Hesekiel 24
1 Afe a ɛtɔ so nkron no bosome a ɛtɔ so edu no dadu so, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,
2 “Onipa ba, twerɛ saa ɛda yi, saa ɛda yi ara, ɛfiri sɛ Babiloniahene atua Yerusalem ɛnnɛ dua yi ara.
“Son of man, write down today's date, because this is the day that the king of Babylon started his siege of Jerusalem.
3 Ka kyerɛ saa atuatefoɔ efie yi, ka no wɔ abɛbuo mu kyerɛ wɔn sɛ: ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “‘Fa ɛsɛn no si ogya so; fa si so na hwie nsuo gu mu.
Then repeat the following parable to these rebellious people. Tell them that this is what the Lord God says: Get a pot and set it on the fire. Pour in some water.
4 Fa nankum no gu mu, nankum a ɛyɛ akɔnnɔ no nyinaa, nnyawa ne abasa. Fa nnompe a ɛte apɔ hyɛ no ma;
Fill it with some good cuts of meat from the thigh and the shoulder. Put in the best bones.
5 fa nnwankuo no mu deɛ ɔdi mu. Fa nnyentia hyehyɛ aseɛ ma nnompe no; ma ɛnhuru na noa nnompe a ɛwɔ mu no.
Choose the best animal from the flock. Pile up the fuel underneath it. Get it boiling and cook the bones in it.
6 “‘Na sei na Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “‘Mogyahwiegu kuropɔn no nnue, nnome nka ɛsɛn a awe nnaakye seesei, na deɛ ɛwɔ mu aka mu no! Yiyi nankum no mmaako mmaako firi mu a wommɔ so ntonto.
So this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the city of that has shed so much blood! It is symbolized by the rusted pot, whose rust can't be cleaned off. Take out the meat bit by bit as it comes—don't choose which piece.
7 “‘Mogya a ɔhwie guiɛ no wɔ ne mfimfini: ɔhwie guu ɔbotan wesee so; wanhwie angu fam, baabi a mfuturo bɛkata soɔ.
For the blood she shed is still inside the city. She shed it openly on bare rock—she didn't even spill it on the ground and cover it up with dirt.
8 Sɛ ɛbɛhwanyan abufuhyeɛ ama aweretɔ enti mede ne mogya guu ɔbotan wesee so sɛdeɛ ɛso renkata.
In my anger and to punish, I have spilled her blood openly on bare rock, so it wouldn't be covered up.
9 “‘Enti yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “‘Mogyahwiegu kuropɔn no nnue! Me nso mɛhyehyɛ nnyensin no akɔ sorosoro.
So this is what the Lord God says: Disaster is coming to the city of that has shed so much blood. I will also pile up a large heap of firewood.
10 Enti hyehyɛ nnyensin no na sɔ ogya no. Noa ɛnam no yie, fa ahwanhwanneɛ fra mu; na ma nnompe no nhye.
Put on plenty of wood and light the fire. Make sure the meat is well cooked and add spices. Burn the bones.
11 Afei, fa ɛsɛn hunu si ogyasramma no so kɔsi sɛ ɛbɛdɔ na ayɛ kɔɔ sɛdeɛ emu fi no bɛnane na deɛ ɛwɔ mu no bɛhye asɛeɛ.
Then put the empty pot back on the burning coals until it's hot and the copper metal glows. This will melt the dirt inside it and get rid of the rust.
12 Wama ɔbrɛ no nyinaa ayɛ kwa; emu fi dodoɔ no ankɔ, ogya mpo antumi annyi.
So far it's been impossible to clean it —even fire couldn't burn out all its rust.
13 “‘Ɛfi a ɛwɔ wo mu no ne aniwudeyɛ. Mebɔɔ mmɔden sɛ mɛhohoro wo ho, nanso woamma ho ɛkwan, wo ho remfi bio kɔsi sɛ mʼabufuhyeɛ a ɛtia woɔ no ano bɛdwo.
Because of your immorality you had made yourself unclean and I tried to clean you, but you refused to let me clean away your filth. So now you won't be pure again until I've finished being angry with you.
