< Jeremiah 3 >
1 They say, If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou have played the harlot with many lovers. Yet return again to me, says Jehovah.
“Sɛ ɔbarima gyaa ne yere na ɔbea no kɔware ɔbarima foforo a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no san kɔ ɔbea no nkyɛn ana? Ɛremma asase no ho ngu fi koraa ana? Nanso wo ne adɔfo bebree abɔ aguaman, na mprempren de wobɛsan aba me nkyɛn ana?” Awurade na ose.
2 Lift up thine eyes to the bare heights, and see. Where have thou not been lain with? By the ways thou have sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness, and thou have polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
“Ma wʼani so hwɛ nkoko no so. Baabi wɔ hɔ a wɔntoo wo mmonnaa da ana? Wotenaa kwankyɛn twɛn adɔfo, wotenaa sɛ mmoahwɛfo a wodi atutena wɔ nweatam so. Woagu asase no ho fi, wode wʼaguamammɔ ne wʼamumɔyɛ na ayɛ.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. Yet thou have a harlot's forehead; thou refused to be ashamed.
Enti wɔatwe obosu asan, na asusowbere su antɔ. Nanso wʼanim ayɛ sɛ oguamanfo a ɔmfɛre hwee; wʼani nwu hwee.
4 Will thou not from this time cry to me, My Father, thou are the guide of my youth?
Nnansa yi ara, woamfrɛ me se: ‘Mʼagya, me mmabunmmere mu adamfo,
5 Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou have spoken, and have done evil things, and have had thy way.
wo bo befuw biribiara ana? Wʼabufuwhyew no bɛkɔ so daa ana?’ Sɛɛ na wokasa, nanso woyɛ bɔne nyinaa sɛnea wutumi.”
6 Moreover Jehovah said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have thou seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot.
Ɔhene Yosia adedi bere so no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Woahu nea Israel a onni nokware no ayɛ? Wakɔ nkoko nyinaa so ne dua a adennan biara ase akɔsɛe aware wɔ hɔ.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, She will return to me, but she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Misusuwii sɛ anka wayɛ eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ɔbɛsan aba me nkyɛn nanso wamma, na ne nuabea Yuda a ɔno nso nka nokware no hui.
8 And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not, but she also went and played the harlot.
Memaa Israel a onni nokware no awaregyae nhoma na mepam no esiane nʼawaresɛe abrabɔ nti. Nanso mihuu sɛ ne nuabea Yuda a onni nokware no ansuro; ɔno nso kɔbɔɔ aguaman bra.
9 And it came to pass through the frivolity of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Esiane sɛ Israel aguamammɔ anyɛ no asɛnhia nti, ɔde fi kaa asase no na ɔne abo ne nnua bɔɔ aguaman.
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says Jehovah.
Eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ne nuabea Yuda amfi ne koma nyinaa mu ansan amma me nkyɛn, ɔyɛ de kyerɛɛ kɛkɛ,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
11 And Jehovah said to me, Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Israel a onni nokware no teɛ sen Yuda okontomponi no.
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, says Jehovah, I will not look in anger upon you, for I am merciful, says Jehovah. I will not keep anger forever.
Kɔ, fa wʼani kyerɛ atifi fam kɔka saa nsɛm yi kyerɛ wɔn: “‘San wʼakyi, Israel a onni nokware,’ Sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Meremmuna nkyerɛ wo bio, efisɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufo,’ sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Me bo remfuw afebɔɔ.
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou have transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and have scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, says Jehovah.
Gye wo afɔdi to mu, woatew Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn anim atua, woakyekyɛ wʼadɔe mu ama ananafo anyame wɔ dua biara a adennan ase, na woanyɛ osetie amma me,’” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
14 Return, O backsliding sons, says Jehovah, for I am a husband to you. And I will take you, one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
“Monsan mo akyi, mo akyirisanfo,” sɛnea Awurade se ni, “efisɛ meyɛ mo kunu. Meyi wo; ɔbaako befi kurow mu na baanu afi abusuakuw mu, na mede mo aba Sion.
15 And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Afei mɛma mo nguanhwɛfo a wɔda me koma so, wɔn a wɔde nimdeɛ ne ntease bɛkyerɛ mo ɔkwan.
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says Jehovah, they shall no more say, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah, nor shall it come to mind. Neither shall they remember it, nor shall they miss it. Neither shall it be made any more.
Saa nna no mu, sɛ mo dɔɔso bebree wɔ asase no so a,” Awurade na ose, “nnipa renka bio se, ‘Awurade apam adaka no.’ Ɛremma wɔn adwene mu anaa wɔrenkae da; wɔn kɔn rennɔ na wɔrenyɛ foforo nso.
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem. Neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Saa bere no wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Awurade Ahengua, na amanaman nyinaa behyia wɔ Yerusalem abɛkamfo Awurade din. Na wɔrenni wɔn koma bɔne a ɛma wɔyɛ asoɔden no akyi bio.
18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.
Saa nna no mu, Yuda fi bɛka Israelfi ho, na wɔabɔ mu afi atifi fam asase bi so aba asase a mede maa mo agyanom sɛ agyapade no so.
19 But I said, How I will put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! And I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.
“Mʼankasa mekae se, ‘Anka ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mɛyɛ mo sɛ mma na mama mo asase a eye, agyapade a edi mu ma ɔman biara.’ Misusuwii sɛ mobɛfrɛ me ‘Agya’ na monnan mo ho mfi mʼakyi.
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so ye have dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, says Jehovah.
Nanso te sɛ ɔbea a onni ne kunu nokware no, saa ara na moanni me nokware, Israelfi,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
21 A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel, because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten Jehovah their God.
Wɔte osu bi wɔ nkoko no so, ɛyɛ Israelfo agyaadwotwa ne nkotosrɛ, efisɛ wɔakyeakyea wɔn akwan na wɔn werɛ afi Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn.
22 Return, ye backsliding sons, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we have come to thee, for thou are Jehovah our God.
“Monsan mmra, ɔyera mma; mɛsa mo akyirisan yare no.” “Yiw, yɛbɛba wo nkyɛn, efisɛ wo ne Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.
23 Truly it is in vain from the heights, the multitude on the mountains. Truly in Jehovah our God is the salvation of Israel.
Ampa, ahoni huuyɛ wɔ nkoko ne mmepɔw so no yɛ nnaadaa; nokware Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn mu na Israel nkwagye wɔ.
24 But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Efi yɛn mmofraase, anyame huhuw adi yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba, wɔn nguankuw ne anantwi, wɔn mmabarima ne wɔn mmabea.
25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us, for we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.
Momma yɛmfa yɛn aniwu nneda fam na yɛn ahohora nkata yɛn so. Yɛayɛ bɔne atia Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn, yɛn ne yɛn agyanom; efi yɛn mmofraase besi nnɛ yɛanyɛ osetie amma Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.”