Hesekiel 24
1 Afe a ɛtɔ so nkron no bosome a ɛtɔ so edu no dadu so, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Almost nine [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the tenth day of the tenth month [of that year], Yahweh gave me this message:
2 “Onipa ba, twerɛ saa ɛda yi, saa ɛda yi ara, ɛfiri sɛ Babiloniahene atua Yerusalem ɛnnɛ dua yi ara.
“You human, write down what day of the month this is. On this [the army of] King of Babylon has surrounded 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.
Tell those rebellious Israeli people [MTY] [in Babylon] a parable. Say this to them: This is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Pour water into the [cooking] pot and put the pot [the fire].
4 Fa nankum no gu mu, nankum a ɛyɛ akɔnnɔ no nyinaa, nnyawa ne abasa. Fa nnompe a ɛte apɔ hyɛ no ma;
Put into the pot some pieces of [from one of your best sheep]: Put in the leg and shoulder, [which are] the best pieces. [Then] fill [the rest of] the pot with 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.
Pile wood on the fire, and cook the bones and the meat in the boiling water.’
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.
[Do that] because this is what Yahweh the Lord says: ‘Terrible things will happen [Jerusalem]; it is city that is full of murderers [MTY], [a city that is like] [MET] a scorched pot whose black residue inside cannot be removed. Take the pieces [of meat] out of the pot, but do not choose which pieces to take out.
7 “‘Mogya a ɔhwie guiɛ no wɔ ne mfimfini: ɔhwie guu ɔbotan wesee so; wanhwie angu fam, baabi a mfuturo bɛkata soɔ.
The blood of the people who were murdered in Jerusalem is still there; they were murdered on the bare rocks, not on the soil, where their blood could be covered.
8 Sɛ ɛbɛhwanyan abufuhyeɛ ama aweretɔ enti mede ne mogya guu ɔbotan wesee so sɛdeɛ ɛso renkata.
But I am the one who caused the blood of those who were murdered [MTY] to be smeared on the bare rock, where their blood could not be covered; I did that in order [I could see it and] then be angry and get revenge.’
9 “‘Enti yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: “‘Mogyahwiegu kuropɔn no nnue! Me nso mɛhyehyɛ nnyensin no akɔ sorosoro.
Therefore, this is what [I], Yahweh the Lord say: ‘Terrible things will happen to that city that is full of murderers [MTY]! [It will be as though] I also will pile high [the wood in the fire].
10 Enti hyehyɛ nnyensin no na sɔ ogya no. Noa ɛnam no yie, fa ahwanhwanneɛ fra mu; na ma nnompe no nhye.
[So], heap on the wood and light the fire! Cook the meat well, and mix some spices with it; cook it until the bones are charred.
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 set the empty pot on the [of the fire] until the pot becomes [very] hot and the copper glows, with the result that the impurities and the rust will be burned up.
12 Wama ɔbrɛ no nyinaa ayɛ kwa; emu fi dodoɔ no ankɔ, ogya mpo antumi annyi.
[It is as though] I tried to get rid of that rust, but I was not able to do it, [not even] by putting that pot in a fire.
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.
The [in the pot represents] your immoral behavior. I tried to cleanse you from your wicked behavior, but you did not allow me to do that. So you will not be [from the guilt of your sin] [I have punished you and] I am no longer angry.
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, Yahweh, have said [that I will surely punish you]. [And it is time] for me to do that. I will not change my mind; I will not refrain from punishing you, and I will not pity you. I will judge you [and punish you] as you deserve to be punished for your sinful behavior. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh the Lord, have said it.”’”
15 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
16 “Onipa ba, merebɛbɔ wo fua na mafa adeɛ a wʼani gye ho yie. Nanso ɛntwa adwo, ɛnni awerɛhoɔ na ɛnnte nisuo.
“You human, I am going to suddenly take from [your wife], whom you love very much. [when she dies], do [show that you are] sad or lament or cry.
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.”
Groan quietly; do not cry [openly] for her. [Keep] your turban wrapped around your head, [instead of being barefoot, keep] your sandals on your feet. Do not cover the lower part of your [to show that you are sad]. And do not eat the kind of food that people who are mourning usually eat.”
18 Enti mekasa kyerɛɛ nnipa no anɔpa, na nʼanwummerɛ na me yere wuiɛ. Adeɛ kyeeɛ no, meyɛɛ sɛdeɛ wɔahyɛ me no.
[one morning] I talked to the [as usual], and that evening my wife [suddenly] died. The next morning I did what [Yahweh] had told me to do.
19 Afei nnipa no bisaa me sɛ, “Worenkyerɛ yɛn deɛ ade a woreyɛ yi bɛyɛ wɔn yɛn ho?”
Then the people asked me, “What do the things that you are doing signify to us?”
20 Enti meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
So I said to them, “[This is what] Yahweh told me:
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 Israeli people [MTY] that I am about to destroy the temple, [the building] that you are very proud of, the building that you delight to look at. Your children whom you [in Jerusalem when you were forced to come to Babylon] will be killed [their enemies’] swords.
22 Na mobɛyɛ sɛdeɛ mayɛ yi: morenkata mo ano na morenni amanneɛ aduane a wɔn a wɔdi awerɛhoɔ di.
[When that happens], you will do like I have done: You will not cover the lower part of your faces, or eat the kinds of food that people who are mourning usually eat.
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 wrapped around your heads and [keep] your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn or cry, but your bodies will become very thin and slowly die because of your sins. And you will groan to each other.
24 Hesekiel bɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama mo. Mobɛyɛ sɛdeɛ woayɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Na yei si a na mobɛhunu sɛ mene Otumfoɔ Awurade no.’
Ezekiel will be a warning to you, and you must do what he has done. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh the [have the power to do what I say that I will do].’”
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,
[Then Yahweh said to me], “You human, [soon] I will destroy their sacred temple, which they rejoice about and which they respect and delight to look at, and [I will get rid of] their sons and daughters also.
26 saa ɛda no otutenani bi na ɔbɛba abɛka deɛ asi akyerɛ wo.
On that day, someone will escape [from Jerusalem] and come and tell you what has happened [there].
27 Saa ɛberɛ no, wʼano bɛbue, wo ne no bɛkasa na worennyɛ komm bio. Wobɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama wɔn, na wɔbɛhunu sɛ mene Awurade no.”
When that happens, you will be able to speak again [MTY] [without constraint]. You two will talk together [DOU]. You will be a warning to the people; and they will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, [have the power to do what I say that I will do].”
