Hesekiel 21

1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se

And the word of the LORD came unto 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 toward Jerusalem, and drop your word toward the holy places, and 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 say to the land of Israel, Thus says the LORD; Behold, I am against you, and will draw forth my sword out of his sheath, and will cut off from you 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.

Seeing then that I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall my sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north:

5 Afei nnipa nyinaa behu sɛ me Awurade matwe mʼafoa afi ne boha mu na ɛrensan bio.’

That all flesh may know that I the LORD have drawn forth my sword out of his sheath: it shall not return any more.

6 “Enti si apini, onipa ba! Fa koma a abubu ne awerɛhow a ano yɛ den si apini wɔ wɔn anim.

Sigh therefore, you son of man, with the breaking of your loins; and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

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 it shall be, when they say unto you, Wherefore sigh you? that you shall answer, For the tidings; because it comes: and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water: behold, it comes, and shall be brought to pass, says the Lord GOD.

8 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,

Again the word of the LORD came unto 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 say, Thus says the LORD; Say, A sword, a sword is sharpened, and also furbished:

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 to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter: should we then make delight? it despises the rod of my son, as every tree.

11 “‘Wɔayi afoa no asi hɔ sɛ wontwitwiw ho, sɛ wɔmfa nsa nkura mu; wɔasew ano, atwiw ho, ayɛ no krado ama owudifo no.

And he has given it to be furbished, that it may be handled: this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished, to give it into 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 and wail, son of man: for it shall be upon my people, it shall be upon all the princes of Israel: terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon my people: strike therefore upon 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.’

Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? it shall be no more, says 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.

You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and strike your hands together. and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which enters into their privy chambers.

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 set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint, and their ruins be multiplied: ah! it is made bright, it is wrapped up for the slaughter.

16 Wo afoa, twa kɔ nifa, na twa kɔ benkum, nea wo dade bɛfa biara.

Go you one way or other, either on the right hand, or on the left, anywhere your face is set.

17 Me nso, mɛbɔ me nsam, na mʼabufuwhyew ano bedwo Me Awurade na makasa no.”

I will also strike mine hands together, and I will cause my fury to rest: I the LORD have said it.

18 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:

The word of the LORD came unto me again, 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.

Also, you son of man, appoint you two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come: both two shall come forth out of one land: and choose you a place, choose it at the head of the way to the 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.

Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbath of the Ammonites, and to Judah in Jerusalem the defenced.

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 stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in 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.

At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a mount, and to build a fort.

23 Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ atoro nkɔm ama wɔn a wɔne no ayɛ apam, nanso ɔbɛkaakae wɔn afɔdi na wafa wɔn nnommum.

And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

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 thus says the Lord GOD; Because all of you have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that all of you are come to remembrance, all of you shall be taken with the hand.

25 “‘Wo ɔkɔntɔnkye ne Israel hene ba otirimɔdenfo a wo da adu, wo a wʼasotwe bere adu ne mpɔmpɔnso,

And you, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, when iniquity shall have an end,

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.

Thus says the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and bring low him that is high.

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 will overturn, overturn, overturn, it: and it shall be no more, until he comes whose right it is; and I will give it him.

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!

And you, son of man, prophesy and say, Thus says the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites, and concerning their reproach; even say you, The sword, the sword is drawn: for the slaughter it is furbished, to consume because of the glittering:

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 see vanity unto you, while they divine a lie unto you, to bring you upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day has come, when their iniquity shall have an end.

30 “‘San fa afoa no hyɛ ne boha mu wɔ faako a wɔbɔɔ wo hɔ wɔ wo nananom asase so, mebu wo atɛn.

Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge you in the place where you were created, in the land of your nativity.

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.

And I will pour out mine indignation upon you, I will blow against you in the fire of my wrath, and deliver you into the hand of brutish men, and skilful to destroy.

32 Wobɛyɛ nnyansin ama ogya, wɔbɛka wo mogya agu wɔ wʼasase so, na wɔrenkae wo bio; me Awurade na makasa.’”

You shall be for fuel to the fire; your blood shall be in the midst of the land; you shall be no more remembered: for I the LORD have spoken it.