Jeremiah 16
1 Yahweh gave me another message. [He said to me],
Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
2 “Do not get married and have children in this land,
“Ɛnsɛ sɛ woware na wowo mmabarima anaa mmabea wɔ ha.”
3 because this is what [I], Yahweh, say about the children who are born in this city, and about their mothers and fathers:
Sɛɛ na Awurade ka fa mmabarima ne mmabea a wɔwo wɔn asase yi so; mmea a wɔyɛ wɔn nanom ne mmarima a wɔyɛ wɔn agyanom no ho:
4 [Many of] them will die from terrible diseases. And no one will mourn for them. No one will even bury their corpses; the corpses will lie on the ground, [scattered] like manure. [Others] will die in wars or from hunger, and [then] their corpses will become food for vultures and wild animals.”
“Owuyare bekunkum wɔn. Wɔrensu wɔn na wɔrensie wɔn, mmom wɔbɛyɛ sɛ sumina a egugu fam. Wɔbɛtotɔ afoa ano na ɔkɔm bekunkum wɔn na wɔn afunu bɛyɛ aduan ama wim nnomaa ne asase so mmoa.”
5 This is [also] what Yahweh said to me: “Do not go to funerals to mourn or to show [those whose relatives have died] that you feel sorry for them, because I have stopped protecting them, and I have caused that things will not go well for them. I have stopped faithfully loving them and acting mercifully toward them.
“Nhyɛn ofi a ayiyɛ aponto wo mu; nkosu wɔn abia, na mma wɔn hyɛden, efisɛ mayi me nhyira, me dɔ ne mʼahummɔbɔ afi saa nnipa yi so,” Awurade na ose.
6 [Very many people] will die in this land, [including] those who are important and those who are not important. And no one will mourn for them, or [even] bury [their corpses]. No one will cut himself or shave his head [to show that he is very sad].
Atitiriw ne mpapahwekwa bewuwu wɔ asase yi so. Wɔrensie wɔn na wɔrensu wɔn na obiara remmɔ ne ho kam, na ɔrenyi ne ti wɔ wɔn nti.
7 No one will bring food to comfort those who are mourning, not even if it is their father or their mother [who has died]. No one will give them a cup [of wine] to cheer them up.
Obiara remma wɔn a wodi awufo no ho awerɛhow no aduan mfa nkyekye wɔn werɛ, owufo no agya anaa ne na mpo, obiara remma wɔn nsa mfa nkyekye wɔn werɛ.
8 And do not go into the houses where people are feasting. Do not eat or drink anything with them.
“Na nhyɛn ofi a aponto kɔ so wɔ mu nkɔtena ase, nnidi na nnom.
9 [I want you to do this] because this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, say: ‘While you are still alive and seeing it happen, I will cause there to be no more singing and laughing in this land. There will be no more joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides.’
Na sɛɛ na Awurade Tumfo, Israel Nyankopɔn no se: Wo nkwanna mu a wʼani tua no, mede ahosɛpɛw ne anigye nnyigyei, ayeforokunu ne ayeforo ahosɛpɛw nne a ɛwɔ ha no bɛba awiei.
10 When you tell these things to the people, they will ask, ‘Why has Yahweh declared that these terrible things will happen to us? What have we done [for which we deserve to be punished like this]? What sin have we committed against Yahweh our God?’
“Sɛ woka eyinom nyinaa kyerɛ saa nnipa yi na wobisa wo se, ‘Adɛn nti na Awurade abɔ atoyerɛnkyɛm a ɛyɛ hu sɛɛ atia yɛn? Dɛn mfomso na yɛayɛ? Bɔne bɛn na yɛayɛ atia Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn’ a,
11 Then this is what you must tell them [that I am replying to them]: ‘It is because your ancestors turned away from me, Yahweh. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my commands.
ɛno de ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Efisɛ mo agyanom gyaw me hɔ kodii anyame foforo akyi, kɔsom wɔn sɔree wɔn, Awurade asɛm ni. Wogyaw me na wɔanni me mmara so.
