Hezekiel 17
1 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
The LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2 “Ame vi, to adzo, eye nàgblɔ lododo aɖe na Israel ƒe aƒe la.
“Son of man, tell 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, ‘The Lord GOD says: “A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers which had various colours, came to Lebanon and took the top of the cedar.
4 eŋe eƒe ɖɔme hetsɔ yi asitsalawo ƒe anyigba dzi, eye wòdoe ɖe asitsalawo ƒe du gã aɖe me.
He cropped off the topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted 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 also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He 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.
It grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned towards him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
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. Behold, this vine bent its roots towards him, and shot out its branches towards him, from the ground where it was planted, that he might water it.
8 Wodoe ɖe anyigba nyui aɖe si dzi tsi bɔ ɖo, ale be wòato alɔ, atse ku, eye wòazu wainti nyui aɖe.’
It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might produce branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good 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, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, that it may wither, that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It can’t be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people.
10 Ne woahoe ado gɔ̃ hã ɖe, adzea? Ɖe maku keŋkeŋ ne ɣedzeƒeya ƒo lɔe oa? Ɖe maku le afi si wòtsi le oa?’”
Yes, behold, being planted, will it prosper? Won’t it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the ground where it grew.”’”
11 Eye Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
Moreover the LORD’s word 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, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon.
13 Elé fiaƒomea me tɔ aɖe, wɔ nubabla kplii, eye wòka atam nɛ. Ekplɔ anyigba la ƒe ame ŋkutawo dzoe,
He took one of the royal offspring, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty of the land,
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, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might 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 many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape?
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,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the middle of Babylon he will 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.
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company won’t help him in the war, when they 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.’
For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He won’t 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 the Lord GOD says: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken.
20 Makeke nye ɖɔ nɛ, eye nye mɔ aɖee. Makplɔe ayi Babilonia, eye mabu fɔe le afi ma, elabena meto nyateƒe nam o.
I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgement with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed 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.’
All his fugitives in all his bands will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered towards every wind. Then you will know that I, the LORD, 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.
“The Lord GOD says: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant it. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on 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.
I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches.
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.”
All the trees of the field will know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. “‘I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.’”
