Hesekiel 23
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Yahweh said to me,
2 “Onipa ba, mmea baanu a wɔyɛ ɔbea baako mma tenaa ase.
“You human, [listen to this parable about Jerusalem and Samaria]. Once there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
3 Wɔbɛyɛɛ aguamammɔfo wɔ Misraim, na wɔbɔɔ aguaman fii wɔn mmabaabere mu. Womiamiaa wɔn nufu, wɔberee wɔn mmabaabere mpokua wɔ asase no so.
They lived in Egypt. And from the time that they were young women, they became prostitutes. In that land, [men] fondled their breasts and caressed their bosoms [DOU].
4 Ɔpanyin no din de Ohola na ne nuabea no nso din de Oholiba. Na wɔyɛ me yerenom na wɔwowoo mmabarima ne mmabea. Ohola ne Samaria na Oholiba nso ne Yerusalem.
The older [sister] was Oholah, and her [younger] sister was Oholibah. [It was as though] they became my [wives. Later] they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
5 “Ohola da so ware me no, ɔbɔɔ aguaman; nʼani tu dii nʼapɛfo akyi, Asiriafo, akofo no
Oholah acted like a prostitute while she was [still] my wife. She desired to have sex with those she loved—soldiers from Assyria.
6 a wɔhyehyɛ ntade bibiri, amradofo ne asahene a wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmerante a wɔn ho yɛ fɛ na wɔtena apɔnkɔ so.
[Some of them] were army officers and commanders. They wore [beautiful] blue [uniforms. They were] all handsome young men. Some of them rode horses.
7 Ɔne Asiriafo atitiriw bɔɔ aguaman, na ɔsom wɔn a ɔdɔɔ wɔn nyinaa ahoni de guu ne ho fi.
She acted like a prostitute toward all the important Assyrian officials, and became unacceptable to me by worshiping all the idols of the men she wanted to have sex with.
8 Wannyae nʼaguamammɔ a ofii ase wɔ Misraim no, bere a ɔyɛ ababaa na mmarima ne no dae, susoo ne mpokua mu na wohwiee wɔn akɔnnɔ guu ne so no.
When she was a young woman in Egypt, she started being a prostitute, and [young] men caressed her breasts and had sex with her; and when she became older, she did not quit acting like a prostitute.
9 “Ɛno nti mede no maa nʼadɔfo Asiriafo no a nʼani bere wɔn no.
So I allowed the Assyrian soldiers, whom she wanted to have sex with, to capture her.
10 Wɔbɔɔ no adagyaw, faa ne mmabarima ne ne mmabea kɔe, na wɔde afoa kum no. Ogyee ne din wɔ mmea mu na asotwe baa ne so.
They stripped all her clothes off her. They took away her sons and daughters. And then they killed her with a sword. [Other] women started talking about what had happened to her, about how she had been punished.
11 “Ne nuabea Oholiba huu eyi nanso nʼakɔnnɔ bɔne ne nʼaguaman sen ne nuabea no de.
[younger] sister Oholibah saw those [that happened to Oholah], but she was a prostitute, and she desired to have sex with men more than [older] sister had desired.
12 Ɔno nso dii Asiriafo no akyi; amradofo ne asahene, akofo a wɔhyehyɛ wɔn ntade, apɔnkɔsotefo a wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmerante ahoɔfɛfo.
Oholibah [also] wanted to have sex with the Assyrian soldiers. [Some of them were] army officers and commanders. [They all] wore beautiful blue uniforms. They were all handsome young men. [Some of] them rode horses.
13 Mihuu sɛ ɔno nso guu ne ho fi, wɔn baanu faa ɔkwan koro so.
I saw what she did that caused her to became unacceptable to me, just like [older] sister.
14 “Na ɔtoaa nʼaguamammɔ no so kɔɔ akyiri. Ohuu mmarima mfoni a wɔakurukyerɛw agu ɔfasu bi ho, Kaldeafo mfoni a wɔde adukɔkɔɔ akrukyerɛw
But she did [even] worse things. She saw drawings of men from Babylonia on the walls, painted in red.
