Hezekiel 23
1 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
Yahweh said to me,
2 “Ame vi, nyɔnu eve aɖewo, dada ɖeka ƒe vinyɔnuviwo nɔ anyi.
“You human, [listen to this parable about Jerusalem and Samaria]. Once there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
3 Wozu gbolowo le Egipte, eye wowɔ gbolo tso keke woƒe ɖetugbime ke. Le anyigba ma dzi la, wolé no na wo, eye woli asi woƒe akɔnu.
They lived in Egypt. And from the time that they were young women, they became prostitutes. In that land, [men] fondled their breasts and caressed their bosoms [DOU].
4 Tsitsitɔ ŋkɔe nye Ohola, eye nɔvia tɔe nye Oholiba. Wonye tɔnyewo, eye wodzi viŋutsuwo kple vinyɔnuwo nam. Oholae nye Samaria, eye Oholiba nye Yerusalem.
The older [sister] was Oholah, and her [younger] sister was Oholibah. [It was as though] they became my [wives. Later] they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
5 “Ohola nɔ gbolo wɔm le esime wòganye tɔnye ko, eye wòtiaa eƒe ahiãviwo yome vevie. Ame siawo nye aʋawɔlawo tso Asiria,
Oholah acted like a prostitute while she was [still] my wife. She desired to have sex with those she loved—soldiers from Assyria.
6 wodoa awu blɔtɔwo, wonye mɔmefiawo kple amegãwo, wonye nye ɖekakpui dzeɖekɛwo kple sɔdolawo.
[Some of them] were army officers and commanders. They wore [beautiful] blue [uniforms. They were] all handsome young men. Some of them rode horses.
7 Etsɔ eɖokui abe gbolo ene na Asiriatɔwo ƒe ame ŋkutawo katã, eye wòtsɔ ame sia ame si yome wòtina vevie la ƒe legbawo do gu eɖokui.
She acted like a prostitute toward all the important Assyrian officials, and became unacceptable to me by worshiping all the idols of the men she wanted to have sex with.
8 Meɖe asi le gbolowɔwɔ si gɔme wòdze le Egipte la ŋu o. Le eƒe ɖetugbime la, ŋutsuwo dɔna kplii, lia asi eƒe akɔnu hewɔa ahasi kplii vivivo.
When she was a young woman in Egypt, she started being a prostitute, and [young] men caressed her breasts and had sex with her; and when she became older, she did not quit acting like a prostitute.
9 “Eya ta metsɔe na eƒe ahiãviwo, Asiriatɔwo, ame siwo yome wòtina vevie.
So I allowed the Assyrian soldiers, whom she wanted to have sex with, to capture her.
10 Woɖe amamae, kplɔ via ŋutsuwo kple via nyɔnuwo dzoe, eye wowui kple yi. Ezu lodonya le nyɔnuwo dome, eye wohe to nɛ.
They stripped all her clothes off her. They took away her sons and daughters. And then they killed her with a sword. [Other] women started talking about what had happened to her, about how she had been punished.
11 “Nɔvia nyɔnu Oholiba kpɔ nu sia, gake ede ŋgɔ le eƒe ŋutsuwo yometiti kple gbolowɔwɔ me wu nɔvia nyɔnu.
[younger] sister Oholibah saw those [that happened to Oholah], but she was a prostitute, and she desired to have sex with men more than [older] sister had desired.
12 Eya hã ti Asiriatɔwo, mɔmefiawo kple aʋafia gãwo, aʋawɔla, siwo le asrafowu me, sɔdolawo; ame siwo katã nye ɖekakpui dzeɖekɛwo yome.
Oholibah [also] wanted to have sex with the Assyrian soldiers. [Some of them were] army officers and commanders. [They all] wore beautiful blue uniforms. They were all handsome young men. [Some of] them rode horses.
13 Mekpɔe be eya hã do gu eɖokui, eye wo ame eve la siaa to mɔ ɖeka ma.
I saw what she did that caused her to became unacceptable to me, just like [older] sister.
14 “Gake eya gatsɔ gbolowɔwɔ yi ŋgɔe wu. Ekpɔ wota ŋutsuwo ɖe gli aɖe ŋu. Wota Babiloniatɔwo kple aŋɔ dzĩ,
But she did [even] worse things. She saw drawings of men from Babylonia on the walls, painted in red.
15 alidziblanu le ali dzi na wo, eye tablanu gã le ta na wo. Wo katã woɖi Babiloniatɔwo ƒe tasiaɖamkulawo ƒe amegãwo, eye wonye Babiloniatɔwo.
