Hesekiel 21
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se
A message from 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, face towards Jerusalem and condemn their places of worship. Prophesy against the people living in 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 them that this is what the Lord says: Watch out, because I'm going to attack you! I'm going to take out my sword and destroy you, both the good and the bad.
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'm going to destroy both the good and the bad, I will attack everyone from the north to the south.
5 Afei nnipa nyinaa behu sɛ me Awurade matwe mʼafoa afi ne boha mu na ɛrensan bio.’
Then the whole world will know that I, the Lord, have taken out my sword, and won't put it back again.
6 “Enti si apini, onipa ba! Fa koma a abubu ne awerɛhow a ano yɛ den si apini wɔ wɔn anim.
You, son of man, you are to groan. Groan as if you're broken up inside, showing terrible sadness while they watch you.
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.”
When they ask, ‘What are you groaning for?’ you are to tell them, ‘Because of the news that's coming. All of you will lose your courage and you'll be paralyzed with fear. All of you will be weak with worry—you won't be able to stand up!’ Watch out, because it's coming! It's going to happen! declares the Lord God.”
8 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
Another message from 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! Tell them this is what the Lord says: There's a sword, a sword that's being 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's sharpened for killing and polished so it will flash like lightning! (Are we to be happy, saying, ‘The scepter of my son despises every other 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 being polished right now, ready to be used. It's sharp and polished, ready to be handed over to the killer.
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.
Weep and wail, son of man, and slap your thigh in grief, for the sword is going to be used to attack my people, to attack all the leaders of Israel! They will be thrown away, killed by the sword along with my people.
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.’
They will be tested. What if the scepter that despises others doesn't continue? declares the Lord God.
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 son of man, prophesy and clap your hands. The sword will attack twice, and then a third time. It is a sword of death, killing many people by coming at them from every direction.
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.
I have placed a sword at all the gates of their city so that they may lose their courage, and many may fall. Oh no! It's made to flash like lightning and used to kill.
16 Wo afoa, twa kɔ nifa, na twa kɔ benkum, nea wo dade bɛfa biara.
Slash right and left, whichever way you're facing.
17 Me nso, mɛbɔ me nsam, na mʼabufuwhyew ano bedwo Me Awurade na makasa no.”
I will also clap my hands, and then my anger will be over. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
18 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Another message from 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.
“Son of man, mark the two roads that the king of Babylon's army could take, beginning from the same country. Make a signpost where the road forks, leading to two different cities.
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.
Have one sign point down the road for an attack on the Ammonite city of Rabbah, and another to attack Judah and the fortified city of 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.
The king of Babylon is standing at the fork in the road where the two roads meet looking for a prophetic sign: he casts lots using arrows, he asks advice from idols, and he examines the liver of sacrificial animals.
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.
He holds the sign for Jerusalem in his right hand. This is where he is going to set up battering rams, to give the command to attack, to shout the war-cry. There he will order the battering rams to smash the gates, set up an attack ramp, and build a siege wall.
23 Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ atoro nkɔm ama wɔn a wɔne no ayɛ apam, nanso ɔbɛkaakae wɔn afɔdi na wafa wɔn nnommum.
To those who have sworn to be loyal to Nebuchadnezzar this will look like a false sign, but it will reveal their guilt and they will be taken prisoner.
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.
So this is what the Lord God says: Because you have revealed your guilt and demonstrated your rebellion, showing your sins in everything you've done, now that you've made all this clear, you will be taken prisoner.
25 “‘Wo ɔkɔntɔnkye ne Israel hene ba otirimɔdenfo a wo da adu, wo a wʼasotwe bere adu ne mpɔmpɔnso,
As for you, you unclean, wicked prince of Israel, the time has come to complete your 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: Take off your turban, and your crown. Things won't continue as they were. Give power to the common people and bring down the powerful!
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.’
I'm going to destroy everything, make it all a ruin! It won't be restored until its owner arrives, the one I've given the authority to judge.
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!
Prophesy, son of man, and announce that this is what the Lord God says about the Ammonites and their insults: A sword! A sword is ready for killing, polished to destroy, 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.
even as your prophets give you false visions and prophecies that are lies. This sword will cut the necks of the wicked, killing them—those whose day has come for their punishment to be completed.
30 “‘San fa afoa no hyɛ ne boha mu wɔ faako a wɔbɔɔ wo hɔ wɔ wo nananom asase so, mebu wo atɛn.
Sword, go back to where you came from! I'm going to judge you right where you were created, in your homeland.
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 deal with you in my anger; I will breathe my fire of anger on you; I will hand you over to cruel men who are experts 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 burned up like firewood. Your blood will be shed where you live. You will be forgotten, for I, the Lord, have spoken.”