15 a abɔso bobɔ wɔn asen mu na abotiri bobɔ wɔn ti a wɔn nyinaa te sɛ Babilonia nteaseɛnam mu mpanyimfo a wofi Kaldea.
The [in the drawings] had belts around their waists and long turbans on their heads. They all resembled officers from Babylonia [DOU] [who rode in chariots].
16 Ohuu saa mfoni yi, ne kɔn dɔɔ wɔn na ɔsomaa abɔfo kɔɔ wɔn nkyɛn wɔ Kaldea.
As soon as she saw those drawings, she wanted to have sex with those men, and she sent messages to them in Babylonia.
17 Na Babiloniafo no baa ne nkyɛn ne no bɛdaa ɔdɔ mpa so, na wɔn akɔnnɔ mu no, woguu ne ho fi. Woguu ne ho fi wiee no wɔn ho fonoo no enti ogyaa wɔn.
Then the soldiers from Babylonia came to her, they lay in bed with her, and they had sex with her. Then she became disgusted with them and turned away from them.
18 Ɔkɔɔ so wɔ nʼaguamammɔ mu, bɔɔ ne ho adagyaw no, migyaw no hɔ sɛnea migyaw ne nuabea no hɔ pɛpɛɛpɛ.
But when she continued to openly/boldly act like a prostitute [DOU], I became disgusted with her, and I rejected her like I had rejected [older] sister.
19 Na ɔmaa nʼaguamammɔ no kɔɔ so ara de kaee ne mmabaabere a na ɔbɔ aguaman wɔ Misraim no.
But she became even more immoral, as she remembered when she was a young woman who was a prostitute in Egypt.
20 Ɛhɔ na ɔne nʼadɔfo a wɔn barima te sɛ mfurum de na wɔn ho nsu te sɛ apɔnkɔ de no bɔɔ aguaman.
There she wanted to have sex with those who loved her, whose genitals were [very long], like [SIM] those of donkeys, and whose sexual emissions were huge, [like] those of horses.
21 Na wo kɔn dɔɔ wo mmabun mu akɔnnɔ bɔne no, nea woyɛɛ wɔ Misraim a wɔsrasraa wo koko mu na womiamiaa wo mpokua no.
So she desired to be immoral like she was when she was young, when men in Egypt caressed her bosom and fondled her breasts.”
22 “Ɛno nti, Oholiba, sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Mɛhwanyan wʼadɔfo atia wo, wɔn a wɔn ho fonoo wo ma wugyaw wɔn hɔ no; mede wɔn befi afanan nyinaa abetia wo.
“[represents you people of Jerusalem]. Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I will cause those [soldiers] who loved you but whom you turned away from because you became disgusted with them, to be angry with you. I will cause them to come and attack you from every side—
23 Babiloniafo ne Kaldeafo nyinaa, Pekod, Soa ne Koa mmarima, Asiriafo no ne wɔn bɛba, mmerante ahoɔfɛfo a wɔn nyinaa yɛ amradofo, asahene, nteaseɛnam ho adwumayɛfo ne mmarima a wokura dibea akɛse a wɔn nyinaa tete apɔnkɔ so.
soldiers from Babylon and all the other places in Babylonia, [their allies] from Pekod and Shoa and [regions], and all the army of Assyria. [Yes], all of them are handsome young men, army officers and commanders, officers who ride in chariots, all riding on horses.
24 Wɔde akode, nteaseɛnam ahorow ne nnipadɔm bɛba abetia wo; wɔde akokyɛm akɛse ne nketewa ne dade kyɛw bɛka wo ahyɛ. Mede wo bɛhyɛ wɔn nsa, na wɔagyina wɔn nhyehyɛe so atwe wo aso.
Their huge army will attack you with weapons, riding in chariots and pulling wagons [that will carry their army supplies]. They will surround you, carrying large and small shields, and wearing helmets. I will allow them to capture you and punish you in the way that they [always] [their enemies].
25 Mɛdan me ninkunu abufuw no akyerɛ wo so, na wɔne wo bedi no anibere so. Wobetwitwa mo hwene ne mo aso, na wɔn a wɔbɛka no, wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ afoa ano. Wɔbɛfa mo mmabarima ne mo mmabea akɔ, na mo a moaka no wɔde ogya ahyew mo.
