< Jeremias 6 >
1 Strengthen yourselves, ye children of Benjamin, [to flee] out of the midst of Jerusalem, and sound an alarm with the trumpet in Thecue, and set up a signal over Baethacharma: for evil threatens from the north, and a great destruction is coming.
“Benyaminfoɔ monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Monnwane mfiri Yerusalem! Monhyɛne totorobɛnto no wɔ Tekoa! Monsi frankaa no wɔ Bet-Hakerem! Ɛfiri sɛ amanehunu bobɔ firi atifi fam, ɔsɛeɛ bi a ɛyɛ hu.
2 And [thy] pride, O daughter of Sion, shall be taken away.
Mɛsɛe Ɔbabaa Sion ɔhoɔfɛfoɔ sɔɔnɔ no.
3 The shepherds and their flocks shall come to her; and they shall pitch [their] tents against her round about, and shall feed [their flocks] each with his hand.
Atamfoɔ bɛba abɛtwa ne ho ahyia te sɛ nnwanhwɛfoɔ; wɔbɛsisi wɔn ntomadan atwa ne ho ahyia na wɔn mu biara bɛhwɛ ne kyɛfa so.”
4 Prepare yourselves for war against her; rise up, and let us go up against her at noon. Woe to us! for the day has gone down, for the shadows of the day fail.
“Monsiesie mo ho ne no nkɔko! Monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so owigyinaeɛ! Nanso, hwɛ, onwunu redwo, na anwummerɛ sunsumma reyɛ tenten.
5 Rise, and let us go up against her by night, and destroy her foundations.
Enti, monsɔre momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so anadwo na yɛnsɛe nʼaban hodoɔ!”
6 For thus saith the Lord, Hew down her trees, array a numerous force against Jerusalem. O false city; [there is] all oppression in her.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Montwitwa nnua no ngu fam na monsisi epie ntia Yerusalem. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe kuropɔn yi aso; nhyɛsoɔ ahyɛ no ma.
7 As a cistern cools water, so her wickedness cools her, ungodliness and misery shall be heard in her, [as] continually before her.
Sɛdeɛ abura pu ne nsuo no, saa ara nso na ɔpu nʼamumuyɛ. Wɔte awurukasɛm ne ɔsɛeɛ nka wɔ ne mu; ne yadeɛ ne nʼapirakuro wɔ mʼanim daa.
8 Thou shalt be chastened, O Jerusalem, with pain and the scourge, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee a desert land, which shall not be inhabited.
Fa kɔkɔbɔ, Ao Yerusalem, anyɛ saa a metwe me ho afiri wo ho na mama wʼasase ada mpan a obiara ntumi ntena soɔ.”
9 For thus saith the Lord, Glean, glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel: turn back [your hands] as a grape-gatherer to his basket.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Ma wɔnyiyi Israel nkaeɛfoɔ no mu yie sɛdeɛ wɔyiyi bobe mu; fa wo nsa fa mman no so bio, sɛ obi a ɔretete bobe aba.”
10 To whom shall I speak, and testify, that he may hearken? behold, thine ears are uncircumcised, and they shall not be able to hear: behold, the word of the Lord is become to them a reproach, they will not at all desire it.
Hwan na mɛtumi akasa akyerɛ no na mabɔ no kɔkɔ? Hwan na ɔbɛtie me? Wɔn aso asisi enti wɔnte asɛm. Awurade asɛm yɛ akyiwadeɛ ma wɔn na wɔn ani nnye ho.
11 And I allowed my wrath to come to full, yet I kept [it] in, and did not utterly destroy them: I will pour it out on the children without, and on the assembly of young men together: for man and woman shall be taken together, the old man with him that is full of days.
Nanso Awurade abufuhyeɛ ahyɛ me ma, na mentumi nkora so. “Hwie gu mmɔfra a wɔwɔ mmɔntene so ne mmaranteɛ a wɔahyia; ɛbɛka okunu ne ɔyere, mmasiriwa ne wɔn a onyini adoko wɔn.
12 And their houses shall be turned to others, [with] their fields and their wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of this land, saith the Lord.
Sɛ metene me nsa wɔ wɔn a wɔte asase no so a wɔbɛdane wɔn afie ama afoforɔ, na wɔn mfuo ne wɔn yerenom bɛka ho,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
13 For from the least of them even to the greatest they have all committed iniquity; from the priest even to the false prophet they have all wrought falsely.
“Ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so, wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfoɔ de pɛ ahonya; adiyifoɔ ne asɔfoɔ te saa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifoɔ.
14 And they healed the breach of my people [imperfectly], making light [of it], and saying, Peace, peace, and where is peace?
Wɔmia me nkurɔfoɔ apirakuro te sɛ deɛ ɛnyɛ hu. Wɔka sɛ, ‘Asomdwoeɛ, asomdwoeɛ’ wɔ mmerɛ a asomdwoeɛ nni hɔ.
15 They were ashamed because they failed; yet they were not ashamed as those who are [truly] ashamed, and they knew not their own disgrace: therefore shall they [utterly] fall when they do fall, and in the time of visitation shall they perish, said the Lord.
