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, direct thy face toward Jerusalem, and preach 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 hath said the Lord, Behold, I will be against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath; and I will cut off from thee 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.
But because I shall have cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked: therefore shall my sword go forth out of its 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 its 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.
But thou, son of man, do thou sigh: as though with broken loins, and with bitterness [of grief] shalt thou 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 thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, For the report, because it cometh, when every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be made feeble, and every spirit shall become faint, and all knees shall be changed into water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord Eternal.
8 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
And 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 hath said the Lord, Say, The sword, the sword is sharpened, and also 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.
In order to make a thorough slaughter is it sharpened; in order that it may glitter is it polished: how can we now rejoice, [when] the rod which reacheth my son excelleth in hardness 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 hath given it to be polished, to make it fit to grasp it in the hand: it is the sword which is sharpened, and it is polished, to place 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 aloud and wail, O son of man; for it cometh against my people, it cometh against all the princes of Israel; brought together for the sword are they with my people: therefore strike [thy hand] upon thy 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.’
For a purification taketh place: and what if the irresistible rod will also come? [my son] would not be able to exist, saith the Lord Eternal.
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.
But thou, son of man, prophesy, and strike thy hands together, and let “The sword” be repeated the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great that are slain, which lieth in wait for them everywhere.
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.
In order to make timid the heart, and to multiply the stumbling-blocks, do I bring the howling of the sword against all their gates: ah! it is made bright, it is made thin-edged for the slaughter.
16 Wo afoa, twa kɔ nifa, na twa kɔ benkum, nea wo dade bɛfa biara.
Gather up thy strength, go to the right hand, direct thyself, go to the left, whithersoever thy edge is turned.
17 Me nso, mɛbɔ me nsam, na mʼabufuwhyew ano bedwo Me Awurade na makasa no.”
And I also, —I will strike my hands together, and I will cause my fury to be assuaged: I the Lord have spoken it.
18 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
And the word of the Lord came unto 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.
But thou, O son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; out of one land shall both of them come forth: and select a place; at the head of the way to a city do thou select it.
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.
A way shalt thou appoint, that the sword may come against Rabbah of the children of 'Ammon, and [the other] against Judah [dwelling] in Jerusalem the fortified.
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 hath halted at the parting of the way, at the commencement of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh the arrows, he consulteth with images, he looketh at 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 erect battering-rams, to open the mouth with the [cry for] murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to place battering-rams against the gates, to cast up a mound, and to build works of attack.
23 Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ atoro nkɔm ama wɔn a wɔne no ayɛ apam, nanso ɔbɛkaakae wɔn afɔdi na wafa wɔn nnommum.
And it will appear unto them as a false divination in their eyes, to those that had sworn oaths; but he will bring to remembrance their iniquity, that they may be caught.
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 hath said the Lord Eternal, Because ye have brought your iniquity to remembrance, as your transgressions are discovered, so that your sins do appear in all your doings: because ye are thus brought to remembrance, ye shall be caught by [his] hand.
25 “‘Wo ɔkɔntɔnkye ne Israel hene ba otirimɔdenfo a wo da adu, wo a wʼasotwe bere adu ne mpɔmpɔnso,
And thou, death-deserving wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the 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 hath said the Lord Eternal, Remove the mitre, and take off the crown: this shall not be always so; exalt him that is low, and make him low 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.’
Overthrown, overthrown, overthrown will I render it: also this shall not belong [to any one], until he come 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 thou, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal concerning the children of 'Ammon, and concerning their reproach: even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn; for the slaughter is it polished, to destroy, that it may continue to glitter;
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 foresee unto thee falsehood, while they divine unto thee lies, to lay thee by the necks of the slain wicked, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 “‘San fa afoa no hyɛ ne boha mu wɔ faako a wɔbɔɔ wo hɔ wɔ wo nananom asase so, mebu wo atɛn.
Put back [the sword] into its sheath! in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy origin, will I judge thee.
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 over thee my indignation, with the fire of my wrath will I blow against thee, and I will give thee up into the hand of brutish men, skilful in destroying.
32 Wobɛyɛ nnyansin ama ogya, wɔbɛka wo mogya agu wɔ wʼasase so, na wɔrenkae wo bio; me Awurade na makasa.’”
To the fire shalt thou be given to be devoured; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land: thou shalt not be remembered [any more]; for I the Lord have spoken it.
