Hesekiel 33
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
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,
“You human, speak to your fellow Israelis and say this to them: ‘When I bring an enemy army [MTY] to attack a country, and the people of that country choose one of their men and appoint him to be a watchman,
3 na ohu sɛ afoa reba abɛko atia asase no a, ɔhyɛn torobɛnto de bɔ nnipa no kɔkɔ.
if he sees the enemy army [MTY] coming to attack his country, and he blows a trumpet to 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.
if anyone hears the trumpet and does not heed the warning, and as a result he is killed by the sword [of one of his enemies], he will be responsible for his own death [MTY].
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.
If he had heeded the warning, he would have (have saved his life/still be alive). But because he heard the sound of the trumpet and did not heed that warning, his death will be his own fault.
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 sees the enemy army [MTY] coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, and one of his people is killed by an enemy sword, that person will die because of his sin, but I will consider that the watchman is responsible for that man’s death.’
7 “Onipa ba, mayɛ wo ɔwɛmfo ama Israelfi, ɛno nti tie mʼanom nsɛm na fa kɔkɔbɔ a efi me nkyɛn ma wɔn.
So, you human, I have appointed you to be a watchman for the Israeli people [MTY]. So always listen to what I say and warn the people for 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 to some wicked person, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die [because of your sins,’ you must tell him that]. If you do not speak to that person to warn him that he should turn away from his sins, that wicked person will die because of his sins, but I will say that you are responsible for his death [MTY].
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.
But if you warn that wicked person that he should turn away from his sins, and he does not do that, he will die because of his sins, but you will have saved your life.
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?”’
You human, say to the Israeli people, ‘This is what you all are saying: “[The guilt that we have for] disobeying God’s laws and sinning is like a heavy weight on us, and it is hurting us, and we are slowly dying. So what can we do to continue to remain alive?”’
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 to them, ‘Yahweh the Lord says, “As surely as I am alive, I am not happy when wicked people die; I would prefer that they turn away from their wicked behavior and continue to live. So repent! Turn away from your evil behavior! You Israeli people, do you really want to die [RHQ]?”’
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.’
Therefore, you human, say to your fellow Israelis, ‘If righteous people start to disobey me, their being righteous previously will not save them [from being punished]. And if wicked people turn away from their wicked behavior, they will not die because of the sins that they committed [previously]. And if righteous people start to sin, they will not be allowed to remain alive because of their formerly being righteous.’
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.
If I tell righteous people that they will surely remain alive, but then they trust/think that because they have been righteous previously, they can start to do evil [and not be punished], I will not think about the righteous things that they did previously; they will die because of the evil things that they are doing.
14 Na sɛ meka kyerɛ omumɔyɛfo se, ‘Owu na wubewu,’ na afei ɔdan fi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ nea eye na ɛteɛ,
And if I say to some wicked person, ‘You will surely die [because of your sins],’ that person may turn away from his sinful behavior and do what is just and right [DOU].
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.
For example, he may return what he took from another person to guarantee [that that person would pay back what he owes], or he may return things that he has stolen, and he may obey the laws that will enable [those who obey them] to remain alive, and he will not continue to do evil things. If that happens, he will surely remain alive; he will not die [because of the sins that he committed previously].
16 Wɔrenkae bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara ntia no. Wayɛ nea eye na ɛteɛ, ampa ara obenya nkwa.
I will not think about the sins that he has committed; he will surely remain alive.
17 “Nanso wo manmma ka se, ‘Awurade akwan nteɛ.’ Nanso ɛyɛ wɔn akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ.
Your fellow Israelis say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But it is your behavior that is not fair.
18 Sɛ ɔtreneeni fi ne trenee ho na ɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno nti obewu.
If a righteous person turns away from doing what is righteous and starts to do what is evil, [it is fair that] he die because of his sins.
19 Na sɛ omumɔyɛfo dan fi ne nnebɔne ho na ɔyɛ nea eye na ɛteɛ a, obenya nkwa.
And if a wicked person turns away from his wicked behavior and does what is right and fair [DOU], [it is fair] for him to remain alive because of doing that.
20 Nanso Israelfi, moka se, ‘Awurade akwan nteɛ.’ Nanso mebu obiara atɛn sɛnea nʼakwan te.”
But you Israeli people still say, ‘What Yahweh does is not fair.’ But I will judge each of you for what you do.”
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!”
Almost twelve years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the fifth day of the tenth month [of that year], a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me [in Babylon] and said, “Jerusalem has been captured!”
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.
The evening before that man arrived, Yahweh took control [MTY] of me, and when that man arrived, Yahweh enabled me to speak again; I was no longer forced to be silent.
23 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
Then Yahweh gave a message to me. He said,
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.’
“You human, the people who are living in the ruins in Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one person, but Yahweh [promised him that he and his descendants] would possess this land. But we are many; so surely this land has been given to us [by Yahweh] to continue to possess.’
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?
So send a message to them. Say, ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: You eat meat that still has the animal’s blood in it. You still worship idols. And you still murder others [MTY]. So, (should this land belong to you?/this land should certainly not belong to you!) [RHQ]
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?’
You rely on using your swords [to obtain things that you want]. You do many detestable things. Each of you has sex with other men’s wives. So (why should you continue to possess the land of Israel?/you should not continue to possess this land!) [RHQ]’
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.
Send this message to them: ‘This is what Yahweh the Lord says: As surely as I am alive, those who are left in the ruins [in Jerusalem] will also be killed by [their enemies’] swords, and those who are living in the countryside will be killed by wild animals, and those who are living in forts and caves will die from a plague.
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.
I will cause your country to become a desolate wasteland. You will no longer be proud of being a strong country. The mountains of Israel will become very desolate, with the result that no one will walk across them.
29 Afei wobehu sɛ mene Awurade no, bere a mama asase no ada mpan wɔ akyiwade a wɔayɛ nyinaa nti.’
Then, when I have caused your country to become a desolate wasteland because of all the detestable things that you have done, you will know that I, Yahweh, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’
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.’
As for you, you human, your fellow Israelis [here in Babylon] are talking about you along the city walls and at the doors of their houses. They are saying to each other, ‘Come and listen to the message that has come from Yahweh!’
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.
My people come to you as they often have done, and they sit in front of you to listen to what you say. But they do not do what you tell them that they must do. With their mouths they say that they love me, but in their inner beings they are eager to acquire things by doing what is unjust.
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.
To them, you are only a man who sings love songs with a beautiful voice, and you play a musical instrument well. They hear what you say, but they do not do what you tell them to do.
33 “Sɛ eyinom nyinaa ba mu a, na nokware ɛbɛba mu nso, na afei wobehu sɛ odiyifo bi baa wɔn mu.”
The terrible things that I have said will happen to them will surely happen. And then they will know that a prophet has been among them, [and that you are that prophet].”
