< Hesekiel 18 >

1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
'And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, 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 — to you, ye — using this simile Concerning the ground of Israel, saying: Fathers do eat unripe fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted?
3 “Nokware, sɛ mete ase yi, sɛɛ na Awurade se, moremmu saa bɛ yi bio wɔ Israel.
I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Ye have no more the use of this simile 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.
Lo, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son — they are Mine, The soul that is sinning — it doth die.
5 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa trenee bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ na ɛyɛ pɛ;
And a man, when he is righteous, And hath done judgment and righteousness,
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.
On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, And the wife of his neighbour defiled not, And to a separated woman cometh not near,
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.
A man — he doth not oppress, His pledge to the debtor he doth return, Plunder he doth not take away, His bread to the hungry he doth give, And the naked doth cover with a garment,
8 Ɔmmɔ bosea nnye nsiho na onnye mfɛntom mmoroso. Ɔtwe ne ho fi bɔneyɛ ho na obu nipa baanu ntam atɛntrenee.
In usury he doth not give, and increase taketh not, From perversity he turneth back his hand, True judgment he doth 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.
In My statutes he doth walk, And My judgments he hath kept — to deal truly, Righteous [is] he, he surely liveth, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah.
10 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔwɔ ɔba barima a odi akakabensɛm na ohwie mogya gu anaasɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi mu biara a
And — he hath begotten a son, A burglar — a shedder of blood, And he hath made a brother of one of these,
11 (ɛwɔ mu, agya no nyɛɛ eyinom mu biara ɛ): “Odidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu. Ogu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.
And he all those hath not done, For even on the mountains he hath eaten, And the wife of his neighbour he hath defiled,
12 Ɔhyɛ ahiafo ne mmɔborɔfo so. Ɔbɔ korɔn. Ɔmmfa boseagyefo awowaside mma no. Ɔde ne ho to abosom so. Ɔyɛ akyiwade.
The afflicted and needy he hath oppressed, Plunder he hath taken violently away, A pledge he doth not return, And unto the idols he hath lifted up his eyes, Abomination he hath done!
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.
In usury he hath given, and increase taken, And he liveth: he doth not live, All these abominations he hath done, He doth surely die, his blood is 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:
And — lo, he hath begotten a son, And he seeth all the sins of his father, That he hath done, and he feareth, And doth not do like them,
15 “Onnidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu na ɔmfa ne ho nto ahoni a ɛwɔ Israelfi so. Ongu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.
On the mountains he hath not eaten, And his eyes he hath not lifted up Unto idols of the house of Israel, The wife of his neighbour he hath not defiled,
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.
A man — he hath not oppressed, A pledge he hath not bound, And plunder he hath not taken away, His bread to the hungry he hath given, And the naked he covered 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.
From the afflicted he hath turned back his hand, Usury and increase he hath not taken, My judgments he hath done, In My statutes he hath walked, He doth not die for the iniquity of his father, He doth 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.
His father — because he used oppression, Did violently Plunder a brother, And that which [is] not good did in the midst of his people, And lo, he is dying 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.
And ye have said, Wherefore hath not the son, Borne of the iniquity of the father? And — the son judgment and righteousness hath done, All My statutes he hath kept, And he doeth them, he surely liveth.
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 doth sin — it doth die. A son doth not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father doth not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is 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.
And the wicked — when he turneth back From all his sins that he hath done, And he hath kept all My statutes, And hath done judgment and righteousness, He doth surely live, he doth 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 hath done Are not remembered to him, In his righteousness that he hath done he liveth.
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?
Do I at all desire the death of the wicked? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Is it not in his turning back from his way — And he hath lived?
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.
And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked hath done, he doth — thus he liveth, All his righteousnesses that he hath done are not remembered, For his trespass that he hath trespassed, And for his sin that he hath sinned, For them he doth die.
25 “Nanso moka se, ‘Awurade kwan nteɛ.’ Muntie! Mo, Israelfi. Me kwan nteɛ ana? Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ?
And ye have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord. Hear, I pray you, O house of Israel, My way — is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?
26 Sɛ ɔtreneeni twe ne ho fi ne trenee nneyɛe ho na ɔkɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno nti obewu, bɔne a wayɛ nti obewu.
In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, And he is dying by them, for his perversity That he hath done he dieth.
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.
And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he hath done, And he doth judgment and righteousness, He his soul doth keep alive.
28 Esiane sɛ wahu ne mmarato na watwe ne ho afi ho no nti, obenya nkwa na ɔrenwu.
And he seeth and turneth back, From all his transgressions that he hath done, He doth surely live, he doth not die,
29 Nanso Israelfi ka se, ‘Awurade kwan nteɛ.’ Mʼakwan nteɛ! Mo, Israelfi! Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ ana?
And the house of Israel have said, Not pondered is the way of the Lord, My ways — are they not pondered? O house of Israel — are not your ways unpondered?
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, each according to his ways I judge you, O house of Israel? An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, Turn ye back, yea, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not to you for a stumbling-block,
31 Montow mfomso a moayɛ nyinaa ngu na moanya koma foforo ne honhom foforo. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ muwu, Israelfifo?
Cast from off you all your transgressions, By which ye have transgressed, And make to you a new heart, and a new spirit, And why do ye 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 the dying, An affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, And turn ye back and live!

< Hesekiel 18 >