Hezekiel 21
1 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Trɔ wò mo ɖe Yerusalem ŋu, eye nàgblɔ nya atsi tsitre ɖe kɔkɔeƒe la ŋu. Gblɔ nya ɖi ɖe Israelnyigba ŋu,
“Son of man, face towards Jerusalem and condemn their places of worship. Prophesy against the people living in Israel
3 eye nàgblɔ nɛ be, ‘Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Metsi tsitre ɖe ŋuwò. Maɖe nye yi le eƒe aku me, eye matsrɔ̃ wò ame dzɔdzɔewo kple ame vɔ̃ɖiwo siaa.
and tell them that this is what the Lord says: Watch out, because I'm going to attack you! I'm going to take out my sword and destroy you, both the good and the bad.
4 Esi mele ame dzɔdzɔewo kple ame vɔ̃ɖiwo siaa tsrɔ̃ ge le dziwò ta la, nye yi aɖe le aku me ɖe ame sia ame ŋu, tso dziehe yi anyiehe.
Because I'm going to destroy both the good and the bad, I will attack everyone from the north to the south.
5 Ekema amewo katã anya be nye Yehowae ɖe nye yi le aku me; magatrɔ yi aku me azɔ o.’
Then the whole world will know that I, the Lord, have taken out my sword, and won't put it back again.
6 “Eya ta, nɔ ŋeŋem, Ame vi, ŋe le wo ŋkume kple dzigbagbã kple vevesese helĩhelĩ.
You, son of man, you are to groan. Groan as if you're broken up inside, showing terrible sadness while they watch you.
7 Eye ne wobia wò be, ‘Nu ka ta nèle ŋeŋem ɖo?’ la, àɖo eŋu be, ‘Le nyadzɔdzɔ si gbɔna la ta. Dzi ɖe sia ɖe alolõ, asi ɖe sia ɖe adze ti, gbɔgbɔ ɖe sia ɖe ayi to, eye klo ɖe sia ɖe agbɔdzɔ abe tsi ene.’ Egbɔna! Ava eme godoo, Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.”
When they ask, ‘What are you groaning for?’ you are to tell them, ‘Because of the news that's coming. All of you will lose your courage and you'll be paralyzed with fear. All of you will be weak with worry—you won't be able to stand up!’ Watch out, because it's coming! It's going to happen! declares the Lord God.”
8 Aƒetɔ Yehowa ƒe nya va nam,
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
9 “Ame vi, gblɔ nya ɖi be ‘Nu si Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “‘Yi, yi, wonyree eye wotutu eŋuti wòle dzo dam.
“Son of man, prophesy! Tell them this is what the Lord says: There's a sword, a sword that's being sharpened and polished.
10 Wonyree hena amewuwu wotutu eŋu be wòada dzo abe dzikedzo ene! “‘Ɖe míatso aseye le vinye Yuda ƒe fiatikplɔ ŋua? Yi doa vlo ati ma tɔgbi ɖe sia ɖe.
It's sharpened for killing and polished so it will flash like lightning! (Are we to be happy, saying, ‘The scepter of my son despises every other stick’?)
11 “‘Woɖo na yi be woatutu eŋu, woake dzo, woalée ɖe asi, woanyree, asiae, eye woawɔe wòasu te na amewula la ƒe zazã.
The sword is being polished right now, ready to be used. It's sharp and polished, ready to be handed over to the killer.
12 Do ɣli eye nàfa avi, Ame vi, elabena egbɔna dzɔdzɔ ge ɖe nye amewo dzi, ɖe Israel ƒe dziɖulawo katã dzi. Woda wo kple nye amewo ɖe yinu, eya ta ƒo wò akɔta.
Weep and wail, son of man, and slap your thigh in grief, for the sword is going to be used to attack my people, to attack all the leaders of Israel! They will be thrown away, killed by the sword along with my people.
13 “‘Dodokpɔɣi ava godoo. Ekema nya kae adzɔ ne Yuda ƒe fiatikplɔ, si yi doa vloe la, megayi edzi o? Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.’
They will be tested. What if the scepter that despises others doesn't continue? declares the Lord God.
14 “Ekema, Ame vi, gblɔ nya ɖi, eye nàƒo asikpe. Na yi nadze ame dzi zi eve alo zi etɔ̃ gɔ̃ hã. Amewuyie, yi na ame geɖewo wuwu, yi si amimi wo ɖo to axa ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
So son of man, prophesy and clap your hands. The sword will attack twice, and then a third time. It is a sword of death, killing many people by coming at them from every direction.
15 Ale be dziwo nalolo banaa, eye ame kukuawo nasɔ gbɔ. Meda amewuyi la ɖe woƒe agbowo katã nu. O! Wowɔe be woake dzo abe dzikedzo ene, wolée na amewuwu.
I have placed a sword at all the gates of their city so that they may lose their courage, and many may fall. Oh no! It's made to flash like lightning and used to kill.
16 O! Yi, lã nu yi ɖusime, emegbe yi miame, afi sia afi si wo yi la nu trɔ ɖo.
Slash right and left, whichever way you're facing.
17 Nye hã maƒo asikpe, eye nye dziku nu abɔbɔ. Nye Yehowae gblɔe.”
I will also clap my hands, and then my anger will be over. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
18 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam.
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
19 “Ame vi, de dzesi mɔ eve be Babilonia fia ƒe yi nato; mɔ eve siawo nadze egɔme tso anyigba ɖeka ma ke dzi. Tu mɔfiati aɖe ɖe afi si mɔa dze le ɖo ta du la me.
