Hesekiel 31
1 Mfe dubaako mu, ɔsram a ɛto so abiɛsa no da a edi kan no, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
Almost eleven years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the first day of the third month [of that year], Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
2 “Onipa ba, ka kyerɛ Misraimhene Farao ne ne dɔm se: “‘Hena ho na wɔde wo kɛseyɛ bɛtoto?
“You human, say to the King of Egypt and all of his people, ‘[You think that] there is [RHQ, IRO] no country whose power is as great as the power of your country.
3 Dwene Asiria ho, sida bi a bere bi na ɛwɔ Lebanon, Ɔde mman a ɛyɛ fɛ, na ɛhyɛ kwae so nyin kɔɔ soro yiye, ma ne nkɔn mu boro nhaban a ayɛ kusuu no so.
You think that your country is as great as Assyria was: Assyria was previously like [MET] a tall cedar tree in Lebanon; [it was as though] it had big beautiful branches that provided shade for [other trees in] the forest. It was very tall; its top was above the leaves of the other trees.
4 Nsu no maa no aduan, mmura a mu dɔ ma enyin kɔɔ soro; wɔn nsuwansuwa sen faa nʼase nyinaa de kɔɔ mfuw no so nnua nyinaa ho.
Water came from deep springs, and as a result that cedar tree grew tall and very green. Then water flowed around the base of the tree into channels that took water to other nearby trees.
5 Enti ɛkɔɔ sorosoro sen mfuw no so nnua nyinaa; ne dubaa dɔɔso ne mman nyin yɛɛ atenten, na nsu dodow a enyaa no nti ɛdennanee.
That huge tree grew very tall, higher than all the other trees around it. Its branches grew very thick and long [DOU] because of the abundant water [at the base of the tree].
6 Wim nnomaa nyinaa yɛɛ wɔn berebuw wɔ ne dubaa no mu, wuram mmoa nyinaa wowoo mma wɔ ne mman no ase aman akɛse nyinaa tenaa ne nwini ase.
Birds built their nests in the branches, and wild animals gave birth to their babies under those branches. [And it was as though people of] all the great nations lived in the shade of that tree.
7 Na ne kɛseyɛ no yɛ fɛ, ne dubaa a adennan no nti, na ne ntin nyin kɔɔ fam koduu nsu bebree mu.
It was majestic and beautiful; its branches spread out widely because the roots of the tree grew down into the ground where there was a plentiful supply of water.
8 Sida a ɛwɔ Onyankopɔn turo mu nto no, na ɔpepaw nnua nso dubaa ne no nyɛ pɛ, na wontumi mfa ɔfo nnua nso ntoto ne mman ho, dua biara nni Onyankopɔn turo no mu a nʼahoɔfɛ te sɛ no.
The cedar trees in my garden [in Eden] were not as great as that tree, and the branches of the pine/cypress trees were not as long and thick as the branches of that cedar tree. And the branches of the plane trees were not as long and thick, either. No tree in my garden was as beautiful as that cedar tree.
9 Mebɔɔ no ahoɔfɛ maa no mman bebree, na nnua a ɛwɔ Eden nyinaa Onyankopɔn turo no mu no ani beree no.
Because I caused that tree to become very beautiful with its magnificent green branches, [all the leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] those other trees in Eden envied [the country represented by] that tree.’
10 “‘Ɛno nti, sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Esiane sɛ enyin kɔɔ soro, maa ne nkɔn mu hyɛɛ nhaban a abunkam so, na afei ɔyɛɛ ahantan wɔ ne tentenyɛ ho nti,
Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘That tree, which [represents Assyria], grew very tall, and its top was higher than the other trees, and it became very proud because of being very tall.
11 mede no hyɛɛ amanaman sodifo nsa, sɛ ɔne no nni no sɛnea nʼamumɔyɛ te. Mepoo no,
Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.
