< Jeremiah 6 >

1 Take your goods into safety, ye sons of Benjamin out of the midst of Jerusalem, And in Tekoa, blow ye a horn, And on Beth-haccherem, raise a fire-signal, —For calamity, hath looked out from the North, Even a great destruction.
“Benyaminfoɔ monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Monnwane mfiri Yerusalem! Monhyɛne totorobɛnto no wɔ Tekoa! Monsi frankaa no wɔ Bet-Hakerem! Ɛfiri sɛ amanehunu bobɔ firi atifi fam, ɔsɛeɛ bi a ɛyɛ hu.
2 To a comely and delicate woman, have I likened the daughter of Zion:
Mɛsɛe Ɔbabaa Sion ɔhoɔfɛfoɔ sɔɔnɔ no.
3 Against her, shall come shepherds with their flocks; They have pitched against her their tents, round about, They tend their flocks every one near at hand.
Atamfoɔ bɛba abɛtwa ne ho ahyia te sɛ nnwanhwɛfoɔ; wɔbɛsisi wɔn ntomadan atwa ne ho ahyia na wɔn mu biara bɛhwɛ ne kyɛfa so.”
4 Hallow ye against her a war, Arise! and let us go up in broad noon. Woe to us, for the day, hath turned, for the shadows of evening, stretch along.
“Monsiesie mo ho ne no nkɔko! Monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so owigyinaeɛ! Nanso, hwɛ, onwunu redwo, na anwummerɛ sunsumma reyɛ tenten.
5 Arise! and let us go up in the night, And let us destroy her palaces.
Enti, monsɔre momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so anadwo na yɛnsɛe nʼaban hodoɔ!”
6 For, Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, Cut ye down timber, And cast up, against Jerusalem a mound, —That, is the city to be punished! There is, nothing, but oppression in her midst;
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Montwitwa nnua no ngu fam na monsisi epie ntia Yerusalem. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe kuropɔn yi aso; nhyɛsoɔ ahyɛ no ma.
7 Like the casting forth by a well of its waters, So, hath she cast forth her wickedness, —Violence and destruction, are heard in her, Before my face, continually, are suffering and smiting.
Sɛdeɛ abura pu ne nsuo no, saa ara nso na ɔpu nʼamumuyɛ. Wɔte awurukasɛm ne ɔsɛeɛ nka wɔ ne mu; ne yadeɛ ne nʼapirakuro wɔ mʼanim daa.
8 Receive thou correction O Jerusalem, Lest my soul be torn from thee, —Lest I make thee A desolation, A land not habitable.
Fa kɔkɔbɔ, Ao Yerusalem, anyɛ saa a metwe me ho afiri wo ho na mama wʼasase ada mpan a obiara ntumi ntena soɔ.”
9 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel—Turn back thy hand, as a grape gatherer over the tendrils.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Ma wɔnyiyi Israel nkaeɛfoɔ no mu yie sɛdeɛ wɔyiyi bobe mu; fa wo nsa fa mman no so bio, sɛ obi a ɔretete bobe aba.”
10 Unto whom, can I speak—and bear witness, that they may hear? Lo! uncircumcised, is their ear, that they cannot attend, —Lo! the word of Yahweh, hath become to them a reproach, they take no delight therein.
Hwan na mɛtumi akasa akyerɛ no na mabɔ no kɔkɔ? Hwan na ɔbɛtie me? Wɔn aso asisi enti wɔnte asɛm. Awurade asɛm yɛ akyiwadeɛ ma wɔn na wɔn ani nnye ho.
11 So then, with the indignation of Yahweh, am I full, I am too weary to hold it in, [I am constrained] to pour it out, upon the boy in the street, and upon the circle of young men, together, —For, even husband with wife, will be captured, The elder with him who is full of days;
Nanso Awurade abufuhyeɛ ahyɛ me ma, na mentumi nkora so. “Hwie gu mmɔfra a wɔwɔ mmɔntene so ne mmaranteɛ a wɔahyia; ɛbɛka okunu ne ɔyere, mmasiriwa ne wɔn a onyini adoko wɔn.
12 And their houses shall be turned over to others, Fields and wives together, —For I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land, Declareth Yahweh.
Sɛ metene me nsa wɔ wɔn a wɔte asase no so a wɔbɛdane wɔn afie ama afoforɔ, na wɔn mfuo ne wɔn yerenom bɛka ho,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
13 For, from the least of them, even unto the greatest of them, Every one, graspeth with greed, —And from the prophet even unto the priest, Every one, dealeth, falsely;
“Ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so, wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfoɔ de pɛ ahonya; adiyifoɔ ne asɔfoɔ te saa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifoɔ.
14 And so they have healed the grievous wound of my people, slightly, Saying, Peace, peace, when there was no peace,
Wɔmia me nkurɔfoɔ apirakuro te sɛ deɛ ɛnyɛ hu. Wɔka sɛ, ‘Asomdwoeɛ, asomdwoeɛ’ wɔ mmerɛ a asomdwoeɛ nni hɔ.
15 Were they led to turn pale because an abominable thing, they had done! Nay! they did not, at all turn pale, Nay! they did not so much as know how, to exhibit shame, Therefore, shall they fall among them who are falling, In the time when I punish them, shall they be overthrown, Saith Yahweh.
