Hesekiel 16
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, fa akyiwade a Yerusalem yɛ no si nʼanim
“Son of man, challenge Jerusalem over her disgusting practices.
3 na ka se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade ka kyerɛ Yerusalem: Wo nkyi ne wʼawo fi Kanaanfo asase so; na wʼagya yɛ Amorini na wo na nso yɛ Hetini.
Tell Jerusalem that this is what the Lord God says to her: You really are a Canaanite, both by your birth and parentage. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.
4 Da a wɔwoo wo no, wɔantwa wo funuma, na wɔamfa nsu anguare wo sɛ wo ho bɛtew nso, wɔamfa nkyene ansra wo, na wɔamfa ntama ankyekyere wo ho.
On the day you were born your cord was not cut, and you weren't washed to clean you up, you weren't rubbed with salt, and you weren't wrapped in cloths.
5 Obiara anhu wo mmɔbɔ, na obiara yam anhyehye no sɛ ɔbɛyɛ eyinom biara ama wo. Mmom wɔtow wo kyenee wuram, efisɛ da a wɔwoo wo no, wobuu wo animtiaa.
No one looked on you with love to do anything like this for you; no one showed any kind of care for you. No, you were thrown away in a field, abandoned and despised from the day you were born.
6 “‘Mibepuee wo so, na mihuu sɛ worewɔ wʼanan na woda mogya mu, na sɛnea na woda hɔ no, meka kyerɛɛ wo se, “Nya nkwa!”
But I passed by and saw you kicking, covered in your own blood. As you were lying there in your blood I told you, ‘I want you to live!’ I said to you right there, ‘I want you to live!’
7 Mehwɛɛ wo ma wunyinii sɛ afifide. Wunyinii, na woyɛɛ nsiforo kɔɔ afikyiri. Wo nufu bobɔe, na wo ho fuw nwi, nanso na woda adagyaw.
I help you to grow like a plant in the field. You grew up into a beautiful young woman. Your breasts developed and your body hair grew, and you were completely naked.
8 “‘Akyiri yi mibepuee wo so, na mehwɛɛ wo na mihuu sɛ woaso aware no, mede mʼatade fa bi kataa wʼadagyaw so. Misua kyerɛɛ wo na me ne wo yɛɛ apam na wobɛyɛɛ me dea, Otumfo Awurade na ose.
When I passed by again, I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for lovemaking. So I spread my robe over you and covered up your naked body. I committed myself to you and made a solemn agreement with you, and made you mine, declares the Lord God.
9 “‘Mede nsu guaree wo, na mehohoroo wo ho mogya na mede srade ahorow srasraa wo.
Then I washed you with water, cleaned off your blood, and anointed you with oil.
10 Mede atade a wɔanwen ano hyɛɛ wo, na mehyɛɛ wo mmoa were mpaboa. Mede nwera papa furaa wo na mede ntade aboɔden guguu so.
I put a beautifully embroidered dress on you and gave you fine leather sandals. I clothed you in fine linen and covered you with silk.
11 Mede agude siesiee wo, mede nkapo guu wo nsa, mede kɔnmuade too wo kɔn mu,
I gave you jewelry—I put bracelets on your wrists and a necklace around your neck.
12 na mede kaa hyɛɛ wo hwene mu, asokaa hyɛɛ wʼasom na mebɔɔ wo abotiri a ɛyɛ fɛ.
I put a ring in your nose and earrings on your ears, and placed a beautiful crown on your head.
13 Enti wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ siesiee wo, wʼadurade yɛɛ nwera papa ne ntama a ne bo yɛ den ne nea wɔadi mu adwinni. Wʼaduan yɛɛ esiam papa, ɛwo ne ngo. Wo ho yɛɛ fɛ na wobɛyɛɛ ɔhemmea.
You wore gold and silver jewelry, and your clothes were made of the finest linen, expensive fabric, and embroidered cloth. You ate bread made with the best flour, and honey and olive oil. You grew even more beautiful and became a queen.
