Jeremiah 34

1 This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, along with troops from all the countries he ruled and other nations were attacking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns:

Ɛberɛ a Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar ne nʼakodɔm ne nʼahennie nyinaa ne nnipa a wɔwɔ ahemman a ɔdi soɔ no mu reko tia Yerusalem ne nkuro a atwa ne ho ahyia no, saa asɛm yi firi Awurade nkyɛn baa Yeremia hɔ sɛ,

2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and talk to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Listen! I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it down.

“Deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ nie: Kɔ Yudahene Sedekia nkyɛn na kɔka kyerɛ no sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Mede kuropɔn yi rebɛhyɛ Babiloniahene nsa, na ɔbɛhye no dworobɛɛ.

3 You yourself won't escape being captured by him. You will certainly be taken prisoner and brought before him to speak with him personally and see him face to face. You will be taken to Babylon.

Worennwane mfiri ne nsam na nokorɛm wɔbɛkyere wo de wo akɔma no. Wo de wʼani bɛhunu Babiloniahene na ɔne wo bɛkasa anim ne anim. Na wobɛkɔ Babilonia.

4 Listen to what the Lord is telling you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You won't be killed;

“‘Nanso tie Awurade bɔhyɛ, Ao, Yudahene Sedekia. Yei ne deɛ Awurade ka fa wo ho: Worenwu wɔ akofena ano;

5 you will die in peace. You will have a proper funeral with incense burned for you as they did for your forefathers, the kings who ruled before you. They will weep for you, crying, “The king is dead.” I myself am telling you this, declares the Lord.

na wobɛwu asomdwoeɛ mu. Sɛdeɛ nnipa bɔɔ ayiyɛ gyatanaa de hyɛɛ wʼagyanom animuonyam, ahemfo dada a wɔdii wʼanim no, saa ara na wɔbɛbɔ gyatanaa ahyɛ wo animuonyam na wɔabɔ bena sɛ, “Ao owura!” Me ankasa na mehyɛ saa bɔ yi, Awurade na ɔseɛ.’”

6 Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah king of Judah all this there in Jerusalem.

Na odiyifoɔ Yeremia kaa yeinom nyinaa kyerɛɛ Yudahene Sedekia wɔ Yerusalem,

7 At this time the king of Babylon's army was attacking the city and the Judean towns of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities that had not yet been conquered in Judah.

ɛberɛ a Babiloniahene akodɔm reko tia Yerusalem ne Yuda nkuropɔn, Lakis ne Aseka a na wɔgu so reko wɔ hɔ. Yei ne nkuropɔn a na aka wɔ Yuda a wɔwɔ banbɔ.

8 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a agreement with everyone in Jerusalem to announce a proclamation of freedom.

Asɛm no firi Awurade hɔ baa Yeremia nkyɛn ɛberɛ a ɔhene Sedekia ne Yerusalemfoɔ ayɛ apam sɛ wɔbɛma nkoa ahofadie no akyi.

9 This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.

Ɛsɛ sɛ obiara gyaa ne nkoa ne mfenaa Hebrifoɔ; na obiara nni ho ɛkwan sɛ ɔde ne yɔnko Yudani yɛ akoa.

10 All the officials and all the people who accepted this agreement did what they said. They freed their male and female slaves, not forcing them to remain slaves any longer. They obeyed and let them go free.

Enti adwumayɛfoɔ no nyinaa ne nnipa a wɔyɛɛ saa apam yi penee so sɛ wɔbɛgyaa wɔn nkoa ne mfenaa, na wɔremfa wɔn nyɛ nkoa bio. Wɔpenee so, na wɔgyaa wɔn.

11 However, later on they changed their minds and took back the male and female slaves they'd freed, forcing them back into slavery.

Nanso, akyire yi, wɔsesaa wɔn adwene na wɔsane faa nnipa a wɔgyaa wɔn no de wɔn yɛɛ nkoa bio.

