Jeremiah 6
1 Run and hide, descendants of Benjamin, get out of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa; light a signal fire in Beth-haccherem, for disaster and terrible destruction is arriving from the north.
“Benyaminfoɔ monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Monnwane mfiri Yerusalem! Monhyɛne totorobɛnto no wɔ Tekoa! Monsi frankaa no wɔ Bet-Hakerem! Ɛfiri sɛ amanehunu bobɔ firi atifi fam, ɔsɛeɛ bi a ɛyɛ hu.
2 Even though she is pretty and delightful, I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.
Mɛsɛe Ɔbabaa Sion ɔhoɔfɛfoɔ sɔɔnɔ no.
3 “Shepherds” and their “flocks” will come to attack her; they will set up their tents all around her, each one looking after his own.
Atamfoɔ bɛba abɛtwa ne ho ahyia te sɛ nnwanhwɛfoɔ; wɔbɛsisi wɔn ntomadan atwa ne ho ahyia na wɔn mu biara bɛhwɛ ne kyɛfa so.”
4 They get ready for battle against her, saying, “Come on, we'll attack at noon! Oh no, the day is almost over, the evening shadows are growing long.
“Monsiesie mo ho ne no nkɔko! Monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so owigyinaeɛ! Nanso, hwɛ, onwunu redwo, na anwummerɛ sunsumma reyɛ tenten.
5 Come on, we'll attack at night instead and destroy her fortresses!”
Enti, monsɔre momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so anadwo na yɛnsɛe nʼaban hodoɔ!”
6 This is what the Lord Almighty says: Cut down the trees and make a siege ramp to use against Jerusalem. This city needs to be punished because it's full of people mistreating one another.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Montwitwa nnua no ngu fam na monsisi epie ntia Yerusalem. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe kuropɔn yi aso; nhyɛsoɔ ahyɛ no ma.
7 Like a spring gushing out water, so she pours out her evil. The sounds of violence and abuse echo inside her. I see people sick and wounded everywhere.
Sɛdeɛ abura pu ne nsuo no, saa ara nso na ɔpu nʼamumuyɛ. Wɔte awurukasɛm ne ɔsɛeɛ nka wɔ ne mu; ne yadeɛ ne nʼapirakuro wɔ mʼanim daa.
8 I'm warning you, people of Jerusalem, I'm going to give up on you in disgust. I will destroy you and leave your country uninhabited.
Fa kɔkɔbɔ, Ao Yerusalem, anyɛ saa a metwe me ho afiri wo ho na mama wʼasase ada mpan a obiara ntumi ntena soɔ.”
9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: Even those left in Israel will be taken, just as grapes left on a vine are taken by the one harvesting the grapes who checks the branches again.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Ma wɔnyiyi Israel nkaeɛfoɔ no mu yie sɛdeɛ wɔyiyi bobe mu; fa wo nsa fa mman no so bio, sɛ obi a ɔretete bobe aba.”
10 Who can I give this warning to? Who's going to listen to me? Can't you see that they refuse to listen? They can't hear what I'm saying. See how offensive the Lord's message is to them. They don't like it at all.
Hwan na mɛtumi akasa akyerɛ no na mabɔ no kɔkɔ? Hwan na ɔbɛtie me? Wɔn aso asisi enti wɔnte asɛm. Awurade asɛm yɛ akyiwadeɛ ma wɔn na wɔn ani nnye ho.
11 But as for me, I'm full of the Lord's anger; I have a hard time keeping it in. The Lord replies, Pour it out on children in the street, and on groups of young people, because both husband and wife are going to be captured—it's everyone, and it doesn't matter how old they are.
Nanso Awurade abufuhyeɛ ahyɛ me ma, na mentumi nkora so. “Hwie gu mmɔfra a wɔwɔ mmɔntene so ne mmaranteɛ a wɔahyia; ɛbɛka okunu ne ɔyere, mmasiriwa ne wɔn a onyini adoko wɔn.
12 Their houses will be given to others, their fields and wives too, because I'm going to punish everyone living in this country, declares the Lord.
Sɛ metene me nsa wɔ wɔn a wɔte asase no so a wɔbɛdane wɔn afie ama afoforɔ, na wɔn mfuo ne wɔn yerenom bɛka ho,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
13 Everyone cheats because they're greedy, poor and rich alike. Even prophets and priests—they are all dishonest liars!
“Ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so, wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfoɔ de pɛ ahonya; adiyifoɔ ne asɔfoɔ te saa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifoɔ.
14 They give my wounded people first aid, but they don't really care about them. They tell them, “Don't worry! We have peace!” even as war approaches.
Wɔmia me nkurɔfoɔ apirakuro te sɛ deɛ ɛnyɛ hu. Wɔka sɛ, ‘Asomdwoeɛ, asomdwoeɛ’ wɔ mmerɛ a asomdwoeɛ nni hɔ.
15 Were they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? No, they weren't ashamed at all, they couldn't even blush. So they will fall just like the others, when I punish them; they will drop down dead, says the Lord.