14 Na wʼahoɔfɛ nti, wo din hyetaa wɔ amanaman mu, efisɛ anuonyam a mahyɛ wo no ma wʼahoɔfɛ no di mu, Awurade asɛm ni.
You were famous around the world because of your beauty, for I used my majestic power to make you so wonderful, declares the Lord God.
15 “‘Nanso wʼahoɔfɛ nti wugyee wo ho dii na wode wo din a ahyeta no bɔɔ aguaman. Wugyaa wo ho maa obiara a ɔretwa mu na woyɛɛ wɔn adɔe.
You were so proud of your beauty that you were unfaithful to me. You thought that because you were so famous you could prostitute yourself and sleep with anyone who passed by. They took your beautiful body for themselves.
16 Wode wo ntade no bi kɔyɛɛ sorɔnsorɔmmea hɔ hyirenn; hɔ na wokɔbɔɔ aguaman. Ɛnsɛ sɛ nneɛma a ɛtete sɛɛ sisi koraa, na ɛnsɛ sɛ ɛba nso.
You made yourself colorful pagan shrines out of the clothes I'd given you, and there you acted as a prostitute. Things like this have never happened before, and they should never happen in the future!
17 Afei wode wo nnwinne fɛfɛ a mede maa wo no, nea mede sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ yɛe no yɛɛ ahoni maa wo ho na wo ne wɔn bɔɔ aguaman.
You also used the beautiful gold and silver jewelry I gave you to make male idols and you prostituted yourself with them.
18 Wode wo ntade a wɔadi mu adwinni hyehyɛɛ wɔn na wode me ngo ne nnuhuam brɛɛ wɔn.
You used your embroidered clothes to dress them, and you placed before them my olive oil and incense.
19 Bio aduan a mede maa wo no, esiam papa, ɛwo ne ngo a mede maa wo sɛ di no, wode brɛɛ wɔn sɛ afɔrebɔde a eyi hua. Saa na esii, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.
You presented the food I had given you as an offering for them to accept —bread made from the best flour, olive oil, and honey that I had provided for you to eat. That's exactly what you did, declares the Lord God.
20 “‘Wofaa wo mmabarima ne wo mmabea, a me ne wo woo wɔn no kɔbɔɔ afɔre sɛ aduan maa ahoni. Wʼaguamammɔ no nnɔɔso ana?
You sacrificed your sons and daughters—the children you had for me—offering them as food for idols to eat. Wasn't your prostitution evil enough?
21 Wukum me mma de wɔn bɔɔ afɔre maa ahoni no.
You slaughtered my children, sacrificing them to idols.
22 Akyiwade a woyɛɛ ne wʼaguamammɔ akyi no, woankae wo mmabun bere a na wo ho da hɔ na worewɔ wʼanan wɔ mogya mu no.
While you were busy with all your disgusting practices and your prostitution, you forgot about the time when you were young, completely naked and lying there kicking in your own blood.
23 “‘Nnome! Nnome nka wo, Otumfo Awurade na ose. Wʼamumɔyɛ nyinaa akyi no,
Disaster is coming! Disaster is coming on you, declares the Lord God. As well as all the other evil things you did,
24 wusii bammɔ pie maa wo ho, na woyɛɛ abosonnan tenten wɔ aguabɔbea biara.
you built yourself a pagan shrine, a high place of idol worship on every public square in the city.
25 Borɔn so baabiara wusisii abosonnan atenten, na wosɛe wʼahoɔfɛ efisɛ honam akɔnnɔ bɔne nti wode wo ho maa obiara a ɔretwa mu.
You made yourselves high places of idol worship at the top of every street; you degraded yourself, offering your beautiful body to anyone who passed by, opening your legs for them, becoming more and more promiscuous.
26 Wo ne Misraimfo a honam akɔnnɔ ayɛ wɔn ma no bɔɔ aguaman, na wode honam akɔnnɔ bɔne hyɛɛ me abufuw.
You gave yourself as a prostitute to your Egyptian neighbors with their large sexual organs, making me angry as you became even more promiscuous.