12 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

Na Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia nkyɛn sɛ,

13 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery, saying:

“Deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ nie: Me ne mo agyanom yɛɛ apam ɛberɛ a meyii wɔn firii Misraim, nkoasom asase so no. Mekaa sɛ,

14 Every seventh year, each of you are to set free all fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. They can serve you for six years, but then you must set them free. But your forefathers didn't pay attention and didn't obey what I told them.

‘Mfeɛ nson biara no, ɛsɛ sɛ mo mu biara gyaa ne yɔnko Hebrini a watɔn ne ho ama no. Sɛ wasom mfeɛ nsia a gyaa no na ɔmfa ne ho nni.’ Nanso, mo agyanom antie na wɔamfa mʼasɛm.

15 A little while ago you decided to do what's right, which made me happy. You all announced that you would free your slaves. You made a agreement before me in my Temple.

Ɛnkyɛree koraa monuu mo ho na moyɛɛ deɛ ɛyɛ wɔ mʼani so: Mo mu biara paee ahofadie maa ne ɔman mma. Mpo moyɛɛ apam wɔ mʼanim, wɔ efie a me Din da soɔ no mu.

16 But now you've changed your minds and dishonored me. Each of you took back the male and female slaves you'd set free to do whatever they wanted. You forced them to become your slaves again.

Nanso seesei, moadane mo ho na moahura me din ho; mo mu biara asane akɔfa nkoa ne mfenaa a mogyaa wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔ baabiara a wɔpɛ no. Moahyɛ wɔn ama wɔayɛ mo nkoa bio.

17 So this is what the Lord says: You haven't obeyed me. You haven't announced freedom for your slaves, your own people. So now I announce “freedom” for you, declares the Lord: Freedom to be killed by war, by disease, and by famine! I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by you.

“Afei, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Montiee me na mompaee ahofadie mmaa mo ankasa nkurɔfoɔ. Enti afei mepae mu ka ahofadie ma mo, Awurade na ɔseɛ. Mɛgyaa mo ama akofena, ɔyaredɔm ne ɔkɔm. Mɛma mo ayɛ akyiwadeɛ ama asase so ahennie ahodoɔ nyinaa.

18 They have broken my agreement, and have not kept the terms of the agreement they promised before me. So I'm going to cut them up just like the calf they cut in half to pass between its two pieces.

Nnipa a wɔabu mʼapam so, na wɔanni nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛwɔ apam a wɔayɛ wɔ mʼanim no so no, mɛyɛ wɔn sɛ nantwie ba a wɔpaee ne mu mmienu na wɔnantee nʼafaafa no ntam no.

19 I will hand them over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. This includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and everyone else who passed between the pieces of the calf.

Yuda ne Yerusalem ntuanofoɔ, asɛnniiɛ adwumayɛfoɔ, asɔfoɔ ne asase no so nnipa no nyinaa a monante faa nantwie ba no afaafa no ntam no,

20 Their dead bodies will become food for birds of prey and wild animals.

mede wɔn bɛma wɔn atamfoɔ a wɔrepɛ wɔn nkwa no. Wɔn afunu bɛyɛ aduane ama ewiem nnomaa ne asase so mmoa.

21 I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials to their enemies who are trying to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon which had paused its attack on you.

“Mede Yudahene Sedekia ne nʼadwumayɛfoɔ bɛhyɛ wɔn atamfoɔ a wɔrepɛ wɔn nkwa, Babiloniahene akodɔm a wɔatwe wɔn ho no nsa.

22 Listen! I will give the order, declares the Lord, and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it. I'm going to destroy the towns of Judah so nobody will live there.

Merebɛhyɛ, Awurade asɛm nie, na mɛsane de wɔn aba kuropɔn yi mu. Wɔbɛko atia no, wɔbɛfa, na wɔahye no dwerɛbee. Na mɛma Yuda nkuro ada mpan a ɔbiara rentumi ntena hɔ.”