Hesekiel 31
1 Mfeɛ dubaako mu bosome a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa no ɛda a ɛdi ɛkan no, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Almost eleven years [after we had been taken to Babylonia], on the first day of the third month [of that year], Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
2 “Onipa ba, ka kyerɛ Misraimhene Farao ne ne nipadɔm sɛ: “‘Hwan ho na yɛde wo kɛseyɛ bɛtoto?
“You human, say to the King of Egypt and all of his people, ‘[You think that] there is [RHQ, IRO] no country whose power is as great as the power of your country.
3 Dwene Asiria ho, ntweneduro bi a berɛ bi na ɛwɔ Lebanon, Ɔde mman a ɛyɛ fɛ, na ɛhyɛ kwaeɛ so nyini kɔɔ ɔsoro yie, ma ne nkɔn mu boro nhahan a ayɛ kusuu no so.
You think that your country is as great as Assyria was: Assyria was previously like [MET] a tall cedar tree in Lebanon; [it was as though] it had big beautiful branches that provided shade for [other trees in] the forest. It was very tall; its top was above the leaves of the other trees.
4 Nsuo no maa no aduane, nsuwa nsuwa a emu dɔ ma ɛnyini kɔɔ ɔsoro; wɔn asutene fofaa nʼase nyinaa de kɔɔ mfuo no so nnua nyinaa ho.
Water came from deep springs, and as a result that cedar tree grew tall and very green. Then water flowed around the base of the tree into channels that took water to other nearby trees.
5 Enti ɛkɔɔ ɔsorosoro senee mfuo no so nnua nyinaa; ne dubaa dɔɔso ne mman nyini yɛɛ atentene, na nsuo dodoɔ a ɛnyaa no enti ɛdendaneeɛ.
That huge tree grew very tall, higher than all the other trees around it. Its branches grew very thick and long [DOU] because of the abundant water [at the base of the tree].
6 Ewiem nnomaa nyinaa yɛɛ wɔn pirebuo wɔ ne dubaa no mu, wiram mmoa nyinaa wowoo mma wɔ ne mman no ase aman akɛseɛ nyinaa tenaa ne nwunu ase.
Birds built their nests in the branches, and wild animals gave birth to their babies under those branches. [And it was as though people of] all the great nations lived in the shade of that tree.
7 Na ne kɛseyɛ no yɛ fɛ, ne dubaa a adendan no enti, na ne nhini nyini kɔɔ fam kɔduruu nsuo bebree mu.
It was majestic and beautiful; its branches spread out widely because the roots of the tree grew down into the ground where there was a plentiful supply of water.
8 Ntweneduro a ɛwɔ Onyankopɔn turo mu nto no, na pepeaa nnua nso dubaa ne no nyɛ pɛ, na wɔntumi mfa ɔkyɛnkyɛn nnua nso ntoto ne mman ho, dua biara nni Onyankopɔn turo no mu a nʼahoɔfɛ te sɛ no.
The cedar trees in my garden [in Eden] were not as great as that tree, and the branches of the pine/cypress trees were not as long and thick as the branches of that cedar tree. And the branches of the plane trees were not as long and thick, either. No tree in my garden was as beautiful as that cedar tree.
9 Mebɔɔ no ahoɔfɛ maa no mman bebree, na nnua a ɛwɔ Eden nyinaa Onyankopɔn turo no mu no ani beree no.
Because I caused that tree to become very beautiful with its magnificent green branches, [all the leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] those other trees in Eden envied [the country represented by] that tree.’
10 “‘Ɛno enti, sei na Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Esiane sɛ ɛnyini kɔɔ soro, maa ne nkɔn mu hyɛɛ nhahan a abunkam soɔ, na afei ɔyɛɛ ahantan wɔ ne tentenyɛ ho enti,
Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘That tree, which [represents Assyria], grew very tall, and its top was higher than the other trees, and it became very proud because of being very tall.
11 mede no hyɛɛ amanaman sodifoɔ nsa, sɛ ɔne no nni no sɛdeɛ nʼamumuyɛ teɛ. Mepoo no,
Therefore, I enabled another mighty nation to conquer it and to destroy it as it deserved to be destroyed. I have already discarded it.
