< Hesekiel 16 >
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Another message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, fa akyiwadeɛ a Yerusalem yɛ no si nʼanim
“Son of man, challenge Jerusalem over her disgusting practices.
3 na ka sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade ka kyerɛ Yerusalem: Wo nananom ne wʼawoɔ firi Kanaanfoɔ asase so; na wʼagya yɛ Amorini ɛnna wo maame nso yɛ Hetini.
Tell Jerusalem that this is what the Lord God says to her: You really are a Canaanite, both by your birth and parentage. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother was a Hittite.
4 Ɛda a wɔwoo wo no, wɔantwa wo funuma, na wɔamfa nsuo annware wo sɛ wo ho bɛte nso, wɔamfa nkyene ansra wo, na wɔamfa ntoma ankyekyere wo ho.
On the day you were born your cord was not cut, and you weren't washed to clean you up, you weren't rubbed with salt, and you weren't wrapped in cloths.
5 Obiara anhunu wo mmɔbɔ, na obiara yam anhyehye no sɛ ɔbɛyɛ yeinom biara ama wo. Mmom wɔtoo wo twenee wiram, ɛfiri sɛ ɛda a wɔwoo woɔ no, wɔbuu wo animtiaa.
No one looked on you with love to do anything like this for you; no one showed any kind of care for you. No, you were thrown away in a field, abandoned and despised from the day you were born.
6 “‘Mebɛpuee wo so, na mehunuu sɛ worewɔ wo nan na woda mogya mu, na sɛdeɛ na woda hɔ no, meka kyerɛɛ wo sɛ, “Nya nkwa!”
But I passed by and saw you kicking, covered in your own blood. As you were lying there in your blood I told you, ‘I want you to live!’ I said to you right there, ‘I want you to live!’
7 Mehwɛɛ wo ma wonyiniiɛ sɛ afifideɛ. Wonyiniiɛ, wofɛeɛ bɛyɛɛ abohemaa mu deɛ ne ho fɛ pa ara. Wo nufu bobɔeɛ na wo ho nwi fuiɛ, wo a na anka woda adagya.
I help you to grow like a plant in the field. You grew up into a beautiful young woman. Your breasts developed and your body hair grew, and you were completely naked.
8 “‘Akyire yi mebɛpuee wo so, na mehwɛɛ woɔ na mehunuu sɛ woaso awadeɛ no, mede mʼatadeɛ fa bi kataa wʼadagya so. Mesuae kyerɛɛ wo na mene wo yɛɛ apam na wobɛyɛɛ me dea, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ.
When I passed by again, I looked at you and saw that you were old enough for lovemaking. So I spread my robe over you and covered up your naked body. I committed myself to you and made a solemn agreement with you, and made you mine, declares the Lord God.
9 “‘Mede nsuo dwaree wo, na mehohoroo wo ho mogya na mede sradeɛ ahodoɔ srasraa wo.
Then I washed you with water, cleaned off your blood, and anointed you with oil.
10 Mede atadeɛ a wɔanwono ano hyɛɛ wo, na mehyɛɛ wo mmoa wedeɛ mpaboa. Mede nwera papa firaa wo na mede ntadeɛ aboɔden guguu so.
I put a beautifully embroidered dress on you and gave you fine leather sandals. I clothed you in fine linen and covered you with silk.
11 Mede agudeɛ siesiee wo. Mede nkapo guu wʼabakɔn, mede kɔnmuadeɛ too wo kɔn mu,
I gave you jewelry—I put bracelets on your wrists and a necklace around your neck.
12 na mede kawa hyɛɛ wo hwene mu, ɛnna mede asomuadeɛ hyɛɛ wʼasom na mebɔɔ wo abotire a ɛyɛ fɛ.
I put a ring in your nose and earrings on your ears, and placed a beautiful crown on your head.
13 Enti wɔde sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ siesiee wo. Wʼaduradeɛ yɛɛ nwera papa ne ntoma a ne boɔ yɛ den ne deɛ wɔadi mu adwini. Wʼaduane yɛɛ esiam papa, ɛwoɔ ne ngo. Wo ho yɛɛ fɛ na wobɛyɛɛ ɔhemmaa.
