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 unto me: 'Son of man, eat that which thou findest; eat this roll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel.'

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

So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that roll.

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.

And He said unto me: 'Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee.' Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

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 unto me: 'Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto 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 an unintelligible speech and of a slow tongue, 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.

not to many peoples of an unintelligible speech and of a slow tongue, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, if I sent thee to them, they would hearken unto 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 consent to hearken unto thee; for they consent not to hearken unto Me; for all the house of Israel are of a hard forehead and of a stiff heart.

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

Behold, I have made thy face hard against their faces, and thy forehead hard against their foreheads.

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.”

As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead; fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, for they are a rebellious house.'

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

Moreover He said unto me: 'Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thy heart, and hear 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, get thee to them of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them, and tell them: Thus saith the Lord GOD; 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 a spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great rushing: '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.

also the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the noise of the wheels beside them, even the noise of a great rushing.

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

So a spirit lifted me up, and took me away; and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit, and the hand of the LORD was strong 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 came to them of the captivity at Tel-abib, that dwelt by the river Chebar, and I sat where they sat; and I remained there appalled among them seven days.

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

And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto 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 appointed thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; and when thou shalt hear a word at My mouth, thou shalt give them warning 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 unto the wicked: Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same 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.

Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered 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.

Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, I will lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die; because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thy 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.”

Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and thou hast delivered thy 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 there upon me; and He said unto me: 'Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there speak with thee.'

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.

Then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and, behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; 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 spirit entered into me, and set me upon my feet; and He spoke with me, and said unto me: 'Go, shut thyself within thy house.

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

But thou, son of man, behold, bands shall be put upon thee, and thou shalt be bound with them, and thou shalt not go out among 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.

and I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be to them a reprover; for they are a rebellious 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 with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD; he that heareth, let him hear, and he that forbeareth, let him forbear; for they are a rebellious house.