Ezekiel 18
1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb in the country of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge?
“Sɛ mo saa nkurɔfoɔ yi bu saa bɛ a ɛfa Israel asase yi ho a, na mopɛ sɛ mokyerɛ ɛdeɛn: “‘Agyanom adi bobe bunu, nanso wɔn mma mmom se afem anaa?’
3 As I live, saith the Lord Eternal, ye shall not have any more to use this proverb in Israel.
“Nokorɛm, sɛ mete ase yi, sei na Awurade seɛ, moremmu saa bɛ yi bio wɔ Israel.
4 Behold, all the souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son—mine are they: the soul which sinneth that alone shall die.
Ɔkra teasefoɔ biara wɔ me, agya ne ɔba barima nyinaa, wɔn nyinaa wɔ me. Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔno ne deɛ ɔbɛwuo.
5 But if a man be righteous, and execute justice and righteousness;
“Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa tenenee bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene na ɛyɛ pɛ;
6 Upon the mountains he eateth not, and his eyes he lifteth not up to the idols of the house of Israel, and the wife of his neighbor he defileth not, and unto a woman in her separation he cometh not near;
ɔnnidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu na ɔnsom ahoni a wɔwɔ Israel efie. Ɔngu ne yɔnko yere ho fi na ɔne ɔbaa a wabu ne nsa nna.
7 And he over-reacheth no man, he restoreth his pledge for a debt, a robbery he doth not commit, his bread he giveth to the hungry, and the naked he covereth with a garment;
Ɔnhyɛ obiara so, na ɔde boseagyeni awowasideɛ sane ma no. Ɔmmɔ korɔno mmom ɔde nʼaduane ma deɛ ɛkɔm de no na ɔfira deɛ ɔda adagya no ntoma.
8 Upon interest he giveth not forth, and increase he doth not take, from wrong he withdraweth his hand, true judgment he executeth between man and man;
Ɔmmɔ bosea nye nsiho na ɔnnye mfɛntom mmorosoɔ. Ɔtwe ne ho firi mfomsoɔyɛ ho na ɔbu nnipa baanu ntam atɛntenenee.
9 In my statutes he walketh steadfastly, and my ordinances he keepeth to deal truly: he is righteous, he shall surely live, saith the Lord Eternal.
Ɔdi mʼahyɛdeɛ so na ɔdi me mmara so nokorɛm. Saa onipa no na ɔtene; na ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa Awurade asɛm nie.
10 If he [now] beget a dissolute son that sheddeth blood and doth to [his] brother any one of thee things;
“Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔwɔ ɔba barima a ɔdi akakabensɛm na ɔhwie mogya gu anaasɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi mu biara a
11 And he is one that doth not any of these [duties]; but eateth even upon the mountains, and defileth the wife of his neighbor;
(bɔne a nʼagya mpo anyɛ bi da): “Ɔdidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu. Ɔgu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.
12 The poor and needy he over-reacheth, he is guilty of robberies, the pledge he restoreth not, and to the idols he lifteth up his eyes, abominations he committeth:
Ɔhyɛ ahiafoɔ ne mmɔborɔfoɔ so. Ɔbɔ korɔno. Ɔmmfa boseagyeni awowasideɛ mma no. Ɔde ne ho to abosom so. Ɔyɛ akyiwadeɛ.
13 Upon interest he giveth forth, and increase he taketh: and he should live? he shall not live; all these abominations hath he done, he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
Ɔbɔ bosea gye nsiho na ɔgye mfɛntom mmorosoɔ. Saa onipa yi bɛnya nkwa anaa? Dabi! Esiane sɛ wayɛ saa akyiwadeɛ yi nyinaa enti, ampa ara, wɔbɛkum no na ne mogya bɛbɔ nʼankasa tiri so.
14 And behold, if he beget a son, who seeth all the sins of his father which he hath done, and he considereth, and doth not the like of them;
“Nanso sɛ ɛba sɛ saa ɔbabarima yi wɔ ɔbabarima a ɔhunu bɔne a nʼagya yɛ no nyinaa nanso ɔnnyɛ saa nneɛma no bi:
15 Upon the mountains he eateth not, and his eyes he lifteth not up to the idols of the house of Israel, the wife of his neighbor he defileth not;
“Ɔnnidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu na ɔmfa ne ho nto ahoni a ɛwɔ Israel efie so. Ɔngu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.
16 And he over-reacheth no man, a pledge he withholdeth not, and of a robbery he is never guilty, his bread he giveth to the hungry, and the naked he covereth with a garment;
Ɔnhyɛ obiara so na ɔnnye boseagyeni hɔ awowasideɛ. Ɔmmɔ korɔno, mmom ɔde nʼaduane ma deɛ ɛkɔm de noɔ na ɔfira deɛ ɔda adagya no ntoma.
17 From the poor he withdraweth his hand, interest and increase he taketh not: my ordinances he executeth; in my statutes he walketh: —he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.
Ɔtwe ne ho firi bɔne ho, na ɔnnye nsiho anaa mfɛntom mmorosoɔ. Ɔdi me mmara ne mʼahyɛdeɛ so. Ɔrenwu wɔ nʼagya no bɔne nti; ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa.