You wore gold and silver jewelry, and your clothes were made of the finest linen, expensive fabric, and embroidered cloth. You ate bread made with the best flour, and honey and olive oil. You grew even more beautiful and became a queen.
14 Na wʼahoɔfɛ enti, wo din hyetaa wɔ amanaman mu, ɛfiri sɛ animuonyam a mahyɛ wo no ma wʼahoɔfɛ no di mu, Awurade asɛm nie.
You were famous around the world because of your beauty, for I used my majestic power to make you so wonderful, declares the Lord God.
15 “‘Nanso wʼahoɔfɛ enti, wogyee wo ho diiɛ na wode wo din a ahyeta no bɔɔ adwaman. Wogyaa wo ho maa obiara a ɔretwam na woyɛɛ wɔn adɔeɛ.
You were so proud of your beauty that you were unfaithful to me. You thought that because you were so famous you could prostitute yourself and sleep with anyone who passed by. They took your beautiful body for themselves.
16 Wode wo ntadeɛ no bi kɔyɛɛ sorɔnsorɔmmea hɔ hyirenn, ɛhɔ na wokɔbɔɔ adwaman. Ɛnsɛ sɛ nneɛma a ɛtete sei sisi koraa, na ɛnsɛ sɛ ɛba nso.
You made yourself colorful pagan shrines out of the clothes I'd given you, and there you acted as a prostitute. Things like this have never happened before, and they should never happen in the future!
17 Afei wode wo nnwinneɛ fɛfɛ a mede maa wo no, deɛ mede sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ yɛeɛ no yɛɛ ahoni maa wo ho na wo ne wɔn bɔɔ adwaman.
You also used the beautiful gold and silver jewelry I gave you to make male idols and you prostituted yourself with them.
18 Wode wo ntadeɛ a wɔadi mu adwini hyehyɛɛ wɔn na wode me ngo ne nnuhwam brɛɛ wɔn.
You used your embroidered clothes to dress them, and you placed before them my olive oil and incense.
19 Bio, aduane a mede maa woɔ no, esiam papa, ɛwoɔ ne ngo a mede maa wo sɛ di no, wode brɛɛ wɔn sɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ a ɛyi hwa. Saa na ɛsiiɛ, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.
You presented the food I had given you as an offering for them to accept —bread made from the best flour, olive oil, and honey that I had provided for you to eat. That's exactly what you did, declares the Lord God.
20 “‘Wofaa wo mmammarima ne wo mmammaa, a me ne wo woo wɔn no kɔbɔɔ afɔdeɛ sɛ aduane maa ahoni. Wʼadwamammɔ no nnɔɔso anaa?
You sacrificed your sons and daughters—the children you had for me—offering them as food for idols to eat. Wasn't your prostitution evil enough?
21 Wokumm me mma de wɔn bɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa ahoni no.
You slaughtered my children, sacrificing them to idols.
22 Akyiwadeɛ a woyɛeɛ ne wʼadwamammɔ akyi no, woankae wo mmabunu ɛberɛ a na wo ho da hɔ na worewowɔ wo nan wɔ mogya mu no.
While you were busy with all your disgusting practices and your prostitution, you forgot about the time when you were young, completely naked and lying there kicking in your own blood.
23 “‘Nnome! Nnome nka wo, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ. Wʼamumuyɛ nyinaa akyi no,
Disaster is coming! Disaster is coming on you, declares the Lord God. As well as all the other evil things you did,
24 wosii banbɔ pie maa wo ho, na woyɛɛ abosonnan tentene wɔ adwabɔeɛ biara.
you built yourself a pagan shrine, a high place of idol worship on every public square in the city.
25 Borɔno so baabiara wosisii abosonnan atentene, na wosɛee wʼahoɔfɛ ɛfiri sɛ honam akɔnnɔ bɔne enti wode wo ho maa obiara a ɔretwam.
You made yourselves high places of idol worship at the top of every street; you degraded yourself, offering your beautiful body to anyone who passed by, opening your legs for them, becoming more and more promiscuous.
26 Wo ne Misraimfoɔ a honam akɔnnɔ ayɛ wɔn ma no bɔɔ adwaman, na wode honam akɔnnɔ bɔne hyɛɛ me abufuo.
You gave yourself as a prostitute to your Egyptian neighbors with their large sexual organs, making me angry as you became even more promiscuous.
