Hesekiel 18

1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,

And the word of the Lord came to me, 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?’

Son of man, what mean you by this parable among the children of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten unripe grapes, and the children's teeth have been set on edge?

3 “Nokorɛm, sɛ mete ase yi, sei na Awurade seɛ, moremmu saa bɛ yi bio wɔ Israel.

[As] I live, says the Lord, surely this parable shall no more be spoken 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.

For all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son, they are mine: the soul that sins, it shall die.

5 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa tenenee bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene na ɛyɛ pɛ;

But the man who shall be just, who executes judgment and righteousness,

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.

who shall not eat upon the mountains, and shall not at all lift up his eyes to the devices of the house of Israel, and shall not defile his neighbor's wife, and shall not draw near to her that is removed,

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.

and shall not oppress any man, [but] shall return the pledge of the debtor, and shall be guilty of no plunder, shall give his bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked;

8 Ɔmmɔ bosea nye nsiho na ɔnnye mfɛntom mmorosoɔ. Ɔtwe ne ho firi mfomsoɔyɛ ho na ɔbu nnipa baanu ntam atɛntenenee.

and shall not lend his money upon usury, and shall not receive usurious increase, and shall turn back his hand from injustice, shall execute righteous judgment between a man and his neighbor,

9 Ɔdi mʼahyɛdeɛ so na ɔdi me mmara so nokorɛm. Saa onipa no na ɔtene; na ampa ara ɔbɛnya nkwa Awurade asɛm nie.

and has walked in my commandments and kept mine ordinances, to do them; he is righteous, he shall surely live, says the Lord.

10 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔwɔ ɔba barima a ɔdi akakabensɛm na ɔhwie mogya gu anaasɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi mu biara a

And if he beget a mischievous son, shedding blood and committing sins,

11 (bɔne a nʼagya mpo anyɛ bi da): “Ɔdidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu. Ɔgu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.

who has not walked in the way of his righteous father, but has even eaten upon the mountains, and has defiled his neighbor's wife,

12 Ɔhyɛ ahiafoɔ ne mmɔborɔfoɔ so. Ɔbɔ korɔno. Ɔmmfa boseagyeni awowasideɛ mma no. Ɔde ne ho to abosom so. Ɔyɛ akyiwadeɛ.

and has oppressed the poor and needy, and has committed robbery, and not restored a pledge, and has set his eyes upon idols, has wrought iniquities,

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.

has lent upon usury, and taken usurious increase; he shall by no means live: he has wrought all these iniquities; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon 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:

And if he beget a son, and [the son] see all his father's sins which he has wrought, and fear, and not do according to them,

15 “Ɔnnidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu na ɔmfa ne ho nto ahoni a ɛwɔ Israel efie so. Ɔngu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.

and [if he] has not eaten on the mountains, and has not set his eyes on the devices of the house of Israel, and has not defiled his neighbor's 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.

and has not oppressed a man, and has not retained the pledge, nor committed robbery, has given his bread to the hungry, and has clothed the naked,

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.

and has turned back his hand from unrighteousness, has not received interest or usurious increase, has wrought righteousness, and walked in mine ordinances; he shall not die for the iniquities of his father, he shall surely live.

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.

But if his father grievously afflict, or plunder, he has wrought enmity in the midst of my people, and shall die in his iniquity.

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.

But you will say, Why has not the son borne the iniquity of the father? Because the son has wrought judgment and mercy, has kept all my statues, and done them, he shall surely live.

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.

But the soul that sins shall die: and the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, nor shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the iniquity of the transgressor shall be upon him.

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.

And if the transgressor turn away from all his iniquities which he has committed, and keep all my commandments, and do justice and mercy, he shall surely live, and shall by no means die.

22 Wɔrennyina bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara so mmu no atɛn. Ne tenenee nneyɛɛ enti, ɔbɛnya nkwa.

None of his trespasses which he has committed shall be remembers: in his righteousness which he has done he shall live.

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?

Shall I at all desire death of the sinner, says the Lord, as I [desire] that he should turn from [his] evil way, and live?

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 when the righteous man turns away from his righteousness, and commits iniquity, according to all the transgressions which the transgressor has wrought, none of his righteousness which he has wrought shall be at all remembered: in his trespass wherein he has trespassed, and in his sins wherein he has 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 you have said, The way of the Lord is not straight. Hear now, all the house of Israel; will not my way be straight? Is your way straight?

26 Sɛ ɔteneneeni twe ne ho firi ne tenenee nneyɛɛ ho na ɔkɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno enti ɔbɛwu, bɔne a wayɛ enti, ɔbɛwu.

When the righteous turns away from his righteousness and commits a trespass, and dies in the trespass he has committed, he shall [even] die in it.

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.

And when the wicked man turns away from his wickedness that he has committed, and shall do judgment and justice, he has kept his soul,

28 Esiane sɛ wahunu ne mmarato na watwe ne ho afiri ho enti, ɔbɛnya nkwa na ɔrenwu.

and has turned away from all his ungodliness which he has committed: he shall surely live, he shall not die.

29 Nanso, Israel efie ka sɛ, ‘Awurade ɛkwan ntene.’ Mʼakwan ntene? Israel efie, ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛntene anaa?

Yet the house of Israel say, The way of the Lord is not right. Is not my way right, O house of Israel? is not your way wrong?

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.

I will judge you, O house of Israel, says the Lord, each one according to his way: be converted, and turn from all your ungodliness, and it shall not become to you the punishment of iniquity.

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 yourselves all your ungodliness wherein you have sinned against me; and make to yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: for why should you 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 dies, says the Lord.