Jeremiah 3
1 If a man divorces his wife and she goes and marries someone else, could he ever go back to her? Wouldn't the country be made totally unclean by this? But you have done worse by prostituting yourselves with many lovers, and now you want to come back to me? declares the Lord.
“Sɛ ɔbarima gyaa ne yere na ɔbea no kɔware ɔbarima foforo a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no san kɔ ɔbea no nkyɛn ana? Ɛremma asase no ho ngu fi koraa ana? Nanso wo ne adɔfo bebree abɔ aguaman, na mprempren de wobɛsan aba me nkyɛn ana?” Awurade na ose.
2 Look up at the bare hilltops. Is there anywhere that you haven't had sex? You sat at the roadside like someone from the desert waiting for your lovers to pass by. You have made the land unclean with your prostitution and evil.
“Ma wʼani so hwɛ nkoko no so. Baabi wɔ hɔ a wɔntoo wo mmonnaa da ana? Wotenaa kwankyɛn twɛn adɔfo, wotenaa sɛ mmoahwɛfo a wodi atutena wɔ nweatam so. Woagu asase no ho fi, wode wʼaguamammɔ ne wʼamumɔyɛ na ayɛ.
3 That's why no showers have been sent, and no spring rains have fallen. But you just stare back shamelessly like a prostitute; you refuse to accept you've done anything wrong.
Enti wɔatwe obosu asan, na asusowbere su antɔ. Nanso wʼanim ayɛ sɛ oguamanfo a ɔmfɛre hwee; wʼani nwu hwee.
4 Didn't you just tell me, “My father, you've been such a close friend to me since I was little.
Nnansa yi ara, woamfrɛ me se: ‘Mʼagya, me mmabunmmere mu adamfo,
5 You won't be angry with me for a long time, will you? You won't go on being like that forever?” This is what you've said, but you keep on sinning as much as you can.
wo bo befuw biribiara ana? Wʼabufuwhyew no bɛkɔ so daa ana?’ Sɛɛ na wokasa, nanso woyɛ bɔne nyinaa sɛnea wutumi.”
6 During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord told me, Have you seen what unfaithful Israel has done? She has prostituted herself on every high hill and under every green tree.
Ɔhene Yosia adedi bere so no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Woahu nea Israel a onni nokware no ayɛ? Wakɔ nkoko nyinaa so ne dua a adennan biara ase akɔsɛe aware wɔ hɔ.
7 I hoped that after she'd done all this she'd come back to me. But she didn't come back, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw what happened.
Misusuwii sɛ anka wayɛ eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ɔbɛsan aba me nkyɛn nanso wamma, na ne nuabea Yuda a ɔno nso nka nokware no hui.
8 She saw that because of everything unfaithful Israel had done on committing adultery, I sent her away, giving her a certificate of divorce. But her unfaithful sister Judah wasn't afraid and prostituted herself too.
Memaa Israel a onni nokware no awaregyae nhoma na mepam no esiane nʼawaresɛe abrabɔ nti. Nanso mihuu sɛ ne nuabea Yuda a onni nokware no ansuro; ɔno nso kɔbɔɔ aguaman bra.
9 Israel didn't care about the immorality, as she made herself and the land unclean, committing adultery by worshiping stones and trees.
Esiane sɛ Israel aguamammɔ anyɛ no asɛnhia nti, ɔde fi kaa asase no na ɔne abo ne nnua bɔɔ aguaman.
10 Despite all this, her unfaithful sister Judah didn't come back to me in sincerity. She only pretended to do so, declares the Lord.
Eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ne nuabea Yuda amfi ne koma nyinaa mu ansan amma me nkyɛn, ɔyɛ de kyerɛɛ kɛkɛ,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
11 The Lord told me, Unfaithful Israel showed that she wasn't as guilty as unfaithful Judah.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Israel a onni nokware no teɛ sen Yuda okontomponi no.
12 Now go and announce this message to the north: Come back, unfaithful Israel, declares the Lord. I won't be angry with you anymore, because I am merciful, declares the Lord. I won't be angry forever.
Kɔ, fa wʼani kyerɛ atifi fam kɔka saa nsɛm yi kyerɛ wɔn: “‘San wʼakyi, Israel a onni nokware,’ Sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Meremmuna nkyerɛ wo bio, efisɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufo,’ sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Me bo remfuw afebɔɔ.
13 Just admit you did wrong, that you rebelled against the Lord your God. You spread yourself around, committing adultery by worshiping foreign gods under every green tree, refusing to do what I told you, declares the Lord.
