Hesekiel 19
1 “Momma Israel mmapɔmma ho kwadwom
And thou, —do thou lift up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 na monka se: “‘Na wo na yɛ gyatabere mu sononko wɔ gyata mu! Ɔdaa gyataforo mu yɛn ne mma.
And say, What a noble lioness was thy mother! among lions did she lie down, in the midst of young lions did she raise her whelps!
3 Ɔyɛn ne mma no mu baako ma ɔbɛyɛɛ gyata ɔhoɔdenfo. Osuaa sɛnea wɔtetew hanam mu, na ɔwee nnipa nam.
And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; [even] men he devoured.
4 Amanaman no tee ne nka, na wɔn amoa yii no. Wɔkyekyeree no de no kɔɔ Misraim asase so.
And when nations heard of him, he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings unto 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 she had long waited, [that] her hope was lost, she took another one of her whelps, and made him 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 in the midst of lions, he became a young lion; and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; even men he devoured.
7 Obubuu wɔn abandennen na ɔsɛee wɔn nkurow. Asase no ne wɔn a wɔte so nyinaa no, ne mmubomu bɔɔ wɔn hu.
And he broke down their palaces, and their cities laid he in ruins: and then was terrified the land, with all that filled it, because of the noise of his roaring.
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 set themselves the nations against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread over him their net: in their pit was he caught.
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.
And they put him in a cage with nose-rings [in his nose], and they brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into strong-holds, in order that his voice should no more be heard 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.
Thy mother was like a vine, if I compare thee to aught, planted by the waters: fruitful and full of boughs was she by reason of many 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 strong branches [fit] for the sceptres of rulers, and her stature grew up high between the thick-branched [trees], and she was seen through her height by means of the multitude of her tendrils.
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 plucked up in fury, to the ground was she cast down, and the east wind dried up her fruit: and torn off and dried up were her strong branches, a fire consumed them.
13 Afei wɔakɔtɛw no wɔ sare so asase kesee a nsu nni mu mu.
And now is she planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
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 is gone out of a branch of her boughs, and hath devoured her fruit, so that there is no more on her a strong branch for a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and it is become a lamentation.
