Hezekiel 14
1 Israel ƒe ametsitsi aɖewo va gbɔnye, eye wonɔ anyi ɖe nye ŋkume.
Some elders of Israel arrived and sat down with me.
2 Tete Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
3 “Ame vi, ame siawo li legbawo ɖe woƒe dzi me, eye woɖi afɔklinu vɔ̃ɖiwo ɖe woƒe ŋkume. Ɖe mana woabia gbem mahã?
“Son of man, these men are worshiping idols in their minds even though they know this will lead them to sin. Why should I respond to their requests?
4 Eya ta gblɔ na wo be, ‘Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Ne Israelvi aɖe li legbawo ɖe eƒe dzi me, tsɔ afɔklinu vɔ̃ɖi da ɖe eƒe ŋkume, eye wòyi nyagblɔɖila aɖe gbɔ la, nye, Yehowa, ŋutɔ maɖo nya la ŋu nɛ le eya ŋutɔ ƒe legbawo ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ nu.
So tell them that this is what the Lord God says: When the people of Israel worship idols in their minds that will lead them to sin, and then come to consult the prophet, I the Lord will give them an answer appropriate to their many idols.
5 Mawɔ alea ale be magbugbɔ Israel ƒe ame siwo katã gblẽm ɖi le woƒe legbawo ta la ƒe dziwo axɔ.’
Like this I might have the people of Israel decide to recommit themselves to me. Right now, because of their idols, all of them treat me as their enemy.
6 “Eya ta gblɔ na Israel ƒe aƒe la be, ‘Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi; mitrɔ dzi me! Miɖe asi le miaƒe legbawo ŋu, eye miagbe nu le miaƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔwɔ gbɔ!’
So tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: Repent! Give up worshiping your idols Stop all your disgusting practices.
7 “‘Ne Israelvi alo amedzro aɖe si le Israel gbe nu le gbɔnye, eye wòɖo legbawo ɖe eƒe dzi me hetsɔ afɔklinu vɔ̃ɖi aɖe ɖo eƒe ŋkume hafi yi nyagblɔɖila aɖe gbɔ be yeabia nyae tso ŋunye la, nye Yehowa ŋutɔ, maɖo nya la ŋu nɛ.
When the people of Israel or foreigners living with them worship idols in their minds that will lead them to sin and then come to consult the prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself.
8 Matɔ ŋku ame ma, mawɔe wòanye kpɔɖeŋu kple nyatoto, eye maɖee ɖa le nye amewo dome. Ekema mianyae be, nyee nye Yehowa.’
I will oppose anyone who does this and make any example of them that others will talk about. I will remove them from among my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9 “‘Eye ne woflu nyagblɔɖila la be wòagblɔ nya ɖi la, nye Yehowae aflu nyagblɔɖila ma, makɔ nye asi dzi ɖe eŋu, eye matsrɔ̃e le nye amewo dome le Israel.
But if the prophet is deceived into giving a message, it was I the Lord who deceived him to do this. I will still reach out and destroy that prophet from my people Israel.
10 Ame sia ame atsɔ eƒe vodada, nyagblɔɖila la kple ame siwo bia gbee siaa, woanye vodalawo.
They will be responsible for the punishment they receive, as will those who believe in these prophets will receive the same punishment.
11 Ekema Israelviwo magatra mɔ tso gbɔnye o, eye womagagblẽ kɔ ɖo na wo ɖokuiwo kple woƒe nu vɔ̃wo katã o. Woanye nye amewo eye nye hã manye woƒe Mawu. Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.’”
This is so that the people of Israel won't abandon me anymore and won't make themselves unclean with all their sins. Then they will be my people and I will be their God, declares the Lord God.”
12 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
A message from the Lord came to me again, saying,
13 “Ame vi, ne dukɔ aɖe wɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe ŋutinye, eye meto nyateƒe nam o la, makɔ nye asi dzi ɖe eŋu be maɖo asi eƒe nuɖuɖukpɔtsoƒe dzi; ekema dɔwuame ava edzi, eye mawu eƒe amewo kple eƒe lãwo,
“Son of man, if a people in a country sin against me by being unfaithful to me, then I will act against them by cutting off their food supply, so they experience famine, with no food for people or animals.
