Hesekiel 14

1 Israel mpanyimfo no mu bi baa me nkyɛn bɛtenatenaa mʼanim.

One day some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me.

2 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:

Then Yahweh gave me this message:

3 “Onipa ba, saa mmarima yi de ahoni ahyɛ wɔn koma mu na wɔde amumɔyɛ hintidua asisi wɔn anim. Ɛsɛ sɛ mema wobisa mʼase koraa ana?

“You human, these men want to [IDM] worship idols, and they are allowing idols to induce them to sin [IDM]. So I will certainly [RHQ] answer them if they ask me for advice.

4 Enti kasa kyerɛ wɔn na ka se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Sɛ Israelni biara de ahoni hyehyɛ ne koma mu na ɔde amumɔyɛ hintidua sisi nʼanim, na afei ɔkɔ odiyifo nkyɛn a, me Awurade, mɛma no mmuae a ɛfata nʼahonisom no kɛseyɛ.

So say this to them: ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: When any Israeli person wants to worship idols which will induce him to sin, and he goes to a [to get advice], I, Yahweh, will give him the answer that he deserves to receive because he worship idols.

5 Mɛyɛ eyi de atwe Israelfo a wɔagyaw me akodi wɔn abosom akyi no koma aba bio.’

[I will do that] in order that the Israeli people, who have abandoned me in order to worship their idols, will sincerely [IDM] worship me again.’

6 “Enti ka kyerɛ Israelfi se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Monsakra mo adwene. Mumfi mo ahoni ho na munnyae mo nneyɛe a ɛyɛ akyiwade no!

Therefore, say to the Israeli people, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: (Repent/Stop sinning)! Stop worshiping your idols, and stop all your [other] detestable behavior!’

7 “‘Sɛ Israelni bi anaa ɔnanani a ɔte Israel twe ne ho fi me nkyɛn na ɔde ahoni hyɛ ne koma mu de amumɔyɛ hintidua si nʼanim, na afei ɔkɔ odiyifo nkyɛn kobisa mʼase a, me, Awurade ankasa bebua no.

When any of [you] Israeli people or any foreigner living among you turns away from me and starts worshiping idols [IDM] that induce him to sin, and then goes to a prophet to find out what I want him to do, I myself will answer him.

8 Metu mʼani asa onipa no na mede no ayɛ nhwɛso ne kasabebui. Meyi no afi me nkurɔfo mu. Afei mubehu sɛ mene Awurade no.’

I will show that I detest him, and [what happens to] him to be a warning [to others], and cause him to be someone whom people despise. I will cause him to no longer be allowed to associate with my people. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].

9 “‘Na sɛ odiyifo no ma wɔdaadaa no ma ɔhyɛ nkɔm a, me Awurade na madaadaa odiyifo no, mɛteɛ me nsa wɔ ne so na matwa no afi me nkurɔfo Israelfo mu.

And if a prophet is deceived and gives a false prophecy, [even though] I [allowed him to] give that message, I will get rid of him and remove him from among my Israeli people.

10 Wɔbɛsoa wɔn afɔdi; odiyifo no ne nea okohuu no no nyinaa bedi fɔ.

Both the prophet and the one who asks him for advice will be guilty, [and I will punish both of them].

11 Na Israelfo renkwati me bio, na wɔremfa wɔn nnebɔne no ngu wɔn ho fi bio. Wɔbɛyɛ me nkurɔfo na mɛyɛ wɔn Nyankopɔn, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.’”

Then you Israeli people will no longer abandon me, and you will no longer become unacceptable to me because of your sins. You will be my people, and I will be your God. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, say.”

12 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said],

13 “Onipa ba, sɛ ɔman bi anni me nokware na enti wɔyɛ bɔne de tia me, na meteɛ me nsa wɔ wɔn so na migyae wɔn aduanma, na mema ɔkɔm ba bekunkum mu nnipa ne wɔn mmoa a,

“You human, [the people of some] country sin against me by abandoning me, and I punish [IDM] them by cutting off their food supply and by sending a famine, with the result that people and animals die,

14 mpo sɛ saa nnipa baasa a wɔyɛ Noa, Daniel ne Hiob wɔ ɔman no mu a, wɔn trenee begye wɔn nko ara nkwa, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.

even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they would save only themselves because of their being righteous. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, declare.

