Hesekiel 18
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
The worde of the Lord came vnto me againe, saying,
2 “Sɛ mo saa nkurɔfoɔ yi bu saa bɛ a ɛfa Israel asase yi ho a, na mopɛ sɛ mokyerɛ ɛdeɛn: “‘Agyanom adi bobe bunu, nanso wɔn mma mmom se afem anaa?’
What meane ye that ye speake this prouerbe, concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers haue eaten sowre grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge?
3 “Nokorɛm, sɛ mete ase yi, sei na Awurade seɛ, moremmu saa bɛ yi bio wɔ Israel.
As I liue, sayth the Lord God, ye shall vse this prouerbe no more in Israel.
4 Ɔkra teasefoɔ biara wɔ me, agya ne ɔba barima nyinaa, wɔn nyinaa wɔ me. Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔno ne deɛ ɔbɛwuo.
Beholde, all soules are mine, both the soule of the father, and also the soule of the sonne are mine: the soule that sinneth, it shall die.
5 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa tenenee bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene na ɛyɛ pɛ;
But if a man be iust, and doe that which is lawfull, and right,
6 ɔnnidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu na ɔnsom ahoni a wɔwɔ Israel efie. Ɔngu ne yɔnko yere ho fi na ɔne ɔbaa a wabu ne nsa nna.
And hath not eaten vpon the mountaines, neither hath lift vp his eyes to the idoles of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbours wife, neither hath lyen with a menstruous woman,
7 Ɔnhyɛ obiara so, na ɔde boseagyeni awowasideɛ sane ma no. Ɔmmɔ korɔno mmom ɔde nʼaduane ma deɛ ɛkɔm de no na ɔfira deɛ ɔda adagya no ntoma.
Neither hath oppressed any, but hath restored the pledge to his dettour: he that hath spoyled none by violence, but hath giuen his bread to the hungry, and hath couered the naked with a garment,
8 Ɔmmɔ bosea nye nsiho na ɔnnye mfɛntom mmorosoɔ. Ɔtwe ne ho firi mfomsoɔyɛ ho na ɔbu nnipa baanu ntam atɛntenenee.
And hath not giuen foorth vpon vsurie, neither hath taken any increase, but hath withdrawen his hand from iniquitie, and hath executed true iudgement betweene man and man,
9 Ɔdi mʼahyɛdeɛ so na ɔdi me mmara so nokorɛm. Saa onipa no na ɔtene; na ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa Awurade asɛm nie.
And hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my iudgements to deale truely, he is iust, he shall surely liue, sayth the Lord God.
10 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔwɔ ɔba barima a ɔdi akakabensɛm na ɔhwie mogya gu anaasɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi mu biara a
If he beget a sonne, that is a thiefe, or a sheader of blood, if he do any one of these things,
11 (bɔne a nʼagya mpo anyɛ bi da): “Ɔdidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu. Ɔgu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.
Though he doe not all these things, but either hath eaten vpon the mountaines, or defiled his neighbours wife,
12 Ɔhyɛ ahiafoɔ ne mmɔborɔfoɔ so. Ɔbɔ korɔno. Ɔmmfa boseagyeni awowasideɛ mma no. Ɔde ne ho to abosom so. Ɔyɛ akyiwadeɛ.
Or hath oppressed the poore and needy, or hath spoyled by violence, or hath not restored the pledge, or hath lift vp his eyes vnto the idoles, or hath committed abomination,
13 Ɔbɔ bosea gye nsiho na ɔgye mfɛntom mmorosoɔ. Saa onipa yi bɛnya nkwa anaa? Dabi! Esiane sɛ wayɛ saa akyiwadeɛ yi nyinaa enti, ampa ara, wɔbɛkum no na ne mogya bɛbɔ nʼankasa tiri so.
Or hath giuen forth vpon vsurie, or hath taken increase, shall he liue? he shall not liue: seeing he hath done all these abominations, he shall die the death, and his blood shall be vpon him.
14 “Nanso sɛ ɛba sɛ saa ɔbabarima yi wɔ ɔbabarima a ɔhunu bɔne a nʼagya yɛ no nyinaa nanso ɔnnyɛ saa nneɛma no bi:
But if he beget a sonne, that seeth all his fathers sinnes, which he hath done, and feareth, neither doeth such like,
15 “Ɔnnidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu na ɔmfa ne ho nto ahoni a ɛwɔ Israel efie so. Ɔngu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.
That hath not eaten vpon the mountaines, neither hath lift vp his eyes to the idols of ye house of Israel, nor hath defiled his neighbours wife,
16 Ɔnhyɛ obiara so na ɔnnye boseagyeni hɔ awowasideɛ. Ɔmmɔ korɔno, mmom ɔde nʼaduane ma deɛ ɛkɔm de noɔ na ɔfira deɛ ɔda adagya no ntoma.
Neither hath oppressed any, nor hath withholden the pledge, neither hath spoyled by violence, but hath giuen his bread to the hungry, and hath couered the naked with a garment,
17 Ɔtwe ne ho firi bɔne ho, na ɔnnye nsiho anaa mfɛntom mmorosoɔ. Ɔdi me mmara ne mʼahyɛdeɛ so. Ɔrenwu wɔ nʼagya no bɔne nti; ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa.
Neither hath withdrawen his hand from the afflicted, nor receiued vsurie nor increase, but hath executed my iudgements, and hath walked in my statutes, he shall not die in the iniquitie of his father, but he shall surely liue.