Gye wo afɔdi to mu, woatew Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn anim atua, woakyekyɛ wʼadɔe mu ama ananafo anyame wɔ dua biara a adennan ase, na woanyɛ osetie amma me,’” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
14 Come back, unfaithful children, declares the Lord, because I am married to you. I will take you, one from a town and two from a family, and bring you to Zion.
“Monsan mo akyi, mo akyirisanfo,” sɛnea Awurade se ni, “efisɛ meyɛ mo kunu. Meyi wo; ɔbaako befi kurow mu na baanu afi abusuakuw mu, na mede mo aba Sion.
15 I will give you shepherds who are like me who will feed you wisely and with understanding.
Afei mɛma mo nguanhwɛfo a wɔda me koma so, wɔn a wɔde nimdeɛ ne ntease bɛkyerɛ mo ɔkwan.
16 At that time as you increase in number in the country, declares the Lord, no one will be talking about the Ark of the Lord's Agreement anymore. People won't need to think about it or remember it or wonder what happened to it; and certainly won't need to make a new one.
Saa nna no mu, sɛ mo dɔɔso bebree wɔ asase no so a,” Awurade na ose, “nnipa renka bio se, ‘Awurade apam adaka no.’ Ɛremma wɔn adwene mu anaa wɔrenkae da; wɔn kɔn rennɔ na wɔrenyɛ foforo nso.
17 When that time comes Jerusalem will be called the Throne of the Lord, and all the nations will come together in Jerusalem to honor the Lord. They won't be stubborn or wicked anymore.
Saa bere no wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Awurade Ahengua, na amanaman nyinaa behyia wɔ Yerusalem abɛkamfo Awurade din. Na wɔrenni wɔn koma bɔne a ɛma wɔyɛ asoɔden no akyi bio.
18 At that time the people of Judah will join with the people of Israel, and they will return from the land of the north to the country I gave to your forefathers to own.
Saa nna no mu, Yuda fi bɛka Israelfi ho, na wɔabɔ mu afi atifi fam asase bi so aba asase a mede maa mo agyanom sɛ agyapade no so.
19 I said to myself, I really want you to be my children, and to give you the best country, the most beautiful place of any nation. I hoped you would call me “Father,” and never give up following me.
“Mʼankasa mekae se, ‘Anka ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mɛyɛ mo sɛ mma na mama mo asase a eye, agyapade a edi mu ma ɔman biara.’ Misusuwii sɛ mobɛfrɛ me ‘Agya’ na monnan mo ho mfi mʼakyi.
20 But just like a wife might betray her husband, you have betrayed me, people of Israel, declares the Lord.
Nanso te sɛ ɔbea a onni ne kunu nokware no, saa ara na moanni me nokware, Israelfi,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
21 Voices are crying on bare hilltops—the Israelites weeping and pleading for mercy, because they have gone astray and forgotten the Lord their God.
Wɔte osu bi wɔ nkoko no so, ɛyɛ Israelfo agyaadwotwa ne nkotosrɛ, efisɛ wɔakyeakyea wɔn akwan na wɔn werɛ afi Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn.
22 Come back, unfaithful children, and I will heal your unfaithfulness. “We're here! Yes, we're coming back to you, because you are the Lord our God.”
“Monsan mmra, ɔyera mma; mɛsa mo akyirisan yare no.” “Yiw, yɛbɛba wo nkyɛn, efisɛ wo ne Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.
23 There's no doubt that pagan worship from the hills is pure lies; the idolatry that comes from the mountains is just noise. Israel's salvation is in the Lord our God alone.
Ampa, ahoni huuyɛ wɔ nkoko ne mmepɔw so no yɛ nnaadaa; nokware Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn mu na Israel nkwagye wɔ.
24 All our lives pagan idolatry has destroyed what our fathers worked so hard for: their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
Efi yɛn mmofraase, anyame huhuw adi yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba, wɔn nguankuw ne anantwi, wɔn mmabarima ne wɔn mmabea.
25 We should lie down in shame, and have our disgrace bury us. We have sinned against the Lord our God, us and our fathers. From when we were young right up to now we have not obeyed what the Lord our God told us to do.
Momma yɛmfa yɛn aniwu nneda fam na yɛn ahohora nkata yɛn so. Yɛayɛ bɔne atia Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn, yɛn ne yɛn agyanom; efi yɛn mmofraase besi nnɛ yɛanyɛ osetie amma Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.”