Wɔn ani wu wɔ wɔn animguaseɛ nneyɛɛ no ho anaa? Dabi, wɔn ani nnwu koraa; wɔnnim fɛreɛ mpo. Enti sɛ metwe wɔn aso a, wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfoɔ mu; wɔbɛhwehwe ase,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
16 Thus saith Yahweh—Stand ye at the ways—and see, And ask for the paths of age-past times, Where is the good way? And walk therein, And ye shall find rest to your souls. But they said, We will not walk [therein]!
Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, “Monnyina nkwantanan no so na monhwɛ; mommisa tete akwan no, mommisa baabi a ɛkwan pa no da na monnante so, na mobɛnya homeɛ ama mo akra. Nanso mokaa sɛ, ‘yɛnnante so.’
17 Therefore will I raise up over you, watchmen, Give ye heed to the sound of a horn, —But they said, We will not give heed!
Mede awɛmfoɔ sisii mo so na mekaa sɛ, ‘Montie totorobɛnto nnyegyeeɛ no!’ Nanso, mokaa sɛ, ‘Yɛrentie.’
18 Therefore, hear O ye nations, —And take knowledge O assembly, Of that which befalleth them:
Ɛno enti, monyɛ aso, Ao amanaman; monhwɛ, Ao adansefoɔ, deɛ ɛbɛto wɔn.
19 Hear thou—O earth, Lo! I, am bringing in Calamity against this people the fruit of their own devices, —For unto my words, have they not given heed, And as for my law, they have rejected it.
Yɛ aso, Ao asase: Mede amanehunu reba saa nnipa yi so, wɔn nneyɛɛ so aba, ɛfiri sɛ wɔantie me nsɛm na wɔapo me mmara.
20 What then is it to me that—Frankincense from Shebah come in, or Sweet cane from a land afar off? Your own ascending-offerings, are not acceptable, Nor are, your sacrifices, pleasing to me.
Nnuhwam a ɛfiri Seba anaa ahwedeɛ pa a ɛfiri akyirikyiri asase so fa me ho bɛn? Mennye wo hyeɛ afɔdeɛ no nto mu; wʼafɔrebɔ ahodoɔ no nsɔ mʼani.”
21 Wherefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! laying before this people, stumblingblocks, —And fathers and sons together, shall stumble against them, The neighbour and his friend, shall perish.
Ɛno enti, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Mede akwansideɛ bɛgu saa nkurɔfoɔ yi anim. Agyanom ne mmammarima nyinaa bɛsuntisunti wɔ so; ayɔnkofoɔ ne nnamfonom bɛyera.”
22 Thus, saith Yahweh, Lo! a people coming in from the land of the North, —Yea a great nation, shall be stirred up out of the remote parts of the earth:
Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Monhwɛ, akodɔm bi reba, wɔfiri atifi fam asase so; wɔrekanyane ɔman kɛseɛ bi afiri nsase ano.
23 Bow and javelin, shall they grasp, Cruel, is he! So they will not have compassion, Their voice, like the sea, will roar, And on horses, will they ride, —Arrayed each one, like a man for battle, Against thee, O daughter of Zion!
Wɔkurakura bɛmma ne pea; wɔn tirim yɛ den, na wɔnni ahummɔborɔ. Wɔn nnyegyeeɛ te sɛ ɛpo asorɔkye. Sɛ wɔtete wɔn apɔnkɔ so a, wɔba te sɛ mmarima a wɔrekɔ ɔko. Wɔrebɛto ahyɛ wo so, Ao Ɔbabaa Sion.”
24 We have heard the report thereof, Relaxed are our hands, —Anguish, hath taken hold on us, Pangs, as on her that is giving birth.
Yɛate wɔn ho nsɛm, na yɛn nsa sesa yɛn ho sɛ deɛ awu. Ehu akyekyere yɛn ɔyea aba wɔn so, te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔreko awoɔ.
25 Do not go out into the field, And in the road, do not walk, -Because a sword, hath the foe, —Terror round about!
Mfiri adi nkɔ wiram na nnante akwan no so, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no wɔ akofena, na baabiara ayɛ hu.
26 O daughter of my people Gird thee with sackcloth and roll thyself in ashes, —The mourning for an only son, make thou for thyself, Most bitter lamentation! For suddenly, shall the destroyer come upon us.
Ao me nkurɔfoɔ, monfira ayitoma na mommunimuni nsõ mu. Momfa adwadwotwa yaaya nni awerɛhoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔsu ma ɔbabarima korɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mpofirim ara ɔsɛefoɔ no bɛba yɛn so.
27 An assayer, have I set thee amongst my people, of gold-ore, —That thou mayest note and try their way:
“Mayɛ wo obi a ɔsɔ fagudeɛ hwɛ na me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ dadeben, a wobɛhwɛ wɔn na woasɔ wɔn akwan ahwɛ.
28 They all, are rebels of rebels, Slander-walkers [They are] bronze and iron! As for them all, corrupters, they are!
Wɔn nyinaa yɛ atuatefoɔ a wɔyɛ den, wɔnenam di nsekuro. Wɔyɛ den sɛ kɔbere ne dadeɛ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn adeɛ wɔ porɔeɛ ɛkwan so.
29 Scorched are the bellows, By fire, is lead wont to be, consumed, —In vain, hath he gone on refining, For the wicked, have not been drawn out:
Afa no bɔ mframa denden de ogya nane sumpii no, nanso ahobereɛ no yɛ ɔkwa. Ɛntumi nyiyii bɔne no mfirii wɔn mu.
30 Rejected silver, are they called, For, Yahweh, hath rejected them.
Mɛfrɛ wɔn dwetɛ a wɔapo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade apo wɔn.”

< Jeremiah 6 >