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 speak 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 saith the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings and long pinions, full of feathers, which had divers colours, came unto Lebanon, and took the top 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 topmost of the young twigs thereof, 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 of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful soil; he placed it beside many waters; he 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 toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth 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.
There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend its roots toward him, and shot forth its branches toward him, from the beds of its plantation, that he might water it.
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 soil by many waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might 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 GOD: Shall it prosper? shall he not pull up the roots thereof, and cut off the fruit thereof, that it may wither; that all its fresh springing leaves may wither; even without great power or much people to pluck it up by the roots thereof?
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, being planted, 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 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.
Say now to the rebellious house, Know ye not what these things mean? tell them, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and took the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and brought them to 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 took of the seed royal, and made a covenant with him; he also brought him under an oath, and took away the mighty 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 the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might 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 yet 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 GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised, and whose covenant he brake, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall 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 company make for him in the war, when they cast up mounts 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.
For he hath despised the oath by breaking the covenant; and behold, he had given his hand, and yet hath 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, surely mine oath that he hath despised, and my covenant that he hath broken, I will even bring it 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 plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed 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 in all his bands shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward every wind: 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 saith the Lord GOD: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of his young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it upon an high mountain 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.
in the mountain of the height 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 all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof 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 brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the LORD have spoken and have done it.
