Hezekiel 21
1 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
And the word of the Lord came unto 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, direct thy face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of 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 say to the land of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will be against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath; and I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
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.
But because I shall have cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked: therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;
5 Ekema amewo katã anya be nye Yehowae ɖe nye yi le aku me; magatrɔ yi aku me azɔ o.’
That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.
6 “Eya ta, nɔ ŋeŋem, Ame vi, ŋe le wo ŋkume kple dzigbagbã kple vevesese helĩhelĩ.
But thou, son of man, do thou sigh: as though with broken loins, and with bitterness [of grief] shalt thou sigh before their eyes.
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.”
And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, For the report, because it cometh, when every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be made feeble, and every spirit shall become faint, and all knees shall be changed into water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord Eternal.
8 Aƒetɔ Yehowa ƒe nya va nam,
And the word of the Lord came unto 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, and say, Thus hath said the Lord, Say, The sword, the sword is sharpened, and also 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.
In order to make a thorough slaughter is it sharpened; in order that it may glitter is it polished: how can we now rejoice, [when] the rod which reacheth my son excelleth in hardness every tree?
11 “‘Woɖo na yi be woatutu eŋu, woake dzo, woalée ɖe asi, woanyree, asiae, eye woawɔe wòasu te na amewula la ƒe zazã.
And he hath given it to be polished, to make it fit to grasp it in the hand: it is the sword which is sharpened, and it is polished, to place it into the hand of the slayer.
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.
Cry aloud and wail, O son of man; for it cometh against my people, it cometh against all the princes of Israel; brought together for the sword are they with my people: therefore strike [thy hand] upon thy thigh.
13 “‘Dodokpɔɣi ava godoo. Ekema nya kae adzɔ ne Yuda ƒe fiatikplɔ, si yi doa vloe la, megayi edzi o? Aƒetɔ Yehowae gblɔe.’
For a purification taketh place: and what if the irresistible rod will also come? [my son] would not be able to exist, saith the Lord Eternal.
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.
But thou, son of man, prophesy, and strike thy hands together, and let “The sword” be repeated the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great that are slain, which lieth in wait for them everywhere.
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.
In order to make timid the heart, and to multiply the stumbling-blocks, do I bring the howling of the sword against all their gates: ah! it is made bright, it is made thin-edged for the slaughter.
16 O! Yi, lã nu yi ɖusime, emegbe yi miame, afi sia afi si wo yi la nu trɔ ɖo.
Gather up thy strength, go to the right hand, direct thyself, go to the left, whithersoever thy edge is turned.
17 Nye hã maƒo asikpe, eye nye dziku nu abɔbɔ. Nye Yehowae gblɔe.”
And I also, —I will strike my hands together, and I will cause my fury to be assuaged: I the Lord have spoken it.
18 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam.
And the word of the Lord came unto 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.
But thou, O son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; out of one land shall both of them come forth: and select a place; at the head of the way to a city do thou select it.
20 De dzesi mɔ ɖeka wòato ayi ɖe Amonitɔwo ƒe Raba ŋu, eye bubu nayi Yuda kple Yerusalem, du si woglã la ŋu,
A way shalt thou appoint, that the sword may come against Rabbah of the children of 'Ammon, and [the other] against Judah [dwelling] in Jerusalem the fortified.
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.
For the king of Babylon hath halted at the parting of the way, at the commencement of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh the arrows, he consulteth with images, he looketh at the liver.
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.
At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to erect battering-rams, to open the mouth with the [cry for] murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to place battering-rams against the gates, to cast up a mound, and to build works of attack.
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.
And it will appear unto them as a false divination in their eyes, to those that had sworn oaths; but he will bring to remembrance their iniquity, that they may be caught.
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.’
Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Because ye have brought your iniquity to remembrance, as your transgressions are discovered, so that your sins do appear in all your doings: because ye are thus brought to remembrance, ye shall be caught by [his] hand.
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,
And thou, death-deserving wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end, —
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.
Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Remove the mitre, and take off the crown: this shall not be always so; exalt him that is low, and make him low that is high.
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.’
Overthrown, overthrown, overthrown will I render it: also this shall not belong [to any one], until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him.
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.
And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal concerning the children of 'Ammon, and concerning their reproach: even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn; for the slaughter is it polished, to destroy, that it may continue to glitter;
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.
While they foresee unto thee falsehood, while they divine unto thee lies, to lay thee by the necks of the slain wicked, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 Tsɔ yi la de eƒe aku me. Madrɔ̃ ʋɔnu wò le teƒe si wowɔ wò le, le fofowòwo ƒe anyigba dzi.
Put back [the sword] into its sheath! in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy origin, will I judge thee.
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.
And I will pour out over thee my indignation, with the fire of my wrath will I blow against thee, and I will give thee up into the hand of brutish men, skilful in destroying.
32 Ànye nake na dzo, woakɔ wò ʋu ɖi le wò anyigba dzi, womagaɖo ŋku dziwò o, elabena nye Yehowae gblɔe.’”
To the fire shalt thou be given to be devoured; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land: thou shalt not be remembered [any more]; for I the Lord have spoken it.
