Hesekiel 4
1 “Na afei, onipa ba, fa ntayaa bi to wʼanim na kurukyire Yerusalem kuropɔn mfoni wɔ so.
“Son of man, you are to take a brick, put in front of you, and draw a picture of the city of Jerusalem on it.
2 Si otua ho nnwuma ma no: yɛ apie tia no, yɛ mpampim ne nsraban wɔ ho, na fa obubuadaban nnua twa ho hyia.
Show that it's under siege: establish a siege perimeter all around it, build a siege ramp against it, set up the enemy camps beside it, and put battering rams on all sides around it.
3 Afei, fa dadeɛ kyɛmferɛ to ɔfasuo wɔ wo ne kuropɔn no ntam na dane wʼani kyerɛ no. Wɔbɛtua kuropɔn no, na wo na wobɛtua no. Yei bɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama Israel efie.
Put an iron plate between yourself and the city so it's like an iron wall. Face the city and demonstrate that it's under siege, and that you are the one attacking it. This is a symbolic warning to the people of Israel.
4 “Afei, da wo benkum so na fa Israel bɔne to wo ho so. Wobɛsoa wɔn bɔne nna dodoɔ a wode da wo fa so no.
Then lie on your left side and take the Israelites' sins on yourself. You will carry their sins for the number of days you lie on your side.
5 Mede wɔn bɔne mfeɛ no mayɛ nna dodoɔ mama wo. Enti nnafua ahasa ne aduɔkron na wode bɛsoa Israelfoɔ bɔne.
I will make you stay there for 390 days, representing the number of years of their sins. You will bear the sins of the Israelites.
6 “Ɛno akyi, da bio wɔ wo nifa so na soa Yudafoɔ bɔne adaduanan a ɛda koro biara bɛyɛ afe baako.
Once you have finished doing this for these days, then you are to lie down again, but this time on your right side, and carry the sins of the people of Judah. I will make you stay there for 40 days, one day for every year.
7 Dane wʼani kyerɛ Yerusalem mpampim na fa nsa pan hyɛ nkɔm tia no.
Keep your face towards the siege of Jerusalem with your arm bared, and prophesy against it.
8 Mede ntampehoma bɛkyekyere wo sɛdeɛ worentumi nnane wo ho kɔsi sɛ otua nna no bɛba nʼawieeɛ.
Be ready, because now I'm going to tie you up with ropes so you can't move from side to side until the days of your siege are over.
9 “Fa atokoɔ ne ayuo, asɛ ne asɛdua, kɔkɔte ne aburoo; fa ne nyinaa gu adekora kuruwa mu na fa to burodo a wobɛdi. Yei na wobɛdi wɔ nnafua ahasa ne aduɔkron a woda wo fa so no.
Get some wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt, and mix them together in a storage jar. Use them to make bread for yourself. This is what you are to eat for the 390 days that you lie on your side.
10 Kari aduane gram ahanu ne aduasa a wobɛdi no ɛda koro biara wɔ ɛberɛ ano, berɛ ano.
You are allowed to eat twenty shekels weight of food each day, and you are to eat it at regular times.
11 Afei, susu nsuo sukuruwa baako na nom no berɛ ano berɛ ano.
Measure out a sixth of a hin of water to drink, and you are to drink it at regular times.
12 Di aduane no sɛdeɛ anka wobɛdi atokoɔ ɔfam; to ma nnipa nhunu, na fa onipa agyanan yɛ ogya.”
You are to eat the bread as you would a barley loaf. You are to bake it over a fire burning dried human excrement as everyone watches.”
13 Awurade kaa sɛ: “Saa ara na Israelfoɔ bɛdi aduane a wɔagu ho fi wɔ amanaman a mɛpam wɔn akɔ so no.”
Then the Lord said, “This is the way the Israelites will eat their unclean bread among the nations where I'll exile them.”
14 Na mekaa sɛ, “Ɛnte saa, Otumfoɔ Awurade! Menguu me ho fi da. Ɛfiri me mmɔfraase bɛsi saa ɛberɛ yi, mennii aboa funu anaa deɛ nkekaboa bi akum no atete ne mu da. Ɛnam a ɛho agu fi nkaa mʼano da.”
“Please no, Lord God!” I answered. “I have never made myself unclean. I haven't eaten anything found dead or killed by wild animals from the time I was young until now. I've never put unclean meat in my mouth.”
15 Awurade kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, mɛma wode nantwie agyanan asi onipa deɛ anan mu, na wato wo burodo wɔ so.”
“All right,” he said. “I'll let you use cow manure instead of human excrement You can bake your bread over a fire using that.”
16 Afei ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Onipa ba, mɛtwa aduane a wɔde ba Yerusalem so. Nnipa no de ahoyera bɛdi aduane a wɔkyekyɛ mu, na wɔde abasamutuo anom nsuo a wɔkyekyɛ,
Then he went on, “Son of man, watch! I am going to put a stop to Jerusalem's food supply. Worried sick, they will eat bread rationed by weight. Despairing at what's happening, they will drink water measured in small amounts.
17 ɛfiri sɛ aduane ne nsuo ho bɛyɛ den. Wɔn ho bɛdwiri wɔn sɛ wɔhunu wɔn ho wɔn ho, na wɔn bɔne enti, wɔbɛfonfɔn.”
Running out of food and water, they will be horrified as they look at one another wasting away because of their sins.”