27 Enti metenee me nsa wɔ wo so na metee wʼahyeɛ so. Mede wo maa wʼatamfoɔ aniberefoɔ, Filistifoɔ mmammaa a wʼahohwi bra no yɛɛ wɔn nwanwa.
So I acted to reduce my blessings to you. I let your enemies the Philistines do what they wanted to you. Even they were embarrassed at your immorality.
28 Wo ne Asiriafoɔ nso bɔɔ adwaman, ɛfiri sɛ biribiara mmee wo. Na ɛno akyi koraa woammee ara.
Because you weren't satisfied you prostituted yourself with the Assyrians. But even then you weren't satisfied.
29 Afei wotoaa wo honam akɔnnɔ bɔne no so de Babilonia, a ɛyɛ adwadifoɔ asase kaa ho, nanso yei ammee wo ara.
So you took your promiscuous behavior to Babylonia, the country of merchants, but even then you weren't satisfied!
30 “‘Wonni ahohyɛsoɔ koraa, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie, sɛ wotumi yɛ saa nneɛma yi nyinaa te sɛ odwamanfoɔ a nʼani nwu hwee.
You're really sick-minded to do all this, acting like a prostitute with no shame, declares the Lord God.
31 Wosisii banbɔ pie wɔ mmorɔno so na wosisii abosonnan atentene wɔ adwaberem biara, na wonsɛ odwamanfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ wopoo akatua.
Actually you weren't even a normal prostitute when you built yourselves pagan shrines at the top of every street and high places of idol worship on every public square—because you refused to be paid for your services!
32 “‘Wo, ɔyere waresɛefoɔ, wopɛ ahɔhoɔ sene wo ara wo kunu!
You're a wife that loves adultery! You sleep with strangers instead of your husband!
33 Odwamanfoɔ biara gye akatua, nanso wodeɛ, wode nneɛma kyekyɛ wʼadɔfoɔ nyinaa de hyɛ wɔn afono mu sɛ, wɔmfiri baabiara mmra wo nkyɛn.
Normally all prostitutes are paid, but you were the one giving gifts to all your lovers. You even bribed them to come from all around and have sex with you.
34 Enti wʼadwamammɔ mu no wonte sɛ afoforɔ; obiara mma wo hɔ sɛ yɛ no adɔeɛ. Wo ne wɔn bɔ abira koraa, ɛfiri sɛ wotua ka na obiara mma wo hwee.
So you're the opposite of other prostitutes. No one comes to you asking for sex, and you pay the prostitute's fee instead of receiving it. You're the exact opposite!
35 “‘Enti, wo odwamanfoɔ, tie Awurade asɛm!
So, you prostitute, listen to the message from the Lord!
36 Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ. Esiane sɛ wohwie wʼahonya guiɛ na wodaa wʼadagya adi, wo ho a woma ɛyɛɛ wo dɛ dodo wɔ wo ne wʼadɔfoɔ nhyiamu, wʼahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwadeɛ na afei wo mma mogya a wode maa wɔn no enti,
This is what the Lord God says: Because you were so crazy with desire you stripped yourself naked and committed adultery with your lovers and with all your disgusting idols, and because you killed your children as sacrifices to those idols,
37 merebɛboaboa wʼadɔfoɔ a wode wɔn gyee wʼani nyinaa ano; wɔn a wodɔɔ wɔn ne wɔn a woampɛ wɔn. Mɛboaboa wɔn nyinaa ano atia wo afiri wo ho baabiara, na mɛpa wo ho wɔ wɔn anim, na wɔbɛhunu wʼadagya nyinaa.
I'm going to bring together all the lovers you went to bed with, whether you loved them or hated them, and I will have them gather from everywhere around and I will strip you as they watch so they will see you totally naked.
38 Mede asotwe a wɔde ma mmaa awaresɛefoɔ ne mogya hwiegufoɔ bɛyɛ wʼatemmuo. Mede me mogya aweretɔ a ɛfiri mʼabufuhyeɛ ne me ninkunutweɛ abufuo mu bɛba wo so.
I will impose on you the punishment for women who commit adultery and those who murder; you will be punished in passionate anger.
