyinaa so. Wo na wobɔɔ ɔsoro ne asase.
Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, “LORD, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
16 Brɛ wʼaso ase, Ao Awurade, na tie! Bue wʼani, Ao Awurade, na hwɛ! Tie Sanaherib nsɛm a ɔka de bu Onyankopɔn teasefoɔ no animtiaa.
Incline your ear, LORD, and hear. Open your eyes, LORD, and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to defy the living God.
17 “Awurade, ɛyɛ nokorɛ sɛ Asiria ahemfo asɛe aman yi nyinaa, sɛdeɛ nkra no ka no.
Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
18 Na wɔato aman yi anyame agu ogya mu, ahye wɔn. Asiriafoɔ no tumi sɛe wɔn ɛfiri sɛ na wɔnyɛ anyame koraa. Na wɔyɛ nnua ne aboɔ ahoni a nnipa de wɔn nsa ayɛ.
and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.
19 Afei, Ao Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn, gye yɛn firi ne tumi ase, na ɛbɛma ahennie a ɛwɔ asase so nyinaa ahunu sɛ wo nko ara, Ao Awurade, na woyɛ Onyankopɔn.”
Now therefore, LORD our God, save us, I beg you, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, LORD, are God alone.”
20 Na Amos babarima Yesaia too saa nkra yi kɔmaa Hesekia sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ nie: ‘Mate wo mpaeɛbɔ a ɛfa Asiriahene Sanaherib ho no.
Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “The LORD, the God of Israel, says ‘You have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, and I have heard you.
21 Yei ne asɛm a Awurade aka atia no: “‘Ɔbabaabunu Sion sopa wo, na ɔsere wo. Ɔbabaa Yerusalem di wo ho fɛ, na ɔwoso ne ti ɛberɛ a woredwane.
This is the word that the LORD has spoken concerning him: ‘The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you. The daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
22 Hwan na wasopa no na woagu ne ho fi yi? Hwan na woama wo nne so atia no na wohwɛɛ no ahantan so? Ɛyɛ Israel ɔkronkronni no!
Whom have you defied and blasphemed? Against whom have you exalted your voice and lifted up your eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel!
23 Wonam wʼasomafoɔ so adi Awurade ho fɛw. Na woaka sɛ, “Mede me nteaseɛnam bebrebe no adi bepɔ tentene pa ara so, aane, Lebanon nkokoɔ a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri no. Matwitwa ntweneduro atentene pa ara ne ne pepeaa a ɛdi mu no nso agu fam. Maduru ne twetwɛwa so akyirikyiri na manantenante ne kwaeɛbirentuo mu.
By your messengers, you have defied the Lord, and have said, “With the multitude of my chariots, I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the innermost parts of Lebanon, and I will cut down its tall cedars and its choice cypress trees; and I will enter into his farthest lodging place, the forest of his fruitful field.
24 Matutu nsubura wɔ ahɔhoɔ nsase bebree so de ne nsu pa no adwodwo me ho. Mpo, mepaee Misraim nsubɔntene mu sɛdeɛ mʼakodɔm bɛtumi atwa!”
I have dug and drunk strange waters, and I will dry up all the rivers of Egypt with the sole of my feet.”
25 “‘Na Monteeɛ? Ɛberɛ tentene a atwam na mehyɛ too hɔ. Ɛberɛ bi a atwam no na medwenee ho; afei mama aba mu sɛ, moadane nkuropɔn a mosɛe nkuro a wɔwɔ banbɔ ma wɔdane aboɔ asie.
Have not you heard how I have done it long ago, and formed it of ancient times? Now I have brought it to pass, that it should be yours to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.
26 Wɔn nkurɔfoɔ a tumi afiri wɔn nsa no ho adwiri wɔn na animguaseɛ aka wɔn. Wɔte sɛ afuo so nnua, ne afifideɛ foforɔ a ɛyɛ mmrɛ; wɔte sɛ ɛserɛ a ɛfifiri ɛdan atifi a owia tumi hye so sɛe no.
