Jeremiah 23
1 A curse is on the keepers who are causing the destruction and loss of the sheep of my field, says the Lord.
“Nnome nka nnwanhwɛfoɔ a wɔsɛe na wɔhwete me nnwankuo no” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
2 So this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, has said against the keepers who have the care of my people: You have let my flock be broken up, driving them away and not caring for them; see, I will send on you the punishment for the evil of your doings, says the Lord.
Ɛno enti yei ne deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, ka kyerɛ ahwɛfoɔ a wɔhwɛ me nkurɔfoɔ so nie: “Esiane sɛ, moabɔ me nnwankuo ahweteɛ, na moapam wɔn na moanhwɛ wɔn so yie no enti, mede asotwe bɛbrɛ mo wɔ mo bɔne a moayɛ no nti,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
3 And I will get the rest of my flock together from all the countries where I have sent them, and will make them come back again to their resting-place; and they will have offspring and be increased.
“Me ara ankasa mɛboaboa me nnwan nkaeɛ no afifiri aman a mapam wɔn akɔ hɔ nyinaa no so na mede wɔn bɛsane aba wɔn adidibea bio, baabi wɔbɛwowo na wɔn ase atrɛ.
4 And I will put over them keepers who will take care of them: never again will they be overcome with fear or be troubled, and there will not be the loss of one of them, says the Lord.
Na mɛyi nnwanhwɛfoɔ a wɔbɛhwɛ wɔn so, na wɔrensuro na wɔremmɔ hu bio na wɔn mu baako mpo renyera.” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
5 See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will give to David a true Branch, and he will be ruling as king, acting wisely, doing what is right, and judging uprightly in the land.
“Nna bi reba,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “Mɛma tenenee dubaa bi so ama Dawid, ɔhene bi a ɔbɛdi adeɛ nyansa mu na wayɛ deɛ ɛtene ne deɛ ɛyɛ wɔ asase yi so.
6 In his days Judah will have salvation and Israel will be living without fear: and this is the name by which he will be named, The Lord is our righteousness.
Ne mmerɛ so, wɔbɛgye Yuda nkwa na Israel bɛtena ase wɔ asomdwoeɛ mu. Yei ne edin a wɔde bɛfrɛ no: Awurade Yɛn Tenenee.
7 And so, truly, the days are coming when they will say no longer, By the living Lord, who took the children of Israel up out of the land of Egypt;
Na afei nna bi reba,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “a nnipa renka bio sɛ, ‘Nokorɛm sɛ Awurade te ase yi, deɛ ɔyii Israelfoɔ firii Misraim,’
8 But, By the living Lord, who took up the seed of Israel, and made them come out of the north country, and from all the countries where I had sent them; and they will be living in the land which is theirs.
na mmom, wɔbɛka sɛ, ‘Nokorɛm sɛ Awurade te ase yi, deɛ ɔyii Israel asefoɔ firii atifi asase so ne aman nyinaa a ɔpamoo wɔn kɔɔ hɔ no so.’ Na afei wɔbɛtena wɔn ankasa asase so.”
9 About the prophets. My heart is broken in me, all my bones are shaking; I am like a man full of strong drink, like a man overcome by wine; because of the Lord, and because of his holy words.
Ɛfa adiyifoɔ no ho no: Mʼakoma abubu wɔ me mu; me nnompe nyinaa woso. Mete sɛ ɔsabofoɔ, mete sɛ obi a nsã aboro noɔ, ɛsiane Awurade ne ne nsɛm kronkron no enti.
10 For the land is full of men who are untrue to their wives; because of the curse the land is full of grief; the green fields of the waste land have become dry; and they are quick to do evil, their strength is for what is not right.
Awaresɛefoɔ ahyɛ asase no so ma; nnome no enti asase no awo wesee adidibea a ɛwɔ anweatam no so ahye. Adiyifoɔ no nam ɛkwan bɔne so de wɔn tumi yɛ deɛ ɛntene.
11 For the prophet as well as the priest is unclean; even in my house I have seen their evil-doing, says the Lord.
“Odiyifoɔ ne ɔsɔfoɔ nyinaa nsuro Onyankopɔn; mʼasɔredan mu mpo mehunu wɔn amumuyɛsɛm,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
12 For this cause their steps will be slipping on their way: they will be forced on into the dark and have a fall there: for I will send evil on them in the year of their punishment, says the Lord.
“Ɛno enti, wɔn ɛkwan so bɛyɛ torotorotoro; wɔbɛpam wɔn akɔ esum mu na ɛhɔ na wɔbɛhwehwe ase. Mede amanehunu bɛba wɔn so wɔ afe a wɔbɛtwe wɔn aso mu no,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
13 And I have seen ways without sense in the prophets of Samaria; they became prophets of the Baal, causing my people Israel to go wrong.
“Samaria adiyifoɔ mu no mehunuu saa atantanneɛ yi: Wɔde Baal hyɛɛ nkɔm nam so maa me nkurɔfoɔ Israelfoɔ fom ɛkwan.
