Hesekiel 17
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
And the word of the Lord came unto 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 propound a parable unto 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 hath said the Lord Eternal, The great eagle with large wings, long winged, full of feathers, who is rich in many colors, came unto the Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
4 buu ne mman a ɛwɔ atifi paa na ɔde kɔɔ adwadifoɔ asase bi so kɔdua wɔ wɔn kuropɔn mu.
The topmost of its young twigs did he crop off, and carry it into the traders' land; 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 some of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field: he placed it by great waters, he transplanted it among the willow-trees.
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 grew, and became a trailing vine of low stature, the tendrils of which should turn toward him, and the roots of which should be under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches, and sent out shoots.
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.
There was also another great eagle with large wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend its roots famishing toward him, and shot forth its tendrils toward him, that he might water it, from the beds where it was planted;
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.’
[Although] it was planted in a good field by great waters, that it might produce boughs, and that it might bear fruit, that it might become an elegant 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 now, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Shall it prosper? Behold the other will pull up its roots, and its fruit will he cut away, that it may dry up; every one of its growing leaves shall dry up; and not with great power and numerous people [will he have to come] to tear it away from its roots.
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.’”
Yea, behold, although it is planted, shall it prosper? Lo, as soon as the east wind toucheth it, shall it be utterly dried up: in the beds where it groweth shall it dry up.
11 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
And the word of the Lord came unto 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.
Do now say to the rebellious family, Know ye not what these things mean? Say, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took away its king and its princes, and he brought them unto himself 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 took one of the royal seed, and made a covenant with him, and bound him with an oath; but the mighty of the land did he take away;
14 sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a ahennie no renyɛ den na wɔrensɔre bio, na apam no nko ara na ɛbɛbɔ wɔn ho ban.
That the kingdom should be debased, so as not to lift itself up; that it should keep his covenant that it might continue to exist.
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 rebelled against him by sending his messengers into Egypt, that they might give him horses and numerous people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doth such things? yea, he hath broken the covenant, and shall he escape?
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 Eternal, surely in the residence of the king that hath made him king, whose oath he hath despised, and whose covenant he hath broken, even near him 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 mighty army and a large assembly shall Pharaoh labor for him in the war, when [the other] casteth up mounds, and buildeth works of attack, 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.
Yea, he that hath despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand, and hath done all these things, 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 hath said the Lord Eternal, As I live, surely my oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, —even this will I bring upon his own head.
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 caught in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will hold judgment with him there for his trespass which he hath committed against 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 the wings of his army shall fall by the sword, and those that remain shall be dispersed toward all winds: and ye shall know that I the Lord have spoken it.
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 hath said the Lord Eternal, But I myself will take [a part] of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will preserve it; from the topmost of its young twigs will I crop off a tender one, and I myself will plant it firmly upon a high and eminent mountain:
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 mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it firmly; and it shall produce boughs, and bear fruit, and become an elegant cedar; and there shall dwell under it all fowls, every thing that hath wing; in the shadow of its light branches shall they dwell.
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 field shall know that I the Lord have made low the high tree, have made high the lowly tree, that I have dried up the green tree, and have caused to flourish the dry tree: I the Lord have spoken and have done it.