Therefore their inhabitants had little power. They were dismayed and confounded. They were like the grass of the field and like the green herb, like the grass on the housetops and like grain blasted before it has grown up.
27 “‘Nanso, menim deɛ woteɛ ɛberɛ a woba ne ɛberɛ a wokorɔ ne sɛdeɛ wo bo huru tia me.
But I know your sitting down, your going out, your coming in, and your raging against me.
28 Na ɛsiane mo ahomasoɔ a ɛtia me, na mʼankasa mate no enti, mede me darewa bɛsɔ mo hwene mu, na mede nnareka ato mo ano, na mama mo afa ɛkwan a mofaa so baeɛ no so, asane mo akyi.’
Because of your raging against me, and because your arrogance has come up into my ears, therefore I will put my hook in your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way by which you came.’
29 “Yei na ɛbɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama woɔ, Ao Hesekia: “Saa afe yi wobɛdi deɛ ɛno ankasa fifirie, afe a ɛtɔ so mmienu no, wobɛdi deɛ ɛfiri mu ba. Na afe a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa so no, mobɛdua mfudeɛ, na moatwa. Mobɛyɛ bobe nturo, na moadi nʼaba no.
“This will be the sign to you: This year, you will eat that which grows of itself, and in the second year that which springs from that; and in the third year sow and reap, and plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
30 Na mo a moaka Yuda a moatumi agyina ntua no mu ɔhaw ne abɛbrɛsɛ no ano no, mobɛsane atena mo asase so, na mobɛdi yie na moadɔre.
The remnant that has escaped of the house of Judah will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
31 Na nkaeɛfoɔ bi bɛfiri Yerusalem aba, na nkaeɛfoɔ dɔm afiri Bepɔ Sion so. Asafo Awurade di nsiyɛ bɛhwɛ ama yei aba mu.
For out of Jerusalem a remnant will go out, and out of Mount Zion those who shall escape. The LORD’s zeal will perform this.
32 “Yei ne asɛm a Awurade ka fa Asiriahene ho: “Ɔrenhyɛne saa kuropɔn yi mu na ɔrento bɛmma wɔ ha. Ɔremfa akokyɛm mmɛnnyina kuropɔn no akyi na ɔrensi otua pie ntia no.
“Therefore the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria, ‘He will not come to this city, nor shoot an arrow there. He will not come before it with shield, nor cast up a mound against it.
33 Ɔhene no kwan a ɔfaa so baeɛ no ara so na ɔbɛsane afa akɔ nʼankasa ɔman mu. Awurade ka sɛ, ɔrenwura saa kuro yi mu.
He will return the same way that he came, and he will not come to this city,’ says the LORD.
34 Esiane mʼankasa mʼanimuonyam ne mʼakoa Dawid enti, mɛbɔ ho ban.”
‘For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.’”
35 Saa anadwo no, Awurade ɔbɔfoɔ kɔɔ Asiria sraban mu, kɔkumm Asiria akodɔm no mpem ɔha aduɔwɔtwe enum. Asiriafoɔ a wɔkaeɛ no nyanee anɔpa no, wɔhunuu sɛ afunu gugu mmɔntene so baabiara.
That night, the LORD’s angel went out and struck one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When men arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.
36 Na Asiriahene Sanaherib gyaee ɔko no, kɔɔ nʼankasa nʼasase so. Ɔkɔtenaa nʼahenkuro Ninewe mu.
So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, went home, and lived at Nineveh.
37 Ɛda koro bi a ɔresom wɔ ne nyame Nisrok abosonnan mu no, ne mmammarima Adramelek ne Sareser de wɔn akofena kɔkumm no. Wɔdwane firii hɔ kɔtenaa Ararat asase so, na ne babarima foforɔ Esarhadon bɛdii nʼadeɛ sɛ Asiriahene.
As he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Esar Haddon his son reigned in his place.
