Hesekiel 18
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
And there is a word of YHWH 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?’
“What [is it] to you [that] you are using this allegory Concerning the ground of Israel, saying, Fathers eat unripe fruit, And the sons’ teeth are blunted?
3 “Nokorɛm, sɛ mete ase yi, sei na Awurade seɛ, moremmu saa bɛ yi bio wɔ Israel.
[As] I live,” a declaration of Lord YHWH, “You no longer have the use of this allegory 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.
Behold, all the souls are Mine, As the soul of the father, So also the soul of the son—they are Mine, The soul that is sinning—it dies.
5 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa tenenee bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ deɛ ɛtene na ɛyɛ pɛ;
And a man, when he is righteous, And has done 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.
He has not eaten on the mountains, And has not lifted up his eyes To idols of the house of Israel, And did not defile his neighbor’s wife, And did not come near to a separated 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.
He does not oppress a man, He returns his pledge to the debtor, He does not take away plunder, He gives his bread to the hungry, And covers 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.
He does not give in usury, and does not take increase, He turns back his hand from perversity, He does true judgment between 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.
He walks in My statutes, And he has kept My judgments—to deal truly, He [is] righteous—he surely lives,” A declaration of Lord YHWH.
10 “Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔwɔ ɔba barima a ɔdi akakabensɛm na ɔhwie mogya gu anaasɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi mu biara a
“And he has begotten a son, A burglar—a shedder of blood, And he has made a brother of one of these,
11 (bɔne a nʼagya mpo anyɛ bi da): “Ɔdidi wɔ mmepɔ so abosonnan mu. Ɔgu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.
And he has not done all those, For he has even eaten on the mountains, And he 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.
He has oppressed the afflicted and needy, He has taken away plunder violently, He does not return a pledge, And he has lifted up his eyes to the idols, He has done 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.
He has given in usury, and taken increase, And he lives? He does not live, He has done all these abominations, He surely dies, his blood is on 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—behold, he has begotten a son, And he sees all the sins of his father, That he has done, and he fears, And does not do like 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.
He has not eaten on the mountains, And he has not lifted up his eyes To idols of the house of Israel, He 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.
He has not oppressed a man, He has not bound a pledge, And he has not taken away plunder, He has given his bread to the hungry, And he covered 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.
He has turned back his hand from the afflicted, He has not taken usury and increase, He has done My judgments, He has walked in My statutes, He does not die for the iniquity of his father, He surely lives.
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 used oppression, Violently plundered a brother, And did that which [is] not good in the midst of his people, And behold, he is dying 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.
And you have said, Why has the son not borne of the iniquity of the father? And the son has done judgment and righteousness, He has kept all My statutes, And he does them, he surely lives.
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 soul that sins—it dies. A son does not bear of the iniquity of the father, And a father does not bear of the iniquity of the son, The righteousness of the righteous is on him, And the wickedness of the wicked is on 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 the wicked—when he turns back From all his sins that he has done, And he has kept all My statutes, And has done judgment and righteousness, He surely lives, he does 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 has done Are not remembered to him, In his righteousness that he has done he lives.
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?
Do I take pleasure [or] delight in the death of the wicked?” A declaration of Lord YHWH, “Is it not in his turning back from his way—And he has lived?
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.
And in the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he has done perversity, According to all the abominations That the wicked has done, Does he then live? All his righteous deeds that he has done are not remembered, For his trespass that he has trespassed, And for his sin that he has sinned, For them he dies.
25 “Nanso moka sɛ, ‘Awurade ɛkwan ntene.’ Montie, Israel efie, Me ɛkwan ntene anaa? Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛntene?
And you have said, The way of the Lord is not pondered. Now hear, O house of Israel, My way—is it not pondered? Are not your ways unpondered?
26 Sɛ ɔteneneeni twe ne ho firi ne tenenee nneyɛɛ ho na ɔkɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno enti ɔbɛwu, bɔne a wayɛ enti, ɔbɛwu.
In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he has done perversity, And he is dying by them, He dies for his perversity that he has 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.
And in the turning back of the wicked From his wickedness that he has done, And he does judgment and righteousness, He keeps his soul alive.
28 Esiane sɛ wahunu ne mmarato na watwe ne ho afiri ho enti, ɔbɛnya nkwa na ɔrenwu.
And he sees and turns back, From all his transgressions that he has done, He surely lives, he does not die,
29 Nanso, Israel efie ka sɛ, ‘Awurade ɛkwan ntene.’ Mʼakwan ntene? Israel efie, ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛntene anaa?
And the house of Israel has said, The way of the Lord is not pondered, My ways—are they not pondered? O house of Israel—are not your ways unpondered?
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 judge each according to his ways, O house of Israel,” A declaration of Lord YHWH, “Turn back, indeed, turn yourselves back, From all your transgressions, And iniquity is not for a stumbling-block to you,
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 all your transgressions from over you, By which you have transgressed, And make a new heart and a new spirit for yourselves, And why do you die, O house of Israel?
32 Mʼani nnye obiara owuo ho, Otumfoɔ Awurade na ɔseɛ. ‘Monsakra mo adwene na moanya nkwa!’
For I have no pleasure in the death of the dying,” A declaration of Lord YHWH, “Therefore turn back and live!”