12 na ananafo aman no mu anuɔdenfo twaa no hwee fam, na ogyaw no hɔ. Ne dubaa no hwehwee mmepɔw ne aku mu; ne mman mu bubuu wɔ subon mu. Asase so aman nyinaa fii ne nwini ase, na wogyaw no hɔ.
A foreign army, one that has caused people of other nations to be terrified, cut it down and left it. Its branches fell on the mountains and in the valleys. Some of its branches lay broken in all the ravines in the land. All the people of other nations came out from being under its shade and left it.
13 Wim nnomaa nyinaa sisii dua a abu no so, na wuram mmoa kɔhyehyɛɛ ne mman mu.
Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
14 Ɛno nti, nnua a ɛwɔ nsu ho no mu biara renyɛ ahantan, nnyin nkɔ sorosoro, mmoro nhaban a abunkam so no so. Nnua afoforo biara a enya nsu bebree no rennyin nkɔ soro saa bio. Wɔahyɛ sɛ wɔn nyinaa bewu akɔ asase ase, wɔ nnipamma a wosian kɔ amoa mu no nkyɛn.
The result of what I have done is that no other trees, even if they have plenty of water, will ever grow very high and become proud, and lift their tops above the branches of other trees. I do not want any other tree to grow high like that cedar tree did; trees will all certainly die and decay in the ground, like people die and go down to their graves.’
15 “‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Da a wɔde no too ɔda mu no, mede awerɛhow kataa nsuwansuwa a mu dɔ no so maa no, na amma ne nsuten no ansen, na misiw ne nsu dodow no kwan. Ne nti mede kusuuyɛ furaa Lebanon, na nnua a ɛwɔ sare no so nyinaa botowee. (Sheol h7585)
This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘When that great tree was cut down, [it was as though] the springs that watered it mourned for it, because I caused the plentiful water [from the springs] to dry up. I caused [the mountains in] Lebanon to become black, and all the trees there to wither. (Sheol h7585)
16 Memaa aman no ho popoo wɔ nʼasehwe nnyigyei no ho, bere a mede no baa ɔda mu ne wɔn a wɔasian kɔ amoa mu no. Afei Eden nnua nyinaa, nea ɛte apɔw na ɛyɛ papa wɔ Lebanon, nnua a enya nsu yiye nyinaa nyaa awerɛkyekye wɔ asase ase. (Sheol h7585)
I caused the people of other nations to tremble when they heard that tree fall to the ground. [They realized] that it would decay, like all people who die and are buried decay. And all the [leaders of other countries represented by] other beautiful trees in my garden in Eden and in Lebanon, were like beautiful trees [that were very proud]. They were ones which had roots that grew down deep into the [ground where there was plenty of] water. They were comforted when [the king represented by] [MET] that cedar tree was there with them in the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
17 Wɔn a wɔtenaa ne nwini ase, ne ne dɔm a wɔwɔ amanaman no mu nso ne no kɔ ɔda mu, akɔka wɔn a wɔtotɔɔ wɔ afoa ano no ho. (Sheol h7585)
The [leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] trees that grew in the shade of the huge tree, [the allies of] the great nation [that the cedar tree represents], had also joined those who had been killed by the sword and gone down to where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
18 “‘Nnua a ɛwɔ Eden no mu de, ɛwɔ he na ebetumi de ne ho atoto wo ho wɔ anuonyam ne kɛseyɛ mu? Nanso wo nso wobesian wo akɔ fam, wo ne Eden nnua no. Wobɛfra momonotofo mu, wɔn a wɔatotɔ wɔ afoa ano no. “‘Eyi yɛ Farao ne ne dɔm no, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni.’”
[This parable is about you] people of Egypt. [You think that] [RHQ, IRO] there is no other nation that is as great and glorious as yours is. But your nation will also be destroyed, [as Assyria was], along with those other nations. Your people will be there among the other people who are not fit to worship me, people who have been killed by their enemies’ swords. That is what will happen to the king of Egypt and all his people. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, [have predicted it].’”
