Ezekiel 24
1 Almost nine [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the tenth day of the tenth month [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
Afe a ɛtɔ so nkron no bosome a ɛtɔ so edu no dadu so, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
2 “You human, write down what day of the month this is. On this [the army of] King of Babylon has surrounded Jerusalem.
“Onipa ba, twerɛ saa ɛda yi, saa ɛda yi ara, ɛfiri sɛ Babiloniahene atua Yerusalem ɛnnɛ dua yi ara.
3 Tell those rebellious Israeli people [MTY] [in Babylon] a parable. Say this to them: This is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Pour water into the [cooking] pot and put the pot [the fire].
Ka kyerɛ saa atuatefoɔ efie yi, ka no wɔ abɛbuo mu kyerɛ wɔn sɛ: ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “‘Fa ɛsɛn no si ogya so; fa si so na hwie nsuo gu mu.
4 Put into the pot some pieces of [from one of your best sheep]: Put in the leg and shoulder, [which are] the best pieces. [Then] fill [the rest of] the pot with the best bones.
Fa nankum no gu mu, nankum a ɛyɛ akɔnnɔ no nyinaa, nnyawa ne abasa. Fa nnompe a ɛte apɔ hyɛ no ma;
5 Pile wood on the fire, and cook the bones and the meat in the boiling water.’
fa nnwankuo no mu deɛ ɔdi mu. Fa nnyentia hyehyɛ aseɛ ma nnompe no; ma ɛnhuru na noa nnompe a ɛwɔ mu no.
6 [Do that] because this is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Terrible things will happen [Jerusalem]; it is city that is full of murderers [MTY], [a city that is like] [MET] a scorched pot whose black residue inside cannot be removed. Take the pieces [of meat] out of the pot, but do not choose which pieces to take out.
“‘Na sei na Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “‘Mogyahwiegu kuropɔn no nnue, nnome nka ɛsɛn a awe nnaakye seesei, na deɛ ɛwɔ mu aka mu no! Yiyi nankum no mmaako mmaako firi mu a wommɔ so ntonto.
7 The blood of the people who were murdered in Jerusalem is still there; they were murdered on the bare rocks, not on the soil, where their blood could be covered.
“‘Mogya a ɔhwie guiɛ no wɔ ne mfimfini: ɔhwie guu ɔbotan wesee so; wanhwie angu fam, baabi a mfuturo bɛkata soɔ.
8 But I am the one who caused the blood of those who were murdered [MTY] to be smeared on the bare rock, where their blood could not be covered; I did that in order [I could see it and] then be angry and get revenge.’
Sɛ ɛbɛhwanyan abufuhyeɛ ama aweretɔ enti mede ne mogya guu ɔbotan wesee so sɛdeɛ ɛso renkata.
9 Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘Terrible things will happen to that city that is full of murderers [MTY]! [It will be as though] I also will pile high [the wood in the fire].
“‘Enti yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “‘Mogyahwiegu kuropɔn no nnue! Me nso mɛhyehyɛ nnyensin no akɔ sorosoro.
10 [So], heap on the wood and light the fire! Cook the meat well, and mix some spices with it; cook it until the bones are charred.
Enti hyehyɛ nnyensin no na sɔ ogya no. Noa ɛnam no yie, fa ahwanhwanneɛ fra mu; na ma nnompe no nhye.
11 Then set the empty pot on the [of the fire] until the pot becomes [very] hot and the copper glows, with the result that the impurities and the rust will be burned up.
Afei, fa ɛsɛn hunu si ogyasramma no so kɔsi sɛ ɛbɛdɔ na ayɛ kɔɔ sɛdeɛ emu fi no bɛnane na deɛ ɛwɔ mu no bɛhye asɛeɛ.
12 [It is as though] I tried to get rid of that rust, but I was not able to do it, [not even] by putting that pot in a fire.
Wama ɔbrɛ no nyinaa ayɛ kwa; emu fi dodoɔ no ankɔ, ogya mpo antumi annyi.
13 The [in the pot represents] your immoral behavior. I tried to cleanse you from your wicked behavior, but you did not allow me to do that. So you will not be [from the guilt of your sin] [I have punished you and] I am no longer angry.
“‘Ɛfi a ɛwɔ wo mu no ne aniwudeyɛ. Mebɔɔ mmɔden sɛ mɛhohoro wo ho, nanso woamma ho ɛkwan, wo ho remfi bio kɔsi sɛ mʼabufuhyeɛ a ɛtia woɔ no ano bɛdwo.
