Hesekiel 19
1 “Momma Israel mmapɔmma ho kwadwom
Take up now a song of grief for the ruler of Israel, and say,
2 na monka se: “‘Na wo na yɛ gyatabere mu sononko wɔ gyata mu! Ɔdaa gyataforo mu yɛn ne mma.
What was your mother? Like a she-lion among lions, stretched out among the young lions she gave food to her little ones.
3 Ɔyɛn ne mma no mu baako ma ɔbɛyɛɛ gyata ɔhoɔdenfo. Osuaa sɛnea wɔtetew hanam mu, na ɔwee nnipa nam.
And one of her little ones came to growth under her care, and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.
4 Amanaman no tee ne nka, na wɔn amoa yii no. Wɔkyekyeree no de no kɔɔ Misraim asase so.
And the nations had news of him; he was taken in the hole they had made: and, pulling him with hooks, they took him into the land of Egypt.
5 “‘Bere a ohuu sɛ nʼanidaso anyɛ hɔ, na nea ɔrehwɛ anim ayera no, ɔfaa ne ba foforo yɛɛ no gyata ɔhoɔdenfo.
Now when she saw that her hope was made foolish and gone, she took another of her little ones and made him into a young lion.
6 Okyinkyin gyata no mu efisɛ na wayɛ gyata hoɔdenfo. Osuaa sɛnea wɔtetew hanam mu na ɔwee nnipa nam.
And he went up and down among the lions and became a young lion, learning to go after beasts for his food; and he took men for his meat.
7 Obubuu wɔn abandennen na ɔsɛee wɔn nkurow. Asase no ne wɔn a wɔte so nyinaa no, ne mmubomu bɔɔ wɔn hu.
And he sent destruction on their widows and made waste their towns; and the land and everything in it became waste because of the loud sound of his voice.
8 Afei amanaman no sɔre tiaa no, wɔn a wofi nsase a atwa ahyia no so. Woguu no asau kyeree no wɔ wɔn amoa mu.
Then the nations came against him from the kingdoms round about: their net was stretched over him and he was taken in the hole they had made.
9 Wɔde nnarewa twee no kɔhyɛɛ buw mu na wɔde no brɛɛ Babilonia hene. Wɔde no too afiase, na wɔante ne mmubomu no bio wɔ Israel mmepɔw no so.
They made him a prisoner with hooks, and took him to the king of Babylon; they put him in the strong place so that his voice might be sounding no longer on the mountains of Israel.
10 “‘Na wo na te sɛ bobedua a wɔatɛw no asu ho wɔ wo bobeturo mu. Na ɛsow aba, na eyiyii mman nsu a onya no bebree no nti.
Your mother was in comparison like a vine, planted by the waters: she was fertile and full of branches because of the great waters.
11 Ne mman yɛɛ den yiye; edi mu sɛ wɔde yɛ ahemfo ahempema. Ɛkorɔn, bunkam faa nhaban a ayɛ kuhaa no so, ne sorokɔ ne ne mman bebree no maa no yɛɛ sononko.
And she had a strong rod for a rod of authority for the rulers, and it became tall among the clouds and it was seen lifted up among the number of its branches.
12 Nanso wɔde abufuwhyew tuu nʼase de no hwee fam. Apuei mframa maa no kasae, ɛsow aba tetew gui; na ne mman a ɛwɔ ahoɔden no twintwamee na ogya hyewee.
But she was uprooted in burning wrath, and made low on the earth; the east wind came, drying her up, and her branches were broken off; her strong rod became dry, the fire made a meal of it.
13 Afei wɔakɔtɛw no wɔ sare so asase kesee a nsu nni mu mu.
And now she is planted in the waste land, in a dry and unwatered country.
14 Ogya trɛw fii ne mman baako so na ɛhyew nʼaba. Anka mman a ɛwɔ ahoɔden baako mpo wɔ so; nea wɔde yɛ ahemfo ahempema ma ɛyɛ yiye no.’ Eyi yɛ kwadwom na ma wɔnto no saa.”
And fire has gone out from her rod, causing the destruction of her branches, so that there is no strong rod in her to be the ruler's rod of authority. This is a song of grief, and it was for a song of grief.
