< Jeremiah 6 >
1 “Strengthen yourselves, sons of Benjamin, From the midst of Jerusalem, And blow a horn in Tekoa, And lift up a flame over Beth-Haccerem, For evil has been seen from the north, And great destruction.
“Benyaminfo, munguan nkɔbɔ mo ho aguaa! Munguan mfi Yerusalem! Monhyɛn torobɛnto no wɔ Tekoa! Munsi frankaa no wɔ Bet-Hakerem! Efisɛ amanehunu bobɔw fi atifi fam, ɔsɛe bi a ɛyɛ hu.
2 I have cut off the lovely and delicate one, The daughter of Zion.
Mɛsɛe Ɔbabea Sion, ɔhoɔfɛfo sɔɔnɔ no.
3 Shepherds and their droves come to her, They have struck tents by her all around, They have each fed [in] his own station.”
Nguanhwɛfo ne wɔn nguankuw bɛba abetia no; wobesisi wɔn ntamadan atwa ne ho ahyia, wɔn mu biara bɛhwɛ ne kyɛfa so.”
4 “Sanctify the battle against her, Rise, and we go up at noon. Woe to us, for the day has turned, For the shades of evening are stretched out,
“Munsiesie mo ho ne no nkɔko! Monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔtow nhyɛ ne so owigyinae! Nanso hwɛ, onwini redwo, na anwummere sunsuma reware.
5 Rise, and we go up by night, And we destroy her palaces.”
Enti monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔtow nhyɛ ne so anadwo na yɛnsɛe nʼaban ahorow!”
6 For thus said YHWH of Hosts: “Cut down her wood, And pour out a mound against Jerusalem, She [is] the city to be inspected, She [is] full of oppression in her midst.
Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Muntwitwa nnua no ngu fam na muntwa Yerusalem ho dantaban. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe kuropɔn yi aso; nhyɛso ahyɛ no ma.
7 As the digging of a well, is [for] its waters, So she has dug [for] her wickedness, Violence and spoil is heard in her, Sickness and striking [are] continually before My face.
Sɛnea abura puw ne nsu no, saa ara na opuw nʼamumɔyɛ. Wɔte awurukasɛm ne ɔsɛe nka wɔ ne mu; ne yare ne nʼapirakuru wɔ mʼanim daa.
8 Be instructed, O Jerusalem, Lest My soul be alienated from you, Lest I make you a desolation, A land [that is] not inhabited.”
Fa kɔkɔbɔ, Yerusalem, anyɛ saa metwe me ho afi wo ho na mama wʼasase ada mpan a obiara ntumi ntena so.”
9 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: “They surely glean, as a vine, the remnant of Israel, Put your hand back, as a gatherer to the baskets.”
Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Ma wonyiyi Israel nkae no mu yiye sɛnea woyiyi bobe mu yiye no; fa wo nsa fa mman no so bio, sɛ obi a ɔretetew bobe aba.”
10 To whom do I speak, and testify, and they hear? Behold, their ear [is] uncircumcised, And they are not able to attend. Behold, a word of YHWH has been to them for a reproach, They do not delight in it.
Hena na metumi akasa akyerɛ no na mabɔ no kɔkɔ? Hena na obetie me? Wɔn aso asisiw enti wɔnte asɛm. Awurade asɛm yɛ akyiwade ma wɔn, na wɔn ani nnye ho.
11 And I have been filled with the fury of YHWH (I have been weary of containing), “To pour [it] on the suckling in the street, And on the assembly of youths together, For even husband with wife are captured, [The] elderly with one full of days,
Nanso Awurade abufuwhyew ahyɛ me ma, na mintumi nkora so. “Hwie gu mmofra a wɔwɔ mmɔnten so ne mmerante a wɔahyia; ɛbɛka okunu ne ɔyere, mmasiriwa, wɔn a onyin ahunhuan wɔn no so.
12 And their houses have been turned to others, Fields and wives together, For I stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” A declaration of YHWH.
Wɔbɛdan wɔn afi ama afoforo, wɔn mfuw ne wɔn yerenom bɛka ho; sɛ meteɛ me nsa wɔ wɔn a wɔte asase no so a,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
13 “For from their least to their greatest, Everyone is gaining dishonest gain, And from prophet even to priest, Everyone is dealing falsely,
“Efi akumaa so kosi ɔkɛse so, wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfo de pɛ ahonya; adiyifo ne asɔfo te saa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifo.
14 And they heal the breach of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! And there is no peace.
Wɔtoto me nkurɔfo apirakuru te sɛnea ɛnyɛ hu. Wɔka se, ‘Asomdwoe, asomdwoe’ wɔ mmere a asomdwoe nni hɔ.
15 They were ashamed when they did abomination! Indeed, they are not at all ashamed, Indeed, they have not known blushing, Therefore they fall among those falling, In the time I have inspected them, They stumble,” said YHWH.
