< Jeremiah 4 >
1 If you will return, O Israel, says the LORD, return unto me: and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then shall you not remove.
“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 you shall swear, The LORD lives, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
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 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Yei ne asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛ Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalem: “Monsiesie mo asase a wɔmfuntum da na monnnua wɔ nkasɛɛ mu.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, all of you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
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 Declare all of you in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow all of you the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
“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 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great 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 The lion has come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make your land desolate; and your cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
Gyata bi afiri ne tu mu; ɔbɔaman bi asi mu. Wafiri ne tenabea sɛ ɔrebɛsɛe wʼasase. Wo nkuro bɛbubu na ada mpan.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
Enti fira ayitoma, di awerɛhoɔ na twa adwo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade abufuhyeɛ no nnane mfirii yɛn so.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, says the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
“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 said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, All of you shall have peace; whereas the sword reachs unto the soul.
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 shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
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 Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no firi me nkyɛn. Afei, mepae mu ka mʼatemmuo a ɛtia wɔn.”
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
Hwɛ! Ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ, ntwahoframa, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ herɛ sene akɔdeɛ. Yɛnnue! Yɛawu!
14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?
Ao, Yerusalem, yi bɔne firi wʼakoma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akɔsi da bɛn?
15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes affliction from mount Ephraim.
Ɛnne bi rebɔ kaseɛ firi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuro firi Efraim nkokoɔ so.
16 Make all of you mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities 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 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she has been rebellious against me, says 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 Your way and your doings have procured these things unto you; this is your wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reachs unto your heart.
“Wʼankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛeɛ na ɛde yei aba wo so. Yei yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwono! Ɛwowɔ akoma!”
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
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 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntomadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na metie totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ kɔsi da bɛn?
22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are foolish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
“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 beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
Mehwɛeɛ asase no, na ɛnni bɔbea na hwee nni so; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
Mehwɛeɛ mmepɔ no, na wɔrewosowoso, na nkokoɔ no nyinaa rehinhim.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
Mehwɛeɛ, na nnipa nni hɔ; ewiem anomaa biara atu kɔ.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
Mehwɛeɛ, na nsasebereɛ no adane anweatam na ne nkuro nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ anim.
27 For thus has the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Sei na Awurade seɛ: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa, mmom merensɛe no korakora.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Enti asase bɛdi awerɛhoɔ na ɔsorosoro bɛduru sum, ɛfiri sɛ makasa na merentwe nsan. Masi gyinaeɛ na mennane no.”
29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
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 And when you are spoiled, what will you do? Though you cloth yourself with crimson, though you deck you with ornaments of gold, though you rent your face with painting, in vain shall you make yourself fair; your lovers will despise you, they will seek your life.
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 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewails herself, that spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
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.”