Hesekiel 17
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
And the word of Jehovah 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 Jehovah: A great eagle, with great wings, with long feathers, full of plumage, which had divers colors, came to Lebanon, and took the highest branch of a 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 its young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffic; 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,
He took also one of the shoots of the land, and put it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow-tree.
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 spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned towards him, and whose roots were under him. It became a vine, that brought forth branches, and shot forth boughs.
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 great wings and many feathers; and, behold, this vine bent its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches 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.’
And yet it was planted in a good soil, by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, and be a goodly 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 Jehovah: Shall it prosper? Shall not he pull up its roots, and cut off its fruit, that it wither? In all the leaves of its branching shall it wither; even without a mighty arm, or many people, shall he pluck it up by the 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, it is planted; but shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the beds where it grew.
11 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Moreover, the word of Jehovah 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 now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? Say, behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took her king and her princes, and led 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 took one of the king's offspring, and made a covenant with him, and took an oath of him, and the mighty of the land he took 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 might be brought low, so as not to lift itself up; that the covenant might be kept, and stand.
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, in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Shall he break the covenant and be delivered?
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 Jehovah, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he broke, even with 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.
Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great multitude accomplish anything for him in war, when they shall cast up mounds, and build forts to cut off many persons,
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.
he hath despised the oath, and broken the covenant; behold, he hath given the hand, and yet 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 Jehovah: As I live, surely mine oath, which he hath despised, and my covenant, which he hath broken, will I recompense 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 upon him, and he shall be taken in my snare, and I will bring him to Babylon, and will contend 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 his hosts shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered to all the winds; and ye shall know that I, Jehovah, 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 saith the Lord Jehovah: I also will take from the top of the high cedar, and will get it; and from the highest of its twigs will I crop a tender one, and plant it upon a high and lofty 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.
Upon a high mountain of Israel will I plant it, and it shall bring forth boughs, and bear fruit, and be a goodly cedar; and under it shall dwell birds of every wing; in the shadow of its 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, Jehovah, have brought down the high tree, and exalted the low tree; that I have dried up the green tree, and made the dry tree green. I, Jehovah, have spoken, and will do it.