Wɔn ani wu wɔ wɔn animguaseɛ nneyɛɛ no ho anaa? Dabi, wɔn ani nnwu koraa; wɔnnim fɛreɛ mpo. Enti sɛ metwe wɔn aso a, wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfoɔ mu; wɔbɛhwehwe ase,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
16 This is what the Lord says: Go and stand where the roads divide, and look. Find out which are the old paths. Ask, “What's the right way?” Then follow it and you'll be content. But you refused, saying, “We won't go that way!”
Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, “Monnyina nkwantanan no so na monhwɛ; mommisa tete akwan no, mommisa baabi a ɛkwan pa no da na monnante so, na mobɛnya homeɛ ama mo akra. Nanso mokaa sɛ, ‘yɛnnante so.’
17 I put watchmen in charge of you and told you, make sure you listen for the trumpet call warning you of danger. But you answered, “We won't listen!”
Mede awɛmfoɔ sisii mo so na mekaa sɛ, ‘Montie totorobɛnto nnyegyeeɛ no!’ Nanso, mokaa sɛ, ‘Yɛrentie.’
18 So now you other nations can listen and find out what's going to happen to them.
Ɛno enti, monyɛ aso, Ao amanaman; monhwɛ, Ao adansefoɔ, deɛ ɛbɛto wɔn.
19 Earth, you listen too! I am bringing disaster down on this people, the end result of what they themselves planned. It's because they paid no attention to what I said, and rejected my instructions.
Yɛ aso, Ao asase: Mede amanehunu reba saa nnipa yi so, wɔn nneyɛɛ so aba, ɛfiri sɛ wɔantie me nsɛm na wɔapo me mmara.
20 What's the point of offering me frankincense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a far-away land? I don't accept your burnt offerings; I'm not pleased with your sacrifices.
Nnuhwam a ɛfiri Seba anaa ahwedeɛ pa a ɛfiri akyirikyiri asase so fa me ho bɛn? Mennye wo hyeɛ afɔdeɛ no nto mu; wʼafɔrebɔ ahodoɔ no nsɔ mʼani.”
21 So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to put blocks in front of these people to trip them up. Fathers and sons will fall down dead, friends and neighbors too.
Ɛno enti, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Mede akwansideɛ bɛgu saa nkurɔfoɔ yi anim. Agyanom ne mmammarima nyinaa bɛsuntisunti wɔ so; ayɔnkofoɔ ne nnamfonom bɛyera.”
22 This is what the Lord says: Look! An army is invading from the north; a powerful nation is getting ready to attack all the way from the ends of the earth.
Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Monhwɛ, akodɔm bi reba, wɔfiri atifi fam asase so; wɔrekanyane ɔman kɛseɛ bi afiri nsase ano.
23 They pick up their bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their war-cries are like the sea roaring, and they ride horses lined up ready to attack you, Daughter of Zion.
Wɔkurakura bɛmma ne pea; wɔn tirim yɛ den, na wɔnni ahummɔborɔ. Wɔn nnyegyeeɛ te sɛ ɛpo asorɔkye. Sɛ wɔtete wɔn apɔnkɔ so a, wɔba te sɛ mmarima a wɔrekɔ ɔko. Wɔrebɛto ahyɛ wo so, Ao Ɔbabaa Sion.”
24 The people reply, “We've heard the news, and our hands are limp with shock! We're overcome with agony, suffering pain like a woman in labor.
Yɛate wɔn ho nsɛm, na yɛn nsa sesa yɛn ho sɛ deɛ awu. Ehu akyekyere yɛn ɔyea aba wɔn so, te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔreko awoɔ.
25 Don't go to the field! Don't walk down the road! The enemy is armed with swords! Terror is everywhere!”
Mfiri adi nkɔ wiram na nnante akwan no so, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no wɔ akofena, na baabiara ayɛ hu.
26 Oh my people, put on sackcloth and roll around in ashes. Mourn and cry bitterly like you would for an only son, because the destroyer will come down on you suddenly.
Ao me nkurɔfoɔ, monfira ayitoma na mommunimuni nsõ mu. Momfa adwadwotwa yaaya nni awerɛhoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔsu ma ɔbabarima korɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mpofirim ara ɔsɛefoɔ no bɛba yɛn so.
27 Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals so you can test my people as if they were metal, so you can know what they're made of and how they act.
“Mayɛ wo obi a ɔsɔ fagudeɛ hwɛ na me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ dadeben, a wobɛhwɛ wɔn na woasɔ wɔn akwan ahwɛ.
28 They're all stubborn rebels going around talking slander. They are hard as bronze and iron; they are all corrupt.
Wɔn nyinaa yɛ atuatefoɔ a wɔyɛ den, wɔnenam di nsekuro. Wɔyɛ den sɛ kɔbere ne dadeɛ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn adeɛ wɔ porɔeɛ ɛkwan so.
29 The bellows in the refiner's furnace blow powerfully, burning away the lead. But this refining is pointless, because the wicked are not purified.
Afa no bɔ mframa denden de ogya nane sumpii no, nanso ahobereɛ no yɛ ɔkwa. Ɛntumi nyiyii bɔne no mfirii wɔn mu.
30 They are identified as impure silver to be rejected, because the Lord has rejected them.
Mɛfrɛ wɔn dwetɛ a wɔapo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade apo wɔn.”
