Ezekiel 18
1 And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Yehowa ƒe nya va nam.
2 What mean ye, ye who use this proverb of the land of Israel, saying, [The] fathers eat sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
“Nya ka gblɔm amewo le ne wodo lo sia tso Israel ŋu be, “‘Fofowo ɖu waintsetse gbogbowo, eye aɖu nyɔ wo viwo?’”
3 [As] I live, saith the Lord Jehovah, ye shall not have any more to use this proverb in Israel.
“Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, ‘Zi ale si mele agbe la, miagado lo sia le Israel o.
4 Behold, all the souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Elabena luʋɔ ɖe sia ɖe nye tɔnye, fofo kple vi, wo ame eveawo siaa nye tɔnye. Luʋɔ si wɔ nu vɔ̃ lae aku!’
5 And if a man be righteous, and do judgment and justice:
“Le kpɔɖeŋu me, ne ame dzɔdzɔe aɖe li, si wɔa nu dzɔdzɔe, eye wole eteƒe
6 — he hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, nor come near to a woman in her separation,
Meɖua nu le nuxeƒewo, le tawo dzi loo alo kpɔa Israel ƒe aƒe ƒe legbawo dzi ɖa o. Medɔa nɔvia srɔ̃ gbɔ o. Alo dɔa nyɔnu gbɔ ne ekpɔ dzinu o.
7 and hath not oppressed any; he hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath not exercised robbery, hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment;
Metea ame aɖeke ɖe to o. Ke egbugbɔa awɔbanu si wòxɔ ɖe fe nu la na nutɔ. Medaa adzo ame o, ke boŋ enaa eƒe nuɖuɖu dɔwuitɔ, eye wònaa nutata amamanɔla.
8 he hath not given forth upon usury, nor taken increase; he hath withdrawn his hand from unrighteousness, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
Medoa ga, xɔa deme ɖe edzi o, alo baa ame o. Eɖea eƒe asi ɖa le nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ me, eye wòdrɔ̃a ʋɔnu dzɔdzɔe le ame kple ehavi dome.
9 hath walked in my statutes, and kept mine ordinances, to deal faithfully: he is righteous, he shall certainly live, saith the Lord Jehovah.
Ezɔna ɖe nye ɖoɖowo nu, eye wòwɔa nye seawo dzi nyateƒetɔe. Ame ma nye ame dzɔdzɔe, eye wòanɔ agbe godoo.” Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
10 And if he have begotten a son that is violent, a shedder of blood, and that doeth only one of any of these [things],
“Le kpɔɖeŋu me, ne viŋutsu sẽŋuta aɖe le esi, ame si kɔa ʋu ɖi, eye wòwɔa nu vɔ̃ bubu siawo dometɔ aɖe,
11 and that doeth not any of those [duties], but also hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
togbɔ be fofoa ya mewɔa nu vɔ̃ siawo dometɔ aɖeke o hã. Eɖua nu le nuxeƒewo le towo dzi, Edɔna kple nɔvia srɔ̃.
12 hath oppressed the poor and needy, exercised robbery, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, committed abomination,
“Etea ame dahewo kple hiãtɔwo ɖe to. Edaa adzo ame. Megbugbɔa awɔbanu na nutɔ o. Ekpɔa legbawo dzi ɖa. Ewɔa ŋukpenanuwo.
13 given forth upon usury, and taken increase; shall he then live? He shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall certainly die; his blood shall be upon him.
Edoa ga, xɔa deme ɖe edzi, eye wòbaa ame. Ame sia tɔgbi anɔ agbea? Manɔ agbe o. Esi wòwɔ ŋunyɔnu siawo katã ta la, woawui godoo, eye eƒe ʋu anɔ eya ŋutɔ ƒe ta dzi.
14 But lo, if he have begotten a son that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like:
“Ke ne viŋutsu sia dzi viŋutsu, ame si kpɔa nu vɔ̃ siwo katã fofoa wɔna, gake togbɔ be ekpɔ fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃wo hã la, mewɔa nu vɔ̃ ma tɔgbiwo o.
15 — he hath not eaten upon the mountains, nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
“Meɖua nu le nuxeƒewo, le towo dzi o, alo kpɔa Israel ƒe aƒe ƒe legbawo dzi ɖa o. Medɔa ehavi srɔ̃ gbɔ o.
16 and hath not oppressed any, nor withholden the pledge, neither hath exercised robbery; he hath given his bread to the hungry, and covered the naked with a garment;
Metea ame aɖeke ɖe to o, eye mexɔa awɔbanu hafi doa ga na ame o. Medaa adzo ame o, ke boŋ enaa eƒe nuɖuɖu dɔwuitɔwo, eye wònaa nutata amamanɔlawo.
17 he hath withdrawn his hand from the poor, hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, [and] walked in my statutes: he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall certainly live.
Eɖea eƒe asi ɖa le nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ me, eye mexɔa deme alo baa ame o. Ewɔa nye sewo dzi, eye wòzɔna ɖe nye ɖoɖowo nu. Maku ɖe fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta o; anɔ agbe godoo.
