2 Ahemfo 3

1 Ahab babarima Yoram na ɔdii ɔhene wɔ Israel ɛberɛ a na Yudahene Yehosafat adi adeɛ mfeɛ dunwɔtwe wɔ Yuda no. Ɔdii adeɛ wɔ Samaria mfeɛ dumienu.

Now in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Joram son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria; he reigned twelve years.

2 Ɔyɛɛ Awurade ani so bɔne. Nanso, na nʼamumuyɛ no nte sɛ nʼagya ne ne maame deɛ no. Ɔsɛee Baal adum kronkron a nʼagya siiɛ no.

He did what was evil in the sight of Yahweh, but not like his father and his mother; for he removed the sacred stone pillar of Baal that his father had made.

3 Nanso ɔtoaa ahonisom so, sɛdeɛ Nebat babarima Yeroboam dii Israelfoɔ anim, ma wɔyɛɛ no.

Nevertheless he held on to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin; he did not turn away from them.

4 Na Moabhene Mesa ne ne nkurɔfoɔ yɛn nnwan. Na wɔtua apeatoɔ a ɛyɛ nnwan mma ɔpeha ne nnwennini ɔpeha ho nwi ma Israelhene afe biara.

Now Mesha king of Moab bred sheep. He had to give to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams.

5 Nanso, Ahab wuo akyi no, Moabhene sɔre tiaa Israelhene.

But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

6 Enti, ɔhene Yoram firii Samaria boaboaa Israel akodɔm ano.

So King Joram left Samaria at that time to mobilize all Israel for war.

7 Ɛkwan so no, ɔtoo nkra yi kɔmaa Yudahene Yehosafat sɛ, “Moabhene asɔre atia me. Wobɛboa me na me ne no ako anaa?” Na Yehosafat buaa sɛ, “Adɛn enti na meremmoa wo. Wo ne me yɛ anuanom, na mʼakodɔm yɛ wo dea na wotumi di wɔn anim. Mpo mʼapɔnkɔ da wo da.”

He sent a message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me against Moab to battle?” Jehoshaphat replied, “I will go. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

8 Na Yehosafat bisaa sɛ, “Ɛkwan bɛn na yɛbɛfa so akɔ?” Yoram buaa sɛ, “Yɛbɛtoa wɔn afiri Edom ɛserɛ so.”

Then he said, “By which way should we attack?” Jehoshaphat answered, “By way of the wilderness of Edom.”

9 Edomhene ne nʼakodɔm kɔkaa wɔn ho, na asraadɔm mmiɛnsa no de nnanson twaa ntwahokwan a ɛfa ɛserɛ so no. Nanso, na nsuo nni hɔ ma mmarima no anaa wɔn mmoa.

So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. They wandered around for seven days, and then there was no water for the army or for the animals that followed them.

10 Israelhene teaam bisaa sɛ, “Yɛnyɛ yɛn ho ɛdeɛn? Awurade de yɛn baasa aba ha sɛ Moabhene nni yɛn so.”

So the king of Israel said, “What is this? Has Yahweh called three kings to give them into the hand of Moab?”

11 Nanso, Yudahene Yehosafat bisaa sɛ, “Enti Awurade odiyifoɔ biara nka yɛn ho ha? Sɛ wɔn mu bi wɔ ha a, yɛbɛtumi abisa Awurade deɛ yɛnyɛ.” Ɔhene Yoram mpanimfoɔ no mu baako kaa sɛ, “Safat babarima Elisa wɔ ha. Na ɔyɛ Elia ɔboafoɔ.”

But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here a prophet of Yahweh, that we may consult Yahweh by him?” One of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

12 Enti, Yehosafat kaa sɛ, “Ɛnneɛ, Awurade bɛtumi akasa afa ne so.” Na Israelhene, Yudahene ne Edomhene kɔɔ Elisa nkyɛn abisa.

Jehoshaphat said, “The word of Yahweh is with him.” So the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down to him.

13 Elisa ka kyerɛɛ Israelhene sɛ, “Wo ho nhia me. Kɔ wʼagya ne wo maame adiyifoɔ abosonsomfoɔ no nkyɛn.” Nanso, ɔhene Yoram kaa sɛ, “Dabi! Na ɛyɛ Awurade na ɔfrɛɛ yɛn ahemfo baasa yi baa ha, sɛ Moabhene nsɛe yɛn!”

Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and mother.” So the king of Israel said to him, “No, because Yahweh has called these three kings together to give them into the hand of Moab.”

14 Na Elisa buaa sɛ, “Mmerɛ dodoɔ a Awurade Otumfoɔ a mesom no te ase yi, sɛ ɛnyɛ Yudahene Yehosafat a mebu no a, anka merenha me ho wɔ wo ho.

Elisha replied, “As Yahweh of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not for the fact that I honor the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you, or even look at you.

