2 Ahemfo 23

1 Afei, ɔhene no frɛɛ Yuda ne Yerusalem mpanimfoɔ nyinaa.

Then the king sent and got together all the responsible men of Judah and of Jerusalem.

2 Na ɔhene no ne Yuda ne Yerusalem manfoɔ ne asɔfoɔ ne adiyifoɔ a ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so, foro kɔɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu. Ɛhɔ na ɔhene no kenkanee Apam Nwoma a wɔahunu wɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu hɔ no nyinaa kyerɛɛ wɔn.

And the king went up to the house of the Lord, with all the men of Judah and all the people of Jerusalem, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, small and great; and they were present at his reading of the book of the law which had come to light in the house of the Lord.

3 Ɔhene no tenaa beaeɛ bi a ɛkyerɛ ne tumi wɔ afadum no ho, hyɛɛ apam no mu den bio wɔ Awurade anim. Ɔhyɛɛ bɔ sɛ, ɔfiri nʼakoma ne ne kra nyinaa mu bɛdi Awurade mmaransɛm ahyɛdeɛ ne mmara nyinaa so. Ɔfaa saa ɛkwan yi so sii apam no mu nhyehyɛeɛ ahodoɔ a na wɔatwerɛ wɔ nwoma no mu no nyinaa so dua, maa nnipa no nyinaa hyɛɛ bɔ sɛ wɔbɛdi so.

And the king took his place by the pillar, and made an agreement before the Lord, to go in the way of the Lord, and keep his orders and his decisions and his rules with all his heart and all his soul, and to keep the words of the agreement recorded in the book; and all the people gave their word to keep the agreement.

4 Afei, ɔhene hyɛɛ ɔsɔfopanin Hilkia ne asɔfoɔ akunini ne asɔredan sohwɛfoɔ nyinaa sɛ, wɔnyiyi nneɛma a na wɔde som Baal ne Asera ne ewiem atumfoɔ no nyinaa mfiri Awurade asɔredan no mu. Ɔhene no ma wɔhyee ne nyinaa wɔ Kidron bɔnhwa a ɛwɔ Yerusalem mfikyire no, soaa ne nsõ de kɔɔ Bet-El.

Then the king gave orders to Hilkiah, the chief priest, and to the priests of the second order, and to the keepers of the door, to take out of the house of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal and for the Asherah and for all the stars of heaven; and he had them burned outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and took the dust of them to Beth-el.

5 Ɔpamoo abosom akɔmfoɔ a Yuda ahemfo a wɔdii ɛkan no yii wɔn no nyinaa, ɛfiri sɛ, na wɔhye nnuhwam wɔ Yuda abosomfie nyinaa mu a mpo, na ɛreyɛ akɔduru Yerusalem kurom. Wɔhyee nnuhwam maa Baal ne owia, ɔsrane ne nsoromma ne ewiem atumfoɔ.

And he put an end to the false priests, who had been put in their positions by the kings of Judah to see to the burning of offerings in the high places in the towns of Judah and the outskirts of Jerusalem, and all those who made offerings to Baal and to the sun and the moon and the twelve signs and all the stars of heaven.

6 Ɔhene no tuu Asera afɔrebukyia no firii Awurade asɔredan mu, de kɔɔ Yerusalem mfikyire wɔ Kidron bɔnhwa mu hɔ kɔhyee no. Afei, ɔyam dua no muhumuhu, kɔtoo ne mfuturo no guu amusieeɛ.

And he took the Asherah from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem to the stream Kidron, burning it by the stream and crushing it to dust, and he put the dust on the place where the bodies of the common people were put to rest.

7 Ɔdwirii asɔreeɛ adwamanfoɔ adan a na ɛwɔ Awurade Asɔredan no mu no, baabi a na mmaa no nwono nkatahotam, de kata Asera dua no ho no nyinaa guiɛ.

And he had the houses pulled down of those who were used for sex purposes in the house of the Lord, where women were making robes for the Asherah.

8 Yosia sane de Awurade asɔfoɔ no a na wɔtete Yuda nkuro afoforɔ so no nyinaa baa Yerusalem. Ɛfiri Geba kɔsi Beer-Seba, ɔsɛee ɛhɔ abosonnan no nyinaa. Saa beaeɛ no na na wɔhye nnuhwam no. Ɔbubuu abosonnan a ɛwɔ Yosua a na ɔyɛ Yerusalem amrado no ɛpono ano. Sɛ obi rewura kuropɔn no mu a ɔbɛhunu saa ɛpono no wɔ kuropɔn ɛpono no benkum so.