Wɔn ani wu wɔ wɔn animguaseɛ nneyɛɛ no ho anaa? Dabi, wɔn ani nnwu koraa; wɔnnim fɛreɛ mpo. Enti sɛ metwe wɔn aso a, wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfoɔ mu; wɔbɛhwehwe ase,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths of the Lord; and see what is the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find purification for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [in them].
Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, “Monnyina nkwantanan no so na monhwɛ; mommisa tete akwan no, mommisa baabi a ɛkwan pa no da na monnante so, na mobɛnya homeɛ ama mo akra. Nanso mokaa sɛ, ‘yɛnnante so.’
17 I have set watchmen over you, [saying], Hear ye the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hear [it].
Mede awɛmfoɔ sisii mo so na mekaa sɛ, ‘Montie totorobɛnto nnyegyeeɛ no!’ Nanso, mokaa sɛ, ‘Yɛrentie.’
18 Therefore have the nations heard, and they that feed their flocks.
Ɛno enti, monyɛ aso, Ao amanaman; monhwɛ, Ao adansefoɔ, deɛ ɛbɛto wɔn.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evils upon this people, [even] the fruit of their rebellions; for they have not heeded my words, and they have rejected my law.
Yɛ aso, Ao asase: Mede amanehunu reba saa nnipa yi so, wɔn nneyɛɛ so aba, ɛfiri sɛ wɔantie me nsɛm na wɔapo me mmara.
20 Wherefore do ye bring me frankincense from Saba, and cinnamon from a land afar off? your whole-burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices have not been pleasant to me.
Nnuhwam a ɛfiri Seba anaa ahwedeɛ pa a ɛfiri akyirikyiri asase so fa me ho bɛn? Mennye wo hyeɛ afɔdeɛ no nto mu; wʼafɔrebɔ ahodoɔ no nsɔ mʼani.”
21 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I [will] bring weakness upon this people, and the fathers and sons shall be weak together; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
Ɛno enti, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Mede akwansideɛ bɛgu saa nkurɔfoɔ yi anim. Agyanom ne mmammarima nyinaa bɛsuntisunti wɔ so; ayɔnkofoɔ ne nnamfonom bɛyera.”
22 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people comes from the north, and nations shall be stirred up from the end of the earth.
Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Monhwɛ, akodɔm bi reba, wɔfiri atifi fam asase so; wɔrekanyane ɔman kɛseɛ bi afiri nsase ano.
23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; [the people] is fierce, and will have no mercy; their voice is as the roaring sea; they shall array themselves for war against thee as fire on horses and chariots, O daughter of Sion.
Wɔkurakura bɛmma ne pea; wɔn tirim yɛ den, na wɔnni ahummɔborɔ. Wɔn nnyegyeeɛ te sɛ ɛpo asorɔkye. Sɛ wɔtete wɔn apɔnkɔ so a, wɔba te sɛ mmarima a wɔrekɔ ɔko. Wɔrebɛto ahyɛ wo so, Ao Ɔbabaa Sion.”
24 We have heard the report of them: our hands are weakened: anguish has seized us, the pangs as of a woman in travail.
Yɛate wɔn ho nsɛm, na yɛn nsa sesa yɛn ho sɛ deɛ awu. Ehu akyekyere yɛn ɔyea aba wɔn so, te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔreko awoɔ.
25 Go not forth into the field, and walk not in the ways; for the sword of the enemy lingers round about.
Mfiri adi nkɔ wiram na nnante akwan no so, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no wɔ akofena, na baabiara ayɛ hu.
26 O daughter of my people, gird thyself with sackcloth: sprinkle [thyself] with ashes; make for thyself pitiable lamentation, [as] the mourning for a beloved [son]: for misery will come suddenly upon you.
Ao me nkurɔfoɔ, monfira ayitoma na mommunimuni nsõ mu. Momfa adwadwotwa yaaya nni awerɛhoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔsu ma ɔbabarima korɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mpofirim ara ɔsɛefoɔ no bɛba yɛn so.
27 I have caused thee to be tried among tried nations, and thou shalt know me when I have tried their way.
“Mayɛ wo obi a ɔsɔ fagudeɛ hwɛ na me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ dadeben, a wobɛhwɛ wɔn na woasɔ wɔn akwan ahwɛ.
28 [They are] all disobedient, walking perversely: [they are] brass and iron; they are all corrupted.
Wɔn nyinaa yɛ atuatefoɔ a wɔyɛ den, wɔnenam di nsekuro. Wɔyɛ den sɛ kɔbere ne dadeɛ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn adeɛ wɔ porɔeɛ ɛkwan so.
29 The bellows have failed from the fire, the lead has failed: the silversmith works at his trade in vain; their wickedness is not consumed.
Afa no bɔ mframa denden de ogya nane sumpii no, nanso ahobereɛ no yɛ ɔkwa. Ɛntumi nyiyii bɔne no mfirii wɔn mu.
30 Call ye them reprobate silver, because the Lord has rejected them.
Mɛfrɛ wɔn dwetɛ a wɔapo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade apo wɔn.”