Jeremiah 4
1 Israel, if you want to come back, then come back to me, declares the Lord. If you get rid of these disgusting idols I see, and don't wander away,
“Sɛ wobɛsane wʼakyi a Ao, Israel, sane bra me nkyɛn,” sei na Awurade seɛ. “Sɛ woyi wʼahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwadeɛ firi mʼani so na sɛ woammane bio,
2 and if when you make your vows, you do so only to me, sincerely, truly, and honestly, then the nations will be blessed by me, and they will praise me.
na sɛ, nokorɛ, pɛyɛ ne tenenee mu woka ntam sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ a afei mobɛyɛ nhyira ama aman no na ne mu na wɔbɛnya animuonyam.”
3 This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: Plow your unplowed ground, and don't sow among the thorns.
Yei ne asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛ Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalem: “Monsiesie mo asase a wɔmfuntum da na monnnua wɔ nkasɛɛ mu.
4 Dedicate yourselves to the Lord; be totally committed to him, people of Judah and Jerusalem. Otherwise, my anger will blaze like fire, burning so hard that no one can put it out because of the evil you've done.
Montwitwa mo ho twetia mma Awurade montwitwa mo akoma twetia, mo Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalemfoɔ, anyɛ saa a mʼabufuhyeɛ bɛsɔre na adɛre sɛ ogya. Mo bɔne a moayɛ enti, ɛbɛhye a obiara rennum.”
5 Announce this warning throughout Judah and Jerusalem! Tell them: Blow the trumpet everywhere in the country! Shout out, “Hurry! Let's run to the fortified towns for protection!”
“Bɔ nkaeɛ wɔ Yuda na pae mu ka wɔ Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Hyɛn totorobɛnto no wɔ asase no nyinaa so!’ Team denden sɛ: ‘Mommoaboa mo ho ano! Momma yɛn nnwane nkɔ kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no so!’
6 Raise the danger flag; go to Zion! Find somewhere safe! Don't hesitate! I'm bringing enemies from the north who will cause terrible destruction.
Momma frankaa so na monkɔ Sion monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Ɛfiri sɛ mede amanehunu firi atifi fam reba, ɔsɛeɛ a ɛyɛ hu.”
7 A lion has left his hiding place; a destroyer of nations has started out. He has left his den to come and turn your country into a wasteland. Your towns will be demolished, and no one will live there.
Gyata bi afiri ne tu mu; ɔbɔaman bi asi mu. Wafiri ne tenabea sɛ ɔrebɛsɛe wʼasase. Wo nkuro bɛbubu na ada mpan.
8 Wear clothes made of sackcloth, weep and wail, crying out, “The Lord's furious anger against us hasn't stopped.”
Enti fira ayitoma, di awerɛhoɔ na twa adwo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade abufuhyeɛ no nnane mfirii yɛn so.
9 When that happens declares the Lord, the king and officials will lose heart, the priests will be devastated, and the prophets will be shocked.
“Saa ɛda no,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “ɔhene no ne adwumayɛfoɔ no bɛbɔ hu, asɔfoɔ no bo bɛtu, na adiyifoɔ no ho bɛdwiri wɔn.”
10 Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, you have completely fooled the people of Jerusalem by telling them, ‘You will have peace,’ while holding a sword to our throats.”
Afei, mekaa sɛ, “Aa, Otumfoɔ Awurade, woadaadaa nnipa yi ne Yerusalem. Wokaa sɛ, ‘Mobɛnya asomdwoeɛ,’ wɔ ɛberɛ a akofena da yɛn mene mu.”
11 At that time the people of Jerusalem will be told, “A burning wind from the bare hills of the desert is blowing toward the Jerusalem, but not to blow away the chaff or the dust.
Saa ɛberɛ no wɔbɛka akyerɛ nnipa yi ne Yerusalem sɛ, “Mframa a emu yɛ hyeɛ bɛbɔ afiri nkokoɔ wesee a ɛwɔ anweatam so aba me nkurɔfoɔ so, ɛnyɛ deɛ ɛpɔ ho anaa ɛhuhu soɔ;
12 No, this wind is too strong for that, and it comes from me. Now I'm also going to tell them how I will punish them.”
mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no firi me nkyɛn. Afei, mepae mu ka mʼatemmuo a ɛtia wɔn.”
13 Look, he's rushing in like stormclouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind. His horses fly faster than eagles. “What a disaster! We're ruined!”
Hwɛ! Ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ, ntwahoframa, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ herɛ sene akɔdeɛ. Yɛnnue! Yɛawu!
14 Clean the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you can be saved. How long will you hold onto your evil thoughts?
Ao, Yerusalem, yi bɔne firi wʼakoma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akɔsi da bɛn?
15 News is shouted out from Dan, announcing disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
Ɛnne bi rebɔ kaseɛ firi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuro firi Efraim nkokoɔ so.
