Jeremiah 13

1 Thus said the Lord unto me, Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it around thy loins, and lay it not in water.

Sɛɛ na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me: “Kɔ na kɔtɔ nwera abɔso bɔ wʼasen, nanso mma no nka nsu.”

2 So I bought the girdle, according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my loins.

Enti metɔɔ abɔso sɛnea Awurade kyerɛe no, na mede bɔɔ mʼasen.

3 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying,

Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn ne mprenu so se,

4 Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is around thy loins; and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

“Fa abɔso a wotɔe a ɛbɔ wʼasen no kɔ Eufrate ho mprempren ara na fa kosie ɔbotan tokuru bi mu.”

5 So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord has commanded me.

Enti mede kosiee Eufrate ho, sɛnea Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me no.

6 And it came to pass at the end of many days, that the Lord said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle, which I commanded thee to hide there.

Nna bebree akyi no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Afei kɔ Eufrate ho na kɔfa abɔso a meka kyerɛɛ wo se fa kosie hɔ no.”

7 And I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it: and, behold, the girdle was spoiled, it was useful for nothing.

Enti mekɔɔ Eufrate ho kotuu abɔso no wɔ beae a mede siei no, nanso na asuw atetew a so nni mfaso biara.

8 Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,

9 Thus hath said the Lord, After this manner will I destroy the pride of Judah, and the pride of Jerusalem, which is great.

“Sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Saa ara na mɛsɛe Yuda ahantan ne Yerusalem ahantankyɛnee no.

10 And this bad people, who refuse to hearken to my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have followed other gods, to serve them, and to bow down to them, shall even be as this girdle which is useful for nothing.

Saa amumɔyɛfo yi a wɔmpɛ sɛ wotie mʼasɛm na wodi wɔn komaden akyi na wodi anyame afoforo akyi som wɔn, sɔre wɔn no, bɛyɛ sɛ saa abɔso yi, na wɔn so remma mfaso biara!

11 For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so had I caused to cleave unto me all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, —to become unto me a people, and [to be] for a name, and for praise, and for honor; but they would not hear.

Sɛnea abɔso kyekyere onipa asen no, saa ara na mede Israelfi ne Yudafi nyinaa bataa me ho sɛ wɔnyɛ me nkurɔfo a wɔbɛma me din so, aka mʼayeyi na wɔahyɛ me anuonyam, nanso wɔantie me,’ nea Awurade se ni.

12 Therefore shalt thou say unto them this word, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and when they will say unto thee, Do we not know full well that every bottle shall be filled with wine?

“Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Nea Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se ni, Wɔmfa nsa nhyɛ nsa kotoku biara ma.’ Na sɛ wɔka kyerɛ wo se, ‘Yenim sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde nsa hyɛ nsa kotoku biara ma a,’

13 Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit after David upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

afei ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Nea Awurade se ni: Mede nsabow bɛhyɛ wɔn a wɔtete asase yi so nyinaa ma, a ahemfo a wɔte Dawid ahengua so, asɔfo, adiyifo ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem nyinaa ka ho bi.

14 And I will dash them one against the other, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, so as not to destroy them.

Mɛtotow wɔn abobɔ wɔn ho wɔn ho, agyanom ne mmabarima nyinaa, Awurade na ose. Meremma ahummɔbɔ anaa ayamye anaa ayamhyehye nsiw ɔsɛe a merebɛsɛe wɔn no ho kwan.’”

15 Hear ye, and bend your ear: be not proud; for the Lord hath spoken.

Muntie na monyɛ aso, na monnyɛ ahantan, efisɛ Awurade akasa.

16 Give unto the Lord your God glory, before he cause darkness, and before your feet strike upon the mountains of twilight, and [where], while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and change it into gross darkness.

Monhyɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn, anuonyam ansa na wama sum aduru, ansa na mo anan ahintihintiw wɔ nkoko a ɛso reduru sum no so. Mo ani da hann so, nanso ɔbɛdan no sum kusuu na wɔasesa ayɛ no sum kabii.

17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places because of [your] pride; and my eye shall weep sorely, and run down with tears, because the flock of the Lord is driven away captive.

Nanso sɛ moantie a, mesu wɔ kokoa mu esiane mo ahantan nti; mʼani bɛtaataa nsu, na nusu aguare me, efisɛ wɔbɛfa Awurade nguankuw no akɔ nnommum mu.

18 Say unto the king and to the queen-mother, Sit down very lowly; for sunk down are your head-attires, the crown of your ornament.

Monka nkyerɛ ɔhene ne ɔhemmea se, “Mumfi mo ahengua so nsi fam, na mo anuonyam ahenkyɛw befi mo ti so.”

19 The cities of the south are shut up, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away into exile altogether, it is carried into exile completely.

Wɔbɛtoto Negeb nkuropɔn apon mu, na obiara nni hɔ a obebuebue. Wɔbɛsoa Yudafo akɔ nnommum mu wobetwa wɔn asu koraa.

20 Lift up your eyes, and see those that are coming from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy splendid flock?

Mo mpagyaw mo ani nhwɛ wɔn a wofi atifi fam reba no. Nguankuw a wɔde hyɛɛ mo nsa no, nguan a mode wɔn hoahoaa mo ho no wɔ he?

21 What wilt thou say when he will punish thee? since thou hast accustomed them to be over thee captains, and chiefs? shall not pangs seize upon thee, as on a woman in travail?

Sɛ Awurade de wɔn a wɔyɛ mo nnamfonom yɛ mo so atitiriw a, dɛn na mobɛka? Na ɛrenyɛ mo yaw te sɛnea ɔbea ɔreko awo ana?

22 And if thou wilt say in thy heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts laid open, thy heels are made bare violently.

Na sɛ wubebisa wo ho se, “Adɛn nti na eyi aba me so a?” Na efi wʼamumɔyɛ bebrebe no nti na wɔatetew wo fam atade mu ayɛ wo nipadua basaa no.

23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

Etiopiani betumi asesa nʼahosu ana? Na ɔsebɔ nso betumi asesa ne ho nsisimu no? Saa ara na worentumi nyɛ papa, wo a bɔneyɛ akokwaw wo no.

24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away before the wind of the wilderness.

“Mɛbɔ mo ahwete sɛ ntɛtɛ a, nweatam so mframa rebɔ no.

25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

Eyi ne nea mubenya, mo kyɛfa a mahyɛ ama mo,” Awurade na ose, “efisɛ mo werɛ afi me na mode mo ho ato anyame huhuw so.

26 Therefore do I also strip up thy skirts over thy face, that thy shame may be seen.

Mɛtwe mo fam ntade abua mo anim na wɔahu mo ahohora.

27 Thy adulteries and thy loud shoutings, the lewdness of thy incest, thy abominations on the hills in the fields have I seen. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean after ever so long a time.

Mo aguamammɔ ne mo akɔnnɔ bɔne, mo aguamammɔ a momfɛre ho! Mahu mo nneyɛe bɔne no wɔ nkoko ne sare so. Due, Yerusalem! Wobɛyɛ fi akosi da bɛn?”