Hezekiel 18
1 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 “Nya ka gblɔm amewo le ne wodo lo sia tso Israel ŋu be, “‘Fofowo ɖu waintsetse gbogbowo, eye aɖu nyɔ wo viwo?’”
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?
3 “Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, ‘Zi ale si mele agbe la, miagado lo sia le Israel o.
As I live, saith the Lord Eternal, ye shall not have any more to use this proverb in Israel.
4 Elabena luʋɔ ɖe sia ɖe nye tɔnye, fofo kple vi, wo ame eveawo siaa nye tɔnye. Luʋɔ si wɔ nu vɔ̃ lae aku!’
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.
5 “Le kpɔɖeŋu me, ne ame dzɔdzɔe aɖe li, si wɔa nu dzɔdzɔe, eye wole eteƒe
But if a man be righteous, and execute justice and righteousness;
6 Meɖua nu le nuxeƒewo, le tawo dzi loo alo kpɔa Israel ƒe aƒe ƒe legbawo dzi ɖa o. Medɔa nɔvia srɔ̃ gbɔ o. Alo dɔa nyɔnu gbɔ ne ekpɔ dzinu o.
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;
7 Metea ame aɖeke ɖe to o. Ke egbugbɔa awɔbanu si wòxɔ ɖe fe nu la na nutɔ. Medaa adzo ame o, ke boŋ enaa eƒe nuɖuɖu dɔwuitɔ, eye wònaa nutata amamanɔla.
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;
8 Medoa ga, xɔa deme ɖe edzi o, alo baa ame o. Eɖea eƒe asi ɖa le nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ me, eye wòdrɔ̃a ʋɔnu dzɔdzɔe le ame kple ehavi dome.
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;
9 Ezɔna ɖe nye ɖoɖowo nu, eye wòwɔa nye seawo dzi nyateƒetɔe. Ame ma nye ame dzɔdzɔe, eye wòanɔ agbe godoo.” Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
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.
10 “Le kpɔɖeŋu me, ne viŋutsu sẽŋuta aɖe le esi, ame si kɔa ʋu ɖi, eye wòwɔa nu vɔ̃ bubu siawo dometɔ aɖe,
If he [now] beget a dissolute son that sheddeth blood and doth to [his] brother any one of thee things;
11 togbɔ be fofoa ya mewɔa nu vɔ̃ siawo dometɔ aɖeke o hã. Eɖua nu le nuxeƒewo le towo dzi, Edɔna kple nɔvia srɔ̃.
And he is one that doth not any of these [duties]; but eateth even upon the mountains, and defileth the wife of his neighbor;
12 “Etea ame dahewo kple hiãtɔwo ɖe to. Edaa adzo ame. Megbugbɔa awɔbanu na nutɔ o. Ekpɔa legbawo dzi ɖa. Ewɔa ŋukpenanuwo.
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:
13 Edoa ga, xɔa deme ɖe edzi, eye wòbaa ame. Ame sia tɔgbi anɔ agbea? Manɔ agbe o. Esi wòwɔ ŋunyɔnu siawo katã ta la, woawui godoo, eye eƒe ʋu anɔ eya ŋutɔ ƒe ta dzi.
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.
14 “Ke ne viŋutsu sia dzi viŋutsu, ame si kpɔa nu vɔ̃ siwo katã fofoa wɔna, gake togbɔ be ekpɔ fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃wo hã la, mewɔa nu vɔ̃ ma tɔgbiwo o.
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;
15 “Meɖua nu le nuxeƒewo, le towo dzi o, alo kpɔa Israel ƒe aƒe ƒe legbawo dzi ɖa o. Medɔa ehavi srɔ̃ gbɔ o.
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;
16 Metea ame aɖeke ɖe to o, eye mexɔa awɔbanu hafi doa ga na ame o. Medaa adzo ame o, ke boŋ enaa eƒe nuɖuɖu dɔwuitɔwo, eye wònaa nutata amamanɔlawo.
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;
17 Eɖea eƒe asi ɖa le nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ me, eye mexɔa deme alo baa ame o. Ewɔa nye sewo dzi, eye wòzɔna ɖe nye ɖoɖowo nu. Maku ɖe fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta o; anɔ agbe godoo.
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.
18 Ke fofoa ya aku ɖe eya ŋutɔ ƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta, elabena exɔa nu sesẽtɔe le ame si, daa adzo nɔvia, eye wòwɔa nu si gblẽ la le eƒe amewo dome.
