Hesekiel 33

1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

2 “Onipa ba, kasa kyerɛ wo manmma na ka kyerɛ wɔn se: ‘Sɛ metwe mʼafoa wɔ asase bi so, na sɛ asase no so nnipa yi wɔn mmarima no mu baako sɛ ɔnyɛ ɔwɛmfo mma wɔn,

'Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them: When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from among them, and set him for their watchman;

3 na ohu sɛ afoa reba abɛko atia asase no a, ɔhyɛn torobɛnto de bɔ nnipa no kɔkɔ.

if, when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the horn, and warn the people;

4 Na sɛ obi te torobɛnto no nnyigyei na wanna ne ho so, na sɛ afoa no bekum no a, ne mogya bɛbɔ ɔno ankasa ti so.

then whosoever heareth the sound of the horn, and taketh not warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head;

5 Esiane sɛ ɔtee torobɛnto no nnyigyei na wantie kɔkɔbɔ no nti, ne mogya bɛbɔ nʼankasa ti so. Sɛ otiee kɔkɔbɔ no a, anka onyaa ne ti didii mu.

he heard the sound of the horn, and took not warning, his blood shall be upon him; whereas if he had taken warning, he would have delivered his soul.

6 Nanso sɛ ɔwɛmfo no hu sɛ afoa no reba na wanhyɛn torobɛnto no ammɔ nnipa no kɔkɔ, na sɛ afoa no ba bekum wɔn mu baako a, wɔbɛfa saa onipa no akɔ wɔ ne bɔne nti, nanso mɛma ɔwɛmfo no abu owufo no mogya ho akontaa.’

But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the horn, and the people be not warned, and the sword do come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

7 “Onipa ba, mayɛ wo ɔwɛmfo ama Israelfi, ɛno nti tie mʼanom nsɛm na fa kɔkɔbɔ a efi me nkyɛn ma wɔn.

So thou, son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore, when thou shalt hear the word at My mouth, warn them from Me.

8 Sɛ meka kyerɛ omumɔyɛfo se, ‘Wo omumɔyɛfo, owu na wubewu,’ na sɛ woankasa ankyerɛ no amma wamfi nʼakwan so a, saa omumɔyɛfo no bewu ne bɔne mu, na mɛma woabu ne mogya ho akontaa.

When I say unto the wicked: O wicked man, thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand.

9 Nanso sɛ wobɔ omumɔyɛfo no kɔkɔ sɛ omfi nʼakwan so na sɛ wanyɛ a, ne bɔne nti, obewu, nanso worenni ne mogya ho fɔ.

Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, and he turn not from his way; he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul.

10 “Onipa ba, ka kyerɛ Israelfi se: ‘Sɛɛ ne nea moreka: “Yɛn mfomso ne yɛn nnebɔne hyɛ yɛn so, yɛresɛe, esiane eyinom nti. Na dɛn na yɛbɛyɛ na yɛanya nkwa?”’

Therefore, O thou son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Thus ye speak, saying: Our transgressions and our sins are upon us, and we pine away in them; how then can we live?

11 Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfo Awurade asɛm ni, mʼani nnye amumɔyɛfo wu ho, na mmom mepɛ sɛ wɔdan fi wɔn akwan so na wonya nkwa. Monnan! Monnan mfi mo amumɔyɛ akwan no so! Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ muwuwu, Israelfi?’

Say unto them: As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

12 “Ɛno nti onipa ba, ka kyerɛ wo manmma se, ‘Ɔtreneeni trenee rentumi nnye no nkwa wɔ bere a ɔnyɛ osetie; na omumɔyɛfo amumɔyɛ remma ɔnhwe ase wɔ bere a ɔdan fi ho. Sɛ ɔtreneeni yɛ bɔne a, ɔrennya nkwa wɔ ne kan treneeyɛ nti.’

And thou, son of man, say unto the children of thy people: The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression; and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not stumble thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall he that is righteous be able to live thereby in the day that he sinneth.

13 Sɛ meka kyerɛ ɔtreneeni sɛ obenya nkwa, na afei ɔde ne ho to ne treneeyɛ so na ɔyɛ bɔne a, wɔrenkae ne kan trenee nneyɛe biara. Obewu wɔ ne bɔne a wayɛ nti.

When I say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his righteousness, and commit iniquity, none of his righteous deeds shall be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, for it shall he die.

14 Na sɛ meka kyerɛ omumɔyɛfo se, ‘Owu na wubewu,’ na afei ɔdan fi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ nea eye na ɛteɛ,

Again, when I say unto the wicked: Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;

15 na sɛ ɔsan de bosea ho awowaside ma, na ɔsan de nea wawia ma, na odi ahyɛde a ɛma nkwa so, na wanyɛ bɔne a, ampa ara obenya nkwa, na ɔrenwu.

if the wicked restore the pledge, give back that which he had taken by robbery, walk in the statutes of life, committing no iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.

