Hesekiel 18

1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,

The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,

2 “Sɛ mo saa nkurɔfo yi bu saa bɛ a ɛfa Israel asase yi ho a, na mopɛ sɛ mokyerɛ dɛn: “‘Agyanom di bobe bun, na mma se afem ana?’

What mean you, that you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

3 “Nokware, sɛ mete ase yi, sɛɛ na Awurade se, moremmu saa bɛ yi bio wɔ Israel.

As I live, says the Lord GOD, you shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

4 Ɔkra teasefo biara yɛ me de, agya ne ɔba barima nyinaa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ me de. Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔne ne nea obewu.

Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.

5 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa trenee bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ na ɛyɛ pɛ;

But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

6 onnidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu na ɔnsom ahoni a wɔwɔ Israelfi. Ongu ne yɔnko yere ho fi na ɔne ɔbea a wabu ne nsa nna.

And has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither has defiled his neighbor’s wife, neither has come near to a menstruous woman,

7 Ɔnhyɛ obiara so, na ɔde boseagyefo awowaside san ma no. Ɔmmɔ korɔn mmom ɔde nʼaduan ma nea ɔkɔm de no na ofura nea ɔda adagyaw no ntama.

And has not oppressed any, but has restored to the debtor his pledge, has spoiled none by violence, has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment;

8 Ɔmmɔ bosea nnye nsiho na onnye mfɛntom mmoroso. Ɔtwe ne ho fi bɔneyɛ ho na obu nipa baanu ntam atɛntrenee.

He that has not given forth on usury, neither has taken any increase, that has withdrawn his hand from iniquity, has executed true judgment between man and man,

9 Odi mʼahyɛde so na odi me mmara so nokware. Saa onipa no na ɔteɛ; na ampa ara obenya nkwa Awurade asɛm ni.

Has walked in my statutes, and has kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, says the Lord GOD.

10 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔwɔ ɔba barima a odi akakabensɛm na ohwie mogya gu anaasɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi mu biara a

If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that does the like to any one of these things,

11 (ɛwɔ mu, agya no nyɛɛ eyinom mu biara ɛ): “Odidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu. Ogu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.

And that does not any of those duties, but even has eaten on the mountains, and defiled his neighbor’s wife,

12 Ɔhyɛ ahiafo ne mmɔborɔfo so. Ɔbɔ korɔn. Ɔmmfa boseagyefo awowaside mma no. Ɔde ne ho to abosom so. Ɔyɛ akyiwade.

Has oppressed the poor and needy, has spoiled by violence, has not restored the pledge, and has lifted up his eyes to the idols, has committed abomination,

13 Ɔbɔ bosea gye nsiho na ogye mfɛntom mmoroso. Saa onipa yi benya nkwa ana? Dabi da! Esiane sɛ wayɛ saa akyiwade yi nyinaa nti, ampa ara wobekum no na ne mogya bɛbɔ nʼankasa ti so.

Has given forth on usury, and has taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he has done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be on him.

14 “Nanso sɛ ɛba sɛ saa ɔbabarima yi wɔ ɔbabarima a ohu bɔne a nʼagya yɛ no nyinaa nanso ɔnyɛ saa nneɛma no bi:

Now, see, if he beget a son, that sees all his father’s sins which he has done, and considers, and does not such like,

15 “Onnidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu na ɔmfa ne ho nto ahoni a ɛwɔ Israelfi so. Ongu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.

That has not eaten on the mountains, neither has lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, has not defiled his neighbor’s wife,

16 Ɔnhyɛ obiara so na onnye boseagyefo hɔ awowaside. Ɔmmɔ korɔn, mmom ɔde nʼaduan ma nea ɔkɔm de no na ofura nea ɔda adagyaw no ntama.

Neither has oppressed any, has not withheld the pledge, neither has spoiled by violence, but has given his bread to the hungry, and has covered the naked with a garment,

17 Ɔtwe ne ho fi bɔne ho, na onnye nsiho anaa mfɛntom mmoroso. Odi me mmara ne mʼahyɛde so. Ɔrenwu wɔ nʼagya no bɔne nti; ampa ara obenya nkwa.

