Hesekiel 23
1 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Yahweh said to me,
2 “Onipa ba, mmaa baanu a wɔyɛ ɔbaa baako mma tenaa ase.
“You human, [listen to this parable about Jerusalem and Samaria]. Once there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
3 Wɔbɛyɛɛ adwamammɔfoɔ wɔ Misraim, na wɔbɔɔ adwaman firii wɔn mmabaawaberɛ mu. Wɔmiamiaa wɔn nufu, feefee wɔn wɔ asase no so.
They lived in Egypt. And from the time that they were young women, they became prostitutes. In that land, [men] fondled their breasts and caressed their bosoms [DOU].
4 Ɔpanin no din de Ohola ɛnna ne nuabaa no nso din de Oholiba. Na wɔyɛ me yerenom na wɔwowoo mmammarima ne mmammaa. Ohola ne Samaria ɛnna Oholiba nso ne Yerusalem.
The older [sister] was Oholah, and her [younger] sister was Oholibah. [It was as though] they became my [wives. Later] they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
5 “Ohola da so ware me no, ɔbɔɔ adwaman; nʼani tu dii nʼapɛfoɔ akyi, Asiriafoɔ, akofoɔ no
Oholah acted like a prostitute while she was [still] my wife. She desired to have sex with those she loved—soldiers from Assyria.
6 a wɔhyehyɛ ntadeɛ bibire, amradofoɔ ne asahene a wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmeranteɛ a wɔn ho yɛ fɛ na wɔtena apɔnkɔ soɔ.
[Some of them] were army officers and commanders. They wore [beautiful] blue [uniforms. They were] all handsome young men. Some of them rode horses.
7 Ɔne Asiriafoɔ atitire bɔɔ adwaman, na ɔsomm wɔn a ɔdɔɔ wɔn nyinaa ahoni de guu ne ho fi.
She acted like a prostitute toward all the important Assyrian officials, and became unacceptable to me by worshiping all the idols of the men she wanted to have sex with.
8 Wannyae nʼadwamammɔ a ɔhyɛɛ aseɛ wɔ Misraim no, ɛberɛ a ɔyɛ ababaawa na mmarima ne no daeɛ, sosɔɔ ne mpokuwa mu na wɔhwiee wɔn akɔnnɔ guu ne soɔ.
When she was a young woman in Egypt, she started being a prostitute, and [young] men caressed her breasts and had sex with her; and when she became older, she did not quit acting like a prostitute.
9 “Ɛno enti mede no maa nʼadɔfoɔ Asiriafoɔ no a nʼani bere wɔn no.
So I allowed the Assyrian soldiers, whom she wanted to have sex with, to capture her.
10 Wɔbɔɔ no adagya, faa ne mmammarima ne ne mmammaa kɔeɛ, na wɔde akofena kumm no. Ɔgyee ne din wɔ mmaa mu na asotwe baa no so.
They stripped all her clothes off her. They took away her sons and daughters. And then they killed her with a sword. [Other] women started talking about what had happened to her, about how she had been punished.
11 “Ne nuabaa Oholiba hunuu yei nanso nʼakɔnnɔ bɔne ne nʼadwaman senee ne nuabaa no deɛ.
[younger] sister Oholibah saw those [that happened to Oholah], but she was a prostitute, and she desired to have sex with men more than [older] sister had desired.
12 Ɔno nso dii Asiriafoɔ no akyi; amradofoɔ ne asahene, akofoɔ a wɔhyehyɛ wɔn ntadeɛ, apɔnkɔsotefoɔ a wɔn nyinaa yɛ mmeranteɛ ahoɔfɛfoɔ.
Oholibah [also] wanted to have sex with the Assyrian soldiers. [Some of them were] army officers and commanders. [They all] wore beautiful blue uniforms. They were all handsome young men. [Some of] them rode horses.
13 Mehunuu sɛ ɔno nso guu ne ho fi, wɔn baanu faa ɛkwan korɔ so.
I saw what she did that caused her to became unacceptable to me, just like [older] sister.
14 “Na ɔtoaa nʼadwamammɔ no so kɔɔ akyiri. Ɔhunuu mmarima mfoni a wɔakurukyire agu ɔfasuo bi ho, Kaldeafoɔ mfoni a wɔde adukɔkɔɔ akrukyire
But she did [even] worse things. She saw drawings of men from Babylonia on the walls, painted in red.