14 And in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a shocking thing; they are untrue to their wives, walking in deceit, and they make strong the hands of evil-doers, so that a man may not be turned back from his evil-doing: they have all become like Sodom to me, and its people like Gomorrah.
Na Yerusalem adiyifoɔ mu no mahunu adeɛ a ɛyɛ hu: Wɔsɛe awadeɛ na wɔdi atorɔ. Wɔhyɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne no mpamuden, enti obiara nntwe ne ho mfiri nʼamumuyɛsɛm ho. Wɔn nyinaa te sɛ Sodom ma me; na Yerusalemfoɔ te sɛ Gomora.”
15 So this is what the Lord of armies has said about the prophets: See, I will give them a bitter plant for their food, and bitter water for their drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem unclean behaviour has gone out into all the land.
Ɛno enti, yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ fa adiyifoɔ no ho: “Mema wɔadi aduane a ɛyɛ nwono na wɔanom nsuo a awuduro wɔ mu, ɛfiri sɛ Yerusalem adiyifoɔ enti, abɔnefosɛm ahyɛ asase yi so ma.”
16 This is what the Lord of armies has said: Do not give ear to the words which the prophets say to you: they give you teaching of no value: it is from themselves that their vision comes, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Monntie nkɔm a adiyifoɔ no hyɛ kyerɛ mo; wɔma mo nya anidasoɔ a ɛnni nnyinasoɔ. Wɔbɔ wɔn tirim ka anisoadehunu, a ɛmfiri Awurade anom.
17 They keep on saying to those who have no respect for the word of the Lord, You will have peace; and to everyone who goes on his way in the pride of his heart, they say, No evil will come to you.
Wɔkɔ so ka kyerɛ wɔn a wɔbu me animtia sɛ, ‘Awurade se: Mobɛnya asomdwoeɛ.’ Na wɔn a wɔdi wɔn akomadenyɛ akyi no nyinaa, wɔka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Ɔhaw biara remma mo so.’
18 For which of them has knowledge of the secret of the Lord, and has seen him, and given ear to his word? which of them has taken note of his word and given attention to it?
Na wɔn mu hwan na waka Awurade agyinatufoɔ ho sɛ ɔbɛhwɛ anaa ɔbɛtie nʼasɛm? Hwan na wayɛ aso ate nʼasɛm?
19 See, the storm-wind of the Lord, even the heat of his wrath, has gone out, a rolling storm, bursting on the heads of the evil-doers.
Hwɛ, Awurade ahum bɛtu abufuhyeɛ mu, ntwahoframa bɛdi kyinhyia wɔ amumuyɛfoɔ mpampam.
20 The wrath of the Lord will not be turned back till he has done, till he has put into effect, the purposes of his heart: in days to come you will have full knowledge of this.
Awurade abufuo rennwo kɔsi sɛ ɔbɛwie nʼakoma mu nhyehyɛeɛ nyinaa. Nna a ɛreba no mu no mobɛte aseɛ yie.
21 I did not send these prophets, but they went running: I said nothing to them, but they gave out the prophet's word.
Mansoma saa adiyifoɔ yi, nanso wɔde wɔn asɛm akyinkyini; manto wɔn nkra biara, nanso wɔahyɛ nkɔm.
22 But if they had been in my secret, then they would have made my people give ear to my words, turning them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
Sɛ wɔkaa mʼagyinatufoɔ ho a, anka wɔbɛpae mu aka mʼasɛm akyerɛ me nkurɔfoɔ na ama wɔatwe wɔn ho afiri wɔn akwammɔne ne wɔn nneyɛɛ bɔne ho.
23 Am I only a God who is near, says the Lord, and not a God at a distance?
“Meyɛ Onyankopɔn a mebɛn nko ara anaa,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “na mennyɛ Onyankopɔn a mewɔ akyirikyiri nso?
24 In what secret place may a man take cover without my seeing him? says the Lord. Is there any place in heaven or earth where I am not? says the Lord.
Obi bɛtumi de ne ho asie baabi a merentumi nhunu no anaa?” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Menyɛɛ ɔsoro ne asase so ma anaa?” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
25 My ears have been open to what the prophets have said, who say false words in my name, saying, I have had a dream, I have had a dream, I have had a dream,
“Mate deɛ adiyifoɔ a wɔde medin hyɛ nkɔmtorɔ no keka. Wɔkeka sɛ, ‘Mesoo daeɛ! Mesoo daeɛ!’
26 Is (my word) in the hearts of the prophets who give out false words, even the prophets of the deceit of their hearts?
Yei bɛkɔ so akɔsi da bɛn wɔ atorɔ adiyifoɔ yi akoma mu? Wɔn a wɔbɔ wɔn tirim hyɛ nnaadaa nkɔm?
27 Whose purpose is to take away the memory of my name from my people by their dreams, of which every man is talking to his neighbour, as their fathers gave up the memory of my name for the Baal.
