Hezekiel 3

1 Eye wògblɔ nam be, “Ame vi, ɖu nu si le wò ŋkume, ɖu agbalẽ sia, eye nàɖaƒo nu na Israel ƒe aƒe la.”

And he said to me, Son of Man, eat this volume, and go and speak to the children of Israel.

2 Ale meke nye nu me, eye wòtsɔ agbalẽ la nam be maɖu.

So he opened my mouth, and caused me to eat the volume. And he said to me, Son of man,

3 Eye wògblɔ nam be, “Ame vi, ɖu agbalẽ si mele tsɔtsɔm na wò, eye nàtsɔe ayɔ wò dɔgbo.” Ale meɖui, eye wòvivi le nye nu me abe anyitsi ene.

thy mouth shall eat, and thy belly shall be filled with this volume that is given to thee. So I ate it; and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.

4 Emegbe la, egblɔ nam be, “Ame vi, azɔ la, yi Israel ƒe aƒe la me, eye nàgblɔ nye nya na wo.

And he said to me, Son of man, go thy way, and go in to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them.

5 Nyemele ɖowòm ɖe ame siwo ƒe nuƒoƒo me mekɔ o, eye woƒe gbegbɔgblɔ sesẽ la gbɔ o, ke boŋ mele ɖowòm ɖe Israel ƒe aƒe me,

For thou art not sent to a people of hard speech, [but] to the house of Israel;

6 menye ɖe ame geɖewo, ame siwo ƒe nuƒoƒo me mekɔ, woƒe gbegbɔgblɔ sesẽ, eye màte ŋu ase woƒe nyawo gɔme la gbɔ o. Eme kɔ ƒãa be nenye woawo gbɔe meɖo wò ɖo la, woaɖo to wò.

neither to many nations of other speech and other tongues, nor of harsh language, whose words thou wouldest not understand: although if I [had] sent thee to such, they would have hearkened to thee.

7 Ke Israel ƒe aƒe la mele lɔlɔ̃m be yeaɖo to wò o, elabena womele lɔlɔ̃m be woaɖo tom o, elabena Israel ƒe aƒemetɔwo katã nye tosẽlawo kple kɔlialiatɔwo.

But the house of Israel will not be willing to hearken to thee; for they will not hearken to me: for all the house of Israel are stubborn and hard-hearted.

8 Ke mawɔ wò màna ta o, wò ŋkume asẽ, eye màna ta o abe woawo ke ene.

And, behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and I will strengthen thy power against their power.

9 Mawɔ wò ŋgonu wòasẽ wu agakpe, eye wòasẽ wu gayibɔ. Mègavɔ̃ wo alo nàna woado ŋɔdzi na wò o, togbɔ be wotso ƒome dzeaglã me hã.”

And it shall be continually stronger than a rock: be not afraid of them, neither be dismayed at their faces, because it is a provoking house.

10 Eye wògblɔ nam be, “Ame vi, ɖo to nyuie, eye nàlé nya siwo katã megblɔ na wò la me ɖe dzi me.

And he said to me, Son of man, receive into thine heart all the words that I have spoken to thee, and hear [them] with thine ears.

11 Yi mia detɔ siwo le aboyo me la gbɔ, eye nàƒo nu na wo. Gblɔ na wo be, ‘Ale Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔe nye esi,’ ne wosee loo alo wogbe esese.”

And go thy way, go in to the captivity, to the children of thy people, and thou shalt speak to them, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord; whether they will hear, [or] whether they will forbear.

12 Mese hoowɔwɔ sesẽ aɖe ƒe ɖiɖi le megbenye be, “Woakafu Yehowa ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe le eƒe nɔƒe kɔkɔe la.”

Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me the voice [as] of a great earthquake, [saying], Blessed [be] the glory of the Lord from his place.

13 Nu gbagbeawo ƒe aʋalawo ƒe lili ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu ƒe ɖiɖi kple tasiaɖam ƒe afɔwo ƒe ɖiɖi sesĩe le wo xa.

And I perceived the sound of the wings of the living creatures clapping one to the other, and the sound of the wheels was near them, and the sound of the earthquake.

14 Gbɔgbɔ la kɔm do ɖe dzi, eye wòkɔm dzoe. Meyi le vevesese kple dzikudodo ɖe Gbɔgbɔ la ŋuti me, eye Yehowa ƒe asi sesẽ la nɔ dzinye

And the Spirit lifted me, and took me up, and I went in the impulse of my spirit; and the hand of the Lord was mighty upon me.

15 Meva ɖo aboyome siwo nɔ Tel Aviv, afi si te ɖe Kebar Tɔsisi la ŋu la gbɔ. Le afi ma, afi si wonɔ la, menɔ anyi ɖe wo dome ŋkeke adre, eye gbɔgblɔ bu ɖem.

