Hesekiel 19
1 “Momma Israel mmapɔmma ho kwadwom
And thou, —do thou lift up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,
2 na monka sɛ: “‘Na wo maame yɛ gyatabereɛ mu soronko wɔ agyata mu! Ɔdaa gyataburuwa mu yɛnee ne mma.
And say, What a noble lioness was thy mother! among lions did she lie down, in the midst of young lions did she raise her whelps!
3 Ɔyɛn ne mma no mu baako ma ɔbɛyɛɛ gyata ɔhoɔdenfoɔ. Ɔsuaa sɛdeɛ wɔtete ahaboa mu, na ɔwee nnipa nam.
And she brought up one of her whelps: he became a young lion, and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; [even] men he devoured.
4 Amanaman no tee ne nka, na wɔn amena yii no. Wɔguu no nkapo de no kɔɔ Misraim asase so.
And when nations heard of him, he was caught in their pit, and they brought him with nose-rings unto the land of Egypt.
5 “‘Ɛberɛ a ɔhunuu sɛ nʼanidasoɔ anyɛ hɔ, na deɛ ɔrehwɛ anim ayera no, ɔfaa ne ba foforɔ yɛɛ no gyata ɔhoɔdenfoɔ.
Now when she saw that she had long waited, [that] her hope was lost, she took another one of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
6 Ɔkyinkyinii agyata no mu ɛfiri sɛ na wayɛ gyata hoɔdenfoɔ. Ɔsuaa sɛdeɛ wɔtete ahaboa mu na ɔwee nnipa nam.
And he went up and down in the midst of lions, he became a young lion; and he learned to tear in pieces the prey; even men he devoured.
7 Ɔbubuu wɔn abandenden na ɔsɛee wɔn nkuro. Asase no ne wɔn a wɔte so nyinaa no, ne mmobomu bɔɔ wɔn hu.
And he broke down their palaces, and their cities laid he in ruins: and then was terrified the land, with all that filled it, because of the noise of his roaring.
8 Afei amanaman no sɔre tiaa no, wɔn a wɔfiri nsase a atwa ahyia no so. Wɔguu no asau kyeree no wɔ wɔn amena mu.
Then set themselves the nations against him on every side from the provinces; and they spread over him their net: in their pit was he caught.
9 Wɔde nnarewa twee no kɔhyɛɛ ebuo mu na wɔde no brɛɛ Babilonia ɔhene. Wɔde no too nneduafie, na wɔante ne mmobomu no bio wɔ Israel mmepɔ no so.
And they put him in a cage with nose-rings [in his nose], and they brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into strong-holds, in order that his voice should no more be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 “‘Na wo maame te sɛ bobedua a wɔtɛɛ no nsuo ho wɔ wo bobeturo mu. Na ɛso aba, na ɛyiyii mman nsuo a ɔnya no bebree no enti.
Thy mother was like a vine, if I compare thee to aught, planted by the waters: fruitful and full of boughs was she by reason of many waters.
11 Ne mman yɛɛ den yie ɛdi mu sɛ wɔde yɛ ahemfo ahempoma. Ɛkorɔn, bunkam faa nhahan a ayɛ kuhaa no so, ne sorokɔ ne ne mman bebree no maa no yɛɛ sononko.
And she had strong branches [fit] for the sceptres of rulers, and her stature grew up high between the thick-branched [trees], and she was seen through her height by means of the multitude of her tendrils.
12 Nanso wɔde abufuhyeɛ tuu nʼase de no hwee fam. Apueeɛ mframa maa no kasaeɛ, ɛso aba tete guiɛ; na ne mman a ɛwɔ ahoɔden no twintwameeɛ na ogya hyeeɛ.
But she was plucked up in fury, to the ground was she cast down, and the east wind dried up her fruit: and torn off and dried up were her strong branches, a fire consumed them.
13 Afei wɔakɔtɛ no wɔ ɛserɛ so asase wesee a nsuo nni muo.
And now is she planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty land.
14 Ogya trɛ firii ne mman baako so na ɛhyee nʼaba. Anka mman a ɛwɔ ahoɔden baako mpo wɔ so deɛ wɔde yɛ ahemfo ahempoma ma ɛyɛ yie no.’ Yei yɛ kwadwom, na ma wɔnto no saa ara.”
And fire is gone out of a branch of her boughs, and hath devoured her fruit, so that there is no more on her a strong branch for a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and it is become a lamentation.
