Hesekiel 17
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
Yahweh’s word came to me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, dwene mfatoho bi ho, fa yɛ abebusɛm na ka kyerɛ Israelfi.
“Son of man, tell 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, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “A great eagle with great wings and long feathers, full of feathers which had various colors, came to Lebanon and took the top 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 topmost of its young twigs, and carried it to a land of traffic. He planted 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 also took some of the seed of the land and planted it in fruitful soil. He placed it beside many waters. He 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.
It grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and its roots were under him. So it became a vine, produced branches, and shot out sprigs.
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. Behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot out its branches toward him, from the ground where it was planted, that he might water it.
8 Wɔadua bobe wɔ asase pa a ɛbɛn nsuwansuwa ho, sɛnea ebeyiyi mman na asow aba na afei abɛyɛ bobe dua a edi mu.’
It was planted in a good soil by many waters, that it might produce branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a good 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, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Will it prosper? Won’t he pull up its roots and cut off its fruit, that it may wither, that all its fresh springing leaves may wither? It can’t be raised from its roots by a strong arm or many people.
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.’”
Yes, behold, being planted, will it prosper? Won’t it utterly wither when the east wind touches it? It will wither in the ground where it grew.”’”
11 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Moreover Yahweh’s word 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, ‘Don’t you know what these things mean?’ Tell them, ‘Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took its king, and its princes, and brought them to him to Babylon.
13 Oyii ɔdehye baako ne no kaa ntam yɛɛ apam. Ɔsoaa ntuanofo ne atitiriw a wɔwɔ asase no so nso kɔe,
He took one of the royal offspring, and made a covenant with him. He also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty 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 the kingdom might be brought low, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping his covenant it might 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 many people. Will he prosper? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the covenant, and still escape?
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 Yahweh, ‘surely in the place where the king dwells who made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the middle of Babylon he will 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.
Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company won’t help him in the war, when they 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.
For he has despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet has done all these things. He won’t 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 the Lord Yahweh says: ‘As I live, I will surely bring on his own head my oath that he has despised and my covenant that he has broken.
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.
I will spread my net on him, and he will be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, and will enter into judgment with him there for his trespass that he has trespassed 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.
All his fugitives in all his bands will fall by the sword, and those who remain will be scattered toward every wind. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, 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.
“The Lord Yahweh says: ‘I will also take some of the lofty top of the cedar, and will plant it. I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on 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.
I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches.
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.’”
All the trees of the field will know that I, Yahweh, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree flourish. “‘I, Yahweh, have spoken and have done it.’”