“Son of man, mark the two roads that the king of Babylon's army could take, beginning from the same country. Make a signpost where the road forks, leading to two different cities.
20 De dzesi mɔ ɖeka wòato ayi ɖe Amonitɔwo ƒe Raba ŋu, eye bubu nayi Yuda kple Yerusalem, du si woglã la ŋu,
Have one sign point down the road for an attack on the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and another to attack Judah and the fortified city of Jerusalem.
21 elabena Babilonia fia atɔ ɖe mɔdzeƒe la, le mɔ eveawo dzeƒe, be yeaka afa. Aka nu kple aŋutrɔwo, abia gbe eƒe legbawo, eye wòalé ŋku ɖe eƒe aklã ŋuti.
The king of Babylon is standing at the fork in the road where the two roads meet looking for a prophetic sign: he casts lots using arrows, he asks advice from idols, and he examines the liver of sacrificial animals.
22 Nu si adzɔ ɖe Yerusalem dzi la, woatsɔe ade eƒe nuɖusime, afia afi si woatu gligbãnuwo ɖo, woaɖe gbe be woawu amewo woado aʋaɣli, wòatu gligbãnu ɖe agboawo nu, woaƒo kpo, eye woawɔ atsrɔewo ɖe gliawo ŋu.
He holds the sign for Jerusalem in his right hand. This is where he is going to set up battering rams, to give the command to attack, to shout the war-cry. There he will order the battering rams to smash the gates, set up an attack ramp, and build a siege wall.
23 Adze abe aʋatsoɖeɖefia ene na ame siwo do ŋugbe be yewoanɔ edzi, ke aɖo ŋku woƒe dzidadawo dzi na wo, eye woaɖe aboyo wo.
To those who have sworn to be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar this will look like a false sign, but it will reveal their guilt and they will be taken prisoner.
24 “Eya ta ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye si. ‘Esi mi ame siawo mieɖo ŋku miaƒe vodada dzi to miaƒe aglãdzedze me, eye mieɖe miaƒe nu vɔ̃wo fia le nu siwo katã miewɔ me, esi miewɔ esia ta la, woaɖe aboyo mi.’
So this is what the Lord God says: Because you have revealed your guilt and demonstrated your rebellion, showing your sins in everything you've done, now that you've made all this clear, you will be taken prisoner.
25 “‘O! Wò Israel dziɖula vɔ̃ɖi, ame si gblɔa nya tovowo, ame si ƒe ŋkeke de, ame si ƒe ɣeyiɣi na tohehe ɖo eƒe kɔkɔƒe,
As for you, you unclean, wicked prince of Israel, the time has come to complete your punishment.
26 ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye si. Ɖe wò tablanu, eye nàɖe wò fiakuku. Maganɔ abe ale si wònɔ tsã la ene o: woado ame tsɛwo ɖe dzi, eye woabɔbɔ amegãwo ɖe anyi.
This is what the Lord God says: Take off your turban, and your crown. Things won't continue as they were. Give power to the common people and bring down the powerful!
27 Gbegblẽ! Gbegblẽ! Mawɔe wòazu gbegblẽ. Womagbugbɔe aɖo te o va se ɖe esime wòava aɖo ame si tɔ wònye la ƒe asi me; eyae matsɔe ana.’
I'm going to destroy everything, make it all a ruin! It won't be restored until its owner arrives, the one I've given the authority to judge.
28 “Eye wò, Ame vi, gblɔ nya ɖi be, ‘Alea Yehowa gblɔ tso Amonitɔwo kple woƒe amedzudzuwo ŋue nye esi: “‘Yi, yi, woɖee le aku me na amewuwu, wotutu eŋu wòle dzo dam abe dzikedzo ene hena nugbegblẽ.
Prophesy, son of man, and announce that this is what the Lord God says about the Ammonites and their insults: A sword! A sword is ready for killing, polished to destroy, to flash like lightning,
29 Togbɔ be aʋatsoŋutegawo ƒe alakpaɖeɖefiawo le ŋuwò hã la, woatsɔe ada ɖe kɔ dzi na ame vɔ̃ɖi siwo wole wuwu ge, ame siwo ƒe ŋkeke de, eye woƒe tohehe ƒe ɣeyiɣi ɖo eƒe kɔkɔƒe.
even as your prophets give you false visions and prophecies that are lies. This sword will cut the necks of the wicked, killing them—those whose day has come for their punishment to be completed.
30 Tsɔ yi la de eƒe aku me. Madrɔ̃ ʋɔnu wò le teƒe si wowɔ wò le, le fofowòwo ƒe anyigba dzi.
Sword, go back to where you came from! I'm going to judge you right where you were created, in your homeland.
31 Matrɔ nye dziku akɔ ɖe dziwò, eye magbɔ nye dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ ƒe dzo ƒe ya ɖe ŋuwò. Matsɔ wò ade asi na ŋutasẽlawo, ame siwo bi ɖe nu gbegblẽ ƒe aɖaŋu me.
I will deal with you in my anger; I will breathe my fire of anger on you; I will hand you over to cruel men who are experts in destruction.
32 Ànye nake na dzo, woakɔ wò ʋu ɖi le wò anyigba dzi, womagaɖo ŋku dziwò o, elabena nye Yehowae gblɔe.’”
You will be burned up like firewood. Your blood will be shed where you live. You will be forgotten, for I, the Lord, have spoken.”