That has taken off his hand from the poor, that has not received usury nor increase, has executed my judgments, has walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

18 Nanso nʼagya no bewu wɔ ɔno ara bɔne nti, efisɛ osisii nnipa, bɔɔ ne yɔnko korɔn, na ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ ne nkurɔfo mu.

As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, see, even he shall die in his iniquity.

19 “Nanso mubisa se, ‘Adɛn nti na ɔbabarima no nnya nʼagya afɔdi no bi ho asotwe?’ Esiane sɛ ɔbabarima no ayɛ nea ɛteɛ na ɛyɛ pɛ na wahwɛ yiye adi mʼahyɛde nyinaa so no nti, ampa ara obenya nkwa.

Yet say you, Why? does not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son has done that which is lawful and right, and has kept all my statutes, and has done them, he shall surely live.

20 Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔno ne nea obewu. Ɔbabarima no rennya nʼagya afɔdi no ho asotwe bi, saa ara na agya no nso rennya ɔbabarima no afɔdi ho asotwe no bi. Wɔde ɔtreneeni adetreneeyɛ so aba bɛma no, na wobebu omumɔyɛfo amumɔyɛsɛm atia no.

The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.

21 “Na sɛ omumɔyɛfo twe ne ho fi bɔne a wayɛ nyinaa ho, na odi mʼahyɛde so, na afei ɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ ne nea ɛyɛ papa a, ampa ara obenya nkwa na ɔrenwu.

But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he has committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

22 Wɔrennyina bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara so mmu no atɛn. Ne trenee nneyɛe nti obenya nkwa.

All his transgressions that he has committed, they shall not be mentioned to him: in his righteousness that he has done he shall live.

23 Mʼani gye amumɔyɛfo wu ho ana? Otumfo Awurade bisa. Sɛ wɔtwe wɔn ho fi wɔn akwammɔne ho na wonya nkwa a, mʼani nnye ana?

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? says the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

24 “Na sɛ ɔtreneeni twe ne ho fi ne trenee nneyɛe ho, kɔyɛ bɔne, na ɔyɛ akyiwade a amumɔyɛfo yɛ a, obenya nkwa ana? Wɔrenkae ne trenee nneyɛe no. Esiane sɛ odi nokwaredi ho fɔ na wayɛ bɔne nti, obewu.

But when the righteous turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All his righteousness that he has done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he has trespassed, and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.

25 “Nanso moka se, ‘Awurade kwan nteɛ.’ Muntie! Mo, Israelfi. Me kwan nteɛ ana? Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ?

Yet you say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

26 Sɛ ɔtreneeni twe ne ho fi ne trenee nneyɛe ho na ɔkɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno nti obewu, bɔne a wayɛ nti obewu.

When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, and dies in them; for his iniquity that he has done shall he die.

27 Nanso sɛ omumɔyɛfo twe ne ho fi amumɔyɛsɛm a wadi ho, na ɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ ne nea ɛyɛ papa a, obegye ne kra nkwa.

Again, when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

28 Esiane sɛ wahu ne mmarato na watwe ne ho afi ho no nti, obenya nkwa na ɔrenwu.

Because he considers, and turns away from all his transgressions that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

29 Nanso Israelfi ka se, ‘Awurade kwan nteɛ.’ Mʼakwan nteɛ! Mo, Israelfi! Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ ana?

Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

30 “Ɛno nti, mo Israelfo, mebu mo mu biara atɛn sɛnea nʼakwan te, Otumfo Awurade na ose. Monsakra mo adwene! Montwe mo ho mfi mo mmarato nyinaa ho; na afei bɔne remfa mo nkɔ asehwe mu bio.

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

31 Montow mfomso a moayɛ nyinaa ngu na moanya koma foforo ne honhom foforo. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ muwu, Israelfifo?

Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby you have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will you die, O house of Israel?

32 Mʼani nnye obiara wu ho, Otumfo Awurade na ose. ‘Monsakra mo adwene na moanya nkwa!’

For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dies, says the Lord GOD: why turn yourselves, and live you.