< Jeremiah 1 >
1 The words of Jeremias the son of Helcias, of the priests that were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin.
Nsɛm a efi Yeremia nkyɛn ni. Yeremia yɛ Hilkia babarima a na ɔyɛ Anatot asɔfo no mu baako wɔ Benyamin asase so.
2 The word of the Lord which came to him in the days of Josias the son of Amon king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Awurade asɛm baa ne nkyɛn wɔ Yosia a ɔyɛ Yuda hene Amon babarima adedi afe a ɛto so dumiɛnsa no mu.
3 And which came to him in the days of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda, unto the end of the eleventh year of Sedecias the son of Josias king of Juda, even unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, in the fifth month.
Ɛtoaa so wɔ Yuda hene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim bere so, kosii Yuda hene Yosia babarima Sedekia bere so a nnipa a wɔte Yerusalem kɔɔ nkoasom mu wɔ adedi no afe a ɛto so dubaako no ɔsram a ɛto so anum no mu.
4 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
5 Before I formed thee in the bowels of thy mother, I knew thee: and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and made thee a prophet unto the nations.
“Ansa na mereyɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu no na minim wo; ansa na wɔrebɛwo wo no, miyii wo sii nkyɛn; meyɛɛ wo odiyifo maa aman no.”
6 And I said: Ah, ah, ah, Lord God: behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child.
Mekae se, “Aa, Otumfo Awurade minnim kasa; meyɛ abofra.”
7 And the Lord said to me: Say not: I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee: and whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Nka se ‘meyɛ abofra.’ Ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ obiara a mɛsoma wo no nkyɛn na woka asɛm biara a mɛhyɛ wo sɛ ka no.
8 Be not afraid at their presence: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
Nsuro wɔn, efisɛ meka wo ho, na magye wo,” nea Awurade se ni.
9 And the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth: and the Lord said to me: Behold I have given my words in thy mouth:
Na Awurade teɛɛ ne nsa de kaa mʼano na ɔka kyerɛɛ me se, “Mprempren mede me nsɛm ahyɛ wʼanom.
10 Lo, I have set thee this day over the nations, and over the kingdoms, to root up, and pull down, and to waste, and to destroy, and to build, and to plant.
Hwɛ, nnɛ, mede wo asi aman ne ahenni so sɛ, tutu na dwiriw gu, sɛe na tu gu, kyekyere na dua.”
11 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: What seest thou, Jeremias? And I said: I see a rod watching.
Na Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se, “Dɛn na wuhu yi, Yeremia?” Na mibuae se, “Mihu ɔsonkoran dubaa.”
12 And the Lord said to me: Thou hast seen well: for I will watch over my word to perform it.
Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Wahu no yiye, na merehwɛ anim sɛ mʼasɛm bɛba mu.”
13 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying: What seest thou? I see a boiling caldron, and the face thereof from the face of the north.
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio se, “Dɛn na wuhu yi?” Mibuae se, “Mihu kuku a ɛrehuru sɛ ano rekyea akyerɛ yɛn fi atifi fam.”
14 And the Lord said to me: from the north shall an evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Wobefi atifi fam de amanehunu aba wɔn a wɔte asase no so nyinaa so.
15 For behold I will call together all the families of the kingdoms of the north: saith the Lord: and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all the walls thereof round about, and upon all the cities of Juda,
Merebɛfrɛ atifi ahenni mu nnipa nyinaa,” nea Awurade se ni. “Wɔn ahemfo de wɔn ahengua bɛba abesisi Yerusalem kuropɔn apon ano; wɔbɛtow ahyɛ nʼafasu a atwa ahyia ne Yuda nkurow nyinaa so.
16 And I will pronounce my judgements against them, touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have sacrificed to strange gods, and have adored the work of their own hands.
Mebu me nkurɔfo atɛn wɔ wɔn amumɔyɛ sɛ wɔagyaw me, sɛ wɔhyew nnuhuam ma anyame afoforo na wɔkotow sɔre nea wɔde wɔn nsa ayɛ.
17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee. Be not afraid at their presence: for I will make thee not to fear their countenance.
“Siesie wo ho! Sɔre na ka nea mɛka akyerɛ wo biara kyerɛ wɔn. Mma wɔmmmɔ wo hu, anyɛ saa a mɛma woabɔ hu wɔ wɔn anim.
18 For behold I have made thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass, over all the land, to the kings of Juda, to the princes thereof, and to the priests, and to the people of the land.
Nnɛ, mayɛ wo kuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ, dadedum ne kɔbere fasu sɛ wobɛsɔre atia asase no nyinaa, Yuda ahemfo, nʼadwumayɛfo, asɔfo ne nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so.
19 And they shall fight against thee, and shall not prevail: for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee.
Wɔbɛko atia wo, nanso wɔrentumi nni wo so nkonim, efisɛ meka wo ho na megye wo,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.