12 But you [who are living now] have done more wicked things than your ancestors did! Each of you stubbornly does the evil things that he desires and refuses to pay attention to what I say.
Na mo de, moayɛ amumɔyɛsɛm asen mo agyanom. Monhwɛ sɛnea mo mu biara di ne koma bɔne asoɔden akyi wɔ bere a anka ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ osetie ma me.
13 So, I will throw you out of this land, and I will send you to a land that you and your ancestors have never known about. There you will worship other gods day and night. And I will not act mercifully toward you.’
Ɛno nti, metu mo afi saa asase yi so de mo akɔ asase a, mo anaasɛ mo agyanom nnim so, na mobɛsom anyame foforo wɔ hɔ awia ne anadwo, na merenhu mo mmɔbɔ.’
14 But there will be a time when people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, ‘[I will do this], [just as surely] as Yahweh lives—the one who brought the Israeli people here from Egypt.’
“Nanso nna no reba,” Awurade na ose, “a nnipa renka bio se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi, nea oyii Israelfo fii Misraim,’
15 Instead, they will say ‘[I will do this, just as surely] as Yahweh lives—the one who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the lands to the north and from all the other lands to which he had (exiled us/forced us to go).’ [They will be able to say that] because [some day] I will bring your descendants back to this land that I gave to your ancestors.
mmom, wɔbɛka se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi nea oyii Israelfo fii atifi fam asase ne aman a otuu wɔn kɔɔ so nyinaa.’ Efisɛ mɛsan de wɔn aba asase a mede maa wɔn tete agyanom no no so.
16 But now I am summoning [your enemies who will seize the people of Judah like] [MET] fishermen [catch fish]. I am summoning those who will search for them on every mountain and hill, and in every cave, [like] [MET] hunters [search for animals to kill].
“Na mprempren, mɛsoma apopofo bebree a wɔbɛkyere wɔn.” Awurade na ose. “Ɛno akyi, mɛsoma akɔfa abɔmmɔfo bebree a wɔbɛtaataa wɔn wɔ mmepɔw ne nkoko nyinaa so ne abotan atokuru mu.
17 I am watching them carefully. I see every sin [that they commit]. They will not [be able to] hide from me [MTY].
Mʼani tua wɔn akwan nyinaa; enhintaw me, na wɔn bɔne nso nhintaw wɔ mʼani so.
18 Because of all the wicked things that they have done [DOU], I will punish them twice as much [as I would punish other people. I will do that] because they have caused my land to become unacceptable to me because of their [worshiping] lifeless statues of detestable gods, and [also because they] have done many other evil things throughout my land.”
Metua wɔn amumɔyɛ ne wɔn bɔne so ka mprenu, efisɛ wɔde aniwude nsɛsode a enni nkwa ne wɔn ahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwade abɛhyɛ mʼagyapade so ma de agu mʼasase ho fi.”
19 [Then I prayed, saying], “Yahweh, you are the one who strengthens me and protects me [MET]; you are the one to whom I go when I have [troubles]. [Some day people from] nations all over the world will come to you and say, ‘Our ancestors left/gave us only something that was false; [they worshiped idols] that are completely worthless [DOU].
Awurade, mʼahoɔden ne mʼabandennen, mʼahohia mu guankɔbea, wo nkyɛn na amanaman no bɛba; wobefi nsase ano aka se, “Yɛn agyanom annya biribiara sɛ anyame huhuw, ahoni a wɔn so nni mfaso na wɔammoa wɔn.
20 No one can [RHQ] make their own gods; the gods that they make are [only idols]; they are not real gods.’”
Nnipa yɛ wɔn ankasa anyame ana? Yiw, nanso wɔnyɛ nokware anyame!”
21 [Then Yahweh said], “Now I will show my power to [the people of Judah]; I will show them that I am truly very powerful [DOU]. Then, finally, they will know that I, Yahweh, [am the true God].”
“Ɛno nti mɛkyerɛkyerɛ wɔn, saa bere yi nea mɛkyerɛ wɔn, me tumi ne mʼahoɔden. Afei wobehu sɛ me din ne Awurade.
