Yesaia 36
1 Ɔhene Hesekia adedie mfeɛ dunan so no, Asiriahene Sanaherib bɛto hyɛɛ Yuda nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no so dii so.
When King Hezekiah had been [ruling Judah] for almost 14 years, King Sennacherib of Assyria came [with his army] to attack the cities in Judah that had walls around them. [They did not conquer Jerusalem, but] they conquered all the other cities.
2 Afei, Asiriahene somaa nʼananmusifoɔ firi Lakis a akodɔm kɛseɛ ka ne ho kɔhyiaa Ɔhene Hesekia wɔ Yerusalem. Ɛberɛ a ɔsahene no bɛgyinaa nsudorobɛn bi a ɛfiri Atifi Tadeɛ de kɔ Ntomasifoɔ Atenaeɛ hɔ no,
Then the king of Assyria sent a large army with some of his important officials from Lachish [city] to [persuade] King Hezekiah [to surrender]. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they stood in their positions alongside the aqueduct/channel in which water flows into the upper pool [into Jerusalem], near the road to the field where the women wash clothes.
3 Hilkia babarima Eliakim a na ɔhwɛ ahemfie no ntotoeɛ so ne Sebna a na ɔyɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ ne Asaf babarima Yoa a na ɔno nso yɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ kɔhyiaa no.
The Israeli officials who went out of the city to talk with them were Hilkiah’s son Eliakim, the (palace administrator/man who supervised the workers in the palace), Shebna the king’s secretary, and Asaph’s son Joah, who wrote down the government decisions.
4 Na ɔsahene 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?
Then one of Sennacherib’s important officials told them to take this message to Hezekiah: This is what the King of Assyria, the great king, says: “What are you trusting in to rescue you?
5 Woka sɛ wowɔ akodie ho nyansa ne nʼahoɔden, nanso woka nsɛm hunu. Hwan na ɔtaa wʼakyi a enti wote mʼanim atua?
You say that you have weapons to fight us and some country’s promises [to help you], [and that will enable you to defeat us], but that is only talk [RHQ]. Who do you think will help you to rebel against my [soldiers from Assyria]?
6 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.
Listen to me! You are relying on [the army of] Egypt. But [that will be like] [MET] using a broken reed for a walking stick on which you could lean. [But] it would pierce the hand of anyone who would lean on it! That is what the King of Egypt would be like for anyone who relied on him [for help].
7 Na sɛ moka kyerɛ me sɛ, “Yɛde yɛn ho ato Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn so” a, ɛnyɛ ɔno na Hesekia yiyii nʼasɔreɛ ne nʼafɔrebukyia na ɔka kyerɛɛ Yuda ne Yerusalem sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ mosɔre wɔ saa afɔrebukyia yi anim no” anaa?
But perhaps you will say to me, ‘[No], we are relying on Yahweh our God [to help us].’ [I would reply], ‘Is he not the one whom [you insulted by] tearing down his shrines and altars and forcing everyone in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to worship [only] in front of the altar [in Jerusalem]?’
8 “‘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.
So I suggest that you make a deal with my master/boss, the king of Assyria. I will give you 2,000 horses, but [I do not think that] you can find 2,000 of your men who can ride on them!
9 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.
You are expecting the king of Egypt to send chariots and men riding horses [to assist you]. But they certainly would not [RHQ] be able to resist/defeat even the most insignificant/unimportant official in the army of Assyria!
10 Bio, wogye di sɛ, maba sɛ merebɛto ahyɛ asase yi so asɛe no kwa a Awurade nsa nni mu? Awurade ankasa ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, menkɔko ntia saa asase yi na mensɛe no.’”
Furthermore, [do not think that] [RHQ] we have come here to attack and destroy this land without Yahweh’s orders! It is Yahweh himself who told us to come here and destroy this land!”
11 Na Eliakim, Sebna ne Yoa ka kyerɛɛ ɔsahene no sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ mo, monka Arameike kasa nkyerɛ mo asomfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛte aseɛ yie. Monnka Hebri na nnipa a wɔwɔ ɔfasuo no so no bɛte aseɛ.”