And he made all the priests from the towns of Judah come into Jerusalem, and he made unclean the high places where the priests had been burning offerings, from Geba to Beer-sheba; and he had the high places of the evil spirits pulled down which were by the doorway of Joshua, the ruler of the town, on the left side of the way into the town.

9 Asɔfoɔ a na wɔsom abosonnan no mu no, na wɔmma wɔn ɛkwan mma wɔnnsom wɔ Awurade afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no so, nanso na wɔma wɔne asɔfoɔ a aka no di burodo a mmɔreka nni mu no.

Still the priests of the high places never came up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem; but they took their food of unleavened bread among their brothers.

10 Afei, ɔhene no sɛee Tofet afɔrebukyia a na ɛwɔ Ben-Hinom bɔnhwa no mu no enti, na obiara ntumi mfa ne babarima anaa ne babaa mmɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ ogya mu wɔ so sɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ a wɔde ma Molek bio.

And Topheth, in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, he made unclean, so that no man might make his son or his daughter go through the fire to Molech.

11 Ɔtutuu apɔnkɔ sɛso a wɔagu a ɛsisi Awurade Asɔredan ɛkwan no ano a Yuda ahemfo too edin maa owia no nyinaa firii hɔ. Na ne nyinaa wowɔ adihɔ a ɛbɛn opiani bi a wɔfrɛ no Natan-Malek dan ho. Yosia hyee nteaseɛnam a na wɔato edin ama owia no.

And he took away the horses which the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the way into the house of the Lord, by the room of Nathan-melech, the unsexed servant, which was in the outer part of the building, and the carriages of the sun he put on fire.

12 Yosia bubuu afɔrebukyia a Yuda ahemfo sisii wɔ ahemfie no atifi wɔ Ahas dan apampam no nyinaa. Ɔhene no bubuu afɔrebukyia a Manase sisii wɔ Awurade Asɔredan no adihɔ mmienu hɔ no nyinaa guiɛ. Ɔdwirii no pasapasa, too ne nkunkumaboɔ no petee Kidron bɔnhwa no mu.

And the altars on the roof of the high room of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two outer squares of the house of the Lord, were pulled down and crushed to bits, and the dust of them was put into the stream Kidron.

13 Ɔhene no sane guu abosonnan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem apueeɛ fam no ne deɛ ɛwɔ Ɔsɛeɛ Bepɔ no anafoɔ fam no. Saa beaeɛ no na Israelhene Salomo sisii abosonnan maa Astoret, a ɛyɛ Sidonfoɔ bosom bɔne, ne Kemos, Moabfoɔ bosom bɔne, ne Molek, Amonfoɔ bosom bɔne.

And the high places before Jerusalem, on the south side of the mountain of destruction, which Solomon, king of Israel, had made for Ashtoreth, the disgusting god of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, and for Milcom, the disgusting god of the children of Ammon, the king made unclean.

14 Yosia dwerɛɛ afadum kronkron no nyinaa, bubuu Asera afɔrebukyia no. Ɔde nnipa nnompe guguu ne nyinaa so.

The stone pillars were broken to bits and the wood pillars cut down, and the places where they had been were made full of the bones of the dead.

15 Ɔhene no sane bubuu afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ Bet-El abosonnan a Nebat babarima Yeroboam yɛeɛ ɛberɛ a ɔdii Israel anim, de wɔn kɔɔ bɔne mu no. Yosia yam aboɔ no, ma ɛdanee mfuturo, hyee Asera dua no.

And the altar at Beth-el, and the high place put up by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel do evil, that altar and that high place were pulled down; and the high place was burned and crushed to dust and the Asherah was burned.

16 Ɛberɛ a Yosia retoto nʼani no, ɔhunuu damena pii wɔ kokoɔ no nkyɛnmu. Ɔhyɛɛ sɛ wɔntu nnompe no, na ɔhyee ne nyinaa wɔ afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ Bet-El no so, de guu afɔrebukyia no ho fi. Yei siiɛ sɛdeɛ Awurade nam Onyankopɔn onipa so ahyɛ no, ɛberɛ a Yeroboam kɔgyinaa afɔrebukyia no ho wɔ afahyɛ da no. Afei Yosia danee ne ho hwɛɛ Onyankopɔn onipa a ɔhyɛɛ yeinom nyinaa ho nkɔm no damena.

