Jeremiah 16
1 Yahweh gave me another message. [He said to me],
Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
2 “Do not get married and have children in this land,
“Ɛnsɛ sɛ wo ware na wowo mmammarima anaa mmammaa 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:
Yei ne deɛ Awurade ka fa mmammarima ne mmammaa a wɔwo wɔn asase yi so mmaa a wɔyɛ wɔn maamenom 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.”
“Owuyareɛ bɛkunkum wɔn. Wɔrensu wɔn na wɔrensie wɔn, mmom wɔbɛyɛ sɛ sumina a ɛgugu fam. Wɔbɛtotɔ akofena ano na ɛkɔm bɛkunkum wɔn na wɔn afunu bɛyɛ aduane ama ewiem 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.
“Nhyɛne efie a ayie yɛ apontoɔ wo mu; nkɔsu wɔn abia, na mma wɔn hyɛden, ɛfiri sɛ mayi me nhyira, me dɔ ne mʼahummɔborɔ afiri saa nnipa yi so,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
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].
“Atitire ne mpapahwekwaa bɛwu wɔ asase yi so. Wɔrensie wɔn, na wɔrensu wɔn, na obiara remmɔ ne ho akam, na wɔn enti, obiara renyi ne ti mfa nkae wɔn.
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 wɔdi awufoɔ no ho awerɛhoɔ no aduane mfa nkyekye wɔn werɛ, owufoɔ no agya anaa ne maame mpo, na obiara mma wɔn nsã nso 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 nhyɛne efie a apontoɔ 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 yei ne deɛ Awurade Otumfoɔ, Israel Onyankopɔn no seɛ: Wo nkwanna mu a, wʼani tua no, mede ahosɛpɛ ne anigyeɛ nnyegyeɛ, ayeforɔkunu ne ayeforɔyere ahosɛpɛ nne a ɛwɔ ha no, bɛba awieeɛ.
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 yeinom nyinaa kyerɛ saa nnipa yi na wɔbisa wo sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na Awurade abɔ mmɔm a ɛyɛ hu sei atia yɛn? Ɛdeɛn mfomsoɔ na yɛayɛ? Bɔne bɛn na yɛayɛ atia Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn’ 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.
ɛnneɛ ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Ɛfiri sɛ mo agyanom gyaa me hɔ kɔdii anyame foforɔ akyi, kɔsom wɔn sɔree wɔn, Awurade asɛm nie. Wogyaa 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 deɛ, moayɛ amumuyɛsɛm asene mo agyanom. Monhwɛ sɛdeɛ mo mu biara di nʼakoma bɔne asoɔden akyi wɔ ɛberɛ a anka ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ɔsetie 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 enti, mɛtu mo afiri saa asase yi so de mo akɔ asase a, mo anaa sɛ mo agyanom nnim so, na ɛhɔ mobɛsom anyame foforɔ awia ne anadwo, na merenhunu 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 ɔseɛ, “a nnipa renka bio sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi, deɛ ɔyii Israelfoɔ firii 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 sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi deɛ ɔyii Israelfoɔ firii atifi fam asase ne aman a ɔtuu wɔn kɔɔ so nyinaa.’ Ɛfiri sɛ mɛsane de wɔn aba asase a mede maa wɔn tete agyanom 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 seesei, mɛsoma apofofoɔ bebree a wɔbɛkyere wɔn.” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Ɛno akyi, mɛsoma akɔfa abɔmmɔfoɔ bebree a wɔbɛtaataa wɔn wɔ mmepɔ ne nkokoɔ nyinaa so ne abotan ntokuro 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; ɛnsumaa me, na wɔn bɔne nso nhintaeɛ 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.”
Mɛtua wɔn amumuyɛ ne wɔn bɔne so ka mprenu, ɛfiri sɛ wɔde aniwudeɛ nsɛsodeɛ a ɛnni nkwa ne wɔn ahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwadeɛ abɛhyɛ mʼagyapadeɛ 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].
Ao Awurade, mʼahoɔden ne mʼaban, mʼahohia mu dwanekɔbea, wo nkyɛn na amanaman no bɛba wɔbɛfiri nsase ano aka sɛ, “Yɛn agyanom annya biribiara sɛ anyame huhuo, ahoni a wɔn ho nni mfasoɔ 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 anaa? Aane, nanso wɔnyɛ nokorɛ 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 enti mɛkyerɛkyerɛ wɔn, saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ mɛkyerɛ wɔn me tumi ne mʼahoɔden. Afei wɔbɛhunu sɛ me din ne Awurade.