14 I, Yahweh, have said [that I will surely punish you]. [And it is time] for me to do that. I will not change my mind; I will not refrain from punishing you, and I will not pity you. I will judge you [and punish you] as you deserve to be punished for your sinful behavior. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh the Lord, have said it.”’”
“‘Me Awurade na maka. Ɛberɛ aso sɛ meyɛ biribi. Merentwentwɛn so; merennya ahummɔborɔ, na merenwogo me ho. Wɔbɛgyina wo suban ne wo nneyɛɛ so abu wo atɛn, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.’”
15 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
16 “You human, I am going to suddenly take from [your wife], whom you love very much. [when she dies], do [show that you are] sad or lament or cry.
“Onipa ba, merebɛbɔ wo fua na mafa adeɛ a wʼani gye ho yie. Nanso ɛntwa adwo, ɛnni awerɛhoɔ na ɛnnte nisuo.
17 Groan quietly; do not cry [openly] for her. [Keep] your turban wrapped around your head, [instead of being barefoot, keep] your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your [to show that you are sad]. And do not eat the kind of food that people who are mourning usually eat.”
Si apinie komm; ɛnni owufoɔ ho awerɛhoɔ. Ma wʼabotiten mmɔ wo na hyɛ wo mpaboa; nkata wʼano na ɛnni amanneɛ aduane a wɔn a wɔdi awerɛhoɔ di.”
18 [one morning] I talked to the [as usual], and that evening my wife [suddenly] died. The next morning I did what [Yahweh] had told me to do.
Enti mekasa kyerɛɛ nnipa no anɔpa, na nʼanwummerɛ na me yere wuiɛ. Adeɛ kyeeɛ no, meyɛɛ sɛdeɛ wɔahyɛ me no.
19 Then the people asked me, “What do the things that you are doing signify to us?”
Afei nnipa no bisaa me sɛ, “Worenkyerɛ yɛn deɛ ade a woreyɛ yi bɛyɛ wɔn yɛn ho?”
20 So I said to them, “[This is what] Yahweh told me:
Enti meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
21 ‘Tell the Israeli people [MTY] that I am about to destroy the temple, [the building] that you are very proud of, the building that you delight to look at. Your children whom you [in Jerusalem when you were forced to come to Babylon] will be killed [their enemies’] swords.
Ka kyerɛ Israel efie sɛ: ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Merebɛgu me kronkronbea ho fi; mo banbɔ denden a mode hoahoa mo ho, deɛ mo ani gye ho, adeɛ a mo akoma da so. Mmammarima ne mmammaa a mogyaa wɔn akyi no bɛtotɔ wɔ akofena ano.
22 [When that happens], you will do like I have done: You will not cover the lower part of your faces, or eat the kinds of food that people who are mourning usually eat.
Na mobɛyɛ sɛdeɛ mayɛ yi: morenkata mo ano na morenni amanneɛ aduane a wɔn a wɔdi awerɛhoɔ di.
23 [You will keep] your turbans wrapped around your heads and [keep] your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or cry, but your bodies will become very thin and slowly die because of your sins. And you will groan to each other.
Mobɛkɔ so abɔ mo abɔtiten ahyɛ mo mpaboa. Morenni awerɛhoɔ na morensu, mmom mo so bɛte ɛsiane mo bɔne enti, na mobɛsisi apinie wɔ mo mu.
24 Ezekiel will be a warning to you, and you must do what he has done. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh the [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
Hesekiel bɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama mo. Mobɛyɛ sɛdeɛ woayɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Na yei si a na mobɛhunu sɛ mene Otumfoɔ Awurade no.’
25 [Then Yahweh said to me], “You human, [soon] I will destroy their sacred temple, which they rejoice about and which they respect and delight to look at, and [I will get rid of] their sons and daughters also.
“Na wo, onipa ba, ɛda a mɛfa wɔn aban denden, wɔn ahosɛpɛ ne animuonyam, adeɛ a wɔn ani gye ho, wɔn akoma so adeɛ, ne wɔn mmammarima ne wɔn mmammaa nso no,
26 On that day, someone will escape [from Jerusalem] and come and tell you what has happened [there].
saa ɛda no otutenani bi na ɔbɛba abɛka deɛ asi akyerɛ wo.
27 When that happens, you will be able to speak again [MTY] [without constraint]. You two will talk together [DOU]. You will be a warning to the people; and they will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”
Saa ɛberɛ no, wʼano bɛbue, wo ne no bɛkasa na worennyɛ komm bio. Wobɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama wɔn, na wɔbɛhunu sɛ mene Awurade no.”