Then I passed through the air and came into the captivity, and went round [to] them that dwelt by the river of Chobar who were there; and I sat there seven days, conversant in the midst of them.

16 Le ŋkeke adreawo ƒe nuwuwu la, Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,

And after the seven days the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man,

17 “Ame vi, mewɔ wò gbetakpɔla na Israel ƒe aƒe la, eya ta se nya si magblɔ la, eye nàna nuxɔxlɔ̃ wo tso gbɔnye.

I have made thee a watchman to the house of Israel; and thou shalt hear a word of my mouth, and shalt threaten them from me.

18 Ne megblɔ na ame vɔ̃ɖi aɖe be, ‘Èle kuku ge godoo,’ eye mèxlɔ̃ nui alo ƒo nu kplii hena wòɖe asi le eƒe mɔ vɔ̃ɖi ŋu, ale be wòaɖe eƒe agbe o la, ame vɔ̃ɖi ma aku le eƒe nu vɔ̃ ta, eye mabia eƒe ʋu ƒe akɔnta tso asiwò me.

When I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou hast not warned him, to give warning to the wicked, to turn from his ways, that he should live; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thy hand.

19 Ke ne èxlɔ̃ nu ame vɔ̃ɖi la, gake meɖe asi le eƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi ŋu alo trɔ le eƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi o la, ekema aku le eƒe nu vɔ̃ ta, ke wò la, èɖe ɖokuiwò.

But if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, and from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, and thou shalt deliver thy soul.

20 “Nenema ke, ne ame dzɔdzɔe aɖe ɖe asi le eƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ŋu hewɔ nu vɔ̃, eye meda nu si wòakli ɖe mɔ me nɛ la, aku. Esi mèxlɔ̃ nui o ta la, aku le eƒe nu vɔ̃ ta. Womagaɖo ŋku nu dzɔdzɔe siwo wòwɔ la dzi o, eye mabia eƒe ʋu tso asiwò me.

And when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits a trespass, and I shall bring punishment before him, he shall die, because thou didst not warn him: he shall even die in his sins, because his righteousness shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

21 Ke ne èxlɔ̃ nu ame dzɔdzɔe la be, megawɔ nu vɔ̃ o, eye mewɔ nu vɔ̃ o la, ekema anɔ agbe, elabena ese nuxɔxlɔ̃ eye àɖe ɖokuiwò.”

But if thou warn the righteous not to sin, and he sin not, the righteous shall surely live, because thou hast warned him; and thou shalt deliver thine own soul.

22 Yehowa ƒe asi nɔ dzinye le afi ma, eye wògblɔ nam be, “Tsi tsitre, nàyi bali la me, eye maƒo nu na wò le afi ma.”

And the hand of the Lord came upon me; and he said to me, Arise, and go forth into the plain, and there shalt thou be spoken to.

23 Ale metsi tsitre, eye meyi bali la me. Yehowa ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe nɔ tsitre ɖe afi ma abe ŋutikɔkɔe si mekpɔ le Kebar Tɔsisi la to ene, eye metsyɔ mo anyi.

And I arose, and went forth to the plain: and, behold, the glory of the Lord stood there, according to the vision, and according to the glory of the Lord, which I saw by the river of Chobar: and I fell on my face.

24 Gbɔgbɔ la ge ɖe menye, eye wòna metso ɖe tsitrenu. Eƒo nu nam gblɔ be, “Yi, nàtu ɖokuiwo ɖe wò aƒe me.

Then the Spirit came upon me, and set me on my feet, and spoke to me, and said to me, Go in, and shut thyself up in the midst of thine house.

25 Ame vi, woabla wò kple ka, woabla wò ale be màte ŋu ado, age ɖe ameawo dome o.

And thou, son of man, behold, bonds are prepared for thee, and they shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not come forth of the midst of them.

26 Mana wò aɖe nalé ɖe wò aŋɔ ŋu le wò nu me ale be nàzu aɖetututɔ, eye màte ŋu aka mo na wo o, togbɔ be wonye ame dzeaglãwo hã.

Also I will bind thy tongue, and thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover: because it is a provoking house.

27 Ke ne meƒo nu na wò la, maʋu nu na wò, eye nàgblɔ na ameawo be, ‘Esiae nye nya si Aƒetɔ Yehowa gblɔ.’ Ame sia ame si aɖo toe la, neɖo toe, eye ame sia ame si agbe toɖoɖoe la, negbe, elabena ƒome dzeaglãwo wonye.”

But when I speak to thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say to them, Thus saith the Lord, He that hears, let him hear; and he that is disobedient, let him be disobedient: because it is a provoking house.