Hesekiel 3
1 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, di deɛ wohunu wɔ wʼanim no, di saa nwoma mmobɔeɛ yi, na afei kɔ na kɔkasa kyerɛ Israelfoɔ.”
“Son of man,” he told me, “eat what you find placed before you. Eat this scroll, then go and speak to the people of Israel.”
2 Enti mebuee mʼanom na ɔde nwoma mmobɔeɛ no maa me diiɛ.
I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
3 Afei ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, di saa nwoma mmobɔeɛ a mede rema wo yi. Fa hyɛ wo yafunu ma.” Enti mediiɛ, na na ɛyɛ dɛ te sɛ ɛwoɔ wɔ mʼanom.
“Son of man,” he said to me, “eat and fill yourself up with this scroll I'm giving you.” So I ate the scroll, and it tasted as sweet as honey.
4 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, afei kɔ Israelfoɔ hɔ kɔka me nsɛm kyerɛ wɔn.
Then he told me, “Son of man, now you are to go to the people of Israel and give my message to them.
5 Ɛnyɛ nnipa bi a wɔn kasa mu nte anaa ɛyɛ dene nkyɛn na meresoma woɔ, mmom meresoma wo Israelfoɔ hɔ.
I'm not sending you to those whose language is foreign to you, to people that you don't know—but to the people of Israel.
6 Ɛnyɛ nnipa bebree a wɔn kasa mu nteɛ na ɛyɛ den. Ɛnyɛ wɔn a wonte wɔn kasa ase nkyɛn. Ampa, sɛ mesomaa wo nnipa a wɔnte wo kasa a, anka wɔtiee wo.
As I say, I'm not sending you to those whose language is foreign to you, to people that you don't know, whose words you don't understand. On the other hand, if I had sent you to foreigners, they would have listened to you.
7 Nanso Israelfoɔ mpɛ sɛ wɔtie wo, ɛfiri sɛ wɔmpɛ sɛ wɔtie me. Israel nyinaa ayɛ akoma pirim ne asoɔden.
But the people of Israel won't want to listen to you, because they don't want to listen to me. All the Israelites are strong-minded and hard-hearted.
8 Ɛno enti, mɛma woayɛ asoɔden ne akomapirim te sɛ wɔn.
Look! I'm going to make you as tough as them, and as strong-minded as them.
9 Mɛyɛ wo aniɔden te sɛ ɛboɔ, deɛ ɛyɛ den sene twerɛboɔ. Nsuro wɔn, na mma wɔmmɔ wo hu, ɛwom sɛ wɔyɛ atuatefoɔ deɛ.”
I will make your mind like adamant, harder than flint. Don't be afraid of what they say or discouraged by the way they look at you, even though they are a rebellious people.”
10 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, tie me nsɛm a meka kyerɛ wo no yie na dwene ho wɔ wʼakoma mu.
“Son of man,” he added, “pay close attention to everything I tell you, and think deeply about it yourself.
11 Afei, kɔ wo nkurɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ nnommumfa mu na kasa kyerɛ wɔn. Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sei na Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ,’ sɛ wɔbɛtie oo, sɛ wɔrentie oo.”
Go to your people who are in exile. Tell them this is what the Lord God says, whether they listen or not.”
12 Na Honhom no pagyaa me kɔɔ soro na metee sɛ nnyegyeeɛ denden bi reworo so wɔ mʼakyi sɛ, Nhyira nka Awurade animuonyam wɔ deɛ ɔteɛ hɔ!
The Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a really loud noise behind me that sounded like an earthquake. (Praise to the Lord's glory where he lives!)
13 Na ɛyɛ nnyegyeeɛ a ɛfiri ateasefoɔ no ntaban a ɛtwitwi ho ne ntwahonan a ɛwowɔ wɔn ho no. Nnyegyeɛ denden a ɛworo soɔ.
It was the sound made by the wings of the beings as they brushed against each other and the noise made by the wheels next to them, a really loud noise that sounded like an earthquake.
14 Honhom no pagyaa me kɔɔ soro de me kɔɔ baabi. Mekɔɔ no nwononwono mu ne honhom mu abufuo so, a na Awurade tumi yɛ kɛse wɔ me so.
As I said, the Spirit lifted me up and carried me away. As I went I was feeling upset and angry; however the Lord's power had taken full control of me.
15 Mebaa nnommumfoɔ a wɔtete Tel Abib a ɛbɛn Asubɔnten Kebar no nkyɛn. Na ɛhɔ, me ne wɔn tenaa nnanson, na me ho dwirii me.
