Hesekiel 21
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, fa wʼani kyerɛ Yerusalem na kasa tia kronkronbea no. Hyɛ nkɔm tia Israel asase
“Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuaries. Prophesy against the land of Israel
3 na ka kyerɛ no sɛ: ‘Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: Me ne wo anya. Mɛtwe mʼakofena afiri ne bɔha mu de ayi ateneneefoɔ ne amumuyɛfoɔ afiri mo mu.
and tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
4 Esiane sɛ merebɛyi ateneneefoɔ ne amumuyɛfoɔ afiri mo mu enti, mʼakofena bɛfiri ne bɔha mu atia obiara, firi anafoɔ fam kɔsi atifi fam.
Because I will cut off both the righteous and the wicked, My sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north.
5 Afei nnipa nyinaa bɛhunu sɛ me Awurade, matwe mʼakofena afiri ne bɔha mu na ɛrensane bio.’
Then all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have taken My sword from its sheath, not to return it again.’
6 “Enti si apinie, onipa ba! Fa akoma a abubuo ne awerɛhoɔ a ano yɛ den si apinie wɔ wɔn anim.
But you, son of man, groan! Groan before their eyes with a broken heart and bitter grief.
7 Na sɛ wɔbisa wo sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na woresi apinie a?’ Wobɛka sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ asɛm a ɛreba no enti. Akoma biara bɛboto na nsa biara mu agogo, honhom biara bɛtɔ baha na kotodwe biara bɛpopo.’ Ɛreba, ɛkwan biara soɔ ɛbɛba, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.”
And when they ask, ‘Why are you groaning?’ you are to say, ‘Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt, and every hand will go limp. Every spirit will faint, and every knee will turn to water.’ Yes, it is coming and it will surely happen, declares the Lord GOD.”
8 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
9 “Onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm na ka sɛ, ‘Sei na Awurade seɛ: “‘Akofena bi, akofena bi, wɔase ano, atwi ho,
“Son of man, prophesy and tell them that this is what the Lord says: ‘A sword, a sword, sharpened and polished—
10 wɔase ano ama akumkumakumkum no, wɔatwi ho ama ɛtwa yerɛ yerɛ sɛ anyinam! “‘Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛsɛpɛ yɛn ho wɔ me babarima Yuda ahempoma ho anaa? Akofena no mfa poma biara a ɛte saa no nyɛ hwee.
it is sharpened for the slaughter, polished to flash like lightning! Should we rejoice in the scepter of My son? The sword despises every such stick.
11 “‘Wɔayi akofena no asi hɔ sɛ wɔntwitwi ho, sɛ wɔmfa nsa nkura mu; wɔase ano, atwi ho, ayɛ no krado ama okumfoɔ no.
The sword is appointed to be polished, to be grasped in the hand. It is sharpened and polished, to be placed in the hand of the slayer.
12 Su na twa adwo, onipa ba, ɛfiri sɛ ɛtia me nkurɔfoɔ; ɛtia Israel mmapɔmma nyinaa. Wɔagyaa wɔn ama akofena no aka me nkurɔfoɔ ho. Enti fa wo nsa gu wo tiri so.
Cry out and wail, O son of man, for the sword is wielded against My people; it is against all the princes of Israel! They are tossed to the sword with My people; therefore strike your thigh.
13 “‘Sɔhwɛ bɛba ampa ara. Na sɛ Yuda ahempoma a akofena no mfa no nyɛ hwee no nni hɔ a, ɛdeɛn na wɔbɛyɛ? Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.’
Surely testing will come! And what if even the scepter, which the sword despises, does not continue?’
14 “Enti onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm na bɔ wo nsam. Ma akofena no ntwitwa mprenu mpo mprɛnsa. Ɛyɛ akumakunkum akofena, akumakunkum kɛseɛ no akofena, a ɛba wɔn so firi afanan nyinaa.
‘So then, son of man, prophesy and strike your hands together. Let the sword strike two times, even three. It is a sword that slays, a sword of great slaughter closing in on every side!
15 Ɛbɛma akoma nyinaa aboto na atɔfoɔ adɔɔso, mede akunkumakunkum akofena no asisi wɔn apono nyinaa ano. Ao! Wɔayɛ no sɛ ɛntwa yerɛ yerɛ sɛ anyinam wɔaso mu ama akumkumakumkum.
So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.
16 Ao akofena, twa kɔ nifa, na twa kɔ benkum, deɛ wo dadeɛ bɛfa biara.
Slash to the right; set your blade to the left— wherever your blade is directed.
17 Me nso, mɛbɔ me nsam, na mʼabufuhyeɛ ano bɛdwo Me Awurade na makasa no.”
I too will strike My hands together, and I will satisfy My wrath.’
18 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
19 “Onipa ba, bɔ akwan mmienu ma Babiloniahene akofena no mfa so, na ne mmienu mfiri aseɛ wɔ amantam korɔ mu. Fa akyerɛkyerɛkwan si nkwanta a ɛmane kɔ kuropɔn no mu.