18 Nanso nʼagya no bɛwu wɔ ɔno ara bɔne enti, ɛfiri sɛ ɔsisii nnipa, bɔɔ ne yɔnko korɔno, na ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ ne nkurɔfoɔ mu.
His father, because he cruelly oppressed and spoyled his brother by violence, and hath not done good among his people, loe, euen he dyeth in his iniquitie.
19 “Nanso mobisa sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na ɔbabarima no nnya nʼagya afɔdie no bi ho asotwe?’ Esiane sɛ ɔbabarima no ayɛ deɛ ɛtene na ɛyɛ pɛ na wahwɛ yie adi mʼahyɛdeɛ nyinaa so enti, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa.
Yet say ye, Wherefore shall not the sonne beare the iniquitie of the father? because ye sonne hath executed iudgement and iustice, and hath kept all my statutes, and done them, he shall surely liue,
20 Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔno ne deɛ ɔbɛwuo. Ɔbabarima no rennya nʼagya afɔdie no ho asotwe bi, saa ara na agya no nso rennya ɔbabarima no afɔdie ho asotwe no bi. Ɔteneneeni adeteneneeyɛ no bɛdi ama no, na wɔde omumuyɛfoɔ amumuyɛsɛm bɛbu atia no.
The same soule that sinneth, shall die: the sonne shall not beare the iniquitie of the father, neither shall the father beare the iniquitie of the sonne, but the righteousnes of the righteous shall be vpon him, and the wickednesse of the wicked shall be vpon him selfe.
21 “Na sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ twe ne ho firi bɔne a wayɛ nyinaa ho, na ɔdi mʼahyɛdeɛ so, na afei ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene ne deɛ ɛyɛ papa a, ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa na ɔrenwu.
But if the wicked will returne from all his sinnes that he hath committed, and keepe all my statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he shall surely liue, and shall not die.
22 Wɔrennyina bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara so mmu no atɛn. Ne tenenee nneyɛɛ enti, ɔbɛnya nkwa.
All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned vnto him, but in his righteousnes that he hath done, he shall liue.
23 Mʼani gye amumuyɛfoɔ wuo ho anaa? Otumfoɔ Awurade bisa. Sɛ wɔtwe wɔn ho firi wɔn akwammɔne ho na wɔnya nkwa a, mʼani nnye anaa?
Haue I any desire that the wicked should die, sayth the Lord God? or shall he not liue, if he returne from his wayes?
24 “Na sɛ ɔteneneeni twe ne ho firi ne tenenee adeyɛ ho, kɔyɛ bɔne, na ɔyɛ akyiwadeɛ a amumuyɛfoɔ yɛ a, ɔbɛnya nkwa anaa? Wɔrenkae ne tenenee nneyɛɛ no. Esiane sɛ ɔdi nokorɛdie ho fɔ na wayɛ bɔne enti, ɔbɛwu.
But if the righteous turne away from his righteousnes, and commit iniquitie, and doe according to all the abominations, that the wicked man doeth, shall he liue? all his righteousnes that he hath done, shall not be mentioned: but in his transgression that he hath committed, and in his sinne that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.
25 “Nanso moka sɛ, ‘Awurade ɛkwan ntene.’ Montie, Israel efie, Me ɛkwan ntene anaa? Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛntene?
Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equall: heare now, O house of Israel. Is not my way equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?
26 Sɛ ɔteneneeni twe ne ho firi ne tenenee nneyɛɛ ho na ɔkɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno enti ɔbɛwu, bɔne a wayɛ enti, ɔbɛwu.
For when a righteous man turneth away from his righteousnes, and committeth iniquitie, he shall euen die for the same, he shall euen die for his iniquitie, that he hath done.
27 Nanso sɛ omumuyɛfoɔ twe ne ho firi amumuyɛsɛm a wayɛ ho, na ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene ne deɛ ɛyɛ papa a, ɔbɛgye ne kra nkwa.
Againe when the wicked turneth away from his wickednes that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawfull and right, he shall saue his soule aliue.
28 Esiane sɛ wahunu ne mmarato na watwe ne ho afiri ho enti, ɔbɛnya nkwa na ɔrenwu.
Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that hee hath committed, he shall surely liue and shall not die.
29 Nanso, Israel efie ka sɛ, ‘Awurade ɛkwan ntene.’ Mʼakwan ntene? Israel efie, ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛntene anaa?
Yet saith ye house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equall. O house of Israel, are not my wayes equall? or are not your wayes vnequall?
30 “Ɛno enti, Israel efie, mɛbu mo mu biara atɛn sɛdeɛ nʼakwan teɛ, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ. Monsakra mo adwene! Montwe mo ho mfiri mo mmaratoɔ nyinaa ho; na afei bɔne remfa mo nkɔ asehweɛ mu bio.
Therefore I will iudge you, O house of Israel, euery one according to his wayes, sayth the Lord God: returne therefore and cause others to turne away from all your transgressions: so iniquitie shall not be your destruction.
31 Monto mfomsoɔ a moayɛ nyinaa ngu na moanya akoma foforɔ ne honhom foforɔ. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mowuo, Ao Israel efie?
Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye haue transgressed, and make you a newe heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
32 Mʼani nnye obiara owuo ho, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ. ‘Monsakra mo adwene na moanya nkwa!’
For I desire not the death of him that dyeth, sayth the Lord God: cause therefore one another to returne, and liue ye.