I arrived at the place where the exiles lived, Tel-abib by the River Kebar. I just sat with them, staying with them there for seven days. I was completely overcome with emotion.
16 Nnanson akyi no, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
After the seven days had passed, a message from the Lord came to me, saying,
17 “Onipa ba, mayɛ wo ɔwɛmfoɔ ama Israel; ɛno enti tie asɛm a meka no, na bɔ wɔn kɔkɔ a ɛfiri me.
“Son of man, I have chosen you as a watchman for the people of Israel. Whenever I give you a message, then you must warn them for me.
18 Sɛ meka kyerɛ omumuyɛfoɔ sɛ, ‘Ampa ara wobɛwu’ na sɛ woammɔ no kɔkɔ anaasɛ woankasa ankyerɛ no amma wantwe ne ho amfiri nʼakwammɔne ho annya nkwa a, saa omumuyɛfoɔ no bɛwu wɔ ne bɔne mu, na mɛma woabu ne mogya ho akonta.
For example, if I give a warning to someone who's wicked, saying, ‘You are going to die for sure,’ but you don't warn them, if you don't speak out to warn them to stop their wicked ways so they can go on living, then that wicked person will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their death.
19 Nanso sɛ wobɔ omumuyɛfoɔ no kɔkɔ na sɛ wansakyera amfiri nʼamumuyɛ anaa nʼakwammɔne ho a, ɔbɛwu wɔ ne bɔne mu, nanso na woagye wo ho nkwa.
But if you warn them, and they don't stop their wicked ways, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself—you won't die.
20 “Bio, sɛ ɔteneneeni dane firi tenenee ho kɔyɛ bɔne a, mede suntidua bɛto nʼanim ama no ahwe ase, na wawu. Sɛ woammɔ no kɔkɔ enti, ɔbɛwu wɔ ne bɔne mu. Adetenenee ahodoɔ a ɔyɛeɛ no, wɔrenkae, na mɛma woabu ne mogya ho akonta.
Again, if someone who lives right stops doing so and sins and disregards my attempts to correct them, then they will die. If you didn't warn them, they will die in their sins, and the good things they did won't be remembered. In addition, I will hold you responsible for their death.
21 Nanso sɛ wobɔ ɔteneneeni no kɔkɔ sɛ ɔnnyae bɔneyɛ na ɔgyae a, ɔbɛnya nkwa, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtiee kɔkɔbɔ, na wo nso wobɛgye wo ho nkwa.”
However, if you warn those who are living right not to sin, and they don't sin, they will live for sure, because they paid attention to your warning, and you will have saved yourself—you won't die.”
22 Na Awurade tumi baa me so wɔ hɔ, na ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Sɔre na kɔ ɛserɛ no so, na ɛhɔ na mɛkasa akyerɛ wo.”
The Lord's power took control of me there, and he told me, “Get up! Go to the valley, and I will talk to you there.”
23 Enti mesɔre kɔɔ ɛserɛ no so. Na Awurade animuonyam te sɛ deɛ mehunuu wɔ Asubɔnten Kebar ho no gyina hɔ, na mede mʼanim butuu fam.
So I got up and went to the valley, and there I saw the Lord's glory. It was like the glory I had seen by the River Kebar. I fell facedown on the ground.
24 Afei, Honhom no bɛhyɛɛ me mu na ɔpagyaa me gyinaa me nan so. Ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Kɔ na kɔto wo ho ɛpono mu wɔ wo efie.
Then the Spirit came into me and made me stand upright. He told me, “Go into your house and shut the door.
25 Na wo, onipa ba, wɔde ntampehoma bɛkyekyere wo sɛdeɛ worentumi mpue nkɔ nnipa no mu.
You will be tied up with ropes, son of man. You will be bound so that won't be able to go out among the people.
26 Na mɛma wo tɛkrɛma atare wʼanomu sɛdeɛ wobɛmua wʼano a worentumi nka wɔn anim, ɛfiri sɛ wɔyɛ atuatefoɔ
I'll make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth. You won't be able to speak and complain to them, even though they are a rebellious people.
27 Nanso sɛ mekasa kyerɛ wo a, mɛbue wʼano ama waka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ nie!’ Deɛ ɔbɛtie no, ma no ntie, na deɛ ɔmpɛ sɛ ɔtie no, mma no nntie; na wɔyɛ atuatefoɔ.
However, when I talk with you, I will open your mouth so you can tell them that this is what the Lord God says. Those who want to listen will listen, and those who want to refuse will refuse, for they are a rebellious people.”