16 Wɔrenkae bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara ntia no. Wayɛ nea eye na ɛteɛ, ampa ara obenya nkwa.

None of his sins that he hath committed shall be remembered against him; he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.

17 “Nanso wo manmma ka se, ‘Awurade akwan nteɛ.’ Nanso ɛyɛ wɔn akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ.

Yet the children of thy people say: The way of the Lord is not equal; but as for them, their way is not equal.

18 Sɛ ɔtreneeni fi ne trenee ho na ɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno nti obewu.

When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

19 Na sɛ omumɔyɛfo dan fi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ nea eye na ɛteɛ a, obenya nkwa.

And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

20 Nanso Israelfi, moka se, ‘Awurade akwan nteɛ.’ Nanso mebu obiara atɛn sɛnea nʼakwan te.”

Yet ye say: The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.'

21 Yɛn asutwa afe a ɛto so dumien no sram a ɛto so du no nnaanum so, ɔbarima bi a waguan afi Yerusalem baa me nkyɛn bɛkae se, “Kuropɔn no ahwe ase!”

And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying: 'The city is smitten.'

22 Na anwummere a ade rebɛkye ama ɔbarima no aba no, na Awurade nsa wɔ me so na obuee mʼano ansa na ɔbarima no baa anɔpa. Enti na mʼano abue a mitumi kasa.

Now the hand of the LORD had been upon me in the evening, before he that was escaped came; and He had opened my mouth against his coming to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

23 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,

Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

24 “Onipa ba, nnipa a wɔtete saa nnwiriwii so wɔ Israel asase no so no reka se, ‘Abraham yɛ onipa baako, nanso onyaa asase no nyinaa. Nanso yɛdɔɔso, na nokware wɔde asase no ama yɛn sɛ yɛn agyapade.’

'Son of man, they that inhabit those waste places in the land of Israel speak, saying: Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.

25 Ɛno nti, ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛɛ na Otumfo Awurade se: Sɛ mowe nam a mogya wɔ mu, mosom mo anyame na muhwie mogya gu nti, ɛsɛ sɛ mofa asase no ana?

Wherefore say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD. Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes unto your idols, and shed blood; and shall ye possess the land?

26 Mode mo ho to mo afoa so. Moyɛ akyiwade na mo mu biara gu ne yɔnko yere ho fi. Ɛsɛ sɛ munya asase no ana?’

Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife; and shall ye possess the land?

27 “Ka eyi kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Nea Otumfo Awurade se ni: Ampa ara sɛ mete ase yi, wɔn a wɔaka wɔ kurow no nnwiriwii mu no bɛtotɔ wɔ afoa ano. Wɔn a wɔwɔ wuram no mede wɔn bɛma nkekaboa ama wɔawe wɔn na wɔn a wɔwɔ abandennen ne abodan mu no, ɔyaredɔm bekunkum wɔn.

Thus shalt thou say unto them: Thus saith the Lord GOD: As I live, surely they that are in the waste places shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that are in the strongholds and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

28 Mɛsɛe asase no ama ayɛ amamfo, na nʼahomaso ahoɔden no bɛba awiei na Israel mmepɔw no bɛda mpan a obiara rentwa mu wɔ hɔ.

And I will make the land most desolate, and the pride of her power shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, so that none shall pass through.

29 Afei wobehu sɛ mene Awurade no, bere a mama asase no ada mpan wɔ akyiwade a wɔayɛ nyinaa nti.’

Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land most desolate, because of all their abominations which they have committed.

30 “Wo de, onipa ba, wo manmma reka wo ho nsɛm wɔ afasu ho ne afi apon ano kyerɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, ‘Mommra mmetie asɛm a efi Awurade nkyɛn aba.’

And as for thee, son of man, the children of thy people that talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying: Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD;

31 Me nkurɔfo ba wo nkyɛn, sɛnea wɔyɛ daa no, bɛtenatena wʼanim betie wo nsɛm, nanso wɔmmfa nyɛ adwuma. Wɔde wɔn ano ka ahofama, nanso wɔn koma mu de, wɔn ani bere asisi mu adenya.

and come unto thee as the people cometh, and sit before thee as My people, and hear thy words, but do them not — for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness;

32 Nokware, wɔn de, wote sɛ obi a ne nne yɛ dɛ, na ɔde nnwontode to ɔdɔ nnwom, efisɛ wɔte wo nsɛm nanso wɔmmfa nyɛ adwuma.

and, lo, thou art unto them as a love song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; so they hear thy words, but they do them not —

33 “Sɛ eyinom nyinaa ba mu a, na nokware ɛbɛba mu nso, na afei wobehu sɛ odiyifo bi baa wɔn mu.”

when this cometh to pass — behold, it cometh — then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.'