27 Enti meteɛɛ me nsa wɔ wo so na metew wʼahye so. Mede wo maa wʼatamfo aniberefo, Filistifo mmabea a wʼahohwi bra no yɛɛ wɔn nwonwa no.
So I acted to reduce my blessings to you. I let your enemies the Philistines do what they wanted to you. Even they were embarrassed at your immorality.
28 Wo ne Asiriafo nso bɔɔ aguaman, efisɛ biribiara mmee wo. Na ɛno akyi koraa woammee ara.
Because you weren't satisfied you prostituted yourself with the Assyrians. But even then you weren't satisfied.
29 Afei wotoaa wo honam akɔnnɔ bɔne no so de Babilonia, a ɛyɛ aguadifo asase kaa ho, nanso eyi ammee wo ara.
So you took your promiscuous behavior to Babylonia, the country of merchants, but even then you weren't satisfied!
30 “‘Wunni ahohyɛso koraa, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni, sɛ wutumi yɛ saa nneɛma yi nyinaa te sɛ oguamanfo a nʼani nwu hwee.
You're really sick-minded to do all this, acting like a prostitute with no shame, declares the Lord God.
31 Wusisii bammɔ pie wɔ mmorɔn so na wusisii abosonnan atenten wɔ aguabɔbea biara, na wonsɛ oguamanfo, efisɛ wopoo akatua.
Actually you weren't even a normal prostitute when you built yourselves pagan shrines at the top of every street and high places of idol worship on every public square—because you refused to be paid for your services!
32 “‘Wo, ɔyere waresɛefo, wopɛ ahɔho sen wo ara wo kunu!
You're a wife that loves adultery! You sleep with strangers instead of your husband!
33 Oguamanfo biara gye akatua, nanso wo de, wode nneɛma kyekyɛ wʼadɔfo nyinaa de hyɛ wɔn afono mu sɛ, womfi baabiara mmra wo nkyɛn.
Normally all prostitutes are paid, but you were the one giving gifts to all your lovers. You even bribed them to come from all around and have sex with you.
34 Enti wʼaguamammɔ mu no wo nte sɛ afoforo; obiara mma wo hɔ sɛ yɛ no adɔe. Wo ne wɔn bɔ abira koraa, efisɛ wutua ka na obiara mma wo hwee.
So you're the opposite of other prostitutes. No one comes to you asking for sex, and you pay the prostitute's fee instead of receiving it. You're the exact opposite!
35 “‘Enti, wo oguamanfo, tie Awurade asɛm!
So, you prostitute, listen to the message from the Lord!
36 Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se. Esiane sɛ wuhwie wʼahonya gui, na wodaa wʼadagyaw adi, wo ho a woma ɛyɛɛ wo dɛ dodo wɔ wo ne wʼadɔfo nhyiamu, wʼahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwade na afei wo mma mogya a wode maa wɔn no nti,
This is what the Lord God says: Because you were so crazy with desire you stripped yourself naked and committed adultery with your lovers and with all your disgusting idols, and because you killed your children as sacrifices to those idols,
37 merebɛboaboa wʼadɔfo a wode wɔn gyee wʼani nyinaa ano; wɔn a wodɔɔ wɔn ne wɔn a woampɛ wɔn. Mɛboaboa wɔn nyinaa ano atia wo afi wo ho baabiara, na mɛpa wo ho wɔ wɔn anim, na wobehu wʼadagyaw nyinaa.
I'm going to bring together all the lovers you went to bed with, whether you loved them or hated them, and I will have them gather from everywhere around and I will strip you as they watch so they will see you totally naked.
38 Mede asotwe a wɔde ma mmea aguamammɔfo ne mogyahwiegufo no bɛyɛ wʼatemmu. Mede me mogya aweretɔ a efi mʼabufuwhyew ne me ninkutwe abufuw mu bɛba wo so.
I will impose on you the punishment for women who commit adultery and those who murder; you will be punished in passionate anger.