The [in the drawings] had belts around their waists and long turbans on their heads. They all resembled officers from Babylonia [DOU] [who rode in chariots].
16 Esi wòkpɔ wo ko la, wodzroe, eye wòdɔ amewo ɖe wo le Babilonia.
As soon as she saw those drawings, she wanted to have sex with those men, and she sent messages to them in Babylonia.
17 Babiloniatɔwo do gui. Esi wodo gui vɔ la, etrɔ le wo yome kple dɔmedzoe.
Then the soldiers from Babylonia came to her, they lay in bed with her, and they had sex with her. Then she became disgusted with them and turned away from them.
18 Esi wòyi eƒe gbolowɔwɔ dzi le gaglãgbe, eye wòɖe amama fia amewo ta la, meɖe asi le eŋu kple dɔmedzoe abe ale si meɖe asi le nɔvia nyɔnu ŋu kple dɔmedzoe ene.
But when she continued to openly/boldly act like a prostitute [DOU], I became disgusted with her, and I rejected her like I had rejected [older] sister.
19 Ke egayi gbolowɔwɔ dzi wu esi wòɖo ŋku eƒe ɖetugbimeŋkekewo dzi, esime wònye gbolo le Egipte.
But she became even more immoral, as she remembered when she was a young woman who was a prostitute in Egypt.
20 Le afi ma la, eti eƒe ahiãviwo yome. Woƒe ŋutsu le abe tedzitsuwo tɔ ene, eye woƒe ŋutsunu le abe sɔtsuwo tɔ ene.
There she wanted to have sex with those who loved her, whose genitals were [very long], like [SIM] those of donkeys, and whose sexual emissions were huge, [like] those of horses.
21 Ale ŋukpenanu siwo nèwɔ le wò ɖetugbime gadzro wò esime nènɔ Egipte, woli asi wò akɔnu, eye wolé wò ɖetugbimeno.
So she desired to be immoral like she was when she was young, when men in Egypt caressed her bosom and fondled her breasts.”
22 “Eya ta Oholiba, ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye si, ‘Made ada ta me na wò ahiãviwo, ame siwo yome nètrɔ le kple dɔmedzoe, eye makplɔ wo vɛ woatso ɖe ŋuwò tso axa ɖe sia ɖe dzi.
“[represents you people of Jerusalem]. Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I will cause those [soldiers] who loved you but whom you turned away from because you became disgusted with them, to be angry with you. I will cause them to come and attack you from every side—
23 Babiloniatɔwo, ame siwo katã tso Babilonianyigba dzi, ŋutsuwo tso Pekod kple Soa kple Koa kple Asiriatɔwo katã, kpe ɖe wo ŋu. Wonye ɖekakpui dzeɖekɛwo. Wo katã wonye mɔmefiawo, dumegãwo, tasiaɖamkulawo ƒe amegãwo kple ame ŋkutawo, eye wo katã woganye sɔdolawo.
soldiers from Babylon and all the other places in Babylonia, [their allies] from Pekod and Shoa and [regions], and all the army of Assyria. [Yes], all of them are handsome young men, army officers and commanders, officers who ride in chariots, all riding on horses.
24 Woatsɔ aʋawɔnuwo ɖe ŋuwò ava tu wò kple tasiaɖamwo, kekewo kple ameha gã aɖe. Woanɔ axa ɖe sia ɖe dzi, atsi tsitre ɖe ŋuwò kple akpoxɔnu gãwo kple suewo kple gakukuwo. Matsɔ wò ade asi na wo hena tohehe, eye woahe to na wò le woƒe sewo nu.
Their huge army will attack you with weapons, riding in chariots and pulling wagons [that will carry their army supplies]. They will surround you, carrying large and small shields, and wearing helmets. I will allow them to capture you and punish you in the way that they [always] [their enemies].
25 Matrɔ nye ŋuʋaʋã ƒe dɔmedzoe ɖe ŋuwò, eye woatu nu kpli wò kple dɔmedzoe. Woakpa ŋɔti kple towo na wò, eye mia dometɔ siwo atsi anyi la, atsi yinu. Woakplɔ viwò ŋutsuwo kple viwò nyɔnuwo adzoe, eye dzo afia mi ame siwo asusɔ.
Because I am very angry with you, I will cause them to act [very] furiously toward you. They will cut off your noses and your ears. Then, those who are still alive, they will kill with their swords. They will take away your sons and daughters, and a fire will burn up those who remain alive.
