Jeremiah 18
1 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe gbe si va na Yeremia,
2 Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.
“Tso nàyi ɖe zemela ƒe aƒe me, eye le afi ma matsɔ nye gbedeasi na wo.”
3 I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.
Ale meyi ɖe zemela ƒe aƒe me eye mekpɔe wònɔ dɔ wɔm le zemenu dzi.
4 But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.
Ke ze si mem wòle la gbã ɖe eƒe asiwo me, eya ta zemela la tsɔ anyi la me ze bubu ale si dze eya zemela la ŋu.
5 The Lord's message came to me, saying,
Tete Yehowa ƒe gbe va nam bena,
6 People of Israel, declares the Lord, can't I deal with you just like this potter does with his clay? I hold you in my hand just like clay in the potter's hand, people of Israel.
“Yehowa be O Israel ƒe aƒe, ɖe nyemate ŋu awɔ na wò abe ale si zemela sia wɔ ene oa? O Israel ƒe aƒe, abe ale si anyi nɔa zemela ƒe asi me ene la, nenema miele nye asimee.
7 At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.
Ne ɣe aɖe ɣi meɖe gbeƒã be maho dukɔ alo fiaɖuƒe aɖe kple ke, agbãe, ahatsrɔ̃e,
8 However, if that nation I warned gives up its evil ways, then I will change my mind regarding the disaster I was about to bring.
eye dukɔ si ŋu megblɔ nya la ɖo la trɔ le eƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi vavã la, ekema matrɔ susu eye nyemagahe gbegblẽ si meɖo ɖe eŋuti la ava edzi o.
9 At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom.
Ke ne meɖe gbeƒã ɣe bubu ɣi be maɖo dukɔ alo fiaɖuƒe aɖe te, ahade eƒe agunu to
10 But if it does evil in my sight and refuses to listen to my voice, then I will change my mind regarding the good I had planned for it.
gake wòwɔ nu si nye vɔ̃ le nye ŋkume eye meɖo tom o la, ekema matrɔ susu le nu nyui si meɖo be mawɔ nɛ hafi la ŋuti.
11 So tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: Watch out! I am preparing disaster for you, and working out a plan against you. All of you, give up your evil ways. Live right and act right!
“Azɔ gblɔ na ame siwo le Yuda kple Yerusalem be, ‘Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Kpɔ ɖa, meɖo gbegblẽ ɖe mia ŋu eye mele nugbe ɖom ɖe mia ŋu. Mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe netrɔ le eƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi eye miaɖɔ miaƒe mɔwo kple wɔnawo ɖo.’
12 But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”
Gake woaɖo eŋu be, ‘Mehiã o; miayi edzi awɔ miaƒe lɔlɔ̃nu eye mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe adze eƒe dzi vɔ̃ɖi kple aglãdzenuwo yome.’”
13 Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.
Eya ta ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Mibia le dukɔwo dome be, ame kae se esia tɔgbi kpɔ mahã? Ɖetugbi dzadzɛ, Israel, wɔ ŋunyɔnu si teƒe mekɔ o.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever disappear from its rocky mountain-tops? Do its cool waters that flow from such distant sources ever dry up?
Ɖe tsikpe si dzana ɖe Lebanon ƒe agakpewo kɔgo la vɔna? Ɖe eƒe tsi fafɛ si sina toa dukɔ la me tso teƒe didiwo la nu tsona?
15 But my people have rejected me! They burn incense to useless idols which trip them up, making them leave the old roads in order to walk down unmade paths instead of the highway.
Ke nye amewo ŋlɔm be hedoa dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ na legba maɖinu siwo nana be woklia nu le woƒe toƒewo kple blemamɔwo dzi. Wonana be wozɔa mɔ siwo to duwo xa kple mɔ siwo menye mɔ dodowo o la dzi.
16 They have turned their country into a horrific wasteland, a place that will always be treated with contempt. People passing by will be shocked, shaking their heads in disbelief.
Woana woƒe anyigba nazu gbegbe, eye woazu alɔmeɖenu tegbee. Ame siwo katã ato afi ma ayi la, ƒe mo awɔ yaa, eye woaʋuʋu ta.
17 Like a strong wind from the east I will scatter them before the enemy. I will turn my back on them and not look at them when their time of trouble comes.
Makaka wo le woƒe futɔwo ŋgɔ abe ɣedzeƒeya ene. Matrɔ nye megbe ade wo le woƒe dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒe ŋkeke la dzi, ke menye nye ŋkume o.”
18 Some people decided, “We need a plan to deal with Jeremiah. There'll still be priests to explain the law, there'll still be wise people to give advice, and there'll still be prophets to give prophecies. Let's organize a smear campaign against him so we don't have to listen to a word he says.”
Tete wogblɔ be, “Miva, mina míaɖo nugbe ɖe Yeremia ŋu, elabena mele be nunɔlawo ƒe se la fiafia, nunyalawo ƒe aɖaŋudede alo nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe nyawo nabu o, eya ta miva míawɔ avu kplii kple míaƒe aɖewo, eye míado toku nu sia nu si wòagblɔ.”
19 Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying!
Yehowa, ɖo tom, se nu si gblɔm nunyetsolawo le la ɖa!
20 Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they have dug a pit to trap me! Remember how I stood before you to plead on their behalf, to stop you being angry with them?
Ɖe woatsɔ vɔ̃ aɖo nyui teƒea? Ke woɖe ʋe ɖi nam. Ɖo ŋku edzi be metsi tsitre ɖe ŋkuwòme ɖe kuku ɖe wo ta be nàtsɔ woƒe nu vɔ̃wo ake wo ne màgatrɔ wò dɔmedzoe akɔ ɖe wo dzi o.
21 But now may their children starve; may they be killed by the sword. May their wives lose their children and their husbands; may their husbands die from disease; may their young men be killed in battle.
Eya ta tsɔ wo viwo de asi na dɔwuame, tsɔ wo de asi na yi ƒe ŋusẽ. Na be wo srɔ̃wo nazu konɔwo kple ahosiwo, na be woawu wo srɔ̃ŋutsuwo, eye woƒe ɖekakpuiwo natsi yi nu le aʋagbedzi.
22 May cries of agony be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders to attack them, because they dug a pit to capture me and hid traps to catch me as I walk along.
Na be avifafa naɖi le woƒe aƒewo me ne èkplɔ adzohawo va ƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi, elabena woɖe ʋe ɖi be mage ɖe eme ne yewoalém, eye woɖo mɔ ɖi na nye afɔwo.
23 But Lord, you know about all their plots to try and kill me. Don't forgive their wickedness; don't wipe away their sin. Bring them down! Deal with them when you're angry!
O Yehowa, wò la, ènya nugbe si woɖo ɖe ŋunye be yewoawum. Mègatsɔ woƒe hlɔ̃dodowo ke alo nàtutu woƒe nu vɔ̃wo ɖa le ŋkuwòme o. Na be woatsɔ wo axlã ɖe anyi le ŋkuwòme, eye nàtu nu kpli wo le wò dzikudogbe.