Wɔdwene sɛ daeɛ a wɔkeka kyerɛkyerɛ wɔn ho no bɛma me nkurɔfoɔ werɛ afiri me din, sɛdeɛ Baalsom enti wɔn agyanom werɛ firii me din no.
28 If a prophet has a dream, let him give out his dream; and he who has my word, let him give out my word in good faith. What has the dry stem to do with the grain? says the Lord.
Ma odiyifoɔ a waso daeɛ no nka nʼadaeso, na ma deɛ ɔwɔ mʼasɛm no nka no nokorɛm. Na ɛdeɛn na ntɛtɛ ne ayuo wɔ yɛ?” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
29 Is not my word like fire? says the Lord; and like a hammer, smashing the rock to bits?
“Na mʼasɛm nte sɛ ogya?” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “Ɛnte sɛ asaeɛ a ɛpaapae ɔbotan mu nketenkete anaa?
30 For this cause I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who take my words, every one from his neighbour.
“Ɛno nti,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “mekyi adiyifoɔ a wɔfa nsɛm a ɛfiri wɔn yɔnkonom nkyɛn, na wɔpae mu ka no sɛdeɛ ɛfiri me nkyɛn no.
31 See, I am against the prophets, says the Lord, who let their tongues say, He has said.
Aane,” Awurade asɛm nie, “mekyi saa adiyifoɔ a wɔde wɔn ankasa tɛkrɛmawoɔ ka sɛ, ‘Awurade na ɔseɛ.’
32 See, I am against the prophets of false dreams, says the Lord, who give them out and make my people go out of the way by their deceit and their uncontrolled words: but I did not send them or give them orders; and they will be of no profit to this people, says the Lord.
Nokorɛm, mekyi wɔn a wɔhyɛ adaeɛso ho nkɔmtorɔ,” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Wɔka kyerɛ wɔn na wɔde atorɔ nsɛm daadaa me nkurɔfoɔ ma wɔfom ɛkwan, nso mensomaa wɔn na mennyii wɔn. Wɔn ho nni mfasoɔ mma saa nnipa yi koraa,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
33 And if this people, or the prophet, or a priest, questioning you, says, What word of weight is there from the Lord? then you are to say to them, You are the word, for I will not be troubled with you any more, says the Lord.
“Sɛ saa nnipa yi, anaa odiyifoɔ anaa ɔsɔfoɔ bisa mo sɛ, ‘Ɛdeɛn ne Awurade adiyisɛm no a?’ Monka nkyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Adiyisɛm bɛn? Mɛpo mo, Awurade na ɔseɛ.’
34 And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, A word of weight from the Lord! I will send punishment on that man and on his house.
Sɛ odiyifoɔ bi, ɔsɔfoɔ bi anaa obi foforɔ si so dua sɛ, ‘Awurade adiyisɛm ni’ a, mɛtwe saa ɔbarima no ne ne fiefoɔ aso.
35 But this is what you are to say, every man to his neighbour and every man to his brother, What answer has the Lord given? and, What has the Lord said?
Yei ne deɛ mo mu biara kɔ so ka kyerɛ ne yɔnko anaa ne busuani: ‘Awurade mmuaeɛ ne sɛn?’ Anaa ‘Ɛdeɛn na Awurade aka?’
36 And you will no longer put people in mind of the word of weight of the Lord: for every man's word will be a weight on himself; for the words of the living God, of the Lord of armies, our God, have been twisted by you.
Nanso ɛnsɛ sɛ mobɔ ‘Awurade adiyisɛm’ so bio; ɛfiri sɛ, obiara asɛm bɛyɛ nʼadiyisɛm, ne saa enti modanedane nsɛm a ɛfiri Onyankopɔn, Teasefoɔ, Asafo Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn nkyɛn mu.
37 This is what you are to say to the prophet, What answer has the Lord given to you? and, What has the Lord said?
Yei ne deɛ mokɔ so ka kyerɛ odiyifoɔ: ‘Mmuaeɛ bɛn na Awurade de ama mo?’ Anaa ‘Ɛdeɛn na Awurade aka?’
38 But if you say, The word of weight of the Lord; this is what the Lord has said: Because you say, The weight of the Lord, and I have sent to you, saying, You are not to say, The weight of the Lord;
Ɛwom, mosi so dua sɛ, ‘Yei ne Awurade adiyisɛm’ nanso sei na Awurade ka: Mokaa sɛ, ‘Yei yɛ Awurade adiyisɛm,’ wɔ ɛberɛ a maka akyerɛ mo sɛ monnka saa nsɛm yi bio.
39 For this reason, truly, I will put you completely out of my memory, and I will put you, and the town which I gave to you and to your fathers, away from before my face:
Afei, nokorɛm, me werɛ bɛfiri mo, na mapam mo ne kuropɔn a mede maa mo ne mo agyanom afiri mʼani so.
40 And I will give you a name without honour for ever, and unending shame which will never go from the memory of men.
Na mede daa animguaseɛ, ne daa ahohora a werɛ remfi da bɛba mo so.”
