Jeremiah 18
1 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
Yei ne Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Yeremia nkyɛn.
2 Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.
“Kɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie, na ɛhɔ na mede mʼasɛm no bɛma wo.”
3 I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.
Ɛno enti, mekɔɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie na mehunuu no sɛ, ɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ ne ntwahodeɛ so.
4 But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.
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 The Lord's message came to me, saying,
Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
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.
“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 At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.
Sɛ ɛberɛ biara meka sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtutu ɔman bi anaa ahennie bi ase, dwerɛ wɔn, sɛe wɔn a,
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.
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 At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom.
Na sɛ mmerɛ foforɔ bi meka sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkyekyere ɔman anaa ahennie bi gye no si hɔ,
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.
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 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!
“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 But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”
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 Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.
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 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?
Sukyerɛmma a ɛwɔ Lebanon nane firi nsaneɛ mu abotan no so anaa? Nsuo wiridudu a nʼatifi wɔ akyirikyiri gyae sene anaa?
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.”
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 Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying!
Yɛ aso ma me, Ao, Awurade; tie deɛ wɔn a wɔpam me tiri so reka!
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?
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 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.
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 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.
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 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!
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.
