Hezekiel 17
1 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
2 “Ame vi, to adzo, eye nàgblɔ lododo aɖe na Israel ƒe aƒe la.
Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel;
3 Gblɔ na wo be, ‘Nya si Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi. Hɔ̃ lolo aɖe si ŋu aʋala sesẽ siwo ŋu fu didiwo le, eye wòto fu amadede vovovowo la, va Lebanon. Esi wòdze ɖe sedati aɖe tame la,
and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle, with great wings, with long feathers, full of plumage, which had divers colors, came to Lebanon, and took the highest branch of a cedar.
4 eŋe eƒe ɖɔme hetsɔ yi asitsalawo ƒe anyigba dzi, eye wòdoe ɖe asitsalawo ƒe du gã aɖe me.
He cropped off the top of its young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
5 “‘Etsɔ miaƒe anyigba ƒe ku aɖe, eye wòdoe ɖe anyigba nyui aɖe dzi. Edoe abe amuti ene ɖe afi si tsi sɔ gbɔ ɖo.
He took also one of the shoots of the land, and put it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow-tree.
6 Ati la dze, eye wòzu wainti kpehe aɖe si ƒe alɔwo vu. Eƒe alɔwo trɔ ɖo ɖe egbɔ, ke eƒe kewo ya nɔ ete. Ale wòzu wainti toalɔwo, eye aŋugbawo vu ɖe eŋu.
And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned towards him, and whose roots were under him. It became a vine, that brought forth branches, and shot forth boughs.
7 “‘Ke hɔ̃ gã bubu aɖe li, si ŋu aʋala sesẽ nɔ, eye wòto fu kpoyo. Wainka la trɔ eƒe kewo ɖo ɖe egbɔ tso afi si wodoe ɖo, eye wòkeke eƒe aʋalawo hena tsii.
There was also another great eagle, with great wings and many feathers; and, behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, that he might water it from the beds where it was planted.
8 Wodoe ɖe anyigba nyui aɖe si dzi tsi bɔ ɖo, ale be wòato alɔ, atse ku, eye wòazu wainti nyui aɖe.’
And yet it was planted in a good soil, by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, and be a goodly vine.
9 “Gblɔ na wo be, Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Ɖe wòava eme nenema? Ɖe womahoe, eye woagbe eƒe kutsetsewo, ale be wòaku oa? Eƒe alɔ yeyewo katã aku. Menye abɔ sesẽ aɖe alo ame geɖewoe ahoe kple ke o.
Say thou, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Shall it prosper? Shall not he pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it wither? In all the leaves of its branching shall it wither; even without a mighty arm, or many people, shall he pluck it up by the roots.
10 Ne woahoe ado gɔ̃ hã ɖe, adzea? Ɖe maku keŋkeŋ ne ɣedzeƒeya ƒo lɔe oa? Ɖe maku le afi si wòtsi le oa?’”
Yea, behold, it is planted; but shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew.
11 Eye Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
Moreover, the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
12 “Gblɔ na ƒome dzeaglã la be, ‘Ɖe miese nu siawo gɔme oa?’ Gblɔ na wo be, ‘Babilonia fia yi Yerusalem, eye wòkplɔ eƒe fia kple bubumewo yi Babilonia.
Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? Say, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes, and led them with him to Babylon,
13 Elé fiaƒomea me tɔ aɖe, wɔ nubabla kplii, eye wòka atam nɛ. Ekplɔ anyigba la ƒe ame ŋkutawo dzoe,
and took one of the king's offspring, and made a covenant with him, and took an oath of him, and the mighty of the land he took away,
14 ale be wòate fiaɖuƒe la ɖe to, magate ŋu afɔ o, eye wòatsi agbe ne ewɔ nubabla la dzi ko.
that the kingdom might be brought low, so as not to lift itself up; that the covenant might be kept, and stand.
15 Ke fia la dze aglã ɖe eŋu esi wòɖo eƒe amewo ɖe Egipte be woaxɔ sɔwo kple aʋakɔ gã aɖe vɛ. Adze edzi nɛa? Ɖe ame si wɔ nu sia tɔgbi la ate ŋu asia? Ɖe wòatu nubabla la, gake ate ŋu asia?’
But he rebelled against him, in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Shall he break the covenant and be delivered?
16 “Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, ‘Zi ale si mele agbe la, aku ɖe Babilonia, ɖe fia si ɖoe zi dzi la ƒe anyigba dzi, ame si ƒe atam wòdo vloe kple ame si ƒe nubabla wòtu.
As I live saith the Lord Jehovah, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon shall he die.
17 Farao kple eƒe aʋakɔ triakɔ la kple eƒe ameha gã mana kpekpeɖeŋu aɖeke le aʋa me ne woƒo kpo ɖe eŋu, eye wotu xɔ tsralawo be woawu ame geɖewo o.
Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great multitude accomplish anything for him in war, when they shall cast up mounds, and build forts to cut off many persons,
18 Edo vlo atam la to nubabla la tutu me. Esi wòlɔ̃ ɖe nubabla la dzi hafi wɔ nu siawo katã ta la, mate ŋu asi o.’
he hath despised the oath, and broken the covenant; behold, he hath given the hand, and yet done all these things; he shall not escape!
19 “Eya ta ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi, ‘Zi ale si mele agbe la, mana nye atam si wòdo vloe kple nye nubabla si wòtu la nava eƒe ta dzi.
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath, which he hath despised, and my covenant, which he hath broken, will I recompense upon his own head.
20 Makeke nye ɖɔ nɛ, eye nye mɔ aɖee. Makplɔe ayi Babilonia, eye mabu fɔe le afi ma, elabena meto nyateƒe nam o.
And I will spread my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will contend with him there for his trespass which he hath committed against me.
21 Eƒe aʋawɔla siwo le sisim la katã atsi yi nu, eye eƒe agbetsilawo akaka ɖe yawo katã nu, ekema mianya be nye Yehowae gblɔe.’
And all his fugitives with all his hosts shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered to all the winds; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, have spoken it.
22 “Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi. ‘Nye ŋutɔ maŋe sedati aɖe ƒe ɖɔme tso etame ke, eye madoe. Maŋe eƒe ɖɔme ado, eye madoe ɖe to kɔkɔ aɖe dzi.
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I also will take from the top of the high cedar, and will get it; and from the highest of its twigs will I crop a tender one, and plant it upon a high and lofty mountain.
23 Israel ƒe to kɔkɔwo dzie madoe ɖo; aɖe alɔwo, atse ku, eye wòazu sedati nyui aɖe. Xevi ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi awɔ atɔ ɖe eme. Woakpɔ sitsoƒe le eƒe alɔwo ƒe vɔvɔli te.
Upon a high mountain of Israel will I plant it, and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar; and under it shall dwell birds of every wing; in the shadow of its branches shall they dwell.
24 Gbemetiwo katã anya be nye Yehowae bɔbɔ ati kɔkɔ la ɖe anyi, eye mena ati kpui la tsi hekɔ. Mena ati mumu la ku, eye ati kuku la dze.’ “Nye Aƒetɔ Yehowae ƒo nu, eye mawɔe ade goe.”
And all the trees of the field shall know that I, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree, and exalted the low tree; that I have dried up the green tree, and made the dry tree green. I, Jehovah, have spoken, and will do it.