Then Josiah, turning round, saw on the mountain the places of the dead, and he sent and had the bones taken out of their places and burned on the altar, so making it unclean, as the Lord had said by the man of God when Jeroboam was in his place by the altar on that feast-day. And he, turning his eyes to the resting-place of the man of God who had given word of these things, said:

17 Yosia bisaa sɛ, “Nkaeɛdum bɛn na ɛwɔ nohoa no?” Na nnipa a wɔwɔ kuro no mu ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ Onyankopɔn onipa no a ɔfiri Yuda a ɔhyɛɛ nkɔm faa dwuma a woadi seesei wɔ afɔrebukyia a ɛwɔ Bet-El ho no ɔboda.”

What is that headstone I see over there? And the men of the town said to him, It is the resting-place of the man of God who came from Judah and gave word of all these things which you have done to the altar of Beth-el.

18 Yosia buaa sɛ, “Momma no nwɔ hɔ. Obiara mmfa ne nsa nka ne nnompe no.” Ɛno enti, wɔanhye ne nnompe no anaa odiyifoɔ akɔkoraa a ɔfiri Samaria no deɛ nso.

So he said, Let him be; let not his bones be moved. So they let his bones be with the bones of the prophet who came from Samaria.

19 Na Yosia bubuu abosonnan no a ɛwɔ Samaria no, sɛdeɛ ɔyɛɛ wɔ Bet-El no. Israel ahemfo ahodoɔ bi na wɔsisiiɛ de hyɛɛ Awurade abufuo.

Then Josiah took away all the houses of the high places in the towns of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had put up, moving the Lord to wrath, and he did with them as he had done in Beth-el.

20 Ɔkunkumm asɔreeɛ so abosomfoɔ no wɔ wɔn ankasa afɔrebukyia so, na ɔhyee nnipa nnompe wɔ afɔrebukyia ahodoɔ no so, de guu ho fi. Akyire yi, ɔsane kɔɔ Yerusalem.

And all the priests of the high places there he put to death on the altars, burning the bones of the dead on them; and then he went back to Jerusalem.

21 Ɔhene Yosia hyɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ modi Twam Afahyɛ ma Awurade, mo Onyankopɔn, sɛdeɛ wɔatwerɛ wɔ Apam Nwoma mu no.”

And the king gave orders to all the people, saying, Keep the Passover to the Lord your God, as it says in this book of the law.

22 Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a atemmufoɔ dii Israel so mfeɛ bebree a atwam wɔ Israel ne Yuda ahemfo so no, wɔnnii Twam Afahyɛ no bi saa da.

Truly, such a Passover had not been kept in all the days of the judges of Israel or of the kings of Israel or the kings of Judah;

23 Ɛberɛ a ɔhene Yosia dii mfeɛ dunwɔtwe wɔ akonnwa so no na wɔdii saa Twam Afahyɛ yi wɔ Yerusalem maa Awurade.

In the eighteenth year of the rule of King Josiah this Passover was kept to the Lord in Jerusalem.

24 Yosia tɔre asamanfrɛfoɔ ne adunsifoɔ ne afie mu anyame ne ahonisom biara ase wɔ Yerusalem ne Yuda asase so baabiara. Ɔyɛɛ saa de dii mmara a wɔatwerɛ wɔ nwoma mmobɔeɛ a ɔsɔfoɔ Hilkia kɔhunuu wɔ Awurade Asɔredan mu no so.

And all those who had control of spirits, and the wonder-workers, and the images, and the false gods, and all the disgusting things which were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, Josiah put away, so that he might give effect to the words of the agreement recorded in the book which Hilkiah the priest made discovery of in the house of the Lord.

25 Ɔhene biara mmaeɛ a ɔte sɛ Yosia a ɔde nʼakoma, ne kra ne nʼahoɔden ama Awurade na ɔnam so adi Mose mmara nyinaa so. Na ɔhene biara nso mmaeɛ a ɔte sɛ ɔno.

Never before had there been a king like him, turning to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his power, as the law of Moses says; and after him there was no king like him.