15 “Anaa sɛ mema wuram mmoa kɔ saa asase no so na wokunkum so nnipa nyinaa na asase no sɛe a obiara ntumi mfa so, esiane wuram mmoa no nti a,

Or, if I send wild animals throughout the country, and they attack and [many of] [HYP] the people, with the result that travel in that country becomes very dangerous and no one travels through that country,

16 sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni, mpo sɛ saa mmarima baasa yi wɔ asase no so a, wɔrentumi nnye wɔn ankasa mmabarima ne mmabea nkwa. Wɔn nko ara na wobegye wɔn nkwa na asase no bɛsɛe.

[as surely] as I am alive, even if those three men were in that country, they could not save [even their own] sons or [from being killed]. Only those [three] would (be saved/remain alive), and the country would become desolate. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, declare.

17 “Sɛ nso metwe afoa wɔ asase no so, na meka se, ‘Ma afoa no nkɔ asase no so nyinaa,’ na mikunkum so nnipa ne wɔn mmoa,

Or, if I bring enemy soldiers [MTY] to attack that country, and they kill [MTY] people and animals throughout that country with their swords,

18 sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni, mpo sɛ saa mmarima baasa yi wɔ asase no so a, wɔrentumi nnye wɔn ankasa mmabarima ne mmabea nkwa. Wɔn nko ara na wobenya nkwa.

as surely as I am alive, even if those three men were in that country, they would not be able to save even their own sons or [from being killed]. They would save only themselves. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, declare.

19 “Sɛ nso mesoma ɔyaredɔm kɔ asase no so na menam mʼabufuwhyew so hwie mogya gu wɔ asase no so, kunkum so nnipa ne wɔn mmoa a,

Or, if I send a plague into that land and cause the people and the animals to [from the plague] because I am very angry with those people,

20 sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni, sɛ Noa, Daniel ne Hiob mpo wɔ hɔ a, wɔrentumi nnye ɔbabarima anaa ɔbabea nkwa. Wɔn trenee nti wobegye wɔn nkwa.

[as surely] as I am alive, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in that country, they would not [be able to] save even their sons and daughters. They would save only themselves because of their being righteous. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, declare.

21 “Na sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Ɛbɛyɛ hu mmoroso sɛ mɛma mʼatemmu huhuhuhu anan, a ɛyɛ afoa, ɔkɔm, wuram mmoa ne ɔyaredɔm akɔ Yerusalem so akokunkum ne mmarima ne wɔn mmoa!

So [now] this is what [I, ], Yahweh the Lord, say: I will cause four things to happen to [the people of] Jerusalem to punish them very severely. [Some] people and animals will be killed by swords, [some will die from] famines, [others will be attacked and killed by] wild animals, and [others will die in] plagues.

22 Nanso ebinom bɛka, mmabarima ne mmabea a wobeyi wɔn afi mu no. Wɔbɛba mo nkyɛn na sɛ muhu wɔn su ne wɔn nneyɛe a, mo bo bɛtɔ mo yam wɔ amanehunu a me de aba Yerusalem so no ho, amanehunu a mede aba ne so biara.

But some [of your people] will remain alive, [both adults] and children. They will come to you, [Ezekiel, in Babylon]. And when you see [disgusting] behavior and actions, you will realize that I had good reasons for causing [the people of] Jerusalem to experience those many great disasters [DOU] that I have sent to them.

23 Sɛ muhu wɔn su ne wɔn nneyɛe a mo bo bɛtɔ mo yam, efisɛ mubehu sɛ, menyɛɛ biribiara wɔ hɔ a enni farebae, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.”

When you see those things that they do, you will know that there were very good reasons [LIT] for me to do everything that I caused to happen to them. [That is what I], Yahweh the Lord, declare.”