Hesekiel 17
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
And the word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
2 “Onipa ba, dwene mfatoho bi ho, fa yɛ abebusɛm na ka kyerɛ Israelfi.
Son of man, put forth a riddle, 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 say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: A great eagle, with great wings, with long feathers, full of plumage, which had divers colors, came to Lebanon, and took the highest branch of a 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 top of its young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
5 “‘Ɔfaa wʼasase so aba no bi kɔhyɛɛ dɔtebere mu. Oduaa no sɛ ɔfɔsɔw dua a ɛwɔ nsuwansuwa ho,
He took also one of the shoots of the land, and put it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow-tree.
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 grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned towards him, and whose roots were under him. It became a vine, that brought forth branches, and shot forth boughs.
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.
There was also another great eagle, with great wings and many feathers; and, behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, that he might water it from the beds where it was planted.
8 Wɔadua bobe wɔ asase pa a ɛbɛn nsuwansuwa ho, sɛnea ebeyiyi mman na asow aba na afei abɛyɛ bobe dua a edi mu.’
And yet it was planted in a good soil, by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, and be a goodly 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.
Say thou, Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Shall it prosper? Shall not he pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it wither? In all the leaves of its branching shall it wither; even without a mighty arm, or many people, shall he pluck it up by the 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.’”
Yea, behold, it is planted; but shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew.
11 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Moreover, the word of Jehovah 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.
Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? Say, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes, and led them with him to Babylon,
13 Oyii ɔdehye baako ne no kaa ntam yɛɛ apam. Ɔsoaa ntuanofo ne atitiriw a wɔwɔ asase no so nso kɔe,
and took one of the king's offspring, and made a covenant with him, and took an oath of him, and the mighty of the land he took away,
14 sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a ahenni no renyɛ den na wɔrensɔre bio, na apam no nko ara na ɛbɛbɔ wɔn ho ban.
that the kingdom might be brought low, so as not to lift itself up; that the covenant might be kept, and stand.
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?
But he rebelled against him, in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Shall he break the covenant and be delivered?
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 saith the Lord Jehovah, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon shall he die.
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.
Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great multitude accomplish anything for him in war, when they shall cast up mounds, and build forts to cut off many persons,
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.
he hath despised the oath, and broken the covenant; behold, he hath given the hand, and yet done all these things; 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 thus saith the Lord Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath, which he hath despised, and my covenant, which he hath broken, will I recompense upon his own 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 my net upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will contend with him there for his trespass which he hath committed against me.
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.
And all his fugitives with all his hosts shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered to all the winds; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, 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.
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: I also will take from the top of the high cedar, and will get it; and from the highest of its twigs will I crop a tender one, and plant it upon a high and lofty 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.
Upon a high mountain of Israel will I plant it, and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar; and under it shall dwell birds of every wing; in the shadow of its branches shall they dwell.
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, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree, and exalted the low tree; that I have dried up the green tree, and made the dry tree green. I, Jehovah, have spoken, and will do it.
