< Jeremiah 1 >
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Nsɛm a ɛfiri Yeremia nkyɛn nie. Yeremia yɛ Hilkia babarima a na ɔyɛ Anatot asɔfoɔ no mu baako wɔ Benyamin asase so.
2 To whom the word of Yhwh came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Awurade asɛm baa ne nkyɛn wɔ Yosia a ɔyɛ Yuda ɔhene Amon babarima adedie afe a ɛtɔ so dumiɛnsa mu.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
Ɛtoaa so wɔ Yuda ɔhene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim ɛberɛ so kɔsii Yuda ɔhene Yosia babarima Sedekia ɛberɛ so a nnipa a wɔte Yerusalem kɔɔ nkoasom mu wɔ adedie afe a ɛtɔ so dubaako no bosome a ɛtɔ so enum.
4 Then the word of Yhwh came unto me, saying,
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
“Ansa na merebɔ wo wɔ awotwaa mu no, na menim wo; ansa na wɔrebɛwo wo no, meyii wo sii nkyɛn; meyɛɛ wo sɛ odiyifoɔ maa aman no.”
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord Yhwh! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
Mekaa sɛ, “Aa, Otumfoɔ Awurade mennim kasa; meyɛ abɔfra.”
7 But Yhwh said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Nka sɛ ‘meyɛ abɔfra.’ Ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ obiara a mɛsoma wo ne nkyɛn na woka asɛm biara a mɛhyɛ wo sɛ ka no.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Yhwh.
Nsuro wɔn, ɛfiri sɛ meka wo ho, na magye wo,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
9 Then Yhwh put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And Yhwh said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Na Awurade tenee ne nsa de kaa mʼano na ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Seesei mede me nsɛm ahyɛ wʼanomu.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Hwɛ, ɛnnɛ mede wo asi aman ne ahennie so sɛ, tutu na dwiri gu, sɛe na tu gu, kyekyere na dua.”
11 Moreover the word of Yhwh came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond tree.
Na Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na wohunu yi, Yeremia?” Na mebuaa sɛ, “Mehunu sorɔno dubaa.”
12 Then said Yhwh unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Wahunu no yie, na merehwɛ anim sɛ mʼasɛm bɛba mu.”
13 And the word of Yhwh came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na wohunu yi?” Mebuaa sɛ, “Mehunu ɛsɛn a ɛrehuru sɛ ano rekyea akyerɛ yɛn firi atifi fam.”
14 Then Yhwh said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Wɔbɛfiri atifi fam de amanehunu aba wɔn a wɔte asase no so nyinaa so.
15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Yhwh; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
Merebɛfrɛ atifi ahennie mu nnipa nyinaa,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie. “Wɔn ahemfo de wɔn ahennwa bɛba abɛsisi Yerusalem kuropɔn apono ano; wɔbɛto ahyɛ nʼafasuo a atwa ahyia ne Yuda nkuro nyinaa so.
16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
Mɛbu me nkurɔfoɔ atɛn wɔ wɔn amumuyɛ sɛ wɔagya me, sɛ wɔhye nnuhwam ma anyame foforɔ na wɔkoto sɔre deɛ wɔde wɔn nsa ayɛ.
17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.
“Siesie wo ho! Sɔre na ka deɛ mɛka akyerɛ wo biara kyerɛ wɔn. Mma wɔmmmɔ wo hu, anyɛ saa a mɛma woabɔ hu wɔ wɔn anim.
18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Ɛnnɛ, mayɛ wo kuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ, dadeɛ dum ne kɔbere ɔfasuo sɛ wobɛsɔre atia asase no nyinaa, Yuda ahemfo, nʼadwumayɛfoɔ, asɔfoɔ ne nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so.
19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith Yhwh, to deliver thee.
Wɔbɛko atia wo nanso wɔrentumi nni wo so nkonim, ɛfiri sɛ meka wo ho, na mɛgye wo,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.