“Now you, son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same land. And make a signpost where the road branches off to each city.
20 Bɔ ɛkwan baako a akofena no bɛfa soɔ akɔtia Amonfoɔ Raba ne baako nso a ɛbɛtia Yuda ne Yerusalem a wɔabɔ ho ban no.
Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and another against Judah into fortified Jerusalem.
21 Na Babiloniahene bɛgyina akwan mmienu no nkwanta so ahwehwɛ nkɔmhyɛ. Ɔde agyan bɛbɔ ntonto, akɔ abisa wɔ nʼahoni nkyɛn, na wahwɛ brɛboɔ mu.
For the king of Babylon stands at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: He shakes the arrows, he consults the idols, he examines the liver.
22 Ne nsa nifa mu na ntonto a ɛbɛbɔ Yerusalem no bɛkɔ, na ɛhɔ na wɔbɛhyehyɛ obubuadaban nnua de ama okum kɛseɛ no. Afei wɔde osebɔ bɛpagya obubuadaban nnua no apempem apono no. Wɔbɛyɛ epie na wasisi pampim.
In his right hand appears the portent for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering rams, to call for the slaughter, to lift a battle cry, to direct the battering rams against the gates, to build a ramp, and to erect a siege wall.
23 Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ nkɔntorɔ ama wɔn a wɔ ne no ayɛ apam, nanso ɔbɛkaakae wɔn afɔdie na wafa wɔn nnommum.
It will seem like a false omen to the eyes of those who have sworn allegiance to him, but it will draw attention to their guilt and take them captive.
24 “Enti yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: ‘Esiane sɛ mo saa nkurɔfoɔ yi nam mo atuateɛ so akae me mo afɔdie, de ada mo bɔne a moyɛ nyinaa adi enti, wɔbɛfa mo nnommum.
Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Because you have drawn attention to your guilt, exposing your transgressions, so that your sins are revealed in all your deeds—because you have come to remembrance—you shall be taken in hand.
25 “‘Wo, Israel heneba otirimuɔdenfoɔ a wo ɛda aduru. Wo a wo asotwe berɛ aduru ne mpɔnpɔnsoɔ,
And you, O profane and wicked prince of Israel, the day has come for your final punishment.’
26 yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Tu abɔtiten no, yi ahenkyɛ no. Ɛrenyɛ sɛdeɛ na ɛteɛ kane no: Wɔbɛpagya deɛ abrɛ ase, na deɛ ama ne ho so nso, wɔabrɛ no ase.
This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Remove the turban, and take off the crown. Things will not remain as they are: Exalt the lowly and bring low the exalted.
27 Ɔsɛeɛ! Ɔsɛeɛ! Mɛsɛe no! Ahennie no rensi ne dada mu bio kɔsi sɛ deɛ ɛyɛ ne dea no bɛba. Ɔno na mede bɛma no.’
A ruin, a ruin, I will make it a ruin! And it will not be restored until the arrival of Him to whom it belongs, to whom I have assigned the right of judgment.’
28 “Na wo, onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm ka sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade ka fa Amonfoɔ ne wɔn ahohorabɔ ho: “‘Akofena bi, akofena bi, wɔatwe ama akunkumakunkum, wɔatwi ho sɛ ɛnni nam na ɛpa yerɛ yerɛ sɛ anyinam!
Now prophesy, son of man, and declare that this is what the Lord GOD says concerning the Ammonites and their contempt: ‘A sword! A sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to consume, to flash like lightning—
29 Atorɔ anisoadehunu ne nkontompo nkonyaa a ɛfa wo ho akyi no wɔde bɛto wɔn kɔn mu amumuyɛfoɔ a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum wɔn no wɔn a wɔn ɛda no aduru soɔ, ne wɔn a wɔn asotwe berɛ no aduru ne mponponsoɔ no.
while they offer false visions for you and lying divinations about you— to be placed on the necks of the wicked who are slain, whose day has come, the time of their final punishment.
30 “‘Sane fa akofena no hyɛ ne bɔha mu wɔ faako a wɔbɔɔ woɔ hɔ wɔ wo nananom asase so, mɛbu wo atɛn.
Return the sword to its sheath! In the place where you were created, in the land of your origin, I will judge you.
31 Mɛhwie mʼabufuhyeɛ agu wo so na mahome mʼabufuo a ɛyɛ hu atia wo; Mede wo bɛhyɛ mmarima atirimuɔdenfoɔ nsa, wɔn a wɔwɔ adesɛeɛ ho nyansa.
I will pour out My anger upon you; I will breathe the fire of My fury against you; I will hand you over to brutal men, skilled in destruction.
32 Wobɛyɛ nnyensin ama ogya, wɔbɛka wo mogya agu wɔ wʼasase so, na wɔrenkae wo bio; me Awurade na makasa.’”
You will be fuel for the fire. Your blood will stain your own land. You will not be remembered, for I, the LORD, have spoken.’”