Then Eliakim, Shebna, and Joah said to the official from Assyria, “Please speak to us in [your] Aramaic language, because we understand it. Do not speak to us in [our] Hebrew language, because the people who are standing on the wall will understand it [and become frightened].”
12 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 official replied, “Do you think that my master sent me to say these things [only] to you, and not to the people standing on the wall [RHQ]? [If you reject this message], the [people in this city] will soon need to eat their own dung and drink their own urine, just like you will, [because there will be nothing more for you to eat or drink].”
13 Afei, ɔsahene no sɔre gyina kasaa Hebri mu sɛ, “Montie saa nkra yi a ɛfiri ɔhempɔn, Asiriahene no nkyɛn!
Then the official stood up and shouted in the Hebrew language [to the people sitting on the wall]. He said, “Listen to this message from the great king, the King of Assyria!
14 Sɛdeɛ ɔhene no seɛ nie: Mommma Hesekia nnaadaa mo. Ɔrentumi nye mo!
He says, ‘Do not allow Hezekiah to deceive you! He will not be able to rescue you!
15 Mommma Hesekia mfa saa asɛm a ɔkaa no sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn! Wɔremfa saa kuro yi mma Asiriahene’ no, mma mo tirim nyɛ mo dɛ.
Do not allow him to persuade you to trust in Yahweh, saying that Yahweh will rescue you, and that [the army of] the King of Assyria will never capture this city!’
16 “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 pay attention to what Hezekiah says! This is what the king [of Assyria] says: ‘Come out of the city and surrender to me. [If you do that, I will arrange for] each of you to drink the juice from your own grapevines and to eat figs from your own trees, and to drink water from your own well.
17 kɔsi sɛ mɛba abɛfa mo akɔ asase a ɛte sɛ mo deɛ yi so, ayuo ne nsã foforɔ asase, aduane ne bobe mfuo asase.
[You will be able to do that] until we come and take you to a land that is like your land—a land where there is grain to make bread and [vineyards to produce grapes for making] new wine and, and where we make lots of bread.’
18 “Mommma Hesekia nka sɛ, ‘Awurade bɛgye yɛn,’ mfa nnaadaa mo. Ɔman bi so nyame atumi agye ne ɔman afiri Asiriahene nsam pɛn anaa?
Do not allow Hezekiah to mislead you by saying, “Yahweh will rescue us.” The gods that people of other nations worship have never [RHQ] rescued any of them from the power [MTY] of the King of Assyria!
19 Ɛhe na Hamat ne Arpad anyame no wɔ? Na Sefarwaim anyame no nso wɔ he? Wɔagye Samaria afiri me nsam anaa?
Why were the gods of Hamath and Arpad [cities], and the gods of Sepharvaim unable to rescue Samaria from my power [MTY]?
20 Ɔman bɛn so nyame na watumi agye ne manfoɔ afiri me tumi ase? Na afei ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na Awurade bɛtumi agye Yerusalem afiri me nsam?”
No, no god [RHQ] of any nation has been able to rescue their people from me. So why do you think that Yahweh will rescue you people of Jerusalem from my power [MTY]?’”
21 Na nnipa no yɛɛ komm a wɔamma mmuaeɛ biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na Hesekia aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnnkasa.
But the people [who were listening] were silent. No one said anything, because King [Hezekiah] had commanded, “[When the official from Assyria talks to you], do not answer him.”
22 Afei, Hilkia babarima Eliakim a na ɔhwɛ ahemfie no ntotoeɛ so ne Sebna a na ɔyɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ ne Asaf babarima Yoa a ɔno nso yɛ ɔtwerɛfoɔ kɔɔ Hesekia nkyɛn a wɔasunsuane wɔn ntadeɛ mu, kɔkaa deɛ ɔsahene no aka kyerɛɛ no.
Then Eliakim and Shebna and Joah returned to Hezekiah with their clothes torn [because they were extremely distressed]. They told him what the official from Assyria had said.