14 nenye be ame etɔ̃ siawo, Noa, Daniel kple Hiob gɔ̃ hã anɔ wo dome. Woatsɔ woƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye aɖe woawo ŋutɔ ɖeɖe ko. Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, these three men, were present their good lives would only save themselves, declares the Lord God.
15 “Alo ne meɖo lã wɔadãwo ɖa be woato anyigba ma dzi, eye wowu wo viwo katã, eye anyigba la zu gbegbe, ale be ame aɖeke magate ŋu ato edzi ayi o le lã wɔadãawo ta la,
I could send wild animals rampaging through the country, so they would leave it uninhabited and desolate, a place no one would travel through for fear of such animals.
16 Aƒetɔ Yehowa be yeta yeƒe agbe be ne ame etɔ̃ siawo anɔ wo dome gɔ̃ hã la, womate ŋu aɖe wo viŋutsuwo alo wo vinyɔnuwo o. Woawo ɖeɖe koe akpɔ ɖeɖe, ke anyigba la ya azu gbegbe.
As I live, declares the Lord God, even if these three men were present, they couldn't save their own sons or daughters. They would only save themselves, but the land would be left desolate.
17 “Alo ne meɖo yi ɖe anyigba ma dzi hegblɔ be, ‘Yi la nato anyigba la dzi,’ eye mewu eƒe amewo kple woƒe lãwo la,
I could bring war to that country and say, ‘Have a sword cut through it,’ so that I destroy both people and animals.
18 Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, yeta ye ŋutɔ ƒe agbe be, ne ame etɔ̃ siawo nɔ anyigba la dzi gɔ̃ hã la, womate ŋu aɖe wo viŋutsuwo alo wo vinyɔnuwo o. Woawo ŋutɔ ko woaɖe.
As I live, declares the Lord God, even if these three men were present, they couldn't save their own sons or daughters. They would only save themselves.
19 “Alo ne meɖo dɔvɔ̃ ɖe anyigba ma dzi, eye meɖe nye dziku helĩhelĩ ɖe edzi to ʋukɔkɔɖi me hewu eƒe amewo kple woƒe lãwo la,
I could send a disease on that country and because of my anger I would kill many, both people and animals.
20 Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, yeta ye ŋutɔ yeƒe agbe be, ne Noa, Daniel kple Hiob anɔ anyigba la dzi gɔ̃ hã la, womate ŋu aɖe wo viŋutsuwo alo wo vinyɔnuwo o. Woawo ŋutɔ ɖokui ko woate ŋu aɖe kple woƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye.
As I live, declares the Lord God, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were present, they couldn't save their sons or daughters. Their good lives would only save themselves.
21 “Elabena ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye si, ‘Aleke gbegbe wòagasẽ wu ne medɔ nye ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ dziŋɔ ene siawo, yi, dɔwuame, lã wɔadãwo kple dɔvɔ̃ ɖa ɖe Yerusalem ŋu be woawu eƒe amewo kple eƒe lãwo siaa!
This is what the Lord God says: It will be so much worse when I send my four severe judgments against Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease, so that both people and animals are killed!
22 Ke agbetsila aɖewo anɔ anyi anye viŋutsu kple vinyɔnu siwo woaɖe tso eme. Woaʋu le mia gbɔ, eye ne mekpɔ woƒe zɔzɔme kple nuwɔnawo la, miaƒe akɔ afa le dzɔgbevɔ̃e ɖe sia ɖe si mehe va Yerusalem dzi la ta.
Even so a few of them will survive, some sons and daughters who will be taken captive. They will be brought to you in Babylon, and when you realize what they did and how they acted, you will understand why I had to bring such a disaster down on Jerusalem—everything I did to it.
23 Woafa akɔ na mi ne miekpɔ woƒe zɔzɔme kple woƒe nuwɔnawo, elabena mianya be nyemewɔ naneke dzodzro o.’ Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.”
Realizing what they did and how they acted will help you to see that I had good reasons to do everything I did to Jerusalem, declares the Lord God.”
