Hesekiel 19
1 “Momma Israel mmapɔmma ho kwadwom
[Yahweh said to me, “Ezekiel], sing a sad funeral [a which will be a parable] [two of the] kings of Israel.
2 na monka sɛ: “‘Na wo maame yɛ gyatabereɛ mu soronko wɔ agyata mu! Ɔdaa gyataburuwa mu yɛnee ne mma.
Say [to the Israeli people], ‘[It is as though] [MET] your mother was a brave female lion who raised her cubs among [other] lions.
3 Ɔyɛn ne mma no mu baako ma ɔbɛyɛɛ gyata ɔhoɔdenfoɔ. Ɔsuaa sɛdeɛ wɔtete ahaboa mu, na ɔwee nnipa nam.
She taught one of them to [for other animals to kill], and he [even] learned [kill and] eat people.
4 Amanaman no tee ne nka, na wɔn amena yii no. Wɔguu no nkapo de no kɔɔ Misraim asase so.
[When people from other] nations heard about him, they trapped him in a pit. Then they used hooks to drag him to Egypt.
5 “‘Ɛberɛ a ɔhunuu sɛ nʼanidasoɔ anyɛ hɔ, na deɛ ɔrehwɛ anim ayera no, ɔfaa ne ba foforɔ yɛɛ no gyata ɔhoɔdenfoɔ.
His mother waited for him [to return], but [soon] she stopped hoping/expecting [that he would return]. So she raised another cub who [also] became very fierce.
6 Ɔkyinkyinii agyata no mu ɛfiri sɛ na wayɛ gyata hoɔdenfoɔ. Ɔsuaa sɛdeɛ wɔtete ahaboa mu na ɔwee nnipa nam.
He hunted along with [other] [for animals to kill], and he even learned [kill and] eat people.
7 Ɔbubuu wɔn abandenden na ɔsɛee wɔn nkuro. Asase no ne wɔn a wɔte so nyinaa no, ne mmobomu bɔɔ wɔn hu.
He destroyed forts, and he ruined cities. When he roared [loudly], everyone was terrified.
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.
So [people of other] nations planned to kill him, and men came from many places to spread out a net for him, and they caught him in a trap.
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.
They tied him with chains and took him to Babylonia. And [there] he was locked in a prison, with the result that [no one on] the hills of Israel ever heard him roar again.’ [Also, say to the Israeli people, ]
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.
‘[It is as though] [SIM] your mother was a grapevine that was planted along a stream. There was plenty of water, so it had lots of branches and produced [a lot of] grapes.
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.
That grapevine grew and became taller than all the nearby trees; [everyone could] see that it was very strong and healthy. And those branches were good for making scepters that symbolize the power/ [of a king].
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.
[Yahweh] became very angry, so he pulled up the vine by its roots and threw it on the ground, where the [very hot] winds from the desert dried up all its fruit. The strong branches wilted and were burned in a fire.
13 Afei wɔakɔtɛ no wɔ ɛserɛ so asase wesee a nsuo nni muo.
Now that vine has been planted in a hot, dry desert.
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.”
A fire started to burn its stem, and then started to burn the branches and burned all the grapes. [Now] not [even] one strong branch remains; they will never become scepters for a king.’ That funeral song must be sung very sadly.”