18 His father, because he unjustly withheld [wages], was guilty of robbery on his brother, and did that which is not good in the midst of his people, —and lo, he died through his iniquity.
Nanso nʼagya no bɛwu wɔ ɔno ara bɔne enti, ɛfiri sɛ ɔsisii nnipa, bɔɔ ne yɔnko korɔno, na ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ ne nkurɔfoɔ mu.
19 Yet say ye, Why doth not the son bear part of the iniquity of the father? when the son hath executed justice and righteousness, all my statutes hath he kept, and hath done them: he shall surely live.
“Nanso mobisa sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na ɔbabarima no nnya nʼagya afɔdie no bi ho asotwe?’ Esiane sɛ ɔbabarima no ayɛ deɛ ɛtene na ɛyɛ pɛ na wahwɛ yie adi mʼahyɛdeɛ nyinaa so enti, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa.
20 The soul that sinneth, she alone shall die; the son shall not help to bear the iniquity of the father and the father shall not help to 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.
Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔno ne deɛ ɔbɛwuo. Ɔbabarima no rennya nʼagya afɔdie no ho asotwe bi, saa ara na agya no nso rennya ɔbabarima no afɔdie ho asotwe no bi. Ɔteneneeni adeteneneeyɛ no bɛdi ama no, na wɔde omumuyɛfoɔ amumuyɛsɛm bɛbu atia no.
21 And the wicked, when he turneth away from all his sins that he hath committed, and keepeth all my statutes, and executeth justice and righteousness, shall surely live, he shall not die.
“Na sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ twe ne ho firi bɔne a wayɛ nyinaa ho, na ɔdi mʼahyɛdeɛ so, na afei ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene ne deɛ ɛyɛ papa a, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa na ɔrenwu.
22 All his transgressions which he hath committed shall not be remembered unto him: through his righteousness which he hath done shall he live.
Wɔrennyina bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara so mmu no atɛn. Ne tenenee nneyɛɛ enti, ɔbɛnya nkwa.
23 Have I then the least pleasure in the death of the wicked? saith the Lord Eternal: and not in his turning away from his ways, that he may live?
Mʼani gye amumuyɛfoɔ wuo ho anaa? Otumfoɔ Awurade bisa. Sɛ wɔtwe wɔn ho firi wɔn akwammɔne ho na wɔnya nkwa a, mʼani nnye anaa?
24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth wrong, and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? all his righteousness that he hath done shall not he remembered: through his trespass which he hath committed, and through his sin that he hath done, —through them shall he die.
“Na sɛ ɔteneneeni twe ne ho firi ne tenenee adeyɛ ho, kɔyɛ bɔne, na ɔyɛ akyiwadeɛ a amumuyɛfoɔ yɛ a, ɔbɛnya nkwa anaa? Wɔrenkae ne tenenee nneyɛɛ no. Esiane sɛ ɔdi nokorɛdie ho fɔ na wayɛ bɔne enti, ɔbɛwu.
25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equitable: hear now, O house of Israel, Is not my way equitable? is it not your ways which are not equitable?
“Nanso moka sɛ, ‘Awurade ɛkwan ntene.’ Montie, Israel efie, Me ɛkwan ntene anaa? Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛntene?
26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and doth wrong, and dieth therefore: through his wrong which he hath done must he die.
Sɛ ɔteneneeni twe ne ho firi ne tenenee nneyɛɛ ho na ɔkɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno enti ɔbɛwu, bɔne a wayɛ enti, ɔbɛwu.
27 Again, when the wicked turneth away from his wickedness which he hath committed, and executeth justice and righteousness: he shall indeed preserve his soul alive.
Nanso sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ twe ne ho firi amumuyɛsɛm a wayɛ ho, na ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene ne deɛ ɛyɛ papa a, ɔbɛgye ne kra nkwa.
28 Because he hath considered, and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed: he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Esiane sɛ wahunu ne mmarato na watwe ne ho afiri ho enti, ɔbɛnya nkwa na ɔrenwu.
29 Yet say the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equitable: are not my ways equitable, O house of Israel? is it not your ways which are not equitable?
Nanso, Israel efie ka sɛ, ‘Awurade ɛkwan ntene.’ Mʼakwan ntene? Israel efie, ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛntene anaa?
30 Therefore will I judge you, every one according to his ways, O house of Israel, saith the Lord Eternal: return ye, and cause others to return from all your transgressions, that iniquity may not become your stumbling-block.
“Ɛno enti, Israel efie, mɛbu mo mu biara atɛn sɛdeɛ nʼakwan teɛ, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ. Monsakra mo adwene! Montwe mo ho mfiri mo mmaratoɔ nyinaa ho; na afei bɔne remfa mo nkɔ asehweɛ mu bio.
31 Cast away from yourselves all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Monto mfomsoɔ a moayɛ nyinaa ngu na moanya akoma foforɔ ne honhom foforɔ. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mowuo, Ao Israel efie?
32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that deserveth to die, saith the Lord Eternal: therefore convert yourselves, and live.
Mʼani nnye obiara owuo ho, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ. ‘Monsakra mo adwene na moanya nkwa!’