16 “Let the nations know! Look what's happening! Announce this to Jerusalem: An army is coming to besiege you from a distant country; shouting war-cries against the towns of Judah.
“Monka yei nkyerɛ aman no, mommɔ no dawuro nkyerɛ Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Atuafoɔ dɔm firi akyirikyiri asase bi so reba, wɔma ɔko nteamu so de tia Yuda nkuropɔn.
17 They encircle her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me, declares the Lord.
Wɔtwa kuropɔn no ho hyia sɛ mmarima a wɔrewɛn afuo, ɛfiri sɛ me nkurɔfoɔ ate me so atua,’” sei na Awurade seɛ.
18 You've brought this on yourself by your own attitudes and actions. This is your punishment, and it's so painful, it's like being stabbed in the heart!”
“Wʼankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛeɛ na ɛde yei aba wo so. Yei yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwono! Ɛwowɔ akoma!”
19 “I'm in agony, absolute agony! My heart is breaking! It's beating wildly in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I can't keep quiet because I've heard the trumpet, the signal for battle.
Ao mʼahoyera, mʼahoyera! Mede ɔyea nukanuka me mu. Ao mʼakoma ɔyeadie! Mʼakoma bɔ paripari wɔ me mu, mentumi nyɛ komm. Ɛfiri sɛ, mate totorobɛnto no nnyegyeɛ; mate ɔko frɛ no.
20 News of one disaster after another comes flooding in, for the whole country is in ruins. My own home is destroyed in a moment, and everything inside.
Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntomadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
21 How long do I have to see the flags of war and hear the trumpets of battle?”
Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na metie totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ kɔsi da bɛn?
22 “My people are stupid; they don't know me. They are foolish children who just don't understand. They're experts at doing evil, but they don't know how to do good.”
“Me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ nkwaseafoɔ; wɔnnim me. Wɔyɛ mma a wɔnni adwen; wɔnte hwee ase. Wɔwɔ bɔneyɛ ho nyansa; na wɔnnim sɛdeɛ wɔyɛ papa.”
23 I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; I looked to the heavens, and its light was gone.
Mehwɛeɛ asase no, na ɛnni bɔbea na hwee nni so; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.
24 I looked at the mountains, and saw that they were shaking; all the hills were swaying to and fro.
Mehwɛeɛ mmepɔ no, na wɔrewosowoso, na nkokoɔ no nyinaa rehinhim.
25 I looked, and nobody was left; all the birds had flown away.
Mehwɛeɛ, na nnipa nni hɔ; ewiem anomaa biara atu kɔ.
26 I looked, and the productive fields were a desert. All the towns were demolished because of the Lord's furious anger.
Mehwɛeɛ, na nsasebereɛ no adane anweatam na ne nkuro nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ anim.
27 This is what the Lord says: “The whole country will be devastated, but I won't do so completely.
Sei na Awurade seɛ: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa, mmom merensɛe no korakora.
28 The earth will mourn and the heavens above will go dark. I have spoken; this is what I have ordered. I'm not going to stop or change my mind.”
Enti asase bɛdi awerɛhoɔ na ɔsorosoro bɛduru sum, ɛfiri sɛ makasa na merentwe nsan. Masi gyinaeɛ na mennane no.”
29 People from every town: run away when they hear the enemy horsemen and archers coming. They hide in the forest and among the rocks. All the towns are abandoned; no one lives in them.
Apɔnkɔsotefoɔ ne agyantofoɔ nnyegyeeɛ ma kuro biara sofoɔ dwane. Ebinom kɔhyɛ nkyɛkyerɛ mu ebinom foro kɔ abotan mu. Nkuro no nyinaa so ada mpan; na obiara nte so.
30 You, Jerusalem, now desolate, what are you going to do? Even though you dress in scarlet clothes, and put on gold jewelry, and paint your eyes with make-up, all your dressing-up is pointless! Your lovers hate you; they want to kill you!
Ɛdeɛn na woreyɛ Ao wo a woasɛe woɔ? Adɛn na wofira kɔben de sikakɔkɔɔ agudeɛ asiesie wo ho? Adɛn na wode nnuro keka wʼani? Wohyehyɛ wo ho kwa. Wʼadɔfoɔ bu wo animtia; wɔrepɛ wo akum wo.
31 I hear the cries like a woman in labor, the agonizing moans of a woman giving birth to her first child. These are the cries of the Daughter of Zion gasping for air, holding out her hands, saying, “Please help me, I'm being murdered!”
Mete osu bi te sɛ ɔbaa a awoɔ aka no, mete apinisie te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔrebɔne awoɔ, Ɔbabaa Sion su te sɛ deɛ nisupɔporɔ ahini no, ɔtrɛ ne nsa mu na ɔka sɛ, “Afei deɛ, meretɔ baha; wɔde me kra ama awudifoɔ.”