39 Afei, mede wo bɛma wʼadɔfoɔ na wɔbɛbubu banbɔ pie a woahɔre, asɛe abosonnan atentene no. Wɔbɛpa wo ho ntoma. Wɔbɛfa wo nnwinneɛ fɛfɛ no, na wagya wo hɔ adagya mu.
Then I will hand you over to your lovers, and they will demolish your pagan shrines and destroy your high places of idol worship. They will strip you of your clothes, remove your beautiful jewelry, and leave you stark naked.
40 Wɔde nnipadɔm a wɔbɛsi wo aboɔ na wɔde wɔn akofena atwitwa wo mu nketenkete bɛba wo so.
They will come with a mob to attack you. They will stone you and chop you into pieces with their swords.
41 Wɔbɛhyehye wʼafie na wɔatwe wʼaso wɔ mmaa bebree anim. Mɛtwa wʼadwamammɔ no so na woagyae akatua a wotua wʼadɔfoɔ no.
They will burn down your houses and punish you while many women watch. I will stop your prostitution, and you won't ever pay your lovers again.
42 Afei mʼabufuhyeɛ ano bɛdwo na me ninkunutweɛ abufuo no bɛfiri wo so. Mɛyɛ bɔkɔɔ na mebo remfu bio.
Then I will finish being jealous and furious with you. I will calm down and won't be angry any more.
43 “‘Sɛ woankae wo mmabunu nna, na wode yeinom nyinaa hyɛɛ me abufuo enti, ɛkwan biara so mɛma deɛ woayɛ no abɔ wo tiri so, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ. Woanyɛ nneɛma fi anka akyiwadeɛ no ho anaa?
Since you didn't remember how I looked after you when you were young, but made me angry with all the things that you did, I will make sure you experience the results of what you've done, declares the Lord God. For this immorality was in addition to all the other disgusting things you did, wasn't it?
44 “‘Obiara a ɔbu bɛ no bɛbu saa bɛ yi afa wo ho: “Sɛdeɛ ɛna teɛ no saa ara na ne babaa teɛ.”
Everyone who likes to use proverbs will quote this one about you: ‘Like mother, like daughter.’
45 Wo maame sopaa ne kunu ne ne mma. Wo nso saa ara na woteɛ. Wote te sɛ wo nuanom mmaa a wɔsopaa wɔn kununom ne wɔn mma. Wo maame yɛ Hetini ɛnna wʼagya yɛ Amorini.
You are the daughter of your mother who detested her husband and children. You are just like her! You are the sister of your sisters, just like them who detested their husbands and children. In fact your mother was a Hittite and your father was an Amorite.
46 Na wo nuabaa panin ne Samaria a na ɔne ne mmammaa te wʼatifi fam, ɛnna wo nuabaa kumaa a ɔne ne mmammaa te wʼanafoɔ fam yɛ Sodom.
Your older sister was Samaria, who lived north of you with her daughters. Your younger sister was Sodom, who lived south of you with her daughters.
47 Woannante wɔn akwan mu, ansuasua wɔn akyiwadeɛ nko, na mmom, akwan nyinaa mu, wobɛyɛɛ porɔeɛ sene wɔn.
You didn't just follow their ways and do the same disgusting things they did, you very quickly became even worse than them.
48 Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ, wo nuabaa Sodom ne ne mmammaa anyɛ deɛ wo ne wo mmammaa ayɛ no da.
As I live, declares the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters didn't ever do what you and your daughters have done.
49 “‘Yei ne bɔne a wo nuabaa Sodom yɛeɛ: Ɔno ne mmammaa yɛɛ ahantan. Wɔdidi traa so na hwee amfa wɔn ho, wɔammoa ahiafoɔ ne mmɔborɔfoɔ.
The sins of your sister Sodom were these: She and her daughters were proud, greedy, and lazy. They didn't help the poor and those in need.
50 Wɔyɛɛ ahomasoɔ ne akyiwadeɛ wɔ mʼanim. Ɛno enti meyii wɔn sii nkyɛn sɛdeɛ woahunu no.
They became arrogant and did disgusting things in my presence. So I got rid of them when I saw this.
51 Samaria anyɛ bɔne a woyɛeɛ no mu fa. Woayɛ akyiwadeɛ a ɛboro deɛ wo nuammaanom no yɛeɛ no so koraa, na woama ayɛ sɛ wo nuammaa no tene, ɛsiane saa nneɛma a woayɛ no enti.