39 Afei mede wo bɛma wʼadɔfo na wobebubu bammɔ pie a woahɔre no, asɛe abosonnan atenten no. Wɔbɛpa wo ho ntama, wɔbɛfa wo nnwinne fɛfɛ no, na wɔagyaw wo hɔ adagyaw mu.
Then I will hand you over to your lovers, and they will demolish your pagan shrines and destroy your high places of idol worship. They will strip you of your clothes, remove your beautiful jewelry, and leave you stark naked.
40 Wɔde nnipadɔm a wobesiw wo abo na wɔde wɔn afoa atwitwa wo mu nketenkete bɛba wo so.
They will come with a mob to attack you. They will stone you and chop you into pieces with their swords.
41 Wɔbɛhyehyew wʼafi na wɔatwe wʼaso wɔ mmea bebree anim. Metwa wʼaguamammɔ no so na woagyae akatua a wode ma wʼadɔfo no.
They will burn down your houses and punish you while many women watch. I will stop your prostitution, and you won't ever pay your lovers again.
42 Afei mʼabufuwhyew ano bedwo na me ninkutwe abufuw no befi wo so. Mɛyɛ bɔkɔɔ na me bo remfuw bio.
Then I will finish being jealous and furious with you. I will calm down and won't be angry any more.
43 “‘Sɛ woankae wo mmabun nna, na wode eyinom nyinaa hyɛɛ me abufuw nti, ɔkwan biara so mɛma nea woayɛ no abɔ wo ti so, Otumfo Awurade na ose. Woanyɛ nneɛma fi anka akyiwade no ho ana?
Since you didn't remember how I looked after you when you were young, but made me angry with all the things that you did, I will make sure you experience the results of what you've done, declares the Lord God. For this immorality was in addition to all the other disgusting things you did, wasn't it?
44 “‘Obiara a obu bɛ no bebu saa bɛ yi afa wo ho: “Sɛnea ɛna te no saa ara na ne babea te.”
Everyone who likes to use proverbs will quote this one about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’
45 Woyɛ wo na a ɔsopaa ne kunu ne ne mma no babea kann, na woyɛ wo nuanom mmea a wɔsopaa wɔn kununom ne wɔn mma no nuabea ankasa. Wo na yɛ Hetini na wʼagya yɛ Amorini.
You are the daughter of your mother who detested her husband and children. You are just like her! You are the sister of your sisters, just like them who detested their husbands and children. In fact your mother was a Hittite and your father was an Amorite.
46 Na wo nuabea panyin ne Samaria a na ɔne ne mmabea te wʼatifi fam, na wo nuabea kumaa a ɔne ne mmabea te wʼanafo fam, yɛ Sodom.
Your older sister was Samaria, who lived north of you with her daughters. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived south of you with her daughters.
47 Woannantew wɔn akwan mu, ansua wɔn akyiwadeyɛ nko, na mmom, akwan nyinaa mu, wobɛyɛɛ porɔwee sen wɔn.
You didn't just follow their ways and do the same disgusting things they did, you very quickly became even worse than them.
48 Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfo Awurade na ose, wo nuabea Sodom ne ne mmabea anyɛ nea wo ne wo mmabea ayɛ no da.
As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters didn't ever do what you and your daughters have done.
49 “‘Eyi ne bɔne a wo nuabea Sodom yɛe: Ɔno ne ne mmabea yɛɛ ahantan, wodidi traa so na hwee amfa wɔn ho, wɔammoa ahiafo ne mmɔborɔfo.
The sins of your sister Sodom were these: She and her daughters were proud, greedy, and lazy. They didn't help the poor and those in need.
50 Wɔyɛɛ ahomaso ne akyiwade wɔ mʼanim. Ɛno nti miyii wɔn sii nkyɛn sɛnea woahu no.
They became arrogant and did disgusting things in my presence. So I got rid of them when I saw this.
51 Samaria anyɛ bɔne a woyɛɛ no mu fa. Woayɛ akyiwade a ɛboro nea wo nuabeanom no yɛe no so koraa, na woama ayɛ sɛ wo nuabeanom no te, esiane saa nneɛma a woayɛ no nti.