12 na ananafoɔ aman no mu tutugyagu twaa no hwee fam na ɔgyaa no hɔ. Ne dubaa no hwehwee mmepɔ ne mmɔnhwa mu; ne mman mu bubuiɛ wɔ subɔnhwa mu. Asase so aman nyinaa firii ne nwunu ase, na wɔgyaa no hɔ.
A foreign army, one that has caused people of other nations to be terrified, cut it down and left it. Its branches fell on the mountains and in the valleys. Some of its branches lay broken in all the ravines in the land. All the people of other nations came out from being under its shade and left it.
13 Ewiem nnomaa nyinaa sisii dua a abu no so, na wiram mmoa kɔhyehyɛɛ ne mman mu.
Birds (settled/went to live) on the fallen tree, and wild animals lived among its branches.
14 Ɛno enti, nnua a ɛwɔ nsuo ho no mu biara renyɛ ahantan, nnyini nkɔ sorosoro, mmoro nhahan a abunkam so. Nnua foforɔ biara a ɛnya nsuo bebree no rennyini nkɔ soro saa bio. Wɔahyɛ sɛ wɔn nyinaa bɛwu akɔ asase ase, wɔ nnipa mma a wɔsiane kɔ amena mu no nkyɛn.
The result of what I have done is that no other trees, even if they have plenty of water, will ever grow very high and become proud, and lift their tops above the branches of other trees. I do not want any other tree to grow high like that cedar tree did; trees will all certainly die and decay in the ground, like people die and go down to their graves.’
15 “‘Yei ne deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ: Ɛda a wɔde no too damena mu no, mede awerɛhoɔ kataa nsuwansuwa a emu dɔ no so maa no, ma amma ne asutene no antene, na mesii ne nsuo dodoɔ no ɛkwan. Ne enti mede kusuuyɛ firaa Lebanon, na nnua a ɛwɔ ɛserɛ no so nyinaa botooɛ. (Sheol h7585)
This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: ‘When that great tree was cut down, [it was as though] the springs that watered it mourned for it, because I caused the plentiful water [from the springs] to dry up. I caused [the mountains in] Lebanon to become black, and all the trees there to wither. (Sheol h7585)
16 Memaa aman no ho popoeɛ wɔ nʼahweaseɛ nnyegyeeɛ no ho, ɛberɛ a mede no baa damena mu ɛne wɔn a wɔasiane kɔ amena mu no. Afei Eden nnua nyinaa, deɛ ɛte apɔ na ɛyɛ papa wɔ Lebanon, nnua a ɛnya nsuo yie nyinaa nyaa awerɛkyekyerɛ wɔ asase ase. (Sheol h7585)
I caused the people of other nations to tremble when they heard that tree fall to the ground. [They realized] that it would decay, like all people who die and are buried decay. And all the [leaders of other countries represented by] other beautiful trees in my garden in Eden and in Lebanon, were like beautiful trees [that were very proud]. They were ones which had roots that grew down deep into the [ground where there was plenty of] water. They were comforted when [the king represented by] [MET] that cedar tree was there with them in the place where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
17 Wɔn a wɔtenaa ne nwunu ase, ne ne mpamfoɔ a wɔwɔ amanaman no mu nso ne no kɔ damena mu, akɔka wɔn a wɔtotɔɔ wɔ akofena ano no ho. (Sheol h7585)
The [leaders of other countries represented by] [MET] trees that grew in the shade of the huge tree, [the allies of] the great nation [that the cedar tree represents], had also joined those who had been killed by the sword and gone down to where the dead people are. (Sheol h7585)
18 “‘Nnua a ɛwɔ Eden no mu deɛ ɛwɔ he na ɛbɛtumi de ne ho atoto wo ho wɔ animuonyam ne kɛseyɛ mu? Nanso, wo nso wɔbɛsiane wo akɔ fam, wo ne Eden nnua no. Wobɛfra momonotofoɔ mu, wɔn a wɔatotɔ wɔ akofena ano no. “‘Yei yɛ Farao ne ne nipadɔm no, Otumfoɔ Awurade asɛm nie.’”
[This parable is about you] people of Egypt. [You think that] [RHQ, IRO] there is no other nation that is as great and glorious as yours is. But your nation will also be destroyed, [as Assyria was], along with those other nations. Your people will be there among the other people who are not fit to worship me, people who have been killed by their enemies’ swords. That is what will happen to the king of Egypt and all his people. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, [have predicted it].’”
