Jeremiah 4
1 “O Israel, if you would return, says the Lord, then be converted to me. If you remove your offense from before my face, then you will not be shaken.
“Sɛ wobɛsane wʼakyi a Ao, Israel, sane bra me nkyɛn,” sei na Awurade seɛ. “Sɛ woyi wʼahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwadeɛ firi mʼani so na sɛ woammane bio,
2 And you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth and in judgment and in justice.” And the Gentiles will bless him, and they will praise him.
na sɛ, nokorɛ, pɛyɛ ne tenenee mu woka ntam sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ a afei mobɛyɛ nhyira ama aman no na ne mu na wɔbɛnya animuonyam.”
3 For thus says the Lord to the men of Judah and of Jerusalem: “Break new ground, and do not choose to sow upon thorns.
Yei ne asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛ Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalem: “Monsiesie mo asase a wɔmfuntum da na monnnua wɔ nkasɛɛ mu.
4 Be circumcised to the Lord, and take away the foreskins from your hearts, O men of Judah, O inhabitants of Jerusalem. Otherwise my indignation may burst forth and flare up like a fire. And then there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the wickedness of your thoughts.
Montwitwa mo ho twetia mma Awurade montwitwa mo akoma twetia, mo Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalemfoɔ, anyɛ saa a mʼabufuhyeɛ bɛsɔre na adɛre sɛ ogya. Mo bɔne a moayɛ enti, ɛbɛhye a obiara rennum.”
5 Declare it in Judah, and make it known in Jerusalem! Speak out and sound the trumpet in the land! Cry out strongly and say: ‘Gather yourselves! And let us go forth to fortified cities!’
“Bɔ nkaeɛ wɔ Yuda na pae mu ka wɔ Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Hyɛn totorobɛnto no wɔ asase no nyinaa so!’ Team denden sɛ: ‘Mommoaboa mo ho ano! Momma yɛn nnwane nkɔ kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no so!’
6 Lift up a standard in Zion. Be strengthened! Do not choose to stand still. For I am bringing an evil from the north, with great destruction.
Momma frankaa so na monkɔ Sion monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Ɛfiri sɛ mede amanehunu firi atifi fam reba, ɔsɛeɛ a ɛyɛ hu.”
7 The lion has ascended from his den, and the pillager of the nations has lifted himself up. He has gone forth from his place, so that he may set your land in desolation. Your cities will be laid waste, remaining without an inhabitant.
Gyata bi afiri ne tu mu; ɔbɔaman bi asi mu. Wafiri ne tenabea sɛ ɔrebɛsɛe wʼasase. Wo nkuro bɛbubu na ada mpan.
8 Concerning this, wrap yourselves in haircloth, mourn and wail: ‘For the wrath of the fury of the Lord has not been turned away from us.’
Enti fira ayitoma, di awerɛhoɔ na twa adwo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade abufuhyeɛ no nnane mfirii yɛn so.
9 And this shall be in that day, says the Lord: The heart of the king will perish, with the heart of the princes. And the priests will be stupefied, and the prophets will be in consternation.”
“Saa ɛda no,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “ɔhene no ne adwumayɛfoɔ no bɛbɔ hu, asɔfoɔ no bo bɛtu, na adiyifoɔ no ho bɛdwiri wɔn.”
10 And I said: “Alas, alas, alas, O Lord God! Could it be that you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying: ‘Peace shall be yours,’ while, behold, the sword reaches even to the soul?”
Afei, mekaa sɛ, “Aa, Otumfoɔ Awurade, woadaadaa nnipa yi ne Yerusalem. Wokaa sɛ, ‘Mobɛnya asomdwoeɛ,’ wɔ ɛberɛ a akofena da yɛn mene mu.”
11 “In that time, it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: ‘A burning wind is in the ways that are in the desert, along the way of the daughter of my people, but not to winnow and not to cleanse.’
Saa ɛberɛ no wɔbɛka akyerɛ nnipa yi ne Yerusalem sɛ, “Mframa a emu yɛ hyeɛ bɛbɔ afiri nkokoɔ wesee a ɛwɔ anweatam so aba me nkurɔfoɔ so, ɛnyɛ deɛ ɛpɔ ho anaa ɛhuhu soɔ;
12 A full spirit from these places will come to me. And now I will speak my judgments over them.
mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no firi me nkyɛn. Afei, mepae mu ka mʼatemmuo a ɛtia wɔn.”
13 Behold, he will ascend like a cloud, and his chariot will ascend like a tempest. His horses are swifter than eagles. ‘Woe to us! For we are being devastated!’
Hwɛ! Ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ, ntwahoframa, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ herɛ sene akɔdeɛ. Yɛnnue! Yɛawu!
14 Wash your heart from malice, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will harmful thoughts abide in you?
Ao, Yerusalem, yi bɔne firi wʼakoma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akɔsi da bɛn?
15 For there is a voice, of someone announcing from Dan, and he is making known the idol from mount Ephraim.
Ɛnne bi rebɔ kaseɛ firi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuro firi Efraim nkokoɔ so.
