Ezekiel 18

1 The word of the LORD came to me again, saying,

Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,

2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?

“Sɛ mo saa nkurɔfo yi bu saa bɛ a ɛfa Israel asase yi ho a, na mopɛ sɛ mokyerɛ dɛn: “‘Agyanom di bobe bun, na mma se afem ana?’

3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

“Nokware, sɛ mete ase yi, sɛɛ na Awurade se, moremmu saa bɛ yi bio wɔ Israel.

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ɔkra teasefo biara yɛ me de, agya ne ɔba barima nyinaa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ me de. Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔne ne nea obewu.

5 But if a man is just, and doeth that which is lawful and right,

“Sɛ ɛba sɛ onipa trenee bi wɔ hɔ a ɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ na ɛyɛ pɛ;

6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour’s wife, neither hath come near to a polluted woman,

onnidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu na ɔnsom ahoni a wɔwɔ Israelfi. Ongu ne yɔnko yere ho fi na ɔne ɔbea a wabu ne nsa nna.

7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath stripped none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

Ɔnhyɛ obiara so, na ɔde boseagyefo awowaside san ma no. Ɔmmɔ korɔn mmom ɔde nʼaduan ma nea ɔkɔm de no na ofura nea ɔda adagyaw no ntama.

8 He that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

Ɔmmɔ bosea nnye nsiho na onnye mfɛntom mmoroso. Ɔtwe ne ho fi bɔneyɛ ho na obu nipa baanu ntam atɛntrenee.

9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

Odi mʼahyɛde so na odi me mmara so nokware. Saa onipa no na ɔteɛ; na ampa ara obenya nkwa Awurade asɛm ni.

10 If he begetteth a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like any one of these things,

“Sɛ ɛba sɛ ɔwɔ ɔba barima a odi akakabensɛm na ohwie mogya gu anaasɛ ɔyɛ saa nneɛma yi mu biara a

11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour’s wife,

(ɛwɔ mu, agya no nyɛɛ eyinom mu biara ɛ): “Odidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu. Ogu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.

12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath stripped by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

Ɔhyɛ ahiafo ne mmɔborɔfo so. Ɔbɔ korɔn. Ɔmmfa boseagyefo awowaside mma no. Ɔde ne ho to abosom so. Ɔyɛ akyiwade.

13 Hath given forth upon interest, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

Ɔbɔ bosea gye nsiho na ogye mfɛntom mmoroso. Saa onipa yi benya nkwa ana? Dabi da! Esiane sɛ wayɛ saa akyiwade yi nyinaa nti, ampa ara wobekum no na ne mogya bɛbɔ nʼankasa ti so.

14 Now, lo, if he begetteth a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not likewise,

“Nanso sɛ ɛba sɛ saa ɔbabarima yi wɔ ɔbabarima a ohu bɔne a nʼagya yɛ no nyinaa nanso ɔnyɛ saa nneɛma no bi:

15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife,

“Onnidi wɔ mmepɔw so abosonnan mu na ɔmfa ne ho nto ahoni a ɛwɔ Israelfi so. Ongu ne yɔnko yere ho fi.

16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withheld the pledge, neither hath stripped by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment,

Ɔnhyɛ obiara so na onnye boseagyefo hɔ awowaside. Ɔmmɔ korɔn, mmom ɔde nʼaduan ma nea ɔkɔm de no na ofura nea ɔda adagyaw no ntama.

17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received interest nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.

Ɔtwe ne ho fi bɔne ho, na onnye nsiho anaa mfɛntom mmoroso. Odi me mmara ne mʼahyɛde so. Ɔrenwu wɔ nʼagya no bɔne nti; ampa ara obenya nkwa.

18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, stripped his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

Nanso nʼagya no bewu wɔ ɔno ara bɔne nti, efisɛ osisii nnipa, bɔɔ ne yɔnko korɔn, na ɔyɛɛ bɔne wɔ ne nkurɔfo mu.

19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.

“Nanso mubisa se, ‘Adɛn nti na ɔbabarima no nnya nʼagya afɔdi no bi ho asotwe?’ Esiane sɛ ɔbabarima no ayɛ nea ɛteɛ na ɛyɛ pɛ na wahwɛ yiye adi mʼahyɛde nyinaa so no nti, ampa ara obenya nkwa.

20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

Ɔkra a ɔyɛ bɔne no, ɔno ne nea obewu. Ɔbabarima no rennya nʼagya afɔdi no ho asotwe bi, saa ara na agya no nso rennya ɔbabarima no afɔdi ho asotwe no bi. Wɔde ɔtreneeni adetreneeyɛ so aba bɛma no, na wobebu omumɔyɛfo amumɔyɛsɛm atia no.

21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

“Na sɛ omumɔyɛfo twe ne ho fi bɔne a wayɛ nyinaa ho, na odi mʼahyɛde so, na afei ɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ ne nea ɛyɛ papa a, ampa ara obenya nkwa na ɔrenwu.

22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned to him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

Wɔrennyina bɔne a wayɛ no mu biara so mmu no atɛn. Ne trenee nneyɛe nti obenya nkwa.

23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

Mʼani gye amumɔyɛfo wu ho ana? Otumfo Awurade bisa. Sɛ wɔtwe wɔn ho fi wɔn akwammɔne ho na wonya nkwa a, mʼani nnye ana?

24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

“Na sɛ ɔtreneeni twe ne ho fi ne trenee nneyɛe ho, kɔyɛ bɔne, na ɔyɛ akyiwade a amumɔyɛfo yɛ a, obenya nkwa ana? Wɔrenkae ne trenee nneyɛe no. Esiane sɛ odi nokwaredi ho fɔ na wayɛ bɔne nti, obewu.

25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

“Nanso moka se, ‘Awurade kwan nteɛ.’ Muntie! Mo, Israelfi. Me kwan nteɛ ana? Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ?

26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

Sɛ ɔtreneeni twe ne ho fi ne trenee nneyɛe ho na ɔkɔyɛ bɔne a, ɛno nti obewu, bɔne a wayɛ nti obewu.

27 Again, when a wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

Nanso sɛ omumɔyɛfo twe ne ho fi amumɔyɛsɛm a wadi ho, na ɔyɛ nea ɛteɛ ne nea ɛyɛ papa a, obegye ne kra nkwa.

28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Esiane sɛ wahu ne mmarato na watwe ne ho afi ho no nti, obenya nkwa na ɔrenwu.

29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?

Nanso Israelfi ka se, ‘Awurade kwan nteɛ.’ Mʼakwan nteɛ! Mo, Israelfi! Ɛnyɛ mo akwan mmom na ɛnteɛ ana?

30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

“Ɛno nti, mo Israelfo, mebu mo mu biara atɛn sɛnea nʼakwan te, Otumfo Awurade na ose. Monsakra mo adwene! Montwe mo ho mfi mo mmarato nyinaa ho; na afei bɔne remfa mo nkɔ asehwe mu bio.

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which ye have transgressed; and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Montow mfomso a moayɛ nyinaa ngu na moanya koma foforo ne honhom foforo. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ muwu, Israelfifo?

32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: therefore turn ye, and live.

Mʼani nnye obiara wu ho, Otumfo Awurade na ose. ‘Monsakra mo adwene na moanya nkwa!’