Jeremiah 3
1 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?”
“Sɛ ɔbarima gyaa ne yere na ɔbaa no kɔware ɔbarima foforɔ a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no sane kɔ ɔbaa no nkyɛn anaa? Ɛremma asase no ho ngu fi koraa anaa? Nanso, wo ne adɔfoɔ bebree abɔ adwaman, na seesei deɛ wobɛsane aba me nkyɛn anaa?” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
2 “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
“Ma wʼani so hwɛ nkokoɔ no so. Baabi wɔ hɔ a wɔntoo wo monnaa da anaa? Wotenaa kwankyɛn twɛnee adɔfoɔ, wotenaa sɛ mmoahwɛfoɔ a wɔdi atutena wɔ anweatam so. Woagu asase no ho fi wode wʼadwamammɔ ne wʼamumuyɛ na ayɛ.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
Enti wɔatwe obosuo asan, na osutɔberɛ nsuo antɔ. Nanso wʼanim ayɛ sɛ odwamanfoɔ a ɔmfɛre hwee; wʼani nwu hwee.
4 Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth.
Nanso, woka kyerɛ me sɛ: ‘Mʼagya, mʼadamfo firi me mmabunuberɛ mu,
5 Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can.”
wobo bɛfu biribiara anaa? Wʼabofuhyeɛ no bɛkɔ so daa anaa?’ Sei na wokasa, nanso woyɛ bɔne nyinaa sɛdeɛ wotumi.”
6 Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.
Ɔhene Yosia adedie berɛ so no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Woahunu deɛ Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no ayɛ? Wakɔ nkokoɔ nyinaa so ne dua adendan nyinaa ase akɔsɛe awadeɛ wɔ hɔ.
7 I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
Mesusuu sɛ, anka wayɛ yeinom nyinaa akyi no, ɔbɛsane aba me nkyɛn, nanso wamma, na ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔno nso nka nokorɛ no hunuiɛ.
8 She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
Memaa Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no awaregyaeɛ nwoma na mepamoo no ɛsiane nʼawaresɛe abrabɔ. Nanso mehunuu sɛ ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔnni nokorɛ no ansuro; ɔno nso kɔbɔɔ awaresɛeɛ bra.
9 Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
Esiane sɛ Israel adwamammɔ anyɛ no asɛm hia enti, ɔde efi kaa asase no na ɔne aboɔ ne nnua bɔɔ adwaman.
10 Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
Yeinom nyinaa akyi no, ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔnni nokorɛ no ansane nʼakyi nokorɛm amma me nkyɛn. Ɔde nʼanim na ɛkyerɛeɛ,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
11 And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no tene sene Yuda nkontompo ni.
12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be angry forever.
Kɔ, fa wʼani kyerɛ atifi fam kɔka saa nsɛm yi kyerɛ wɔn: “‘Sane wʼakyi, Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ,’ Sei na Awurade seɛ, ‘Meremmuna nkyerɛ wo bio, ɛfiri sɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufoɔ,’ sei na Awurade seɛ, ‘Me bo renfu afebɔɔ.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’”
Gye wo afɔdie to mu, woayɛ dɔm atia Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, woakyekyɛ wʼadɔeɛ mu ama ananafoɔ anyame wɔ dua biara a adendan ase, na woanyɛ ɔsetie amma me,’” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
14 “Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion.
“Monsane mo akyi, mo akyirisanfoɔ,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “ɛfiri sɛ meyɛ mo kunu. Mɛyi wo; ɔbaako bɛfiri kuro mu na mmienu afiri abusuakuo mu, na mede mo aba Sion.
15 Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
Afei mɛma mo nnwanhwɛfoɔ a wɔda mʼakoma so, wɔn a wɔde nimdeɛ ne nteaseɛ bɛkyerɛ mo ɛkwan.
16 “In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made.
Saa nna no mu, sɛ mo dɔɔso bebree wɔ asase no so a,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “nnipa renka bio sɛ, ‘Awurade yɛn ani agyina apam adaka no.’ Ɛremma wɔn adwene mu anaa wɔrenka saa bio; na wɔrenyɛ apam adaka foforɔ nso.
17 At that time Jerusalem will be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
Saa ɛberɛ no, wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Awurade Ahennwa, na amanaman nyinaa bɛhyia wɔ Yerusalem abɛkamfo Awurade din. Na wɔrenni wɔn akoma bɔne a ɛma wɔn yɛ asoɔden no akyi bio.
18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.
Saa nna no mu, Yudafie bɛka Israel efie ho, na wɔabɔ mu afiri atifi fam asase bi so aba asase a mede maa mo agyanom sɛ agyapadeɛ no so.
19 Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
“Mʼankasa mekaa sɛ, ‘Anka ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mɛyɛ mo sɛ mma na mama mo asase a ɛyɛ, agyapadeɛ a ɛdi mu ma ɔman biara.’ Mesusuiɛ sɛ mobɛfrɛ me ‘Agya’ na monnane mo ho mfiri mʼakyi.
20 But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,”
Nanso, sɛdeɛ ɔbaa a ɔnni ne kunu nokorɛ no, saa ara na moanni me nokorɛ, Ao Israel efie,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
21 A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God.
Wɔte esu bi wɔ nkokoɔ no so, ɛyɛ Israelfoɔ agyaadwotwa ne nkotosrɛ, ɛfiri sɛ wɔakyeakyea wɔn akwan na wɔn werɛ afiri Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn.
22 “Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
“Monsane mmra, ɔyera mma; mɛsa mo akyirisane yadeɛ no.” “Aane, yɛbɛba wo nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ wo ne Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn.
23 Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
Nokorɛm, ahoni hooyɛ wɔ nkokoɔ ne mmepɔ so no yɛ nnaadaa; nokorɛm, Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn mu na Israel nkwagyeɛ wɔ.
24 From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
Ɛfiri yɛn mmɔfraase, anyame huhuo adi yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba, wɔn nnwankuo ne anantwie, wɔn mmammarima ne wɔn mmammaa.
25 Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
Momma yɛmfa yɛn aniwuo nneda fam na yɛn ahohora nkata yɛn so. Yɛayɛ bɔne atia Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn, yɛn ne yɛn agyanom; ɛfiri yɛn mmɔfraase bɛsi ɛnnɛ yɛanyɛ ɔsetie amma Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn.”