Samaria didn't sin half as badly as you did. You have done far more disgusting things than they did. In fact, all the revolting things you've done make your sisters look good!
52 Gye wʼanimguaseɛ, ɛfiri sɛ woama wo nnuammaa adi bem. Wo bɔne mu yɛ duru sene wɔn deɛ, enti ayɛ sɛ wɔtene sene wo. Ɛnneɛ afei gye wʼanimguaseɛ na wama ayɛ sɛ wo nnuammaa tene.
Now you're going to have to put up with your shame, since by your disgraceful sins you made them seem far better. Compared to you they look good! Now you too have to put up with your shame and disgrace because you've made your sisters look as if they were good.
53 “‘Nanso, mede Sodom siadeɛ ne ne mmammaa, Samaria siadeɛ ne ne mmammaa bɛma wɔn, na mede wo siadeɛ bɛka ho,
Even so I'm going to bring Sodom and her daughters back from exile, and Samaria and her daughters too. I will bring you back together with them.
54 sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wobɛgye wʼanimguaseɛ na wʼani bɛwu wɔ deɛ woayɛ de ama wɔn ahotɔ nyinaa ho.
In this way you will have to put up with your disgrace and be ashamed of all the bad things you did that made them feel better about themselves.
55 Na wo nuammaa Sodom ne ne mmammaa, Samaria ne ne mmammaa bɛsane akɔ wɔn tebea dada mu, na wo ne wo mmammaa nso bɛsane akɔ mo dada mu.
Your sisters, Sodom with her daughters and Samaria with her daughters, will be restored to what they were before. You and your daughters will also be restored to what you were before.
56 Anka woremmɔ wo nuabaa Sodom din wɔ wʼahohoahoa ɛda,
Didn't you mock your sister Sodom when you were feeling proud,
57 kɔsi sɛ wʼamumuyɛ ho daa hɔ. Ɛbɛsi ɛnnɛ Edom mmammaa bɔ wo ahohora, wɔne wɔn a atwa wɔn ho ahyia ne Filistifoɔ mmammaa, ɛne wɔn a atwa wo ho ahyia a wɔbɔ wo ahohora nyinaa.
before you were shown to be so wicked yourselves? Of course now you are mocked by the Edomites and the surrounding nations, as well as by the Philistines. Everyone around you looks down on you.
58 Deɛ ɛbɛfiri nneɛma fi a woyɛ ne wʼakyiwadeɛ mu aba no bɛda wo so, Awurade asɛm nie.
You will have to experience the consequences of your immorality and your disgusting practices, declares the Lord.
59 “‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Me ne wo bɛdi no sɛdeɛ ɛfata, ɛfiri sɛ woasɛe mʼapam de abu me ntam animtiaa.
This is what the Lord God says: I'm going to punish you according to your sins, because you treated the promise you made with contempt by breaking the agreement.
60 Nanso mɛkae apam a me ne wo yɛɛ wo mmabunu berɛ mu, na me ne wo bɛyɛ apam a ɛbɛtena hɔ afebɔɔ.
But I won't forget the agreement I made with you when you were young, and I will make an everlasting agreement with you.
61 Afei wobɛkae wʼakwan na wʼani awu ɛberɛ a wo nsa aka wo nuammaa; wɔn a wɔanyini sene woɔ ne nkumaa nyinaa. Mede wɔn bɛma wo sɛ wo mmammaa, nanso ɛrennyina apam a me ne wo ayɛ no so.
Then you will remember the way you are meant to live and be ashamed when you meet your older and younger sisters when they return to you. I will give them to you as daughters, even though this was not part of our original agreement.
62 Enti me ne wo bɛyɛ apam na wobɛhunu sɛ mene Awurade.
This is how I will endorse my agreement with you, and you will know that I am the Lord,
63 Afei sɛ meyɛ mpata ma wo wɔ deɛ woayɛ nyinaa ho a, wobɛkae na wʼani bɛwu na woremmue wʼano bio wɔ brɛ a wɔabrɛ wo ase enti, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.’”
so that you will remember and be ashamed, and won't ever defend your disgraceful behavior when I forgive you for everything you've done, declares the Lord God.”