15 a abɔsoɔ bobɔ wɔn asene mu na abɔtiten bobɔ wɔn tiri a wɔn nyinaa te sɛ Babilonia nteaseɛnam mu mpanimfoɔ a wɔfiri Kaldea.
The [in the drawings] had belts around their waists and long turbans on their heads. They all resembled officers from Babylonia [DOU] [who rode in chariots].
16 Ɔhunuu saa mfoni yi, ne kɔn dɔɔ wɔn na ɔsomaa abɔfoɔ kɔɔ wɔn nkyɛn wɔ Kaldea.
As soon as she saw those drawings, she wanted to have sex with those men, and she sent messages to them in Babylonia.
17 Na Babiloniafoɔ no baa ne nkyɛn ne no bɛdaa ɔdɔ mpa so, na wɔn akɔnnɔ mu no, wɔguu ne ho fi. Wɔguu ne ho fi wieeɛ no wɔn ho fonoo no enti ɔgyaa wɔn.
Then the soldiers from Babylonia came to her, they lay in bed with her, and they had sex with her. Then she became disgusted with them and turned away from them.
18 Ɔkɔɔ so wɔ nʼadwamammɔ mu, bɔɔ ne ho adagya no, megyaa no hɔ sɛdeɛ megyaa ne nuabaa no hɔ pɛpɛɛpɛ.
But when she continued to openly/boldly act like a prostitute [DOU], I became disgusted with her, and I rejected her like I had rejected [older] sister.
19 Na ɔmaa nʼadwamammɔ no kɔɔ so ara de kaee ne mmabaawaberɛ a na ɔbɔ adwaman wɔ Misraim no.
But she became even more immoral, as she remembered when she was a young woman who was a prostitute in Egypt.
20 Ɛhɔ na ɔne nʼadɔfoɔ a wɔn barima te sɛ mfunumu deɛ na wɔn ahobaa te sɛ apɔnkɔ deɛ no bɔɔ adwaman.
There she wanted to have sex with those who loved her, whose genitals were [very long], like [SIM] those of donkeys, and whose sexual emissions were huge, [like] those of horses.
21 Na wo kɔn dɔɔ wo mmabunu mu akɔnnɔ bɔne no, deɛ woyɛɛ wɔ Misraim a wɔsrasraa wo koko mu na wɔmiamiaa wo mpɔkowa no.
So she desired to be immoral like she was when she was young, when men in Egypt caressed her bosom and fondled her breasts.”
22 “Ɛno enti, Oholiba, yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Mɛhwanyan wʼadɔfoɔ atia wo, wɔn a wɔn ho fonoo woɔ ma wogyaa wɔn hɔ no; mede wɔn bɛfiri afanan nyinaa abɛtia wo.
“[represents you people of Jerusalem]. Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I will cause those [soldiers] who loved you but whom you turned away from because you became disgusted with them, to be angry with you. I will cause them to come and attack you from every side—
23 Babiloniafoɔ ne Kaldeafoɔ nyinaa, Pekod, Soa ne Koa mmarima, Asiriafoɔ no ne wɔn bɛba, mmeranteɛ ahoɔfɛfoɔ a wɔn nyinaa yɛ amradofoɔ, asahene, nteaseɛnam ho adwumayɛfoɔ ne mmarima a wɔkura diberɛ akɛseɛ a wɔn nyinaa tete apɔnkɔ soɔ.
soldiers from Babylon and all the other places in Babylonia, [their allies] from Pekod and Shoa and [regions], and all the army of Assyria. [Yes], all of them are handsome young men, army officers and commanders, officers who ride in chariots, all riding on horses.
24 Wɔde akodeɛ, nteaseɛnam ahodoɔ ne nipadɔm bɛba abɛtia wo; wɔde akokyɛm akɛseɛ ne nketewa ne dadeɛ kyɛ bɛka wo ahyɛ. Mede wo bɛhyɛ wɔn nsa, na wɔagyina wɔn nhyehyɛeɛ so atwe wo aso.
Their huge army will attack you with weapons, riding in chariots and pulling wagons [that will carry their army supplies]. They will surround you, carrying large and small shields, and wearing helmets. I will allow them to capture you and punish you in the way that they [always] [their enemies].
25 Mɛdane me ninkunu abufuo no akyerɛ wo so, na wɔne wo bɛdi no anibereɛ so. Wɔbɛtwitwa mo hwene ne mo aso, na wɔn a wɔbɛka no, wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ akofena ano. Wɔbɛfa mo mmammarima ne mo mmammaa akɔ, na mo a moaka no wɔde ogya ahye mo.