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.
19 “Ke miebia be, ‘Nu ka ta viŋutsu maxɔ fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃ ƒe akpa aɖe o?’ Esi viŋutsu la wɔ nu si le dzɔdzɔe, henyo, eye wòkpɔ egbɔ be yelé nye ɖoɖowo katã me ɖe asi ta la, anɔ agbe godoo.
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.
20 Luʋɔ si wɔ nu vɔ̃ lae aku. Viŋutsu la maxɔ fofoa ƒe nu vɔ̃ ƒe akpa aɖeke o. Woatsɔ ame dzɔdzɔe ƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ana eya ŋutɔ, eye woatsɔ ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔwɔ nɛ.
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.
21 “Ke ne ame vɔ̃ɖi aɖe ɖe asi le nu vɔ̃ siwo katã wòwɔ la ŋuti, eye wòlé nye ɖoɖowo katã me ɖe asi, eye wòwɔ nu si dzɔ, henyo la, anɔ agbe godoo; maku o.
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.
22 Womagaɖo ŋku nu vɔ̃ siwo wòwɔ la dometɔ aɖeke dzi ɖe eŋu o. Le nu nyui siwo wòwɔ ta la, anɔ agbe.
All his transgressions which he hath committed shall not be remembered unto him: through his righteousness which he hath done shall he live.
23 Ɖe mekpɔa dzidzɔ le ame vɔ̃ɖi ƒe ku ŋutia? Ke boŋ ɖe nyemekpɔa dzidzɔ ne wotrɔ tso woƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi henɔ agbe nyui oa?” Nenemae Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ.
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?
24 “Ke ne ame dzɔdzɔe aɖe ɖe asi le eƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ŋu, eye wòwɔ nu vɔ̃ kple ŋukpenanu siwo ame vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔna la, ɖe wòanɔ agbea? Womagaɖo ŋku nu dzɔdzɔe siwo wòwɔ la dometɔ aɖeke dzi o. Le nuteƒe si mewɔ o kple nu vɔ̃ siwo wòwɔ ta la, aku.
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.
25 “Ke miegblɔna be, ‘Aƒetɔ la ƒe mɔ mele eteƒe o.’” See, O! Israel ƒe aƒe. Ɖe nye mɔ mele eteƒe oa? Menye miawo boŋ ƒe mɔwoe mele eteƒe oa?
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?
26 Ne ame dzɔdzɔe aɖe ɖe asi le eƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ŋu, eye wòwɔ nu vɔ̃ la, aku le eta. Le nu vɔ̃ si wòwɔ ta la, aku.
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.
27 Ke ne nu vɔ̃ wɔla aɖe ɖe asi le eƒe nu vɔ̃ siwo wòwɔ ŋu, eye wòwɔ nu si dzɔ, eye wònyo la, aɖe eƒe agbe.
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.
28 Esi wòbu nu vɔ̃ siwo katã wòwɔ ŋu, eye wòɖe asi le eŋu ta la, anɔ agbe godoo; maku o.
Because he hath considered, and turned away from all his transgressions which he had committed: he shall surely live, he shall not die.
29 Ke Israel ƒe aƒe le gbɔgblɔm be, “Aƒetɔ la ƒe mɔ mele eteƒe o?” Menye miawo ƒe mɔwo boŋue mele eteƒe oa?
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?
30 Eya ta Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ be, “O! Israel ƒe aƒe, esia ta madrɔ̃ ʋɔnu mi, ame sia ame ɖe eƒe mɔwo nu. Mitrɔ dzi me! Miɖe asi le miaƒe dzidadawo katã ŋuti, ekema nu vɔ̃ manye miaƒe anyidzedze o.
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.
31 Miɖe miaƒe nu vɔ̃ siwo katã miewɔ la ɖa le mia ɖokuiwo ŋu, eye miaxɔ dzi yeye aɖe kple gbɔgbɔ yeye aɖe. Nu ka ta miaku, O! Israel ƒe aƒe?
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?
32 Elabena nyemekpɔa dzidzɔ le ame aɖeke ƒe ku ŋuti o. Mitrɔ dzi me ne mianɔ agbe. Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.
For I have no pleasure in the death of him that deserveth to die, saith the Lord Eternal: therefore convert yourselves, and live.