15 Afei, ma obi a ɔbɛtumi abɔ sankuo mmra.” Ɛberɛ a wɔrebɔ sankuo no, Awurade tumi baa Elisa so,

But now bring me a musician.” Then it came to pass when the harpist played, the hand of Yahweh came upon Elisha.

16 ma ɔkaa sɛ, “Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Saa bɔnhwa a emu nsuo awe yi, wɔde nsuo bɛhyɛ no ma.

He said, “Yahweh says this, 'Make this dry river valley full of trenches.'

17 Worenhunu mframa anaa osuo sɛdeɛ Awurade ka no, nanso saa bɔnhwa yi, wɔbɛhyɛ no nsuo ma. Mobɛnya bi ama mo ho, mo anantwie ne mo mmoa a aka no.

For Yahweh says this, 'You will not see wind, neither will you see rain, but this river valley will be filled with water, and you will drink, you and your livestock and all your animals.'

18 Na yei yɛ ade kumaa bi ma Awurade. Ɔbɛma moadi Moab akodɔm so nkonim.

This is an easy thing in the sight of Yahweh. He will also give you victory over the Moabites.

19 Mobɛdi wɔn nkuropɔn papa so nkonim, mpo, nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no. Mobɛtwitwa wɔn nnua nyinaa agu. Mobɛsisi wɔn nsuo aniwa, na mode aboɔ asɛe wɔn nsase pa.”

You will attack every fortified city and every good city, cut down every good tree, stop up all springs of water, and ruin every good piece of land with rocks.”

20 Na adeɛ kyeeɛ; ɛduruu ɛberɛ a wɔbɔ anɔpa afɔdeɛ no, nsuo puee prɛko pɛ. Na ɛtene firii Edom, na ankyɛre biara na nsuo abu baabiara.

So in the morning about the time of offering the sacrifice, there came water from the direction of Edom; the country was filled with water.

21 Ɛberɛ a Moabfoɔ tee sɛ akodɔm mmiɛnsa reba wɔn so no, wɔn nso boaboaa mmarima a wɔbɛtumi ako, mmɔfra ne mpanin ano, de wɔn sisii wɔn ahyeɛ so.

Now when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come to fight against them, they gathered themselves together, all who were able to put on armor, and they stood at the border.

22 Na adeɛ kyeeɛ a wɔsɔreeɛ no, na owia no abɔ wɔ nsuo no so, ama ani abere sɛ mogya.

They awakened early in the morning and the sun reflected on the water. When the Moabites saw the water opposite them, it looked as red as blood.

23 Moabfoɔ no teaam sɛ, “Ɛyɛ mogya. Akodɔm mmiɛnsa no atwa wɔn ho ako, akunkum wɔn ho wɔn ho! Momma yɛnkɔfo asadeɛ no!”

They exclaimed, “This is blood! The kings have certainly been destroyed, and they have killed each other! So now, Moab, let us go plunder them!”

24 Ɛberɛ a wɔduruu Israelfoɔ nsraban mu no, Israel akodɔm gyee bum, kɔtoaa Moabfoɔ, ma wɔdwaneeɛ. Israel akodɔm no taa wɔn kɔduruu Moab asase so. Wɔgu Moabfoɔ no so nyinaa no, na wɔresɛe wɔn nneɛma.

When they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites surprised them and attacked the Moabites, who fled before them. The army of Israel drove the Moabites across the land, killing them.

25 Wɔsɛee wɔn nkuro akɛseɛ, de aboɔ kataa wɔn nsase pa so, sisii asutire nyinaa, twitwaa nnua pa nyinaa. Kir-Haraset nko ara na ɛkaeɛ, na ɛno mpo, wɔto hyɛɛ so.

They destroyed the cities, and on every good piece of land every man threw a rock until it was covered up. They stopped up every spring of water and chopped down all the good trees. Only Kir Hareseth was left with its rocks in place. But the soldiers armed with slings surrounded and attacked it.

26 Ɛberɛ a Moabhene hunuu sɛ ɔredi nkoguo no, ɔdii nʼakofoɔ ahanson anim, miaa wɔn ho, pɛɛ sɛ wɔpem fa atamfoɔ no nsraban a ɛbɛn Edomhene no mu, nanso wɔantumi.

When King Mesha of Moab saw that the battle was lost, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed.

27 Enti, ɔfaa ne babarima panin a anka ɛsɛ sɛ ɔdi nʼadeɛ sɛ ɔhene no, de no bɔɔ ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ wɔ afasuo no ho. Yei enti, abufuo kɛseɛ baa Israel so, na wɔsane wɔn akyi kɔɔ wɔn ankasa asase so.

Then he took his oldest son, who should have reigned after him, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall. So there was great anger against Israel, and the Israelite army left King Mesha and returned to their own land.