Because I am very angry with you, I will cause them to act [very] furiously toward you. They will cut off your noses and your ears. Then, those who are still alive, they will kill with their swords. They will take away your sons and daughters, and a fire will burn up those who remain alive.
26 Wɔbɛpa wo ho ntoma nso na wɔafa wʼadwinneɛ.
They will strip off your clothes and your fine jewelry and take them away.
27 Ɛno enti mɛma wʼakɔnnɔbɔne ne adwamammɔ a wohyɛɛ aseɛ wɔ Misraim no aba nʼawieeɛ. Wo kɔn rennɔ saa nneɛma yi na worenkae Misraim bio.
In that way, I will stop all the immoral behavior that began when you became a prostitute in Egypt. You will no longer desire to do those things, or think [what you did in] Egypt.’
28 “Na sei na Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Mede wo rebɛhyɛ wʼatamfoɔ nsa, wɔn a wɔn ho fonoo woɔ ma wogyaee wɔn no.
This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘I am about to allow those whom you hate, those you became disgusted with and turned away from, to capture you.
29 Wɔde ɔtan ne wo bɛdi, na wɔafa deɛ woayɛ adwuma apɛ nyinaa. Wɔbɛgya wo adagya ne kwaterekwa, na wʼadwamammɔ ho aniwuo no bɛda adi. Wʼaniwudeɛ ne wʼadwamansɛm no
They will be cruel and take away everything that you have worked hard to acquire. They will leave you completely naked [DOU], and everyone will see that you truly are a prostitute.
30 na ɛde yeinom aba wo so, ɛfiri sɛ wo kɔn dɔɔ amanaman no na wode wɔn ahoni guu wo ho fi.
It is because of what you have done that you will be punished like that; you have been an immoral prostitute; you have had sex with men of other nations, and you have caused yourselves to become unacceptable to me [worshiping] their idols.
31 Woayɛ deɛ wo nuabaa yɛeɛ no bi; na ɛno enti mede ne kuruwa bɛhyɛ wo nsa.
You have behaved [the people of Samaria, who are like] your [older] sister. So I will cause you to be punished [MET] like they were punished.’
32 “Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “Wobɛnom wo nuabaa kuruwa ano, kuruwa a ɛso na emu dɔ; ɛde fɛdie ne ahohora bɛba, ɛfiri sɛ deɛ ɛwɔ mu dɔɔso.
This is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘[You will suffer like people suffer when they drink from a cup a lot of strong alcoholic drink]: [It will be as though] you will drink from the cup that the people of Samaria drank from; a big and tall cup. Because of your drinking what is in that cup, many people will scorn you and make fun of you because there is a lot of liquid in that cup.
33 Nsãborɔ ne awerɛhoɔ bɛhyɛ wo ma, ɔsɛeɛ ne afoyɛ kuruwa no, wo nuabaa Samaria kuruwa no bɛhyɛ wo ma.
When you become very drunk, you will become very sad, [drinking what is in] that cup [MTY] will cause you to become ruined and deserted, like what happened [MET] to [the people of] Samaria, [who are like] [MET] your sister.
34 Wobɛnom a hwee renka mu: wode bɛhwe fam ma abobɔ nketenkete na woatete wo mpokuwa mu. Me na maka, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.
You will drink all the liquid that is in that cup; then you will break that cup into pieces [use those pieces to] gash/cut your [because you will be very sad].’ [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it.
35 “Ɛno enti yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Esiane sɛ wo werɛ afiri me na woato me atwene wʼakyi enti, ɛsɛ sɛ wonya wʼaniwudeɛ ne wʼadwamammɔ so akatua.”
Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘Because you have forgotten me and rejected me [IDM], you must be punished for your immoral behavior and for [like] a prostitute.’”
36 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, wobɛbu Ohola ne Oholiba atɛn anaa? Ɛnneɛ fa wɔn akyiwadeɛ no si wɔn anim,
Yahweh said to me, “You human, you must [RHQ] [the people of those two cities represented by] Oholah and Oholibah. You must remind them of their detestable behavior:
37 ɛfiri sɛ wɔasɛe awadeɛ, na mogya wɔ wɔn nsa ho. Wɔde wɔn ahoni na ɛsɛee awadeɛ no; na mpo wɔde wɔn mma a wɔwoo wɔn maa me no bɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa wɔn sɛ wɔn aduane.
