< Hezekiel 19 >

1 “Dze konyifaha aɖe gɔme, eye nàgblɔ be,
And thou, —do thou lift up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 “‘Dzatanɔ kae dawò nye le dzatawo dome? Emlɔ dzataviwo dome, eye wònye viawo.
And say, What a noble lioness was thy mother! among lions did she lie down, in the midst of young lions did she raise her whelps!
3 Ehe viawo dometɔ ɖeka wòtsi hezu dzata sesẽ aɖe. Esrɔ̃ nuléle, eye wòléa amewo vuvuna.
And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; [even] men he devoured.
4 Dukɔwo se eŋkɔ ɖe do nɛ, wòge ɖe eme, wolée, de ga ŋɔtime nɛ, eye wokplɔe yi Egiptenyigba dzi.
And when nations heard of him, he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings unto the land of Egypt.
5 “‘Esi dzatanɔ la kpɔ be yeƒe mɔkpɔkpɔ medze edzi o la, ebu mɔkpɔkpɔ, tsɔ eƒe dzataviwo dometɔ bubu, wɔe wòzu dzata sesẽ aɖe.
Now when she saw that she had long waited, [that] her hope was lost, she took another one of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 Enɔ dzatawo dome, elabena ezu dzata sesẽ aɖe azɔ. Esrɔ̃ nuléle, eye wòléa amewo vuvuna.
And he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a young lion; and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; even men he devoured.
7 Egbã woƒe mɔ sesẽwo ƒu anyi, eye wòwɔ woƒe duwo wozu aƒedo. Eƒe gbetete do ŋɔdzi na anyigba la kple ame siwo katã nɔ edzi
And he broke down their palaces, and their cities laid he in ruins: and then was terrified the land, with all that filled it, because of the noise of his roaring.
8 Tete dukɔ siwo tso nuto ma me godoo la tso ɖe eŋu. Woɖo ɖɔ nɛ, eye woɖee le woƒe asɔʋe me.
Then set themselves the nations against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread over him their net: in their pit was he caught.
9 Wode ga ŋɔtime nɛ, hee ɖade gaxadza me, eye wokɔe yi na Babilonia fia. Ale womegase eƒe gbetete kpɔ le Israel ƒe towo dzi o.
And they put him in a cage with nose-rings [in his nose], and they brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into strong-holds, in order that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 “‘Dawò nɔ abe wainti ene le wò wainbɔ me. Wodoe ɖe tsi gbɔ. Etsea ku, eye wòɖe alɔwo fũu le tsi ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ le afi ma ta.
Thy mother was like a vine, if I compare thee to aught, planted by the waters: fruitful and full of boughs was she by reason of many waters.
11 Eƒe alɔwo sẽ, eye wonyo woatsɔ awɔ fiatikplɔ. Ekɔ gbɔ avemeti bubuawo katã ta, edzena le eƒe kɔkɔ kple eƒe alɔ geɖewo ta.
And she had strong branches [fit] for the sceptres of rulers, and her stature grew up high between the thick-branched [trees], and she was seen through her height by means of the multitude of her tendrils.
12 Ke wotsoe ƒu anyi le dɔmedzoe me. Ɣedzeƒeya na wòyrɔ, eye woɖe eƒe kutsetsewo ɖa le eŋu. Eƒe alɔ sesẽawo ku, eye dzo fia wo.
But she was plucked up in fury, to the ground was she cast down, and the east wind dried up her fruit: and torn off and dried up were her strong branches, a fire consumed them.
13 Azɔ la, wodoe ɖe gbegbe, anyigba ƒuƒu aɖe dzi, afi si tsi menɔ o.
And now is she planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Dzo bi, kaka tso eƒe alɔ gã ɖeka me, eye wòbi eƒe tsetseawo. Alɔ sesẽ aɖeke megatsi eŋu woatsɔ akpa dziɖula ƒe fiatikplɔe o. Esia nye konyifaha, eye woawɔ eŋu dɔ abe konyifaha ene.’”
And fire is gone out of a branch of her boughs, and hath devoured her fruit, so that there is no more on her a strong branch for a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and it is become a lamentation.

< Hezekiel 19 >