Hesekiel 16
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se
Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
2 “Onipa ba, fa akyiwade a Yerusalem yɛ no si nʼanim
“You human, cause the people of Jerusalem to think about their detestable behavior.
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.
Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you people of Jerusalem: [It is as though you are a woman who] [MET] was born in the country where the Canaan people-group lived. [It is as though] [MET] your father belonged to the Amor people-group and your mother belonged to the Heth people-group.
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.
[It is as though] [MET] on the day that you were born, your umbilical cord was not cut, and your body was not washed in water, and it was not rubbed with salt or wrapped in strips of cloth, [like Israeli babies always are].
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 pitied you or acted kindly toward you by doing those things for you. Instead, [it was as though] [MET] you were thrown into a field, because on the day that you were born, you were despised {everyone despised you}.
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!”
Then [it was as though] [MET] I passed by and saw you lying in your own blood and kicking. And while you lay there kicking in your own blood, I said to you, “I want you to remain alive!”
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.
[It was as though] I caused you to grow up, like plants in the field grow; you grew up and became tall and became like [MET] a very beautiful jewel. [It was as though] [MET] your breasts (formed/became large), and your hair became long, although you were still naked [DOU].
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 saw you several years later, [it was as though] [MET] I saw that you were old enough to have sex [EUP]. So [it was as though] [MET] I spread the corner of my robe over [to symbolize that I would marry you], with the result that you were no longer naked. I solemnly promised [that I would marry you] and made a marriage agreement with you, and you became my wife. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say.
9 “‘Mede nsu guaree wo, na mehohoroo wo ho mogya na mede srade ahorow srasraa wo.
[And then it was as though] [MET] I bathed you and washed the blood from you and put ointment on your body.
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.
[It was as though] [MET] I put a fine linen robe on you and gave you other expensive clothes. I put an embroidered dress on you and put leather sandals on your feet.
11 Mede agude siesiee wo, mede nkapo guu wo nsa, mede kɔnmuade too wo kɔn mu,
[It was as though] [MET] I put bracelets on your arms and a necklace around your neck. Those things all had nice jewels fastened to them.
12 na mede kaa hyɛɛ wo hwene mu, asokaa hyɛɛ wʼasom na mebɔɔ wo abotiri a ɛyɛ fɛ.
I put a gold ring in your nose and fastened earrings to your ears and put 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.
So [it was as though] you wore gold and silver ornaments. You had clothes made from fine (linen/white cloth) and other expensive embroidered material/cloth. You ate [bread made from] fine flour, honey, and olive oil. You became very beautiful, like [MET] 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 very beautiful, with the result that people in other nations heard about you, because they knew that I, Yahweh the Lord, am the one who had caused you to become very beautiful.
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.
But [it was as though] [MET] you realized that because people knew that you were very beautiful, you could [earn a lot of money by] becoming a prostitute. [It was as though] you had sex with [EUP] every man who came along, and they all enjoyed your beauty.
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.
[It was as though] you took some of your clothes to make beautifully decorated shrines, and that is where you had sex with those men. Those things should certainly never occur!
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 took the fine gold and silver jewelry that I gave you, and you made male idols for yourself, in order to have sex with them.
18 Wode wo ntade a wɔadi mu adwinni hyehyɛɛ wɔn na wode me ngo ne nnuhuam brɛɛ wɔn.
You took some of your embroidered clothes to put on those idols, and you burned oil and incense in front of them [to honor them].
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.
And the [bread that was made from] fine flour and the olive oil and honey that I gave to you to eat, you offered to be a fragrant sacrifice to those idols. I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that is what happened.
20 “‘Wofaa wo mmabarima ne wo mmabea, a me ne wo woo wɔn no kɔbɔɔ afɔre sɛ aduan maa ahoni. Wʼaguamammɔ no nnɔɔso ana?
And you even took your sons and daughters who were [as though they were] [MET] my children, and sacrificed them to be food for the idols. That was much worse [RHQ] than your becoming a prostitute.
21 Wukum me mma de wɔn bɔɔ afɔre maa ahoni no.
You slaughtered [those who were like] [MET] my children, and offered them to be sacrifices to the gods!
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.
All during the time when you were acting like a prostitute and doing other detestable things, you did not think about the time when [it was as though] you were very young, naked [DOU], lying in your own blood and kicking.