14 “‘Me Awurade na maka. Ɛberɛ aso sɛ meyɛ biribi. Merentwentwɛn so; merennya ahummɔborɔ, na merenwogo me ho. Wɔbɛgyina wo suban ne wo nneyɛɛ so abu wo atɛn, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.’”
I, the Lord, have spoken. The time is soon coming when I will do what I say. I won't change my mind or show pity, I won't stop. I will judge you by your attitude and actions, declares the Lord God.”
15 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
16 “Onipa ba, merebɛbɔ wo fua na mafa adeɛ a wʼani gye ho yie. Nanso ɛntwa adwo, ɛnni awerɛhoɔ na ɛnnte nisuo.
“Son of man, look, I'm about to take away the one you love the most. She will die. But you must not mourn or weep. Don't cry any tears.
17 Si apinie komm; ɛnni owufoɔ ho awerɛhoɔ. Ma wʼabotiten mmɔ wo na hyɛ wo mpaboa; nkata wʼano na ɛnni amanneɛ aduane a wɔn a wɔdi awerɛhoɔ di.”
Mourn in silence. Don't have any rituals for the dead. Dress normally—have your turban on and put your sandals on your feet. Don't veil your face and don't eat the bread used by mourners.”
18 Enti mekasa kyerɛɛ nnipa no anɔpa, na nʼanwummerɛ na me yere wuiɛ. Adeɛ kyeeɛ no, meyɛɛ sɛdeɛ wɔahyɛ me no.
I talked to the people in the morning, and my wife died in the evening. The next morning I did as I'd been told.
19 Afei nnipa no bisaa me sɛ, “Worenkyerɛ yɛn deɛ ade a woreyɛ yi bɛyɛ wɔn yɛn ho?”
The people asked me, “What are you doing? Aren't you going to explain to us what this means?”
20 Enti meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
So I told them, “A message from the Lord came to me, saying:
21 Ka kyerɛ Israel efie sɛ: ‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Merebɛgu me kronkronbea ho fi; mo banbɔ denden a mode hoahoa mo ho, deɛ mo ani gye ho, adeɛ a mo akoma da so. Mmammarima ne mmammaa a mogyaa wɔn akyi no bɛtotɔ wɔ akofena ano.
Tell the people of Israel that this is what the Lord God says: I am about to make my sanctuary unclean, this place you're so proud of that you think gives you power, the place you love so much, the place that makes you happy. Your sons and daughters that you left behind will be killed by the sword.
22 Na mobɛyɛ sɛdeɛ mayɛ yi: morenkata mo ano na morenni amanneɛ aduane a wɔn a wɔdi awerɛhoɔ di.
Then you'll do what I did. You won't veil your face or eat the bread used by mourners.
23 Mobɛkɔ so abɔ mo abɔtiten ahyɛ mo mpaboa. Morenni awerɛhoɔ na morensu, mmom mo so bɛte ɛsiane mo bɔne enti, na mobɛsisi apinie wɔ mo mu.
You will keep your turbans on your heads and your sandals on your feet. You won't mourn or weep, but you will die inside because of your sins, and you will groan to one another.
24 Hesekiel bɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama mo. Mobɛyɛ sɛdeɛ woayɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Na yei si a na mobɛhunu sɛ mene Otumfoɔ Awurade no.’
In this way Ezekiel will be a sign for you; you will do everything that he did. When this happens, then you will know that I am the Lord God.
25 “Na wo, onipa ba, ɛda a mɛfa wɔn aban denden, wɔn ahosɛpɛ ne animuonyam, adeɛ a wɔn ani gye ho, wɔn akoma so adeɛ, ne wɔn mmammarima ne wɔn mmammaa nso no,
You, son of man, should know that when I destroy their fortress that is their pride and joy, the place they looked to for comfort and happiness —and their sons and daughters too—
26 saa ɛda no otutenani bi na ɔbɛba abɛka deɛ asi akyerɛ wo.
when that happens someone who managed to get away will come and give you the news.
27 Saa ɛberɛ no, wʼano bɛbue, wo ne no bɛkasa na worennyɛ komm bio. Wobɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama wɔn, na wɔbɛhunu sɛ mene Awurade no.”
On that day you will be able to speak; you won't be mute any longer. This is how you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
