Hesekiel 17
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, dwene mfatoho bi ho, fa yɛ abebusɛm na ka kyerɛ Israelfi.
Son of man, relate a tale, and speak a parable to the house of Israel:
3 Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Ɔkɔre kɛse bi a ɔwɔ ntaban a ahoɔden wɔ mu ne ntakra atenten bebree a ɛwɔ ahosu ahorow baa Lebanon. Okosii sida dua nkɔn mu,
and you shall say, Thus says the Lord; A great eagle with large wings, spreading them out very far, with many claws, which has the design of entering into Libanus—and he took the choice [branches] of the cedar:
4 buu ne mman a ɛwɔ atifi pa ara na ɔde kɔɔ aguadifo asase bi so koduaa wɔ wɔn kuropɔn mu.
he cropped off the ends of the tender twigs, and brought them into the land of Chanaan; he laid them up in a walled city.
5 “‘Ɔfaa wʼasase so aba no bi kɔhyɛɛ dɔtebere mu. Oduaa no sɛ ɔfɔsɔw dua a ɛwɔ nsuwansuwa ho,
And he took of the seed of the land, and sowed it in a field planted by much water; he set it in a conspicuous place.
6 na ɛfefɛw bɛyɛɛ bobe a ɛtrɛtrɛw wɔ fam. Ne mman no dannan kyerɛɛ ne so, nanso ne ntin no nyin kɔɔ fam. Enti ɛbɛyɛɛ bobe yiyii mman a so wɔ nhaban a ɛyɛ fɛ.
And it sprang up, and became a weak and little vine, so that the branches thereof appeared [upon] it, and its roots were under it: and it became a vine, and put forth shoots, and sent forth its tendrils.
7 “‘Nanso na ɔkɔre kɛse foforo bi a ɔwɔ ntaban a ahoɔden wo mu na ne ho wɔ ntakra bebree wɔ hɔ. Bobe no dannan ne ntin fii beae a woduaa no hɔ kyerɛɛ ɔkɔre no na ɔtrɛw ne mman kɔɔ ne so kɔpɛɛ nsu.
And there was another great eagle, with great wings and many claws: and, behold, this vine bent itself round towards him, and her roots [were turned] towards him, and she sent forth her branches towards him, that [he] might water her together with the growth of her plantation.
8 Wɔadua bobe wɔ asase pa a ɛbɛn nsuwansuwa ho, sɛnea ebeyiyi mman na asow aba na afei abɛyɛ bobe dua a edi mu.’
She thrives in a fair field by much water, to produce shoots and bear fruit, that she might become a great vine.
9 “Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Ɛbɛyɛ yiye ana? Wɔrentu nʼase ntetew ne so aba mma entwintwam ana? Nea afefɛw wɔ ho nyinaa betwintwam. Ɛho renhia abasa a emu yɛ duru anaa nnipa bebree na wɔatu nʼase.
Therefore say, Thus says the Lord; Shall it prosper? shall not the roots of her tender stem and her fruit be blighted? yes, all her early shoots shall be dried up, and [that] not by a mighty arm, nor by many people, to tear her up from her roots.
10 Sɛ wotu bobe no tɛw a, ɛbɛyɛ yiye ana? Sɛ apuei mframa bɔ no a, ɛrentwintwam ana? Ebewu wɔ asase pa a woduaa wɔ so ma enyinii yiye no so.’”
And, behold, it thrives: shall it prosper? shall it not wither as soon as the east wind touches it? it shall be withered together with the growth of its shoots.
11 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Moreover the word of the Lord came to me saying,
12 “Ka kyerɛ saa atuatewfo yi se, ‘Munnim nea saa nneɛma yi kyerɛ ana?’ Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Babiloniahene kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔsoaa ne hene ne ne mmapɔmma de wɔn baa Babilonia.
Son of man, say now to the provoking house, Know you not what these things were? say [to them], Whenever the king of Babylon shall come against Jerusalem, then he shall take her king and her princes, and shall take them home to Babylon.
