Hezekiel 19
1 “Dze konyifaha aɖe gɔme, eye nàgblɔ be,
“Now you, take up a lamentation against the leaders of Israel
2 “‘Dzatanɔ kae dawò nye le dzatawo dome? Emlɔ dzataviwo dome, eye wònye viawo.
and say, 'Who was your mother? A lioness, she lived with a lion's son; in the midst of young lions, she nurtured her cubs.
3 Ehe viawo dometɔ ɖeka wòtsi hezu dzata sesẽ aɖe. Esrɔ̃ nuléle, eye wòléa amewo vuvuna.
She is the one who raised up one of her cubs to become a young lion, a lion who learned to tear apart his victims, and then he devoured men.
4 Dukɔwo se eŋkɔ ɖe do nɛ, wòge ɖe eme, wolée, de ga ŋɔtime nɛ, eye wokplɔe yi Egiptenyigba dzi.
Then the nations heard about him. He was caught in their trap, and they brought him with hooks to 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.
Then she saw that although she had waited for his return, her expectation was now gone, so she took another of her cubs and raised him to become a young lion.
6 Enɔ dzatawo dome, elabena ezu dzata sesẽ aɖe azɔ. Esrɔ̃ nuléle, eye wòléa amewo vuvuna.
This young lion roamed about in the midst of lions. He was a young lion and learned to tear his victims; he devoured men.
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
He seized their widows and ruined their cities. The land and its fullness were abandoned because of the sound 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.
But the nations came against him from the surrounding provinces; they spread their nets over him. He was caught in their trap.
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.
With hooks they put him in a cage and then they brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him to the strongholds so that his voice would no longer 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.
Your mother was like a vine planted in your blood beside the water. it was fruitful and full of branches because of the abundance of water.
11 Eƒe alɔwo sẽ, eye wonyo woatsɔ awɔ fiatikplɔ. Ekɔ gbɔ avemeti bubuawo katã ta, edzena le eƒe kɔkɔ kple eƒe alɔ geɖewo ta.
It had strong branches that were used for rulers' scepters, and its size was exalted above the branches, and its height was seen by the greatness of its foliage.
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 the vine was uprooted in fury and thrown down to the earth, and an eastern wind dried out its fruit. Its strong branches were broken off and withered and fire consumed them.
13 Azɔ la, wodoe ɖe gbegbe, anyigba ƒuƒu aɖe dzi, afi si tsi menɔ o.
So now it is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst.
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.’”
For fire went out from her large branches and consumed its fruit. There is no strong branch on it, no scepter to rule.' This is a lamentation and will be sung as a lamentation.”
