Ezekiel 33
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
2 “Son of man, tell your people: If I brought an army to attack a country, the people there would choose one of them to be their watchman.
“Onipa ba, kasa kyerɛ wo ɔman mma na ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ: ‘Sɛ metwe mʼakofena wɔ asase bi so, na sɛ asase no so nnipa yi wɔn mmarima no mu baako sɛ ɔnyɛ ɔwɛmfoɔ mma wɔn,
3 When he saw the army advancing to attack the country, he would blow the trumpet to warn everyone.
na ɔhunu sɛ akofena reba abɛtia asase no a, ɔhyɛne totorobɛnto de bɔ nnipa no kɔkɔ.
4 So if you hear the trumpet but don't pay attention to the warning, and you're killed in the attack, you will be responsible for your own death.
Na sɛ obi te totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ na wanna ne ho so, na sɛ akofena no bɛkum no a, ne mogya bɛbɔ ɔno ankasa tiri so.
5 Since you heard the trumpet but didn't pay attention to the warning, then you will be responsible for your own death. If you had paid attention the warning, you could have saved your life.
Esiane sɛ ɔtee totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ na wantie kɔkɔbɔ no enti, ne mogya bɛbɔ nʼankasa tiri so. Sɛ ɔtiee kɔkɔbɔ no a, anka ɔnyaa ne tiri didii mu.
6 But if the watchman saw the attack coming and didn't blow the trumpet to warn everyone, and someone is killed, then that person will die in their sins, but I will hold the watchman responsible for their death.
Nanso sɛ ɔwɛmfoɔ no hunu sɛ akofena no reba na wanhyɛne totorobɛnto no ammɔ nnipa no kɔkɔ, na sɛ akofena no ba bɛkum wɔn mu baako a, wɔbɛfa saa onipa no akɔ wɔ ne bɔne enti, nanso mɛma ɔwɛmfoɔ no abu owufoɔ no mogya ho akonta.’
7 Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for the people of Israel. Listen to what I tell you and warn them for me.
“Onipa ba, mayɛ wo ɔwɛmfoɔ ama Israel efie, ɛno enti tie mʼanum nsɛm na fa kɔkɔbɔ a ɛfiri me nkyɛn ma wɔn.
8 If I tell the wicked ‘You're wicked; you're going to die’; but you don't warn them to change what they're doing, then they'll die in their sins and I will hold your responsible for their deaths.
Sɛ meka kyerɛ omumuyɛfoɔ sɛ, ‘Ao omumuyɛfoɔ owuo na wobɛwuo,’ na sɛ wʼankasa ankyerɛ no amma wamfiri nʼakwan so a, saa omumuyɛfoɔ no bɛwu ne bɔne mu, na mɛma woabu ne mogya ho akonta.
9 But if you warn the wicked to change what they're doing, and they don't, they will die in their sins, but you will save your own life.
Nanso sɛ wobɔ omumuyɛfoɔ no kɔkɔ sɛ ɔmfiri nʼakwan so na sɛ wanyɛ a, ne bɔne enti, ɔbɛwu, nanso worenni ne mogya ho fɔ.
10 Son of man, tell the people of Israel that this is what they've been saying, ‘We recognize our sins and wrongs, and they weigh on us, wearing us out. How can we go on living?’
“Onipa ba, ka kyerɛ Israel efie sɛ: ‘Yei ne deɛ moreka: “Yɛn mfomsoɔ ne yɛn nnebɔne hyɛ yɛn so, yɛresɛe ɛsiane yeinom enti. Na ɛdeɛn na yɛbɛyɛ na yɛanya nkwa?”’
11 Tell them: As I live, declares the Lord God, it brings me no pleasure when wicked people die. I wish they would stop sinning and live! Stop! Stop sinning! Why should you die, people of Israel?
Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie, mʼani nnye amumuyɛfoɔ wuo ho, na mmom mepɛ sɛ wɔdane firi wɔn akwan so na wɔnya nkwa. Monnane! Monnane mfiri mo amumuyɛ akwan no so! Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mowuwuo, Ao Israel efie?’
12 So, son of man, tell your people: All the good things a good person has done won't save them when they sin; while the bad things a bad person has done won't be a problem for them if they stop sinning. But good people won't live if they start sinning.
“Ɛno enti onipa ba, ka kyerɛ wo ɔman mma sɛ, ‘Ɔteneneeni tenenee rentumi nye no nkwa wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔnnyɛ ɔsetie; na omumuyɛfoɔ amumuyɛ remma ɔnhwe ase wɔ ɛberɛ a ɔdane firi ho. Sɛ ɔteneneeni yɛ bɔne a, ɔrennya nkwa wɔ ne kane teneneeyɛ enti.’
13 If I tell a good person that they will live and then they rely on their goodness and start sinning, then none of the good things they did will be remembered; he will die because of the sins.
Sɛ meka kyerɛ ɔteneneeni sɛ ɔbɛnya nkwa, na afei ɔde ne ho to ne teneneeyɛ so na ɔyɛ bɔne a, wɔrenkae ne kane tenenee adeyɛ biara. Ɔbɛwu wɔ ne bɔne a wayɛ enti.
14 But if I tell a bad person, ‘You're going to die’ and they stop sinning and do what is good and right,
Na sɛ meka kyerɛ omumuyɛfoɔ sɛ, ‘Owuo na wobɛwuo,’ na afei ɔdane firi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ deɛ ɛyɛ na ɛtene,
15 if they return security given for a loan, pay back what they've stolen, and follows my laws about how to live, not doing wrong—then they will live; they won't die.
na sɛ ɔsane de bosea ho awowasideɛ ma, na ɔsane de deɛ wawia ma, na ɔdi ahyɛdeɛ a ɛma nkwa soɔ, na wanyɛ bɔne a, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa, na ɔrenwu.
16 None of their sins will be remembered; they have done what is good and right and so they will live.
Wɔrenkae bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara ntia no. Wayɛ deɛ ɛyɛ na ɛtene, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa.
17 However, your people are complaining, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ But it's what they're doing that isn't right.
“Nanso wo ɔman mma ka sɛ, ‘Awurade akwan ntene.’ Nanso ɛyɛ wɔn akwan mmom na ɛnteneɛ.
18 If a good person stops doing good and sins, they will die because of it.
Sɛ ɔteneneeni firi ne tenenee ho na ɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno enti ɔbɛwu.
19 On the other hand, if a bad person turns from their sins and they do what is good and right, they will live as a result.
Na sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ dane firi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ deɛ ɛyɛ na ɛtene a, ɔbɛnya nkwa.
20 So how can you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right’? Well, I'm going to judge each of you depending on what you've done, people of Israel.”
Nanso, Ao Israel efie, moka sɛ, ‘Awurade akwan ntene.’ Nanso mɛbu obiara atɛn sɛdeɛ nʼakwan teɛ.”
21 On the fifth day of the tenth month of the twelfth year of our exile, a refugee who'd escaped from Jerusalem arrived and told me, “The city has been captured!”
Yɛn nnommumfa afe a ɛtɔ so dumienu no bosome a ɛtɔ so edu no nnannum so, ɔbarima bi a wadwane afiri Yerusalem baa me nkyɛn bɛkaa sɛ, “Kuropɔn no ahwease!”
22 The previous evening before the messenger arrived the Lord had touched me so I could speak again. This was before the man came to see me in the morning. I wasn't mute any longer—I could speak again.
Na anwummerɛ a adeɛ rebɛkyeɛ ama ɔbarima no aba no, na Awurade nsa wɔ me so na ɔbuee mʼano ansa na ɔbarima no baa anɔpa. Enti na mʼano abue a metumi kasa.
23 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
24 “Son of man, people living among the ruins in Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, but the country was given to him to own. There's plenty of us, so the country should belong to us.’
