Hesekiel 17
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
2 “Onipa ba, dwene mfatoho bi ho, fa yɛ abɛbusɛm na ka kyerɛ Israel efie.
Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable to the house of Israel,
3 Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Ɔkɔdeɛ kɛseɛ bi a ɔwɔ ntaban a ahoɔden wɔ mu ne ntakra atentene bebree a ɛwɔ ahosu ahodoɔ baa Lebanon. Ɔkɔsii ntweneduro dua nkɔn mu,
And say: Thus saith the Lord God: A large eagle with great wings, long-limbed, full of feathers, and of variety, came to Libanus, and took away the marrow of the cedar.
4 buu ne mman a ɛwɔ atifi paa na ɔde kɔɔ adwadifoɔ asase bi so kɔdua wɔ wɔn kuropɔn mu.
He cropped off the top of the twigs thereof: and carried it away into the land of Chanaan, and he set it in a city of merchants.
5 “‘Ɔfaa wʼasase so aba no bi kɔhyɛɛ dɔte bereɛ mu. Ɔduaa no sɛ ɔfɔtɔ dua a ɛwɔ nsuwansuwa ho,
And he took of the seed of the land, and put it in the ground for seed, that it might take a firm root over many waters: he planted it on the surface of the earth.
6 na ɛfefɛ bɛyɛɛ bobe a ɛtrɛtrɛ fam. Ne mman no danedane kyerɛɛ ne so, na ne nhini no nyini kɔɔ fam. Enti ɛbɛyɛɛ bobe yiyii mman a ɛso wɔ nhahan a ɛyɛ fɛ.
And it sprung up and grew into a spreading vine of low stature, and the branches thereof looked towards him: and the roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and grew into branches, and shot forth sprigs.
7 “‘Nanso na ɔkɔdeɛ kɛseɛ foforɔ bi a ɔwɔ ntaban a ahoɔden wo mu na ne ho wɔ ntakra bebree wɔ hɔ. Bobe no danee ne nhini firii beaeɛ a wɔduaa no hɔ kyerɛɛ ɔkɔdeɛ no na ɔtrɛɛ ne mman kɔɔ ne so kɔpɛɛ nsuo.
And there was another large eagle, with great wings, and many feathers: and behold this vine, bending as it were her roots towards him, stretched forth her branches to him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.
8 Nanso, na wɔadua bobe no wɔ asase pa a ɛbɛn nsuwansuwa ho, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyiyi mman na aso aba na afei abɛyɛ bobe dua a ɛdi mu.’
It was planted in a good ground upon many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and bear fruit, that it might become a large vine.
9 “Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Ɛbɛyɛ yie anaa? Wɔrentu nʼase ntete ne so aba ma ɛntwintwam anaa? Deɛ afefɛ wɔ ho nyinaa bɛtwintwam. Ɛho renhia abasa a emu yɛ duru anaa nnipa bebree na watu nʼase.
Say thou: Thus saith the Lord God: Shall it prosper then? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and strip off its fruit, and dry up all the branches it hath shot forth, and make it wither: and this without a strong arm, or many people, to pluck it up by the root?
10 Sɛ wɔtu bobe no tɛ a, ɛbɛyɛ yie? Sɛ apueeɛ mframa bɔ no a, ɛrentwintwam anaa? Ɛbɛwu wɔ asase pa a wɔduaa wɔ so ma ɛnyinii yie no.’”
Behold, it is planted: shall it prosper then? shall it not be dried up when the burning wind shall touch it, and shall it not wither in the furrows where it grew?
11 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
12 “Ka kyerɛ saa atuatefoɔ efie yi sɛ, ‘Monnim deɛ saa nneɛma yi kyerɛ anaa?’ Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Babiloniahene kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔsoaa ne ɔhene ne ne mmapɔmma de wɔn baa Babilonia.
Say to the provoking house: Know you not what these things mean? Tell them: Behold the king of Babylon cometh to Jerusalem: and he shall take away the king and the princes thereof, and carry them with him to Babylon.
13 Ɔyii ɔdehyeɛ baako ne no kaa ntam yɛɛ apam. Ɔsoaa ntuanofoɔ ne atitire a wɔwɔ asase no so nso kɔɔeɛ,
And he shall take one of the king’s seed, and make a covenant with him, and take an oath of him. Yea, and he shall take away the mighty men of the land,
14 sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a ahennie no renyɛ den na wɔrensɔre bio, na apam no nko ara na ɛbɛbɔ wɔn ho ban.