Because I am very angry with you, I will cause them to act [very] furiously toward you. They will cut off your noses and your ears. Then, those who are still alive, they will kill with their swords. They will take away your sons and daughters, and a fire will burn up those who remain alive.
26 Wɔbɛpa wo ho ntama nso na wɔafa wo nnwinne.
They will strip off your clothes and your fine jewelry and take them away.
27 Ɛno nti mɛma wʼakɔnnɔ bɔne ne aguamammɔ a wufii ase wɔ Misraim no aba nʼawie. Wo kɔn rennɔ saa nneɛma yi, na worenkae Misraim bio.
In that way, I will stop all the immoral behavior that began when you became a prostitute in Egypt. You will no longer desire to do those things, or think [what you did in] Egypt.’
28 “Na sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Mede wo rebɛhyɛ wʼatamfo nsa, wɔn a wɔn ho fonoo wo ma wugyaw wɔn no.
This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I am about to allow those whom you hate, those you became disgusted with and turned away from, to capture you.
29 Wɔde ɔtan ne wo bedi, na wɔafa nea woayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa. Wobegyaw wo adagyaw ne kwaterekwa, na wʼaguamammɔ ho aniwu no bɛda adi. Wʼaniwude ne wʼaguamansɛm no
They will be cruel and take away everything that you have worked hard to acquire. They will leave you completely naked [DOU], and everyone will see that you truly are a prostitute.
30 na ɛde eyinom aba wo so, efisɛ wo kɔn dɔɔ amanaman no na wode wɔn ahoni guu wo ho fi.
It is because of what you have done that you will be punished like that; you have been an immoral prostitute; you have had sex with men of other nations, and you have caused yourselves to become unacceptable to me [worshiping] their idols.
31 Woayɛ nea wo nuabea yɛɛ no bi; na ɛno nti mede ne kuruwa bɛhyɛ wo nsa.
You have behaved [the people of Samaria, who are like] your [older] sister. So I will cause you to be punished [MET] like they were punished.’
32 “Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: “Wobɛnom wo nuabea kuruwa ano, kuruwa a ɛso na mu dɔ; ɛde fɛwdi ne ahohora bɛba, efisɛ nea ɛwɔ mu dɔɔso.
This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘[You will suffer like people suffer when they drink from a cup a lot of strong alcoholic drink]: [It will be as though] you will drink from the cup that the people of Samaria drank from; a big and tall cup. Because of your drinking what is in that cup, many people will scorn you and make fun of you because there is a lot of liquid in that cup.
33 Nsabow ne awerɛhow bɛhyɛ wo ma, ɔsɛe ne asaworamto kuruwa no, wo nuabea Samaria kuruwa no bɛhyɛ wo ma.
When you become very drunk, you will become very sad, [drinking what is in] that cup [MTY] will cause you to become ruined and deserted, like what happened [MET] to [the people of] Samaria, [who are like] [MET] your sister.
34 Wobɛnom a hwee renka mu: na woawe nʼasinasin no na woasunsuan wo mpokua mu. Me na maka, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.
You will drink all the liquid that is in that cup; then you will break that cup into pieces [use those pieces to] gash/cut your [because you will be very sad].’ [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.
35 “Ɛno nti sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Esiane sɛ wo werɛ afi me, na woatow me akyene wʼakyi nti, ɛsɛ sɛ wunya wʼaniwude ne wʼaguamammɔ so akatua.”
Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘Because you have forgotten me and rejected me [IDM], you must be punished for your immoral behavior and for [like] a prostitute.’”
36 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Onipa ba, wubebu Ohola ne Oholiba atɛn ana? Ɛno de, fa wɔn akyiwadeyɛ no si wɔn anim,
Yahweh said to me, “You human, you must [RHQ] [the people of those two cities represented by] Oholah and Oholibah. You must remind them of their detestable behavior:
37 efisɛ wɔasɛe aware, na mogya wɔ wɔn nsa ho. Wɔde wɔn ahoni na ɛsɛee aware no; na mpo wɔde wɔn mma a wɔwoo wɔn maa me no bɔɔ afɔre maa wɔn sɛ wɔn aduan.