26 Woaɖe wò avɔwu ɖa le ŋuwò, eye woatsɔ wò sikanuwo adzoe.
They will strip off your clothes and your fine jewelry and take them away.
27 Ale matɔ te ŋukpenanuwo wɔwɔ kple gbolowɔwɔ si gɔme nèdze le Egipte. Nu siawo magadzro wò o, eye màgaɖo ŋku Egipte dzi azɔ o.’
In that way, I will stop all the immoral behavior that began when you became a prostitute in Egypt. You will no longer desire to do those things, or think [what you did in] Egypt.’
28 “Elabena alea Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye si, ‘Esusɔ vie matsɔ wò ade asi na ame siwo nèlé fui, ame siwo yome nètrɔ le kple dɔmedzoe.
This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I am about to allow those whom you hate, those you became disgusted with and turned away from, to capture you.
29 Woatu nu kpli wò kple fuléle, eye woatsɔ wò nu siwo katã nèwɔ dɔ hekpɔ la adzoe. Woagblẽ wò ɖi nànɔ amama, anɔ ƒuƒlu, eye woahe wò gbolowɔwɔ ƒe ŋukpe ɖe go. Wò ŋukpenanuwo wɔwɔ kple gbolowɔwɔ woe
They will be cruel and take away everything that you have worked hard to acquire. They will leave you completely naked [DOU], and everyone will see that you truly are a prostitute.
30 he nu siawo va dziwò, elabena èdze dukɔwo yome, eye nèdo gu ɖokuiwò kple woƒe legbawo.
It is because of what you have done that you will be punished like that; you have been an immoral prostitute; you have had sex with men of other nations, and you have caused yourselves to become unacceptable to me [worshiping] their idols.
31 Èdze nɔviwò nyɔnu yome, eya ta matsɔ eƒe kplu ade asi na wò.’
You have behaved [the people of Samaria, who are like] your [older] sister. So I will cause you to be punished [MET] like they were punished.’
32 “Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye si, “Àno nɔviwò nyɔnu ƒe kplu, kplu si lolo, eye wòde eme, ahe vlododo kple koko vɛ, elabena nu geɖewo le eme.
This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘[You will suffer like people suffer when they drink from a cup a lot of strong alcoholic drink]: [It will be as though] you will drink from the cup that the people of Samaria drank from; a big and tall cup. Because of your drinking what is in that cup, many people will scorn you and make fun of you because there is a lot of liquid in that cup.
33 Ahamumu kple nuxaxa ayɔ mewò. Nɔviwò nyɔnu, Samaria, ƒe kplu nye tsɔtsrɔ̃ kple aƒedozuzu ƒe kplu.
When you become very drunk, you will become very sad, [drinking what is in] that cup [MTY] will cause you to become ruined and deserted, like what happened [MET] to [the people of] Samaria, [who are like] [MET] your sister.
34 Ànoe wòavɔ le eme ƒiaƒiaƒia, aɖuɖɔ eƒe gbagbãwo eye nàde abi wò nowo ŋu. Aƒetɔ Yehowa be, yee gblɔe.
You will drink all the liquid that is in that cup; then you will break that cup into pieces [use those pieces to] gash/cut your [because you will be very sad].’ [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.
35 “Eya ta ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Esi nèŋlɔm be, eye nètsɔm ƒu gbe ɖe megbe ta la, ele na wò be nàtsɔ wò ŋukpenanuwɔwɔwo kple wò gbolowɔwɔ ƒe yomedzenuwo.”
Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘Because you have forgotten me and rejected me [IDM], you must be punished for your immoral behavior and for [like] a prostitute.’”
36 Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Ame vi, ɖe nàdrɔ̃ ʋɔnu Ohola kple Oholiba mahã? Ekema tsɔ woƒe ŋukpenanuwɔwɔwo ɖo woƒe ŋkume,
Yahweh said to me, “You human, you must [RHQ] [the people of those two cities represented by] Oholah and Oholibah. You must remind them of their detestable behavior:
37 elabena wowɔ ahasi, eye ʋu ƒo asi na wo. Wowɔ ahasi kple woƒe legbawo; wotsɔ wo vi siwo wodzi nam la sa vɔe gɔ̃ hã abe nuɖuɖu na woƒe legbawo ene.
[It is as though the people of those cities] have committed adultery and have murdered [MTY] people. They have been unfaithful to me by [worshiping] idols. They have even sacrificed their own children, who belonged to me, to be food for their idols.