26 Nanso, yei nyinaa akyi no, Awurade abufuo no dɛre tiaa Yuda, ɛsiane bɔne akɛseɛ a Ɔhene Manase yɛeɛ no. Ɛno enti, wanyi nʼabufuhyeɛ no amfiri wɔn so.

But still the heat of the Lord's wrath was not turned back from Judah, because of all Manasseh had done in moving him to wrath.

27 Awurade kaa sɛ, “Mɛsɛe Yuda, sɛdeɛ mesɛee Israel no. Mɛpam nnipa no afiri mʼanim, na mapo me kuropɔn Yerusalem ne Asɔredan a anka ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhyɛ me din animuonyam wɔ mu no.”

And the Lord said, I will send Judah away from before my face, as I have sent Israel; I will have nothing more to do with this town, which I had made mine, even Jerusalem, and the holy house of which I said, My name will be there.

28 Yosia ahennie ho asɛm nkaeɛ ne dwuma a ɔdiiɛ nyinaa no, wɔatwerɛ agu Yuda Ahemfo Abakɔsɛm Nwoma no mu.

Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all he did, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Judah?

29 Ɛberɛ a Yosia di ɔhene no, Misraimhene Farao Neko kɔɔ Asubɔnten Eufrate ho kɔboaa Asiriahene. Ɔhene Yosia de nʼakodɔm tuu sa, kɔko tiaa no, nanso ɛberɛ a wɔhyiaa wɔ Megido no, ɔhene Neko kumm no.

In his days, Pharaoh-necoh, king of Egypt, sent his armies against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates; and King Josiah went out against him; and he put him to death at Megiddo, when he had seen him.

30 Yosia akodɔm mu mpanimfoɔ no de nʼamu no too teaseɛnam mu firii Megido, baa Yerusalem bɛsiee no ɔno ankasa ɔboda mu. Na nnipa no sraa ne babarima Yehoahas ngo, sii no ɔhene.

And his servants took his body in a carriage from Megiddo to Jerusalem, and put him into the earth there. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and put the holy oil on him and made him king in place of his father.

31 Ɛberɛ a Yehoahas dii ɔhene no, na wadi mfeɛ aduonu mmiɛnsa, na ɔdii adeɛ Yerusalem abosome mmiɛnsa. Na ne maame yɛ Yeremia a ɔfiri Libna no babaa a na ne din de Hamutal.

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, ruling in Jerusalem for three months; his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

32 Ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛdeɛ nʼagyanom yɛeɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his fathers had done.

33 Farao Neko de Yehoahas too afiase wɔ Ribla wɔ Hamat asase so, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, ɔrentumi nni ɔhene wɔ Yerusalem. Afei, ɔbisaa sɛ Yuda ntua toɔ dwetɛ tɔno mmiɛnsa ne fa ne sikakɔkɔɔ kilogram aduasa ɛnan sɛ apeatoɔ.

And Pharaoh-necoh put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath, so that he might not be king in Jerusalem; and took from the land a tax of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

34 Afei, Farao Neko de Eliakim a ɔyɛ Yosia babarima, dii adeɛ, ma ɔsii nʼagya ananmu. Ɔsesaa Eliakim din frɛɛ no Yehoiakim. Wɔde Yehoahas kɔɔ Misraim sɛ odeduani, na ɔwuu wɔ hɔ.

Then Pharaoh-necoh made Eliakim, the son of Josiah, king in place of Josiah his father, changing his name to Jehoiakim; but Jehoahaz he took away to Egypt, where he was till his death.

35 Sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a ɔbɛnya dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ toɔ a Farao Neko regye no, Yehoiakim gyegyee akwabrantoɔ firii Yudafoɔ nkyɛn. Obiara tuaa sɛdeɛ nʼahonya teɛ.

And Jehoiakim gave the silver and gold to Pharaoh, taxing the land by his orders to get the money; the people of the land had to give silver and gold, everyone as he was taxed, to make the payment to Pharaoh-necoh.

36 Ɛberɛ a Yehoiakim dii adeɛ no, na wadi mfirinhyia aduonu enum, na ɔdii adeɛ Yerusalem mfeɛ dubaako. Na ne maame din de Sebuda a ɔyɛ Pedaia a ɔfiri Ruma babaa.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king; he was ruling in Jerusalem for eleven years; his mother's name was Zebidah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

37 Ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ Awurade ani so, sɛdeɛ nʼagyanom yɛeɛ no.

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord as his fathers had done.