Hesekiel 21
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, fa wʼani kyerɛ Yerusalem na kasa tia kronkronbea no. Hyɛ nkɔm tia Israel asase
“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
3 na ka kyerɛ no se: ‘Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Me ne wo anya. Mɛtwe mʼafoa afi ne boha mu de ayi atreneefo ne amumɔyɛfo afi mo mu.
and tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
4 Esiane sɛ merebeyi atreneefo ne amumɔyɛfo afi mo mu nti, mʼafoa befi ne boha mu atia obiara, fi anafo fam kosi atifi fam.
Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
5 Afei nnipa nyinaa behu sɛ me Awurade matwe mʼafoa afi ne boha mu na ɛrensan bio.’
Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have taken My sword from its sheath, not to return it again.’
6 “Enti si apini, onipa ba! Fa koma a abubu ne awerɛhow a ano yɛ den si apini wɔ wɔn anim.
But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief.
7 Na sɛ wobisa wo se, ‘Adɛn nti na woresi apini a?’ Wobɛka se, ‘Ɛyɛ asɛm a ɛreba no nti. Koma biara bɛbotow na nsa biara mu agugow, honhom biara bɛtɔ beraw na kotodwe biara bɛpopo.’ Ɛreba, ɔkwan biara so ɛbɛba, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.”
And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”
8 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 “Onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm na ka se, ‘sɛɛ na Awurade se: “‘Afoa bi, afoa bi, wɔasew ano, atwiw ho,
“Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—
10 wɔasew ano ama akunkumakunkum no, wɔatwiw ho ma etwa yerɛw yerɛw sɛ anyinam! “‘Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛsɛpɛw yɛn ho wɔ me babarima Yuda ahempema ho ana? Afoa no mfa pema biara a ɛte saa no nyɛ hwee.
it is sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every such stick.
11 “‘Wɔayi afoa no asi hɔ sɛ wontwitwiw ho, sɛ wɔmfa nsa nkura mu; wɔasew ano, atwiw ho, ayɛ no krado ama owudifo no.
The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished, to be placed in the hand of the slayer.
12 Su na twa adwo, onipa ba, efisɛ etia me nkurɔfo; etia Israel mmapɔmma nyinaa. Wɔagyaa wɔn ama afoa no aka me nkurɔfo ho. Enti fa wo nsa gu wo ti so.
Cry out and wail, O son of man, for the sword is wielded against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel! They are tossed to the sword with My people; therefore strike your thigh.
13 “‘Sɔhwɛ bɛba ampa ara. Na sɛ Yuda ahempema a afoa no mfa no nyɛ hwee no nni hɔ a dɛn na wɔbɛyɛ? Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.’
Surely testing will come! And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue?’
14 “Enti onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm na bɔ wo nsam. Ma afoa no ntwitwa mprenu, mpo mprɛnsa. Ɛyɛ akunkumakunkum afoa, akunkumakunkum kɛse no afoa, a ɛba wɔn so fi afanan nyinaa.
‘So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword that slays, a sword of great slaughter closing in on every side!
15 Ɛbɛma koma nyinaa abotow na atɔfo adɔɔso, mede akunkumakunkum afoa no asisi wɔn apon nyinaa ano. Hwɛ! Wɔatono no sɛ entwa yerɛw yerɛw sɛ anyinam, wɔaso mu ama akunkumakunkum.
So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.
16 Wo afoa, twa kɔ nifa, na twa kɔ benkum, nea wo dade bɛfa biara.
Slash to the right; set your blade to the left— wherever your blade is directed.
17 Me nso, mɛbɔ me nsam, na mʼabufuwhyew ano bedwo Me Awurade na makasa no.”
I too will strike My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath.’
18 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
19 “Onipa ba, bɔ akwan abien na Babiloniahene afoa no mfa so, na ne abien no nyinaa mfi ase wɔ ɔman koro mu. Fa akwankyerɛde si nkwanta a ɛman kɔ kuropɔn no mu no so.
“Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city.
20 Bɔ ɔkwan baako a afoa no bɛfa so ako atia Amonfo Raba ne baako nso a ebetia Yuda ne Yerusalem a wɔabɔ ho ban no.
Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
21 Na Babiloniahene begyina akwan abien no nkwanta so ahwehwɛ nkɔmhyɛ, ɔde agyan bɛbɔ ntonto, akɔ abisa wɔ nʼahoni nkyɛn, na wahwɛ mmrɛbo mu.
For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver.
22 Ne nsa nifa mu na ntonto a ɛbɛbɔ Yerusalem no bɛkɔ, na hɔ na wɔbɛhyehyɛ oburuw adwennini, de ama okum kɛse no. Afei wɔde osebɔ bɛma oburuw nnua no so apempem apon no, wɔbɛyɛ mpempe na wɔasisi pampim.
In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.
23 Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ atoro nkɔm ama wɔn a wɔne no ayɛ apam, nanso ɔbɛkaakae wɔn afɔdi na wafa wɔn nnommum.
It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.
24 “Enti sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: ‘Esiane sɛ mo saa nkurɔfo yi nam mo atuatew so akae me mo afɔdi, de ada mo bɔne a moyɛ nyinaa adi, sɛ moayɛ eyi nti, wɔbɛfa mo nnommum.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds—because you have come to remembrance—you shall be taken in hand.
25 “‘Wo ɔkɔntɔnkye ne Israel hene ba otirimɔdenfo a wo da adu, wo a wʼasotwe bere adu ne mpɔmpɔnso,
And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.’
26 sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Tu abotiri no, yi ahenkyɛw no. Ɛrenyɛ sɛnea na ɛte kan no: Wɔbɛma nea abrɛ ase no so; nea ama ne ho so nso, wɔabrɛ no ase.
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted.
27 Ɔsɛe! Ɔsɛe! Mɛyɛ no ɔsɛe! Ɛrensi ne dedaw mu bio kosi sɛ ɔbɛba nea ɛyɛ ne de no nkyɛn, ɔno na mede bɛma no.’
A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of judgment.’
28 “Na wo, onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm ka se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade ka fa Amonfo ne wɔn ahohorabɔ ho: “‘Afoa bi, afoa bi, wɔatwe ama akunkumakunkum, wɔatwiw ho sɛ enni nam na ɛmpa yerɛw yerɛw sɛ anyinam!
Now prophesy, son of man, and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt: ‘A sword! A sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning—
29 Atoro anisoadehu ne nkontompo nkonyaa a ɛfa wo ho akyi no wɔde bɛto wɔn kɔn mu amumɔyɛfo a ɛsɛ sɛ wokum wɔn no, wɔn a wɔn da no adu so, ne wɔn a wɔn asotwe bere adu ne mpɔmpɔnso no.
while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.
30 “‘San fa afoa no hyɛ ne boha mu wɔ faako a wɔbɔɔ wo hɔ wɔ wo nananom asase so, mebu wo atɛn.
Return the sword to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
31 Mehwie mʼabufuwhyew agu wo so na mahome mʼabufuw a ɛyɛ hu atia wo; Mede wo bɛhyɛ mmarima atirimɔdenfo nsa, wɔn a wɔwɔ adesɛe ho nyansa.
I will pour out My anger upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction.
32 Wobɛyɛ nnyansin ama ogya, wɔbɛka wo mogya agu wɔ wʼasase so, na wɔrenkae wo bio; me Awurade na makasa.’”
You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will stain your own land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.’”
