1-2. Wetin make Ahab and Manasseh dey different, and which questions we go answer?

MAKE we talk about two kings wey live long time ago. One of them rule the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, the other one rule the two-tribe kingdom of Judah. Even though say they no live for the same time, they do many things wey resemble. The two kings no gree obey Jehovah and they make e people sin. The two of them worship idols and they kill people. But, one thing make this two men different. One of them continue to do bad things till e die. But the other one repent, and God forgive-am for the wicked things wey e do. Who be this two people?

² Their name na Ahab, wey be king of Israel, and Manasseh, wey be king of Judah. The thing wey make this two men different go teach us plenty things about wetin e mean to really repent. This one na really important topic to talk about. (Acts 17:30; Rom. 3:23) Wetin e mean to repent, and how we fit show say we don repent? We need to know this one because we want make Jehovah forgive us when we sin. To answer this questions, we go talk about the way this two kings live their life and wetin we fit learn from their example. Then we go talk about the thing wey Jesus teach about wetin to repent really mean.

3. Which kind king Ahab be?

³ Ahab na the number seven king for the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel. E marry Jezebel wey be the daughter of the king of Sidon. This nation get money, and e dey the north side of Israel. Because Ahab marry Jezebel, the nation of Israel get more chance to make money. But that marriage  still make the nation of Israel spoil their friendship with Jehovah more. Jezebel de worship Baal, and Jezebel make Ahab de encourage other people to join this dirty religion. Part of the things wey them de do for this religion na prostitution, and them de even use their pikin do sacrifice. When Jezebel be queen, no prophet of Jehovah dey safe. Jezebel kill plenty of them. (1 Ki. 18:13) Bible talk say for the eye of Jehovah, Ahab worse pass all the kings wey don rule before e time. (1 Ki. 16:30) Jehovah no close eye for the things wey Ahab and Jezebel do. E see everything wey they do. But Jehovah show pity as e send prophet Elijah to help e people change from their bad way before e too late for them. But Ahab and Jezebel no gree listen.

4. How Jehovah talk say e go punish Ahab, and wetin Ahab do about this one?

⁴ At last, time reach when Jehovah decide to do something about the matter. Jehovah send Elijah to tell Ahab and Jezebel how e go punish them. E go kill their whole family. The things wey Elijah talk really touch Ahab! Bible talk say this proud man “humble e self.” This one no surprise you?—1 Ki. 21:19-29.

5-6. Wetin show say Ahab no really repent?

⁵ Even though say Ahab humble e self that time, the thing wey e do after show say e no really repent. E no try to make people stop to worship Baal for e kingdom, and e no encourage people to worship Jehovah. Other things wey Ahab do show say e no repent.

⁶ After, Ahab tell King Jehoshaphat of Judah make they go fight Syria people for war. King Jehoshaphat na good king, e trust Jehovah and so e talk say make they go ask prophet of Jehovah wetin they suppose do before they go fight. Ahab no first gree, e talk say: “One man still dey wey we fit ask make e tell us wetin Jehovah talk. But I hate-am, because e no de ever prophecy good things about me, na only bad.” Even with that one, they still ask prophet Micaiah. The thing wey Ahab talk na true. The prophet prophecy bad news for Ahab. Wicked Ahab no repent and beg Jehovah for forgiveness. Instead, e put the prophet for prison. (1 Ki. 22:7-9, 23, 27) Even though say the king put the prophet of Jehovah for prison, e no fit stop the prophecy make e no happen. They kill Ahab for the war.—1 Ki. 22:34-38.

7. Wetin Jehovah talk about Ahab after Ahab die?

⁷ After Ahab die, Jehovah show wetin e think about the man. When good King Jehoshaphat come back from the war alive, Jehovah send prophet Jehu to tell the king say e no do good thing as e help Ahab. The prophet of Jehovah talk say: “Na wicked person you suppose de help, and na people wey hate Jehovah you suppose love?” (2 Chron. 19:1, 2) Now think-am: If to say Ahab don really repent, the prophet for no talk say Ahab na wicked man wey hate Jehovah. Na true say Ahab show say e feel bad, but e no really repent.