Wɔn ani wu wɔ wɔn animguase nneyɛe no ho ana? Dabi da, wɔn ani nnwu koraa; wonnim fɛre mpo. Enti wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfo mu; wɔbɛhwehwe ase, sɛ metwe wɔn aso a,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
16 Thus said YHWH: “Stand by the ways and see, and ask for paths of old, Where [is] this—the good way? And go in it, And find rest for yourselves. And they say, We do not go.
Eyi ne nea Awurade se, “Munnyina nkwantanan no so na monhwɛ; mummisa tete akwan no, mummisa faako a ɔkwan pa no da na monnantew so, na mubenya home ama mo akra. Nanso mokae se, ‘yɛnnantew so.’
17 And I have raised up watchmen for you, Attend to the voice of the horn. And they say, We do not attend.
Mede awɛmfo sisii mo so na mekae se, ‘Muntie torobɛnto nnyigyei no!’ Nanso mokae se, ‘Yɛrentie.’
18 Therefore hear, O nations, and know, O congregation, That which [is] on them.
Ɛno nti monyɛ aso, mo amanaman; mo a moyɛ nnansefo, monhwɛ, monhwɛ nea ɛbɛto wɔn.
19 Hear, O earth, behold, I am bringing evil on this people, The fruit of their plans, For they gave no attention to My words, And My law—they kick against it.
Tie, wo asase: Mede amanehunu reba saa nnipa yi so, wɔn nneyɛe so aba, efisɛ wɔantie me nsɛm na wɔapo me mmara.
20 Why [is] this to Me? Frankincense comes from Sheba, And the sweet cane from a far-off land, Your burnt-offerings [are] not for acceptance, And your sacrifices have not been sweet to Me.”
Nnuhuam a efi Seba anaa ahwerew pa a efi akyirikyiri asase so fa me ho bɛn? Minnye wo hyew afɔre no nto mu, wʼafɔrebɔ ahorow no nsɔ mʼani.”
21 Therefore, thus said YHWH: “Behold, I give stumbling blocks to this people, And fathers and sons have stumbled against them together, The neighbor and his friend perish.”
Ɛno nti, nea Awurade se ni: “Mede akwanside begu saa nkurɔfo yi anim. Agyanom ne mmabarima nyinaa behintiw wɔ so; yɔnkonom ne nnamfonom bɛyera.”
22 Thus said YHWH: “Behold, a people has come from a north country, And a great nation is stirred up from the sides of the earth.
Sɛnea Awurade se ni: “Monhwɛ, nsraadɔm bi reba, wofi atifi fam asase so; wɔrehwanyan wɔn afi nsase ano.
23 They take hold of bow and javelin, It [is] fierce, and they have no mercy, Their voice sounds as a sea, And they ride on horses, Set in array as a man of war, Against you, O daughter of Zion.”
Wokurakura bɛmma ne mpeaw; wɔn tirim yɛ den, na wonni ahummɔbɔ. Wɔn nnyigyei te sɛ po asorɔkye. Sɛ wɔtete wɔn apɔnkɔ so a, wɔba te sɛ mmarima a wɔrekɔ ɔko. Wɔrebɛtow ahyɛ wo so, Ɔbabea Sion.”
24 We have heard its sound, our hands have been feeble, Distress has seized us, pain as of a travailing woman.
Yɛate wɔn ho nsɛm, na yɛn nsa sesa yɛn ho sɛ nea awuwu. Awerɛhow akyekyere yɛn yɛte yaw sɛ ɔbea a ɔreko awo.
25 Do not go forth to the field, And do not walk in the way, For the enemy has a sword, Fear [is] all around.
Mfi adi nkɔ wuram na nnantew akwan no so, efisɛ ɔtamfo no wɔ afoa, na baabiara ayɛ hu.
26 O daughter of my people, Gird on sackcloth, And roll yourself in ashes, Make mourning [as for] an only one, A most bitter lamentation, For the spoiler suddenly comes against us.
Me nkurɔfo, mumfura atweaatam na mommunummunum wɔ nsõ mu, momfa adwadwotwa yaayaw nni awerɛhow sɛnea wosu ma ɔbabarima koro, efisɛ ɔsɛefo no bɛba yɛn so mpofirim.
27 “I have given you a watchtower, A fortress among My people, And you know, and have tried their way.
“Mayɛ wo obi a ɔsɔ agude hwɛ na me nkurɔfo dadeben, a wobɛhwɛ na woasɔ wɔn akwan ahwɛ.
28 All of them are turned aside by apostates, Walking slanderously—bronze and iron, All of them are corrupters.
Wɔn nyinaa yɛ atuatewfo a wɔyɛ den, wɔnenam di nseku. Wɔyɛ kɔbere ne dade; wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn ade wɔ porɔwee kwan so.
29 The bellows have been burned, The lead has been consumed by fire, A refiner has refined in vain, And the wicked have not been drawn away.
Afa no bɔ mframa dennen de ogya nan sumpii no, nanso ɔnan no yɛ ɔkwa. Entumi nyiyii bɔne no mfii wɔn mu ɛ.
30 They have called them rejected silver, For YHWH has kicked against them!”
Wɔfrɛ wɔn dwetɛ a wɔapo, efisɛ Awurade apo wɔn.”