38 Wogawɔ esia ɖe ŋunye. Le ɣeyiɣi ma ke me la, wodo gu nye kɔkɔeƒe la, eye wogblẽ kɔ ɖo na nye Dzudzɔgbewo.
They have done [disgraceful things]: They have caused my temple to be an unacceptable place for worship, and have not respected the Sabbath days.
39 Le ŋkeke si dzi wotsɔ wo viwo sa vɔe na woƒe legbawo la, gbe ma gbe tututue woge ɖe nye kɔkɔeƒe la, eye wodo gui. Nu mae wowɔ le nye aƒe me.
On the same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my temple, which caused it to be an unacceptable place for worshiping me.
40 “Gawu la, woɖo du ɖe ŋutsuwo, ame siwo va tso didiƒe, eye esi wova ɖo la, miele tsi na mia ɖokuiwo, miesi nu yibɔ ɖe miaƒe aɖaba te, eye miede miaƒe sikanuwo.
They sent messages to men [in countries] far away. And when those men arrived, [the women of those two cities] bathed themselves for them, painted their eyebrows, and put on jewelry.
41 Mienɔ anyi ɖe nye abati nyuitɔ dzi, kplɔ̃ le eŋgɔ, kplɔ̃ si dzi míetsɔ dzudzɔdonu kple ami siwo nye tɔnye la da ɖo.
They sat on a beautiful couch, with a table in front of it on which they had put incense and [olive] oil that belonged to me.
42 “Ameha aɖe ƒe howɔwɔ ƒo xlãe. Wokplɔ Sabeatɔwo tso gbegbe kpli wo vɛ, eye wotsɔ abɔgɛwo de abɔwo na nyɔnu la kple nɔvia nyɔnu, eye woɖɔ fiakuku dzeaniwo na wo.
Soon there was a noisy crowd around them. Among the crowd there were men from Sheba who had come from the [of Arabia]. They put bracelets on the arms of the [two] sisters and put beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 Megblɔ tso ame si ŋu wɔna vɔ le le ahasiwɔwɔ ta be, ‘Azɔ la, mina woazãe abe gbolo ene, elabena eya koe nye nu si wònye.’
Then I said about the woman who had become exhausted by her having sex with many men, ‘Now allow those men to act toward her as though she is a prostitute, because that is all that she is.’
44 Eye wodɔ egbɔ. Abe ale si ŋutsuwo dɔa gbolo gbɔ ene la, nenema wodɔ nyɔnu ŋukpenanuwɔla, Ohola kple Oholiba gbɔe.
So they had sex [EUP] with those two women, Oholah and Oholibah, like men have sex with prostitutes.
45 Ke ŋutsu dzɔdzɔewo ada nyɔnu ahasitɔwo kple ʋukɔɖilawo ƒe tohehe ɖe wo dzi, elabena wonye ahasitɔwo, eye ʋu ƒo asi na wo.
But righteous men will condemn them to be punished, like women who commit adultery and who murder others are punished, because those women commit adultery and they murder [MTY] others.
46 “Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Kplɔ ameha aɖe vɛ ɖe wo ŋu, eye nàtsɔ wo ade asi na ŋɔdzinuhaha.’
So this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: Bring a mob to attack Samaria and Jerusalem, and allow that mob to cause the people of those cities to be terrified, and to rob them.
47 Ameha la aƒu kpe wo, eye woadza wo kple woƒe yiwo, woawu wo viŋutsuwo kple wo vinyɔnuwo, eye woatɔ dzo woƒe xɔwo.
The mob will throw stones at [to kill them]; they will cut them into pieces with their swords, they will kill their sons and daughters, and burn down their houses.
48 “Ale matsi ŋukpenanuwɔwɔ nu le anyigba la dzi, ale be nyɔnuwo katã nakpɔ nuxɔxlɔ̃, eye womaganɔ agbe abe woawo ene o.
In that way I will cause them to stop their immoral behavior. It will warn other women to not imitate/do what you people of Jerusalem are doing.
49 Miaxɔ miaƒe ŋukpenanuwɔwɔwo ƒe tohehe, eye miatsɔ miaƒe legbasubɔsubɔ ƒe nu vɔ̃ ƒe yomedzenu. Ekema mianya be nyee nye Aƒetɔ Yehowa.”
[people of Jerusalem] will be punished for your immoral behavior and for your worshiping idols. Then you will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”
