Jeremias 18
1 The word that came from the Lord to
Yei ne Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Yeremia nkyɛn.
2 Jeremias, saying, Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there you shall hear my words.
“Kɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie, na ɛhɔ na mede mʼasɛm no bɛma wo.”
3 So I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he was making a vessel on the stones.
Ɛno enti, mekɔɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie na mehunuu no sɛ, ɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ ne ntwahodeɛ so.
4 And the vessel which he was making with his hands fell: so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to him to make [it].
Nanso kukuo a na ɔde dɔteɛ no reyɛ ho adwuma no sɛeɛ wɔ ne nsa mu; ɛno enti ɔnwomfoɔ no yɛɛ kukuo foforɔ, sɛdeɛ ɛyɛ pa ara ma no.
5 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
6 Shall I not be able, O house of Israel, to do to you as this potter? behold, as the clay of the potter are you in my hands.
“Ao, Israel fiefoɔ, merentumi nyɛ mo sɛdeɛ ɔnwomfoɔ yi yɛ anaa?” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Sɛdeɛ dɔteɛ teɛ wɔ ɔnwomfoɔ nsa mu no, saa ara na moteɛ wɔ me nsa mu, Ao Israel fiefoɔ.
7 [If] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation, or upon a kingdom, to cut them off, and to destroy [them];
Sɛ ɛberɛ biara meka sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtutu ɔman bi anaa ahennie bi ase, dwerɛ wɔn, sɛe wɔn a,
8 and that nation turn from all their sins, then will I repent of the evils which I purposed to do to them.
na sɛ ɔman a mebɔɔ no kɔkɔ no sakra firi ne bɔne ho a, mɛsesa mʼadwene na meremfa amanehunu a mesusuiɛ sɛ me de bɛba wɔn so mma bio.
9 And [if] I shall pronounce a decree upon a nation and kingdom, to rebuild and to plant [it];
Na sɛ mmerɛ foforɔ bi meka sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkyekyere ɔman anaa ahennie bi gye no si hɔ,
10 and they do evil before me, so as not to listen to my voice, then will I repent of the good which I spoke of, to do it to them.
na sɛ ɔyɛ bɔne wɔ mʼani so na wanyɛ ɔsetie amma me a, ɛnneɛ mesane adwene papa a mepɛɛ sɛ meyɛ noɔ no ho.
11 And now say to the men of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Behold, I prepare evils against you, and devise a device against you: let every one turn now from his evil way, and amend your practices.
“Na afei ka kyerɛ Yudafoɔ ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: Hwɛ! Mede amanehunu reba mo so, na mereyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛtia mo. Ɛno enti mo mu biara nnane mfiri nʼakwammɔne so na monsiesie mo akwan ne mo nneyɛɛ.’
12 And they said, We will quit ourselves like men, for we will pursue our perverse ways, and we will perform each the lusts of his evil heart.
Nanso wɔbɛbua sɛ, ‘Ɛho nni mfasoɔ. Yɛbɛkɔ so adi yɛn ara yɛn nhyehyɛeɛ so; yɛn mu biara bɛyɛ asoɔden a ɛfiri nʼakoma bɔne mu.’”
13 Therefore thus says the Lord; Enquire now amongst the nations, who has heard such very horrible things as the virgin of Israel has done?
Ɛno enti deɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “Mommisa wɔ amanaman no mu sɛ, hwan na wate biribi sɛi pɛn? Ɔbaabunu Israel ayɛ adeɛ bi a ɛyɛ hu yie.
14 Will fertilising streams fail [to flow] from a rock, or snow [fail] from Libanus? will water violently impelled by the wind turn aside?
Sukyerɛmma a ɛwɔ Lebanon nane firi nsaneɛ mu abotan no so anaa? Nsuo wiridudu a nʼatifi wɔ akyirikyiri gyae sene anaa?
15 For my people have forgotten me, they have offered incense in vain, and they fail in their ways, [leaving] the ancient tracks, to enter upon impassable paths;
Nanso, me nkurɔfoɔ werɛ afiri me. Wɔhye nnuhwam ma ahoni huhuo, a ɛma wɔn suntisunti wɔ wɔn akwan so ne tete atempɔn so. Wɔma wɔfa akwan nkyɛn ne akwan a wɔmmɔeɛ so.
16 to make their land a desolation, and a perpetual hissing; all that go through it shall be amazed, and shall shake their heads.
Wɔn asase bɛda mpan, na ayɛ adeɛ a wɔbɛbu no animtia daa; wɔn a wɔtwam hɔ no ho bɛdwiri wɔn na wɔbɛwosowoso wɔn ti.
17 I will scatter them before their enemies like an east wind; I will show them the day of their destruction.
Mɛbɔ wɔn ahwete wɔ wɔn atamfoɔ anim te sɛ deɛ apueeɛ mframa yɛ no. Mɛdane mʼakyi akyerɛ wɔn, na ɛnyɛ mʼanim, wɔ wɔn amanehunu da no.”
18 Then they said, Come, and let us devise a device against Jeremias; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us strike him with the tongue, and we will hear all his words.
Wɔkaa sɛ, “Mommra mma yɛmfa adwene ntia Yeremia; yɛremma asɔfoɔ no anaa anyansafoɔ no anaa adiyifoɔ no nkyerɛkyerɛ no nyera. Mommra na yɛntu yɛn ano ngu ne so a yɛnntie deɛ ɔbɛka biara.”
19 Hear me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my pleading.
Yɛ aso ma me, Ao, Awurade; tie deɛ wɔn a wɔpam me tiri so reka!
20 Forasmuch as evil is rewarded for good; for they have spoken words against my soul, and they have hidden the punishment they [meant] for me; remember that I stood before your face, to speak good for them, to turn away your wrath from them.
Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde bɔne tua papa so ka anaa? Nanso wɔatu amena ama me. Kae sɛ megyinaa wʼanim na mekasa maa wɔn sɛdeɛ wobɛyi wʼabufuhyeɛ afiri wɔn so.
21 Therefore do you deliver their sons to famine, and gather them to the power of the sword: let their women be childless and widows; and let their men be cut off by death, and their young men fall by the sword in war.
Ɛno enti, ma ɛkɔm nne wɔn mma; yi wɔn ma akofena. Ma wɔn yerenom nyɛ abonini ne akunafoɔ; ma wɔnkunkum wɔn mmarima na wɔmfa akofena nkunkum wɔn mmeranteɛ wɔ ɔko mu.
22 Let there be a cry in their houses: you shall bring upon them robbers suddenly: for they have formed a plan to take me, and have hidden snares for me.
Ma wɔnte osu wɔ wɔn afie mu ɛberɛ a atamfoɔ atu wɔn so sa mpofirim, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔatu amena ama me, na wɔasumsum me nan mfidie.
23 And you, Lord, know all their deadly counsel against me: account not their iniquities guiltless, and blot not out their sins from before you: let their weakness come before you; deal with them in the time of your wrath.
Nanso wonim Ao, Awurade, ɛpɔ a wɔabɔ nyinaa sɛ wɔbɛkum me. Mfa wɔn nsɛmmɔne nkyɛ wɔn, na nyi wʼani mfiri wɔn bɔne so. Ma wɔnni nkoguo wɔ wʼanim; na wo ne wɔn nni wɔ wʼabofuo mu.