That it may be a low kingdom and not lift itself up, but keep his covenant, and observe it.
15 Nanso Israelhene no somaa ananmusifoɔ kɔɔ Misraim kɔsrɛɛ akodɔm kɛseɛ ne apɔnkɔ bebree nam so tee atua. Ɔbɛdi nkonim anaa? Deɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi bɛnya ne tiri adidi mu anaa? Ɔbɛbu apam no so na wanya ne tiri nso adidi mu anaa?
But he hath revolted from him and sent ambassadors to Egypt, that it might give him horses, and much people. And shall he that hath done thus prosper, or be saved? and shall he escape that hath broken the covenant?
16 “‘Sɛ mete ase yi, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ, Israelhene no bɛwu wɔ Babilonia. Ɔbɛwu wɔ Babilonia, asase a ɔhene ɔde no sii ahendwa so na ɔbuu nʼapam so no so.
As I live, saith the Lord God: In the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he hath made void, and whose covenant he broke, even in the midst of Babylon shall he die.
17 Farao ne ne dɔmmarima ne nnipadɔm ho remma no mfasoɔ biara wɔ ɔko mu, ɛberɛ a Babilonia asisi epie na wayɛ otua nnwuma a ɔde rebɛsɛe bebree nkwa.
And not with a great army, nor with much people shall Pharao fight against him: when he shall cast up mounts, and build forts, to cut off many souls.
18 Ɔbuu apam no so, nam so de too ntam no. Esiane sɛ ɔde ne nsa ahyɛ apam no ase na ɔyɛɛ yeinom nyinaa enti, ɔremfa ne ho nni.
For he had despised the oath, breaking his covenant, and behold he hath given his hand: and having done all these things, he shall not escape.
19 “‘Enti sei na Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Sɛ mete ase yi, mɛma me ntam a ɔtooɛ, ne mʼapam a ɔbuu so no abɔ ne tiri so.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God: As I live, I will lay upon his head the oath he hath despised, and the covenant he hath broken.
20 Mɛtrɛ mʼasau mu wɔ ne so na mʼafidie bɛyi no. Mede no bɛba Babilonia na mabu no atɛn wɔ hɔ, ɛfiri sɛ wanni me nokorɛ.
And I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my net: and I will bring him into Babylon, and will judge him there for the transgression by which he hath despised me.
21 Nʼakodɔm a wɔredwane nyinaa bɛtotɔ wɔ akofena ano, na wɔn a wɔbɛnya wɔn ti adidim no, mɛhwete wɔn akɔ mmaa nyinaa. Afei wobɛhunu sɛ me Awurade makasa.
And all his fugitives with all his bands shall fall by the sword: and the residue shall be scattered into every wind: and you shall know that I the Lord have spoken.
22 “‘Sei na Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Me ankasa mɛpan mman afiri ntweneduro dua no nkɔn mu na madua. Mɛpan mman frɔmfrɔm ketewaa bi afiri ne nkɔn mu akɔdua wɔ bepɔ tentene bi so.
Thus saith the Lord God: I myself will take of the marrow of the high cedar, and will set it: I will crop off a tender twig from the top of the branches thereof, and I will plant it on a mountain high and eminent.
23 Mɛdua wɔ Israel sorɔnsorɔmmea. Ɛbɛyiyi mman na aso aba na ayɛ ntweneduro dua a ɛdi mu. Nnomaa ahodoɔ bɛyɛ wɔn mpirebuo wɔ so na wɔanya ahomegyebea wɔ mman no nwunu mu.
On the high mountains of Israel will I plant it, and it shall shoot forth into branches, and shall bear fruit, and it shall become a great cedar: and all birds shall dwell under it, and every fowl shall make its nest under the shadow of the branches thereof.
24 Wira mu nnua nyinaa bɛhunu sɛ, me Awurade na metwa dua tentene to fam na mema dua a ɛyɛ tiawa nyini yɛ tentene. Mema dua mono atwintwam na mema deɛ atwintwam nso yɛ frɔmm. “‘Me Awurade na maka, na mɛyɛ.’”
And all the trees of the country shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, and exalted the low tree: and have dried up the green tree, and have caused the dry tree to flourish. I the Lord have spoken and have done it.