16 Say to the nations: ‘Behold, it has been heard in Jerusalem! Guardians are coming from a far away land, to utter their voice against the cities of Judah.’
“Monka yei nkyerɛ aman no, mommɔ no dawuro nkyerɛ Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Atuafoɔ dɔm firi akyirikyiri asase bi so reba, wɔma ɔko nteamu so de tia Yuda nkuropɔn.
17 They have been stationed over her, like the guardians of fields, all around. For she has provoked me to wrath, says the Lord.
Wɔtwa kuropɔn no ho hyia sɛ mmarima a wɔrewɛn afuo, ɛfiri sɛ me nkurɔfoɔ ate me so atua,’” sei na Awurade seɛ.
18 Your ways and your thoughts have brought these things upon you. This is your own wickedness. And it is bitter, because it has touched your heart.
“Wʼankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛeɛ na ɛde yei aba wo so. Yei yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwono! Ɛwowɔ akoma!”
19 I am afflicted in my heart, in my heart. The senses of my heart have been stirred up within me. I will not remain silent. For my soul has heard the voice of the trumpet, the clamor of the battle.
Ao mʼahoyera, mʼahoyera! Mede ɔyea nukanuka me mu. Ao mʼakoma ɔyeadie! Mʼakoma bɔ paripari wɔ me mu, mentumi nyɛ komm. Ɛfiri sɛ, mate totorobɛnto no nnyegyeɛ; mate ɔko frɛ no.
20 Destruction upon destruction has been called forth. And the entire earth has been devastated. My tabernacles have been destroyed suddenly, and my tents in an instant.
Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntomadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
21 How long shall I watch those who are fleeing, and listen to the voice of the trumpet?
Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na metie totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ kɔsi da bɛn?
22 For my foolish people have not known me. They are foolish and mad sons. They are clever in doing evil, but they do not know how to do good.
“Me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ nkwaseafoɔ; wɔnnim me. Wɔyɛ mma a wɔnni adwen; wɔnte hwee ase. Wɔwɔ bɔneyɛ ho nyansa; na wɔnnim sɛdeɛ wɔyɛ papa.”
23 I gazed upon the earth, and behold, it was empty and brought to nothing. And I gazed upon the heavens, but there was no light in them.
Mehwɛeɛ asase no, na ɛnni bɔbea na hwee nni so; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.
24 I watched the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills were shaken.
Mehwɛeɛ mmepɔ no, na wɔrewosowoso, na nkokoɔ no nyinaa rehinhim.
25 I looked, and there was no man. And all the flying things of the air had gone away.
Mehwɛeɛ, na nnipa nni hɔ; ewiem anomaa biara atu kɔ.
26 I gazed, and behold, Carmel was a desert, and all its cities were destroyed before the face of the Lord, and before the face of the wrath of his fury.”
Mehwɛeɛ, na nsasebereɛ no adane anweatam na ne nkuro nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ anim.
27 For thus says the Lord: “All the earth will be desolate, but I will not yet bring about its consummation.
Sei na Awurade seɛ: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa, mmom merensɛe no korakora.
28 The earth will mourn, and the heavens will lament from above. For I have spoken, I have decided, and I have not regretted. Neither will I be turned away from it.
Enti asase bɛdi awerɛhoɔ na ɔsorosoro bɛduru sum, ɛfiri sɛ makasa na merentwe nsan. Masi gyinaeɛ na mennane no.”
29 Before the voice of the horsemen and of those who send forth arrows, the entire city has fled. They have entered steep places, and they have ascended the cliffs. All of the cities have been abandoned, and no man lives within them.
Apɔnkɔsotefoɔ ne agyantofoɔ nnyegyeeɛ ma kuro biara sofoɔ dwane. Ebinom kɔhyɛ nkyɛkyerɛ mu ebinom foro kɔ abotan mu. Nkuro no nyinaa so ada mpan; na obiara nte so.
30 So then, when you have been devastated, what will you do? Though you will clothe yourself with scarlet, though you will adorn yourself with a gold necklace and tint your eyes with cosmetics, you will be dressing yourself up in vain. Your lovers have spurned you; they will be seeking your life.
Ɛdeɛn na woreyɛ Ao wo a woasɛe woɔ? Adɛn na wofira kɔben de sikakɔkɔɔ agudeɛ asiesie wo ho? Adɛn na wode nnuro keka wʼani? Wohyehyɛ wo ho kwa. Wʼadɔfoɔ bu wo animtia; wɔrepɛ wo akum wo.
31 For I have heard a voice, like that of a woman giving birth, during the difficulties of labor. It is the voice of the daughter of Zion, dying, extending her hands: ‘Woe to me! For my soul is failing because of those who have been slain!’”
Mete osu bi te sɛ ɔbaa a awoɔ aka no, mete apinisie te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔrebɔne awoɔ, Ɔbabaa Sion su te sɛ deɛ nisupɔporɔ ahini no, ɔtrɛ ne nsa mu na ɔka sɛ, “Afei deɛ, meretɔ baha; wɔde me kra ama awudifoɔ.”