18 As for his father, because he practised oppression, exercised robbery upon his brother, and did what was not good among his people, behold, he shall die in his iniquity.
Ke fofoa ya aku ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta, elabena exɔa nu sesẽtɔe le ame si, daa adzo nɔvia, eye wòwɔa nu si gblẽ la le eƒe amewo dome.
19 And ye say, Why doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? But the son hath done judgment and justice, hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them; he shall certainly live.
“Ke miebia be, ‘Nu ka ta viŋutsu maxɔ fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃ ƒe akpa aɖe o?’ Esi viŋutsu la wɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe, henyo, eye wòkpɔ egbɔ be yelé nye ɖoɖowo katã me ɖe asi ta la, anɔ agbe godoo.
20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Luʋɔ si wɔ nu vɔ̃ lae aku. Viŋutsu la maxɔ fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃ ƒe akpa aɖeke o. Woatsɔ ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ana eya ŋutɔ, eye woatsɔ ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔwɔ nɛ.
21 And the wicked, if he turn from all his sins which he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do judgment and justice, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.
“Ke ne ame vɔ̃ɖi aɖe ɖe asi le nu vɔ̃ siwo katã wòwɔ la ŋuti, eye wòlé nye ɖoɖowo katã me ɖe asi, eye wòwɔ nu si dzɔ, henyo la, anɔ agbe godoo; maku o.
22 None of his transgressions which he hath committed shall be remembered against him; in his righteousness which he hath done shall he live.
Womagaɖo ŋku nu vɔ̃ siwo wòwɔ la dometɔ aɖeke dzi ɖe eŋu o. Le nu nyui siwo wòwɔ ta la, anɔ agbe.
23 Have I any pleasure at all in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Jehovah; is it not in his turning from his way, that he may live?
Ɖe mekpɔa dzidzɔ le ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe ku ŋutia? Ke boŋ ɖe nyemekpɔa dzidzɔ ne wotrɔ tso woƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi henɔ agbe nyui oa?” Nenemae Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ.
24 And when the righteous turneth from his righteousness and practiseth what is wrong, [and] doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked doeth, shall he live? None of his righteous acts which he hath done shall be remembered: in his unfaithfulness which he hath wrought, and in his sin which he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
“Ke ne ame dzɔdzɔe aɖe ɖe asi le eƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ŋu, eye wòwɔ nu vɔ̃ kple ŋukpenanu siwo ame vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔna la, ɖe wòanɔ agbea? Womagaɖo ŋku nu dzɔdzɔe siwo wòwɔ la dometɔ aɖeke dzi o. Le nuteƒe si mewɔ o kple nu vɔ̃ siwo wòwɔ ta la, aku.
25 And ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear then, house of Israel. Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?
“Ke miegblɔna be, ‘Aƒetɔ la ƒe mɔ mele eteƒe o.’” See, O! Israel ƒe aƒe. Ɖe nye mɔ mele eteƒe oa? Menye miawo boŋ ƒe mɔwoe mele eteƒe oa?
26 When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and practiseth what is wrong, and dieth for it; in his wrong that he hath done shall he die.
Ne ame dzɔdzɔe aɖe ɖe asi le eƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ŋu, eye wòwɔ nu vɔ̃ la, aku le eta. Le nu vɔ̃ si wòwɔ ta la, aku.
27 And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness which he hath committed, and doeth judgment and justice, he shall keep his soul alive.
Ke ne nu vɔ̃ wɔla aɖe ɖe asi le eƒe nu vɔ̃ siwo wòwɔ ŋu, eye wòwɔ nu si dzɔ, eye wònyo la, aɖe eƒe agbe.
28 Because he considereth, and turneth from all his transgressions which he hath committed, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.
Esi wòbu nu vɔ̃ siwo katã wòwɔ ŋu, eye wòɖe asi le eŋu ta la, anɔ agbe godoo; maku o.
29 But the house of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? Is it not your ways that are unequal?
Ke Israel ƒe aƒe le gbɔgblɔm be, “Aƒetɔ la ƒe mɔ mele eteƒe o?” Menye miawo ƒe mɔwo boŋue mele eteƒe oa?
30 Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord Jehovah. Return ye, and turn from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your snare.
Eya ta Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, “O! Israel ƒe aƒe, esia ta madrɔ̃ ʋɔnu mi, ame sia ame ɖe eƒe mɔwo nu. Mitrɔ dzi me! Miɖe asi le miaƒe dzidadawo katã ŋuti, ekema nu vɔ̃ manye miaƒe anyidzedze o.
31 Cast away from you all your transgressions wherewith ye have transgressed, and make you a new heart and a new spirit: why then will ye die, house of Israel?
Miɖe miaƒe nu vɔ̃ siwo katã miewɔ la ɖa le mia ɖokuiwo ŋu, eye miaxɔ dzi yeye aɖe kple gbɔgbɔ yeye aɖe. Nu ka ta miaku, O! Israel ƒe aƒe?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord Jehovah; therefore turn ye and live.
Elabena nyemekpɔa dzidzɔ le ame aɖeke ƒe ku ŋuti o. Mitrɔ dzi me ne mianɔ agbe. Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