[It is as though the people of those cities] have committed adultery and have murdered [MTY] people. They have been unfaithful to me by [worshiping] idols. They have even sacrificed their own children, who belonged to me, to be food for their idols.
38 Wɔde eyi nso ayɛ me: Saa bere koro no ara mu, woguu me kronkronbea ne me homenna ho fi.
They have done [disgraceful things]: They have caused my temple to be an unacceptable place for worship, and have not respected the Sabbath days.
39 Da a wɔde wɔn mma bɔɔ afɔre maa wɔn ahoni no ara, wɔhyɛn me kronkronbea hɔ koguu ho fi. Eyi na wɔyɛɛ wɔ me fi.
On the same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my temple, which caused it to be an unacceptable place for worshiping me.
40 “Wɔsomaa abɔfo kɔfrɛɛ mmarima a wofi akyirikyiri bae, na wobedui no, muguare, kekaa mo ani akyi, de mo adwinne hyehyɛɛ mo ho maa wɔn.
They sent messages to men [in countries] far away. And when those men arrived, [the women of those two cities] bathed themselves for them, painted their eyebrows, and put on jewelry.
41 Motenaa akongua papa bi a wɔde ɔpon a wɔasɛw so asi anim, ɛso na mode nnuhuam ne ngo a anka ɛyɛ me de no sisii.
They sat on a beautiful couch, with a table in front of it on which they had put incense and [olive] oil that belonged to me.
42 “Na hooyɛ a efi nnipakuw bi a hwee mfa wɔn ho atwa ne ho ahyia. Wɔde Sabeafo fi sare no so ne mmarima a wofi dɔm no mu bae, na wɔde nkapo hyehyɛɛ ɔbea no ne ne nua no nsa, na wɔhyɛɛ wɔn ahenkyɛw a ɛyɛ fɛ.
Soon there was a noisy crowd around them. Among the crowd there were men from Sheba who had come from the [of Arabia]. They put bracelets on the arms of the [two] sisters and put beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 Na meka faa nea aguamammɔ ama watetew no ho se, ‘Momma wɔnnyɛ no sɛ oguamanfo, efisɛ saa ara pɛ na ɔte.’
Then I said about the woman who had become exhausted by her having sex with many men, ‘Now allow those men to act toward her as though she is a prostitute, because that is all that she is.’
44 Na wɔne no dae. Sɛnea mmarima ne oguamanfo da no, saa ara na wɔne saa mmea a wɔn ho yɛ aniwu no, Ohola ne Oholiba dae.
So they had sex [EUP] with those two women, Oholah and Oholibah, like men have sex with prostitutes.
45 Nanso atemmufo atreneefo de asotwe a wɔde ma mmea a wɔsɛe aware na wɔka mogya gu no bɛma wɔn, efisɛ wɔyɛ nguamanfo na wɔn nsa ho wɔ mogya.
But righteous men will condemn them to be punished, like women who commit adultery and who murder others are punished, because those women commit adultery and they murder [MTY] others.
46 “Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Fa nnipadɔm bra betia wɔn na ma ahunahuna ne ɔfom mmra wɔn so.
So this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: Bring a mob to attack Samaria and Jerusalem, and allow that mob to cause the people of those cities to be terrified, and to rob them.
47 Nnipakuw no besiw wɔn abo na wɔde wɔn afoa bɛtow ahyɛ wɔn so. Wobekunkum wɔn mmabarima ne wɔn mmabea na wɔahyew wɔn afi.
The mob will throw stones at [to kill them]; they will cut them into pieces with their swords, they will kill their sons and daughters, and burn down their houses.
48 “Ɛno nti mɛma aniwu nneyɛe aba awiei wɔ asase no so na abɔ mmaa nyinaa kɔkɔ na wɔansua mo.
In that way I will cause them to stop their immoral behavior. It will warn other women to not imitate/do what you people of Jerusalem are doing.
49 Wubenya wʼaniwude so asotwe na woanya abosonsom ho bɔne so akatua. Afei wubehu sɛ mene Otumfo Awurade no.”
[people of Jerusalem] will be punished for your immoral behavior and for your worshiping idols. Then you will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”