[It is as though the people of those cities] have committed adultery and have murdered [MTY] people. They have been unfaithful to me by [worshiping] idols. They have even sacrificed their own children, who belonged to me, to be food for their idols.
38 Wɔde yei nso ayɛ me: Saa ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, wɔguu me kronkronbea ne me home nna ho fi.
They have done [disgraceful things]: They have caused my temple to be an unacceptable place for worship, and have not respected the Sabbath days.
39 Ɛda a wɔde wɔn mma bɔɔ afɔdeɛ maa wɔn ahoni no ara, wɔhyɛnee me kronkronbea hɔ kɔguu ho fi. Yei na wɔyɛɛ wɔ me fie.
On the same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my temple, which caused it to be an unacceptable place for worshiping me.
40 “Wɔsomaa abɔfoɔ kɔfrɛɛ mmarima a wɔfiri akyirikyiri baeɛ, na wɔbɛduruiɛ no, modwareeɛ, kekaa mo ani akyi, de mo adwinneɛ hyehyɛɛ mo ho maa wɔn.
They sent messages to men [in countries] far away. And when those men arrived, [the women of those two cities] bathed themselves for them, painted their eyebrows, and put on jewelry.
41 Motenaa akonnwa papa bi a wɔde ɛpono a wɔasɛ so asi anim. Ɛso na mode nnuhwam ne ngo a anka ɛyɛ me dea sisiiɛ.
They sat on a beautiful couch, with a table in front of it on which they had put incense and [olive] oil that belonged to me.
42 “Na hooyɛ a ɛfiri nipakuo bi a hwee mfa wɔn ho atwa ne ho ahyia. Wɔde Sabeafoɔ firi ɛserɛ no so ne mmarima a wɔfiri ɛdɔm no mu baeɛ na wɔde nkapo hyehyɛɛ ɔbaa no ne ne nua no nsa, na wɔhyɛɛ wɔn ahenkyɛ a ɛyɛ fɛ.
Soon there was a noisy crowd around them. Among the crowd there were men from Sheba who had come from the [of Arabia]. They put bracelets on the arms of the [two] sisters and put beautiful crowns on their heads.
43 Na meka faa deɛ awaresɛeɛ ama watete no ho sɛ, ‘Momma wɔnyɛ no sɛ odwamanfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ saa ara pɛ na ɔteɛ.’
Then I said about the woman who had become exhausted by her having sex with many men, ‘Now allow those men to act toward her as though she is a prostitute, because that is all that she is.’
44 Na wɔne no daeɛ. Sɛdeɛ mmarima ne odwamanfoɔ da no, saa ara na wɔne saa mmaa a wɔn ho yɛ aniwuo no, Ohola ne Oholiba, daeɛ.
So they had sex [EUP] with those two women, Oholah and Oholibah, like men have sex with prostitutes.
45 Nanso mmarima teneneefoɔ de asotwe a wɔde ma mmaa a wɔsɛe awadeɛ na wɔka mogya guo bɛbu wɔn atɛn, ɛfiri sɛ wɔyɛ awaresɛefoɔ, na wɔn nsa ho wɔ mogya.
But righteous men will condemn them to be punished, like women who commit adultery and who murder others are punished, because those women commit adultery and they murder [MTY] others.
46 “Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Fa nipakuo bra bɛtia wɔn na ma ahunahuna ne ɔfom mmra wɔn so.
So this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord, say: Bring a mob to attack Samaria and Jerusalem, and allow that mob to cause the people of those cities to be terrified, and to rob them.
47 Nipakuo no bɛsi wɔn aboɔ na wɔde wɔn akofena bɛto ahyɛ wɔn so. Wɔbɛkunkum wɔn mmammarima ne wɔn mmammaa na wɔahye wɔn afie.
The mob will throw stones at [to kill them]; they will cut them into pieces with their swords, they will kill their sons and daughters, and burn down their houses.
48 “Ɛno enti mɛma aniwudeyɛ aba awieeɛ wɔ asase no so na abɔ afanan nyinaa kɔkɔ na wɔansua mo.
In that way I will cause them to stop their immoral behavior. It will warn other women to not imitate/do what you people of Jerusalem are doing.
49 Wobɛnya wʼaniwudeɛ so asotwe na woanya abosonsom ho bɔne so akatua. Afei wobɛhunu sɛ mene Otumfoɔ Awurade no.”
[people of Jerusalem] will be punished for your immoral behavior and for your worshiping idols. Then you will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”