8. Wetin the example of Ahab teach us about wetin e mean to repent?

⁸ Wetin we fit learn from the example of Ahab? When Elijah tell Ahab say Jehovah go punish e family, Ahab first humble e self. This thing wey e do good. But the thing wey e do after show say e no really repent from e heart. So, for person to repent, e no go only say e dey sorry for the thing wey e don do, but e must do pass that one. Make we talk about another example to help us understand wetin e mean to really repent.

9. Which kind king Manasseh be?

⁹ After about two hundred years, Manasseh come be king of Judah. E sins fit even worse pass Ahab sins! Bible talk say e do plenty-plenty bad things for Jehovah eye to make Jehovah vex. (2 Chron. 33:1-9) Manasseh build altars for lie-lie gods and e even put image of sacred pole for inside the holy temple of Jehovah! That sacred pole fit be image wey represent sex worship. E do things like magic and witchcraft. Bible talk say e still kill plenty innocent people, and e even use e children do sacrifice for fire to lie-lie gods.—2 Ki. 21:6, 7, 10, 11, 16.

10. How Jehovah correct Manasseh, and wetin the king do about this one?

¹⁰ Jehovah use e prophets warn Manasseh. But just like Ahab, Manasseh no gree listen. At last, “Jehovah bring the army commanders of king of Assyria against [Judah], and they catch Manasseh with hooks and they tie-am with two copper chain and take-am go Babylon.” When Manasseh dey prison for Babylon, maybe e go don sofri think about wetin e don do. E “continue to really humble e self for front of the God of e papa-papa them.” E even do pass that one. Bible talk say: “E beg Jehovah e God for favor.” The truth be say, Manasseh “continue to pray to God.” That wicked man don de change. E begin to see Jehovah as “e God,” and e no tire to pray to God.—2 Chron. 33:10-13.

11. As e dey for 2 Chronicles 33:15, 16, how Manasseh show say e don really repent?

¹¹ After sometime, Jehovah answer Manasseh prayer. E see say Manasseh don really change because of the things wey e talk for e prayer. Jehovah listen to Manasseh when e beg for forgiveness and e allow Manasseh to be king again. Manasseh do e best to show say e don really repent. E do wetin Ahab no do. E change e character, e do e best to fight against lie-lie worship, and e encourage people to worship Jehovah. (Read 2 Chronicles 33:15, 16.) Manasseh really need strong heart and faith to do that one because before e repent, e don be bad example for e family, for the rulers, and for e people for many years. But when Manasseh don old, e try to correct some of the problems wey e don cause. Maybe e good example help e young grand pikin wey e name na Josiah. Josiah come be very good king.—2 Ki. 22:1, 2.

12. Wetin the example of Manasseh teach us about wetin e mean to repent?

¹² Wetin we fit learn from the example of Manasseh? E humble e self, and e do pass that one. E pray and de beg God to show pity, and e change the way e de live e life. E work hard to correct the problems wey e  don cause. And e do e best to worship Jehovah and to help other people to do the same thing. The example of Manasseh go help people wey don do things wey really bad. The way Manasseh live e life show say Jehovah God dey ‘good and ready to forgive.’ (Ps. 86:5) Jehovah go forgive anybody wey really repent.

13. Give one example to help us understand one important thing about wetin e mean to really repent.

¹³ Manasseh no just dey sorry about the bad things wey e do. E do pass that one. That one teach us one important lesson about wetin e mean for person to really repent. See this example: You go buy cake for place wey them de sell cake. But instead of cake, the person wey de sell give you egg. How this one go make you feel? The truth na say, you no go happy! But, your mind go come down if the person explain say the egg na one important thing wey they use make the cake? The answer na still no! For the same way, Jehovah want make sinner really repent. Na fine thing if the sinner dey sorry for e sin. To feel like that, na one important thing for person to really repent. But no be only that one the person go do. Which other thing person need to do if e don sin? We go learn plenty things from one story wey Jesus talk about. The story de really touch person.

14. For the story wey Jesus talk, how the foolish son first show say e don de change?

¹⁴ For Luke 15:11-32, Jesus talk one story about one foolish pikin. This story de encourage person. One young man no gree dey under e papa again. E comot for house and travel go “one far country.” E live dirty and useless life. But when things come really hard for e life, e begin think about the foolish decision wey e don make. E come see say when e dey e papa house, e life better pass as e be now. Jesus talk say the young man ‘eye clear.’ E decide to go back to e papa and beg for forgiveness. As the pikin see say e don make plenty bad decision, this one dey important. But only that one do? No. E need to change the way e de live e life!

