Hesekiel 21
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, fa wʼani kyerɛ Yerusalem na kasa tia kronkronbea no. Hyɛ nkɔm tia Israel asase
Son of man, direct thy face toward Jerusalem, and preach toward the holy places, and 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 say to the land of Israel, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will be against thee, and will draw forth my sword out of its sheath; and I will cut off from thee 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.
But because I shall have cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked: therefore shall my sword go forth out of its sheath against all flesh from the south to the north;
5 Afei nnipa nyinaa bɛhunu sɛ me Awurade, matwe mʼakofena afiri ne bɔha mu na ɛrensane bio.’
That all flesh may know that I the Lord have drawn forth my sword out of its sheath; it shall not return any more.
6 “Enti si apinie, onipa ba! Fa akoma a abubuo ne awerɛhoɔ a ano yɛ den si apinie wɔ wɔn anim.
But thou, son of man, do thou sigh: as though with broken loins, and with bitterness [of grief] shalt thou sigh before their eyes.
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 it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou? that thou shalt say, For the report, because it cometh, when every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be made feeble, and every spirit shall become faint, and all knees shall be changed into water: behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord Eternal.
8 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
And the word of the Lord came unto 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 say, Thus hath said the Lord, Say, The sword, the sword is sharpened, and also 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.
In order to make a thorough slaughter is it sharpened; in order that it may glitter is it polished: how can we now rejoice, [when] the rod which reacheth my son excelleth in hardness every tree?
11 “‘Wɔayi akofena no asi hɔ sɛ wɔntwitwi ho, sɛ wɔmfa nsa nkura mu; wɔase ano, atwi ho, ayɛ no krado ama okumfoɔ no.
And he hath given it to be polished, to make it fit to grasp it in the hand: it is the sword which is sharpened, and it is polished, to place it into 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 aloud and wail, O son of man; for it cometh against my people, it cometh against all the princes of Israel; brought together for the sword are they with my people: therefore strike [thy hand] upon thy 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.’
For a purification taketh place: and what if the irresistible rod will also come? [my son] would not be able to exist, saith the Lord Eternal.
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.
But thou, son of man, prophesy, and strike thy hands together, and let “The sword” be repeated the third time, the sword of the slain: it is the sword of the great that are slain, which lieth in wait for them everywhere.
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.
In order to make timid the heart, and to multiply the stumbling-blocks, do I bring the howling of the sword against all their gates: ah! it is made bright, it is made thin-edged for the slaughter.
16 Ao akofena, twa kɔ nifa, na twa kɔ benkum, deɛ wo dadeɛ bɛfa biara.
Gather up thy strength, go to the right hand, direct thyself, go to the left, whithersoever thy edge is turned.
17 Me nso, mɛbɔ me nsam, na mʼabufuhyeɛ ano bɛdwo Me Awurade na makasa no.”
And I also, —I will strike my hands together, and I will cause my fury to be assuaged: I the Lord have spoken it.
18 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
And the word of the Lord came unto 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.
But thou, O son of man, appoint thee two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; out of one land shall both of them come forth: and select a place; at the head of the way to a city do thou select it.
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.
A way shalt thou appoint, that the sword may come against Rabbah of the children of 'Ammon, and [the other] against Judah [dwelling] in Jerusalem the fortified.
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 hath halted at the parting of the way, at the commencement of the two ways, to use divination: he shaketh the arrows, he consulteth with images, he looketh at 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.
At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem, to erect battering-rams, to open the mouth with the [cry for] murder, to lift up the voice with shouting, to place battering-rams against the gates, to cast up a mound, and to build works of attack.
23 Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ nkɔntorɔ ama wɔn a wɔ ne no ayɛ apam, nanso ɔbɛkaakae wɔn afɔdie na wafa wɔn nnommum.
And it will appear unto them as a false divination in their eyes, to those that had sworn oaths; but he will bring to remembrance their iniquity, that they may be caught.
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 thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Because ye have brought your iniquity to remembrance, as your transgressions are discovered, so that your sins do appear in all your doings: because ye are thus brought to remembrance, ye shall be caught by [his] hand.
25 “‘Wo, Israel heneba otirimuɔdenfoɔ a wo ɛda aduru. Wo a wo asotwe berɛ aduru ne mpɔnpɔnsoɔ,
And thou, death-deserving wicked one, prince of Israel, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end, —
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.
Thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Remove the mitre, and take off the crown: this shall not be always so; exalt him that is low, and make him low that is high.
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.’
Overthrown, overthrown, overthrown will I render it: also this shall not belong [to any one], until he come whose right it is, and I will give it him.
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!
And thou, son of man, prophesy, and say, Thus hath said the Lord Eternal concerning the children of 'Ammon, and concerning their reproach: even say thou, The sword, the sword is drawn; for the slaughter is it polished, to destroy, that it may continue to glitter;
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 foresee unto thee falsehood, while they divine unto thee lies, to lay thee by the necks of the slain wicked, whose day is come, at the time of the iniquity of the end.
30 “‘Sane fa akofena no hyɛ ne bɔha mu wɔ faako a wɔbɔɔ woɔ hɔ wɔ wo nananom asase so, mɛbu wo atɛn.
Put back [the sword] into its sheath! in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy origin, will I judge thee.
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.
And I will pour out over thee my indignation, with the fire of my wrath will I blow against thee, and I will give thee up into the hand of brutish men, skilful in destroying.
32 Wobɛyɛ nnyensin ama ogya, wɔbɛka wo mogya agu wɔ wʼasase so, na wɔrenkae wo bio; me Awurade na makasa.’”
To the fire shalt thou be given to be devoured; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land: thou shalt not be remembered [any more]; for I the Lord have spoken it.