23 “‘Nnome! Nnome nka wo, Otumfo Awurade na ose. Wʼamumɔyɛ nyinaa akyi no,
So I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that terrible things will happen to you. In addition to all the other wicked things that you did,
24 wusii bammɔ pie maa wo ho, na woyɛɛ abosonnan tenten wɔ aguabɔbea biara.
you built a shrine to worship idols in every [city] square/plaza.
25 Borɔn so baabiara wusisii abosonnan atenten, na wosɛe wʼahoɔfɛ efisɛ honam akɔnnɔ bɔne nti wode wo ho maa obiara a ɔretwa mu.
At the beginning of every street you built a shrine, and showed people your beautiful body, offering it to have sex with every man who walked by, becoming a better known prostitute every day.
26 Wo ne Misraimfo a honam akɔnnɔ ayɛ wɔn ma no bɔɔ aguaman, na wode honam akɔnnɔ bɔne hyɛɛ me abufuw.
[It was as though] [MET] you had sex with men from Egypt who were eager to have sex with you, men who lived near to Israel. You caused me to become very angry because you became more eager to have sex with more and more of them.
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 punished [IDM] you and caused your enemies to capture some of your country. I enabled your greedy enemies from Philistia to defeat you; and even they were shocked because of your disgraceful behavior.
28 Wo ne Asiriafo nso bɔɔ aguaman, efisɛ biribiara mmee wo. Na ɛno akyi koraa woammee ara.
[It was as though] you had sex with soldiers from Assyria, too, because you always wanted more sex. And after that, you still were not 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 also had sex [with soldiers from] Babylonia, a country full of merchants/businessmen, but even that did not satisfy you.
30 “‘Wunni ahohyɛso koraa, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni, sɛ wutumi yɛ saa nneɛma yi nyinaa te sɛ oguamanfo a nʼani nwu hwee.
I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that when you did all those things, acting like [MET] a bold prostitute, you were showing that you were ready to do anything that you wanted to [IDM].
31 Wusisii bammɔ pie wɔ mmorɔn so na wusisii abosonnan atenten wɔ aguabɔbea biara, na wonsɛ oguamanfo, efisɛ wopoo akatua.
When you built shrines to worship idols on every street corner and in every city square/plaza, you were not like a prostitute: Prostitutes charge money, but you refused to take money for what you did.
32 “‘Wo, ɔyere waresɛefo, wopɛ ahɔho sen wo ara wo kunu!
You are like [MET] a woman who commits adultery: You prefer to [have sex with] strangers rather than with 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.
Prostitutes are paid, but [it is as though] you give gifts to all your lovers; you bribe them to come to you from everywhere to 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 although you act like [MET] a prostitute, you are not like other prostitutes: No one needs to request you to have sex [EUP] with them. You are the opposite of other prostitutes; instead of them giving any money to you, you give men money to have sex with you.
35 “‘Enti, wo oguamanfo, tie Awurade asɛm!
Therefore, [you people of] Jerusalem, who are like a prostitute [MET], listen to what I, Yahweh the Lord, am saying about you!
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,
I say that [what you have done is as though] [MET] you took off your clothes and acted like a prostitute and had sex with men who are not your husband. [What I mean is that you have been worshiping] detestable idols, and you have murdered [MTY] your own children to be sacrifices to them.
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.
So [what I am going to do is as though] I will gather those who you think have loved you and those whom you hated. I will gather them around you [to attack you], and [what I will do is as though] I will strip your clothes off you, and they will see you when you are completely 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 punish you like women who commit adultery and who murder people [MTY] are punished. I will get revenge on you and get rid of you because I am extremely angry with you.
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.
I will allow [your enemies who you thought] loved you [IRO] to defeat you, and they will tear down your shrines. [It will be as though] they will strip off your fancy clothes and take away your fine jewelry and cause you to be completely naked [DOU].
40 Wɔde nnipadɔm a wobesiw wo abo na wɔde wɔn afoa atwitwa wo mu nketenkete bɛba wo so.
They will bring a mob to attack you, and that mob will throw stones at you and cut you to 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 are watching. I will cause your acting like a prostitute and paying your lovers to have sex with you to end.
42 Afei mʼabufuwhyew ano bedwo na me ninkutwe abufuw no befi wo so. Mɛyɛ bɔkɔɔ na me bo remfuw bio.
Then I will no longer be angry [DOU] with you. I will stop being jealous [because of your worshiping gods other than me only].
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?
