Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, —of the priests who 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 unto whom came the word of Yahweh, in the days of Josiah 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 son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, —as far as 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 So then, the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying:
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
5 Before I formed thee at thy birth, I took knowledge of thee, And before thy nativity, I hallowed thee, —A prophet to the nations, I appointed thee.
“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! My Lord Yahweh! Lo! I know not how to speak, —For a child, am I!
Mekaa sɛ, “Aa, Otumfoɔ Awurade mennim kasa; meyɛ abɔfra.”
7 Then said Yahweh unto me, Do not say, A child, am, I,—For against whomsoever I send thee, shalt thou go, And whatsoever I command thee, shalt thou 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 with thee, am I, to deliver thee Declareth Yahweh.
Nsuro wɔn, ɛfiri sɛ meka wo ho, na magye wo,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
9 Then Yahweh put forth his hand, and touched my mouth, —and Yahweh said unto me, Lo! 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 set thee in charge this day, over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and to break down, and to destroy and to tear in pieces, —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 Yahweh came unto me saying, What canst thou see Jeremiah? And I said, A twig of an almond-tree, can I see.
Na Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na wohunu yi, Yeremia?” Na mebuaa sɛ, “Mehunu sorɔno dubaa.”
12 Then said Yahweh unto me—Thou hast rightly seen, —for keeping watch, am I over 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 Yahweh came unto me a second time saying, What canst thou see? And I said, A boiling caldron, can I see, with, the front thereof, on 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 said Yahweh unto me, —Out of the North, shall break forth calamity, against 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 behold me! calling for all the families of the kingdoms of the North, Declareth Yahweh, —and they shall come, and set every one his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem and against all her walls 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 Then will I pronounce my judgments against them, concerning all their wickedness, —in that they have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods, and have bowed down to 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, shalt gird thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them, all that, I, command thee, —be not dismayed because of them, lest I dismay thee before their face.
“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 I, therefore—lo! I have set thee to-day as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze, over all the land, —against the kings of Judah, against her princes, against her priests 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 will fight against thee but shall not prevail against thee, —for with thee, am I, Declareth Yahweh, to deliver thee.
Wɔbɛko atia wo nanso wɔrentumi nni wo so nkonim, ɛfiri sɛ meka wo ho, na mɛgye wo,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
