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.”
“Son of man,” he told me, “eat what you find placed before you. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the people of Israel.”
2 Ale meke nye nu me, eye wòtsɔ agbalẽ la nam be maɖu.
I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
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.
“Son of man,” he said to me, “eat and fill yourself up with this scroll I'm giving you.” So I ate the scroll, and it tasted 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.
Then he told me, “Son of man, now you are to go to the people of Israel and give my message 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,
I'm not sending you to those whose language is foreign to you, to people that you don't know—but to the people 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.
As I say, I'm not sending you to those whose language is foreign to you, to people that you don't know, whose words you don't understand. On the other hand, if I had sent you to foreigners, they would have listened to you.
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 people of Israel won't want to listen to you, because they don't want to listen to me. All the Israelites are strong-minded and hard-hearted.
8 Ke mawɔ wò màna ta o, wò ŋkume asẽ, eye màna ta o abe woawo ke ene.
Look! I'm going to make you as tough as them, and as strong-minded as them.
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.”
I will make your mind like adamant, harder than flint. Don't be afraid of what they say or discouraged by the way they look at you, even though they are a rebellious people.”
10 Eye wògblɔ nam be, “Ame vi, ɖo to nyuie, eye nàlé nya siwo katã megblɔ na wò la me ɖe dzi me.
“Son of man,” he added, “pay close attention to everything I tell you, and think deeply about it yourself.
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.”
Go to your people who are in exile. Tell them this is what the Lord God says, whether they listen or not.”
12 Mese hoowɔwɔ sesẽ aɖe ƒe ɖiɖi le megbenye be, “Woakafu Yehowa ƒe ŋutikɔkɔe le eƒe nɔƒe kɔkɔe la.”
The Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a really loud noise behind me that sounded like an earthquake. (Praise to the Lord's glory where he lives!)
13 Nu gbagbeawo ƒe aʋalawo ƒe lili ɖe wo nɔewo ŋu ƒe ɖiɖi kple tasiaɖam ƒe afɔwo ƒe ɖiɖi sesĩe le wo xa.
It was the sound made by the wings of the beings as they brushed against each other and the noise made by the wheels next to them, a really loud noise that sounded like an 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
As I said, the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. As I went I was feeling upset and angry; however the Lord's power had taken full control of 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.
I arrived at the place where the exiles lived, Tel-abib by the River Kebar. I just sat with them, staying with them there for seven days. I was completely overcome with emotion.
16 Le ŋkeke adreawo ƒe nuwuwu la, Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
After the seven days had passed, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,
17 “Ame vi, mewɔ wò gbetakpɔla na Israel ƒe aƒe la, eya ta se nya si magblɔ la, eye nàna nuxɔxlɔ̃ wo tso gbɔnye.
“Son of man, I have chosen you as a watchman for the people of Israel. Whenever I give you a message, then you must warn them for 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.
For example, if I give a warning to someone who's wicked, saying, ‘You are going to die for sure,’ but you don't warn them, if you don't speak out to warn them to stop their wicked ways so they can go on living, then that wicked person will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their death.
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 you warn them, and they don't stop their wicked ways, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself—you won't die.
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.
Again, if someone who lives right stops doing so and sins and disregards my attempts to correct them, then they will die. If you didn't warn them, they will die in their sins, and the good things they did won't be remembered. In addition, I will hold you responsible for their death.
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.”
However, if you warn those who are living right not to sin, and they don't sin, they will live for sure, because they paid attention to your warning, and you will have saved yourself—you won't die.”
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.”
The Lord's power took control of me there, and he told me, “Get up! Go to the valley, and I will talk to you there.”
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.
So I got up and went to the valley, and there I saw the Lord's glory. It was like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown on the ground.
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 into me and made me stand upright. He told me, “Go into your house and shut the door.
25 Ame vi, woabla wò kple ka, woabla wò ale be màte ŋu ado, age ɖe ameawo dome o.
You will be tied up with ropes, son of man. You will be bound so that won't be able to go out among the people.
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.
I'll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. You won't be able to speak and complain to them, even though they are a rebellious people.
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.”
However, when I talk with you, I will open your mouth so you can tell them that this is what the Lord God says. Those who want to listen will listen, and those who want to refuse will refuse, for they are a rebellious people.”
