Hesekiel 21

1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

2 “Onipa ba, fa wʼani kyerɛ Yerusalem na kasa tia kronkronbea no. Hyɛ nkɔm tia Israel asase

“You human, turn toward Jerusalem. Preach about what will happen to the temple [there]. Preach about what will happen to the Israeli people.

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.

Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I am opposed to you.

4 Esiane sɛ merebɛyi ateneneefoɔ ne amumuyɛfoɔ afiri mo mu enti, mʼakofena bɛfiri ne bɔha mu atia obiara, firi anafoɔ fam kɔsi atifi fam.

[what I will do to you will be as though] [MET] I will pull my sword from its sheath [and strike you]. I will kill everyone, including righteous people and wicked people [DOU]. I will get rid of everyone, from the south to the north.

5 Afei nnipa nyinaa bɛhunu sɛ me Awurade, matwe mʼakofena afiri ne bɔha mu na ɛrensane bio.’

Then everyone will know [it is as though] I, Yahweh, have struck people with my sword, and I will not put it back in its sheath again.’

6 “Enti si apinie, onipa ba! Fa akoma a abubuo ne awerɛhoɔ a ano yɛ den si apinie wɔ wɔn anim.

Therefore, you human, groan! Groan in front of the Israeli people very sadly and sorrowfully [IDM, DOU].

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 you, ‘Why are you groaning?’ tell them, ‘Because of the news that they soon will hear. Everyone will be very fearful [IDM], and their knees will become as weak as [SIM] water. [A great disaster] will soon occur. That is what Yahweh the Lord is promising.’”

8 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said],

9 “Onipa ba, hyɛ nkɔm na ka sɛ, ‘Sei na Awurade seɛ: “‘Akofena bi, akofena bi, wɔase ano, atwi ho,

“You human, prophesy and say [to them], ‘This is what Yahweh says: I have sharpened my sword and polished it.

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 in order that I can [many people with it]; it is polished so that it will flash like lightning. The people of Judah will not [their being punished like this], but they did not repent [I only struck them] with a 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.

A sword should be polished, and be grasped [in someone’s hand]. It should be sharpened and polished, ready for someone to use it to kill people.

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.

[So, ] you human, cry and wail, because I will use my sword to kill my people, including the leaders of Israel. They and all the other people, my people, will be killed by swords, so beat your [to show that you are sad].

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.’

I am about to test my people, and the kings [MTY] of Judah will not escape being punished. That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say.

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, you human, prophesy; clap your [to show that you are very happy about what is going to happen]. My sword will strike them again and again; it is a sword for slaughtering many people, while I attack them from 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.

In order that people will be very much afraid [IDM] and many people will be killed, I have [soldiers holding] my swords at every [city] gate, ready to slaughter people. Those swords will flash like lightning, as the [soldiers] grasp them to slaughter people.

16 Ao akofena, twa kɔ nifa, na twa kɔ benkum, deɛ wo dadeɛ bɛfa biara.

Their swords [APO] will slash to the right and [then] to the left, whichever way they turn the blades.

17 Me nso, mɛbɔ me nsam, na mʼabufuhyeɛ ano bɛdwo Me Awurade na makasa no.”

Then I will clap my [triumphantly]; and [then] I will no longer be angry. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.’”

18 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:

Yahweh gave me another message. [He said, ]

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.

“You human, [a map], and on it mark two roads for the King of Babylonia to march [along with his army, carrying] their swords. When they depart from their country, they will come to a sign post where the road divides.

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.

[If they continue on the one road, ] they will attack [city], the capital of the Ammon people-group. [If they continue on the other road, ] they will come to Judah and to Jerusalem, [a city] with walls around it.

21 Na Babiloniahene bɛgyina akwan mmienu no nkwanta so ahwehwɛ nkɔmhyɛ. Ɔde agyan bɛbɔ ntonto, akɔ abisa wɔ nʼahoni nkyɛn, na wahwɛ brɛboɔ mu.

[When the army of] Babylonia comes to where the road divides, [they will stop], and the king will perform magic rituals [to decide which road to go on]. He will throw arrows; [then] consult his [about which road to go on], and he will (examine/look at) the [of a sheep].

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.

With his right hand he will pick up the arrow marked ‘Jerusalem’. He will [command his soldiers to go to Jerusalem. When they arrive there, they] will set up (rams/devices to [down the walls], ) and [then] the king will give the command for them to slaughter [the people]. They will shout [a battle-cry], and they will set up the rams against the [city] gates. They will build a dirt ramp [against the walls around the city], and set up things to bash those walls.

23 Ɛbɛyɛ sɛ nkɔntorɔ ama wɔn a wɔ ne no ayɛ apam, nanso ɔbɛkaakae wɔn afɔdie na wafa wɔn nnommum.

The [in Jerusalem] who had promised [to be loyal to the King of Babylonia will think that those rituals must be wrong. They will think that his army should not be attacking them]. But he will remind them of the sins [MTY] that they had committed, [his army] will capture them.

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, [tell the Israeli people that] this is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘You people have allowed everyone to see that you are openly [against the King of Babylonia], and by doing that you have shown that everything that you do is sinful. Therefore you will be captured and [to Babylonia].’

25 “‘Wo, Israel heneba otirimuɔdenfoɔ a wo ɛda aduru. Wo a wo asotwe berɛ aduru ne mpɔnpɔnsoɔ,

Also, say, ‘You very wicked [DOU] king of Israel, it is your [to die]. It is the time for you to be punished.’

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.

And this is what Yahweh the Lord says [to you soldiers from Babylonia]: ‘Take off [the king’s] turban and his crown, because now things will be different than they were [before]. [in Jerusalem] who had no authority will now be given authority, and those who had authority will have their authority taken from them.

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.’

[Jerusalem] will be completely ruined. I will cause it to be ruined, and it will not be rebuilt/restored until the king to whom the city truly belongs comes; I will give it to [to rule it].’”

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, you human, prophesy and say [this]: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says about the Ammon people-group, and about what they have said to insult [Israel]: [“The King of Babylon says, ] ‘[My soldiers have] swords’ [APO]; they have pulled out those swords to slaughter many people. They have polished them in order to kill people, and to make those swords 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.

[Your prophets] have given you false visions about [what will happen to] you, and they have given you messages that are not true. So swords will strike the necks of those wicked people; it is time for them to be killed; it is the day when they will be [for their sins].

30 “‘Sane fa akofena no hyɛ ne bɔha mu wɔ faako a wɔbɔɔ woɔ hɔ wɔ wo nananom asase so, mɛbu wo atɛn.

You must put your swords back in their sheaths [because the days for you to slaughter your enemies are ended]. I will judge those people in the country where they were born.

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 punishment [MTY] on them. Because I am very angry with them, my breath on them will scorch them [like] fire [MET]. I will allow brutal men to capture them, men who are experts in killing people.

32 Wobɛyɛ nnyensin ama ogya, wɔbɛka wo mogya agu wɔ wʼasase so, na wɔrenkae wo bio; me Awurade na makasa.’”

You will be [like] fuel [MET] [that is burned] in a fire. Your blood will be shed in your own land. No one will remember you any more. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.” '”