“Onipa ba, nnipa a wɔtete saa mmubuiɛ so wɔ Israel asase no so no reka sɛ, ‘Abraham mpo a ɔyɛ onipa baako no, ɔnyaa asase no nyinaa. Enti yɛn a yɛdɔɔso yi nso, nokorɛm, wɔde asase no nyinaa ama yɛn sɛ yɛn agyapadeɛ.’
25 So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: You eat meat with the blood still in it. You go and worship your idols. You commit murder. Do you really think the country should belong to you?
Ɛno enti, ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Sɛ mowe ɛnam a mogya wɔ mu, na mosom mo anyame na mohwie mogya guo enti, ɛsɛ sɛ mofa asase no anaa?
26 You rely on your swords to get your way. You have done some disgusting things. You're all having sex with each other's wives. Should the country belong to you?
Mode mo ho to mo akofena so. Moyɛ akyiwadeɛ na mo mu biara gu ne yɔnko yere ho fi. Ɛsɛ sɛ monya asase no anaa?’
27 Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: As I live, in the people living among the ruins will be killed by the sword. Those living in the countryside will be eaten by wild animals. Those living in the fortresses and caves will die from disease.
“Ka yei kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ nie: Ampa ara sɛ mete ase yi, wɔn a wɔaka wɔ kuro no mmubuiɛ soɔ no bɛtotɔ wɔ akofena ano. Wɔn a wɔwɔ wiram no mede wɔn bɛma nkekaboa ama wɔawe wɔn na wɔn a wɔwɔ abandenden ne abodan mu no, ɔyaredɔm bɛkunkum wɔn.
28 I will turn the country into a wasteland, and power you are so proud of will be ended. The mountains of Israel will become wild places that no one will want to travel through.
Mɛsɛe asase no ama ayɛ afo, na nʼahomasoɔ ahoɔden no bɛba awieeɛ na Israel mmepɔ no bɛda mpan a obiara rentwam hɔ.
29 Then the people will acknowledge that I am the Lord, when I have turned the country into a wasteland because of all the disgusting things they have done.
Afei wɔbɛhunu sɛ mene Awurade no, ɛberɛ a mama asase no ada mpan wɔ akyiwadeɛ a wɔayɛ nyinaa enti.’
30 Son of man, your people are talking about you out in the streets and in the doorways of their houses. They encourage one another, saying, ‘Come on! Let's go and hear a message from the Lord!’
“Wo deɛ, onipa ba, wo ɔman mma reka wo ho nsɛm wɔ afasuo ho ne afie apono ano kyerɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ, ‘Mommra mmɛtie asɛm a ɛfiri Awurade nkyɛn aba.’
31 So my people come and visit you like they usually do. They sit and listen to the message you share, but they don't do anything about it. Even though they talk about love, all they're thinking about is how to cheat others.
Me nkurɔfoɔ ba wo nkyɛn, sɛdeɛ wɔyɛ daa no, bɛtenatena wʼanim bɛtie wo nsɛm, nanso wɔmmfa nyɛ adwuma. Wɔde wɔn ano ka ahofama, nanso wɔn akoma mu deɛ wɔn ani bere asisie mu adenya.
32 In fact, to them you're just someone who sings love songs with a lovely voice and who is a fine musician. They listen to the message you share, but they don't do anything about it.
Nokorɛm, wɔn deɛ, wote sɛ obi a ne nne yɛ dɛ, na ɔde nnwontodeɛ to ɔdɔ nnwom, ɛfiri sɛ wɔte wo nsɛm nanso wɔmmfa nyɛ adwuma.
33 So when what you say does happen (and it will), then they will realize that they did have a prophet among them.”
“Sɛ yeinom nyinaa ba mu a, na nokorɛm ɛbɛba mu nso, na afei wɔbɛhunu sɛ odiyifoɔ bi baa wɔn mu.”