You have forgotten [the wonderful things that I did for you] in previous years [MET]. You have caused me to become extremely angry because of all the [evil things] that you have done. In addition to all the other detestable things that you did, you committed many sexual sins. So I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that I will punish you [IDM] for doing those things.
44 “‘Obiara a obu bɛ no bebu saa bɛ yi afa wo ho: “Sɛnea ɛna te no saa ara na ne babea te.”
People who [like to] quote proverbs will quote this proverb about you: “[behave] like their mothers [behave].”
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 like your mother; [it was as though] she detested her husband and her children. You are like your sisters, who also despised their husbands and their children. [It was as though] [MET] your father belonged to the Amor people-group and your mother belonged to the Heth people-group.
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.
And [it was as though] [MET] your older sister was Samaria, and she and her daughters lived to the north of you, and [it was as though] your younger sister was Sodom, and she and her daughters lived to the south of you.
47 Woannantew wɔn akwan mu, ansua wɔn akyiwadeyɛ nko, na mmom, akwan nyinaa mu, wobɛyɛɛ porɔwee sen wɔn.
You not only imitated all [DOU] their detestable behavior, but you quickly became more sinful than they were.
48 Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfo Awurade na ose, wo nuabea Sodom ne ne mmabea anyɛ nea wo ne wo mmabea ayɛ no da.
I, Yahweh the Lord, solemnly declare that as surely as I am alive, [the people who lived in] [MTY] Sodom and other nearby cities never did the detestable things that you [people in Jerusalem and other places in Judah] 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.
These are the sins [the people who lived in] Sodom, who were like your sister [MET]: The people who lived there and in nearby cities were arrogant. In spite of having more food to eat than they needed, they refused to help the poor and needy [DOU] people among them.
50 Wɔyɛɛ ahomaso ne akyiwade wɔ mʼanim. Ɛno nti miyii wɔn sii nkyɛn sɛnea woahu no.
The people of Sodom and nearby cities [MET] were proud and did detestable things in my presence, so I got rid of them when I saw what they had been doing.
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.
Also, [the people of] Samaria did not commit half as many sins as you have committed. You have done more disgusting things than they have done. You cause the people of Samaria to appear to be good, compared to you.
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.
Your sins are worse than their sins, so they seem to be less wicked than you are. So I will punish you more than I punished them. As a result, you will be ashamed and disgraced [DOU].
53 “‘Nanso mede Sodom siade ne ne mmabea, Samaria siade ne ne mmabea bɛma wɔn, na mede wo siade bɛka ho,
However, [some day] I will [the people of] Sodom and Samaria and the cities near to them [MET] to prosper again. And I will cause you to prosper again, too.
54 sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wubegye wʼanimguase na wʼani bewu wɔ nea woayɛ de ama wɔn ahotɔ nyinaa ho.
You will be very ashamed [DOU] of the wicked things that you have done, and that will cause the people of those cities to be encouraged.
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.
[The people of] Sodom and Samaria will prosper again, and you and the people in nearby cities will prosper also.
56 Woremmɔ wo nuabea Sodom din wɔ wʼahohoahoa da no mpo,
You (sneered at/despised) [the people of] Sodom when you were 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 it was revealed that you were very wicked. And now [the people of] Edom and [the people of] Philistia all insult you and despise you.
58 Nea ebefi nneɛma fi a woyɛ ne wʼakyiwade mu aba no bɛda wo so, Awurade asɛm ni.
And you are being punished for all your immoral behavior and other detestable things that you do.
59 “‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Me ne wo bedi no sɛnea ɛfata, efisɛ woasɛe mʼapam de abu me ntam animtiaa.
This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: I will continue to punish you like you deserve to be punished, because by rejecting the agreement that I made with you, you have despised that solemn agreement that you promised to obey.
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 will not forget the agreement that I made with you long ago [MET], and I will make an agreement with you that will endure forever.
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 think about what you have done, and you will be ashamed about those things when you welcome [the people of] Sodom and Samaria, cities which are like [MET] older and younger sisters to you people of Jerusalem. I will [put them under your control by] causing them to become like [MET] your daughters, but they will not have the same agreement that I will make with you.
62 Enti me ne wo bɛyɛ apam na wubehu sɛ mene Awurade.
I will establish my agreement with you, and you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].
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.’”
Then when I have forgiven you for all your sins, you will think about all the sins that you committed and you will be ashamed, and you will never again [boast about them], because you will be humiliated.’”
