Jeremiah 18
1 The word that came from Jeremias to the Lord, saying:
Eyi ne Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Yeremia nkyɛn.
2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there thou shalt hear my words.
“Kɔ ɔnwemfo no fi, na hɔ na mede mʼasɛm no bɛma wo.”
3 And I went down into the potter’s house, and behold he was doing a work on the wheel.
Ɛno nti, mekɔɔ ɔnwemfo no fi na mihuu no sɛ, ɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ ne ntwahode so.
4 And the vessel was broken which he was making with clay with his hands: and turning he made another vessel, as it seemed good in his eyes to make it.
Nanso kuku a na ɔde dɔte no reyɛ ho adwuma no sɛe wɔ ne nsam; ɛno nti ɔnwemfo no yɛɛ kuku foforo, sɛnea eye pa ara ma no.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
6 Cannot I do with you as this potter, saith the Lord? behold as clay is in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
“Israelfi, merentumi nyɛ mo sɛnea ɔnwemfo yi yɛ ana?” Awurade na ose. “Sɛnea dɔte te wɔ ɔnwemfo nsam no, saa ara na mote wɔ me nsam, Israelfi.
7 I will suddenly speak against a nation, and against a kingdom, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy it.
Sɛ bere biara meka se ɛsɛ sɛ wotutu ɔman bi anaa ahenni bi ase, dwerɛw wɔn, sɛe wɔn a,
8 If that nation against which I have spoken, shall repent of their evil, I also will repent of the evil that I have thought to do to them.
na sɛ ɔman a mebɔɔ no kɔkɔ no sakra fi ne bɔne ho a, mɛsakra mʼadwene na meremfa amanehunu a misusuwii sɛ mede bɛba wɔn so mma bio.
9 And I will suddenly speak of a nation and of a kingdom, to build up and plant it.
Na sɛ mmere foforo bi meka se, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkyekye ɔman anaa ahenni bi gye no si hɔ,
10 If it shall do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice: I will repent of the good that I have spoken to do unto it.
na sɛ ɔyɛ bɔne wɔ mʼani so na wanyɛ osetie amma me a, ɛno de mesan adwene papa a mepɛɛ sɛ meyɛ no no ho.
11 Now therefore tell the men of Juda, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: let every man of you return from his evil way, and make ye your ways and your doings good.
“Na afei ka kyerɛ Yudafo ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem no se, ‘Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Hwɛ! mede amanehunu reba mo so, na mereyɛ nhyehyɛe a etia mo. Ɛno nti mo mu biara nnan mfi nʼakwammɔne so na munsiesie mo akwan ne mo nneyɛe.’
12 And they said: We have no hopes: for we will go after our own thoughts, and we will do every one according to the perverseness of his evil heart.
Nanso wobebua se, ‘So nni mfaso. Yɛbɛkɔ so adi yɛn ara yɛn nhyehyɛe so; yɛn mu biara bɛyɛ asoɔden a efi ne koma bɔne mu.’”
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord: Ask among the nations: Who hath heard such horrible things, as the virgin of Israel hath done to excess?
Ɛno nti nea Awurade se ni, “Mummisa wɔ amanaman no mu se, hena na wate biribi sɛɛ pɛn? Ɔbabun Israel ayɛ ade bi a ɛyɛ hu yiye.
14 Shall now the snow of Libanus fail from the rock of the field? or can the cold waters that gush out and run down, be taken away?
So sukyerɛmma a ɛwɔ Lebanon no yera fi nʼabotan a esian no so ana? So nʼatifi nsu wiridudu a efi akyirikyiri no gyae sen ana?
15 Because my people have forgotten me, sacrificing in vain, and stumbling in their ways, in ancient paths, to walk by them in a way not trodden:
Nanso me nkurɔfo werɛ afi me. Wɔhyew nnuhuam ma ahoni huhuw, a ɛma wohintihintiw wɔ wɔn akwan so ne tete atempɔn so. Wɔma wɔfa kwatikwan ne akwan a wɔmmɔe so.
16 That their land might be given up to desolation, and to a perpetual hissing: every one that shall pass by it, shall be astonished, and wag his head.
Wɔn asase bɛda mpan, na ayɛ ade a wobebu no animtiaa daa; wɔn a wotwa mu hɔ no ho bedwiriw wɔn na wobehinhim wɔn ti.
17 As a burning will I scatter them before the enemy: I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their destruction.
Sɛnea apuei mframa te no, mɛbɔ wɔn ahwete wɔ wɔn atamfo anim; mɛdan mʼakyi akyerɛ wɔn na ɛnyɛ mʼanim wɔ wɔn amanehunu da no.”
18 And they said: Come, and let us invent devices 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 let us give no heed to all his words.
Wɔkae se, “Mommra ma yɛmfa adwene ntia Yeremia; sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a asɔfo no nkyerɛkyerɛ a ɛfa mmara no ho, anyansafo no afotu anaa asɛm a efi adiyifo hɔ no renyera. Mommra na yentu yɛn ano ngu ne so a yɛrentie nea ɔbɛka biara.”
19 Give heed to me, O Lord, and hear the voice of my adversaries.
Yɛ aso ma me, Awurade; tie nea wɔn a wɔpam me ti so no reka!
20 Shall evil be rendered for good, because they have digged a pit for my soul? Remember that I have stood in thy sight, so speak good for them, and turn away thy indignation from them.
Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde bɔne tua papa so ka ana? Nanso wɔatu amoa ama me. Kae sɛ migyinaa wʼanim na mekasa maa wɔn, sɛnea wubeyi wʼabufuwhyew afi wɔn so.
21 Therefore deliver up their children to famine, and bring them into the hands of the sword: let their wives be bereaved of children and widows: and let their husbands be slain by death: let their young men be stabbed with the sword in battle.
Ɛno nti, ma ɔkɔm nne wɔn mma; yi wɔn ma afoa. Ma wɔn yerenom nyɛ abonin ne akunafo; ma wonkunkum wɔn mmarima, na wɔmfa afoa nkunkum wɔn mmerante wɔ ɔko mu.
22 Let a cry be heard out of their houses: for thou shalt bring the robber upon them suddenly: because they have digged a pit to take me, and have hid snares for my feet.
Ma wɔnte osu wɔ wɔn afi mu bere a atamfo atu wɔn so sa mpofirim, efisɛ wɔatu amoa ama me, na wɔasunsum mʼanan mfiri.
23 But thou, O Lord, knowest all their counsel against me unto death: forgive not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from thy sight: let them be overthrown before thy eyes, in the time of thy wrath do thou destroy them.
Nanso wunim Awurade, pɔw a wɔabɔ nyinaa se wobekum me. Mfa wɔn nsɛmmɔne nkyɛ wɔn, na nyi wʼani mfi wɔn bɔne so. Ma wonni nkogu wɔ wʼanim; na wo ne wɔn nni wɔ wʼabufuw mu.