15. How the foolish son wey Jesus talk about for e story show say e don really repent?

¹⁵ The foolish son show say e don really repent from wetin e don do. E travel the long journey go back to house. Then when e reach where e papa dey, e talk say: “I don sin against heaven and against you. I no suppose be your son again.” (Luke 15:21) As the young man confess from e heart, this one show say e want be friend of Jehovah again. E still know say the things wey e do pain e papa, and e dey ready to work hard to make e papa dey happy  again. To do this one, e dey ready to be one of the men wey de work for e papa! (Luke 15:19) This story no be just to encourage us. This story fit really benefit elders for congregation. E fit help them when them de try to know whether person wey put hand for serious sin don really repent.

16. Why e fit hard for elders to know if person don really repent?

¹⁶ E no easy for elders to know whether person wey put hand for serious sin don really repent. Why e be like that? Na because elders no fit know wetin dey the heart of another person. So they go try to find wetin show say their brother don really learn to hate the bad thing wey e do. For some situation, person fit don sin sotey e no get shame for eye again, and this one fit make the elders wey meet with the person no believe say the person don really repent.

17. (a) Which example show say person fit never really repent even if e talk say e dey very sorry for wetin e do? (b) With wetin dey for 2 Corinthians 7:11, wetin person wey don really repent must do?

¹⁷ Make we see one example. One brother wey don marry don de sleep with another woman for many years. Instead of the man to talk say e need help, e hide this bad thing from e wife, e friends, and the elders. At last, e secret leak. When the elders tell the brother say they get wetin show say e sleep with another woman, e agree say na true, and the brother even be like person wey really dey sorry. But that one show say e don really repent? No. The elders wey de handle this kind matter go surely need to see wetin pass sorry. The man no sin just one time because of bad decision wey e make. Instead, e don de do serious sin for many years. This man wey sin no confess by e self. Instead, na person bring the matter come out. So the elders go need to see wetin show say the person don really change the way e de think, de feel, and de behave. (Read 2 Corinthians 7:11.) Long time fit need to pass before the man go make change wey show say e don really repent. Na small thing go make they no remove the person from congregation for sometime.—1 Cor. 5:11-13; 6:9, 10.

18. How person wey they disfellowship go show say e don really repent, and wetin go happen because of this one?

¹⁸ For person wey they disfellowship to show say e don really repent, e go always de come meeting and follow the advice from elders to always pray and de study Bible. E go still work hard make e run from the things wey make-am sin. If e work hard to fix e friendship with Jehovah, e fit dey sure say Jehovah go really forgive-am and  the elders go help-am come back to the congregation. If elders de try to find out whether person don really repent, they know say each situation dey different. So them de take their time check each situation well, and they no de dey harsh for their judgment.

19. Wetin e mean to really repent? (Ezekiel 33:14-16)

¹⁹ We don learn say no be only to say sorry after person don do serious sin, go show say the person don really repent. The person must change the way e de think and de feel, and e go do things wey go show say e don repent. E must stop the bad things wey e de do before, and de follow the laws of Jehovah again. (Read Ezekiel 33:14-16.) The number one important thing for the sinner, na to get good friendship with Jehovah again.

20-21. How we fit help person wey don do serious sin?

²⁰ Jesus explain one important part of e preaching work when e talk say: “Na sinners I come call make they repent.” (Luke 5:32) We suppose get that kind mind too. So wetin we suppose do if our close friend do serious sin?

²¹ We go only put our friend for danger if we de try to hide the sin. We no go fit hide the sin because Jehovah de see-am. (Prov. 5:21, 22; 28:13) You fit help your friend when you remind your friend say the elders dey ready to help. If your friend no gree tell the elders about e sin, you suppose tell the elders about the matter. This one go show say you really want help your friend. E friendship with Jehovah dey for danger!

22. Wetin we go talk about for the next topic?

²² But, what if person don de do serious sin for long time and the elders decide say they must disfellowship the person? This one mean say they no show the person pity? For the next topic, we go talk about the way Jehovah de show mercy to correct people wey sin, and how we fit do like Jehovah.