Samaria didn't sin half as badly as you did. You have done far more disgusting things than they did. In fact, all the revolting things you've done make your sisters look good!
52 Gye wʼanimguase, efisɛ woama wo nuabeanom adi bem. Wo bɔne mu yɛ duru sen wɔn de, enti ayɛ sɛ wɔteɛ sen wo. Ɛno de, afei gye wʼanimguase na wama ayɛ sɛ wo nuabeanom te.
Now you're going to have to put up with your shame, since by your disgraceful sins you made them seem far better. Compared to you they look good! Now you too have to put up with your shame and disgrace because you've made your sisters look as if they were good.
53 “‘Nanso mede Sodom siade ne ne mmabea, Samaria siade ne ne mmabea bɛma wɔn, na mede wo siade bɛka ho,
Even so I'm going to bring Sodom and her daughters back from exile, and Samaria and her daughters too. I will bring you back together with them.
54 sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wubegye wʼanimguase na wʼani bewu wɔ nea woayɛ de ama wɔn ahotɔ nyinaa ho.
In this way you will have to put up with your disgrace and be ashamed of all the bad things you did that made them feel better about themselves.
55 Na wo nuabeanom Sodom ne ne mmabea, Samaria ne ne mmabea bɛsan akɔ wɔn tebea dedaw mu, na wo ne wo mmabea nso bɛsan akɔ mo dedaw mu.
Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will be restored to what they were before. You and your daughters will also be restored to what you were before.
56 Woremmɔ wo nuabea Sodom din wɔ wʼahohoahoa da no mpo,
Didn't you mock your sister Sodom when you were feeling proud,
57 kosi sɛ wʼamumɔyɛ ho daa hɔ. Ebesi nnɛ Edom mmabea bɔ wo ahohora, wɔne wɔn a wɔatwa wɔn ho ahyia ne Filistifo mmabea; wɔn a wɔatwa wo ho ahyia a wɔbɔ wo ahohora nyinaa.
before you were shown to be so wicked yourselves? Of course now you are mocked by the Edomites and the surrounding nations, as well as by the Philistines. Everyone around you looks down on you.
58 Nea ebefi nneɛma fi a woyɛ ne wʼakyiwade mu aba no bɛda wo so, Awurade asɛm ni.
You will have to experience the consequences of your immorality and your disgusting practices, declares the Lord.
59 “‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Me ne wo bedi no sɛnea ɛfata, efisɛ woasɛe mʼapam de abu me ntam animtiaa.
This is what the Lord God says: I'm going to punish you according to your sins, because you treated the promise you made with contempt by breaking the agreement.
60 Nanso mɛkae apam a me ne wo yɛɛ wo mmabun bere mu, na me ne wo bɛyɛ apam a ɛbɛtena hɔ afebɔɔ.
But I won't forget the agreement I made with you when you were young, and I will make an everlasting agreement with you.
61 Afei wobɛkae wʼakwan na wʼani awu bere a wo nsa aka wo nuabeanom; wɔn a wɔanyinyin sen wo ne nkumaa nyinaa. Mede wɔn bɛma wo sɛ wo mmabea, nanso ɛrennyina apam a me ne wo ayɛ no so.
Then you will remember the way you are meant to live and be ashamed when you meet your older and younger sisters when they return to you. I will give them to you as daughters, even though this was not part of our original agreement.
62 Enti me ne wo bɛyɛ apam na wubehu sɛ mene Awurade.
This is how I will endorse my agreement with you, and you will know that I am the Lord,
63 Afei sɛ meyɛ mpata ma wo wɔ nea woayɛ nyinaa ho a, wobɛkae na wʼani bewu na woremmue wʼano bio wɔ brɛ a wɔabrɛ wo ase no nti, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.’”
so that you will remember and be ashamed, and won't ever defend your disgraceful behavior when I forgive you for everything you've done, declares the Lord God.”