13 Oyii ɔdehye baako ne no kaa ntam yɛɛ apam. Ɔsoaa ntuanofo ne atitiriw a wɔwɔ asase no so nso kɔe,
And he shall take of the seed royal, and shall make a covenant with him, and shall bind him with an oath: and he shall take the princes of the land:
14 sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a ahenni no renyɛ den na wɔrensɔre bio, na apam no nko ara na ɛbɛbɔ wɔn ho ban.
that it may become a weak kingdom, so as never to lift itself up, that he may keep his covenant, and establish it.
15 Nanso ɔhene no somaa ananmusifo kɔɔ Misraim kɔsrɛɛ asraafo dɔm kɛse ne apɔnkɔ bebree nam so tew atua. Obedi nkonim ana? Nea ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi benya ne ti adidi mu ana? Obebu apam no so na wanya ne ti nso adidi mu ana?
And [if] he shall revolt from him, to send his messengers into Egypt, that [they] may give him horses and much people; shall he prosper? shall he that acts as an adversary be preserved? and shall he that transgresses the covenant be preserved?
16 “‘Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfo Awurade na ose, obewu wɔ Babilonia, ɔhene a ɔde no sii ahengua so no asase so, nea ɔtoo ne ntam na obuu nʼapam so no.
[As] I live, says the Lord, verily in [the] place where the king is that made him king, who dishonoured my oath, and who broke my covenant, shall he die with him in the midst of Babylon.
17 Farao ne ne dɔmmarima ne nnipadɔm so remma no mfaso biara wɔ ɔko mu, bere a Babilonia asisi pampim na wayɛ ntuano nnwuma a ɔde rebɛsɛe bebree nkwa no.
And Pharaoh shall make war upon him not with a large force or great multitude, in throwing up a mound, and in building of forts, to cut off souls.
18 Obuu apam no so, nam so de too ntam no. Esiane sɛ ɔde ne nsa ahyɛ apam no ase na ɔyɛɛ eyinom nyinaa nti, ɔremfa ne ho nni.
Whereas he has profaned the oath so as to break the covenant, when, behold, I engage his hand, and he has done all these things to him, he shall not escape.
19 “‘Enti sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Sɛ mete ase yi, mɛma me ntam a ɔtoe, ne mʼapam a obuu so no abɔ ne ti so.
Therefore say, Thus says the Lord; [As] I live, surely mine oath which he has profaned, and my covenant which he has transgressed, I will even recompense it upon his head.
20 Mɛtrɛw mʼasau mu wɔ ne so na mʼafiri beyi no. Mede no bɛba Babilonia na mabu no atɛn wɔ hɔ, efisɛ wanni me nokware.
And I will spread a net upon him, and he shall be caught in its snare.
21 Nʼakofo a wɔreguan nyinaa bɛtotɔ wɔ afoa ano, na wɔn a wobenya wɔn ti adidi mu no mɛhwete wɔn akɔ mmaa nyinaa. Afei wubehu sɛ me Awurade makasa.
In every battle of his they shall fall by the sword, and I will scatter [his] remnant to every wind: and you shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.
22 “‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Mʼankasa mɛpan mman afi sida dua no nkɔn mu na madua. Mɛpan mman frɔmfrɔm ketewaa bi afi ne nkɔn mu akodua wɔ bepɔw tenten bi so.
For thus says the Lord; I will even take of the choice [branches] of the cedar from the top [thereof], I will crop off their hearts, and I will plant it on a high mountain:
23 Medua wɔ Israel sorɔnsorɔmmea, ebeyiyi mman na asow aba na ayɛ sida dua a edi mu. Nnomaa ahorow bɛyɛ wɔn mmerebuw wɔ so na wɔanya ahomegyebea wɔ mman no nwini mu.
and I will hang it on a lofty mountain of Israel: yes, I will plant it, and it shall put forth shoots, and shall bear fruit, and it shall be a great cedar: and every bird shall rest beneath it, even every fowl shall rest under its shadow: its branches shall be restored.
24 Nwura mu nnua nyinaa behu sɛ me Awurade, na mitwa dua tenten to fam na mema dua a ɛyɛ tiaa nyin yɛ tenten. Mema duamono twintwam na mema nea atwintwam nso yɛ frɔmfrɔm. “‘Me Awurade na maka, na mɛyɛ.’”
And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the Lord that bring low the high tree, and exalt the low tree, and wither the green tree, and cause the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken, and will do [it].
