Jeremiah 23
1 Yahweh declares, “Terrible things will happen to [the leaders] [MET] [of my people—those who are like] shepherds of [the people who are like] my sheep—because they have scattered my people and sent them away, and have not taken care of them.
“Nnome nka nguanhwɛfo a wɔsɛe na wɔhwete me nguankuw no!” Awurade na ose.
2 So, this is what [I, ] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli [people worship], say to those leaders: ‘Instead of taking care of my people and [leading them to places where they are safe, like a shepherd does for] his sheep, you have scattered them. So I will punish you for the evil things that you have done.
Ɛno nti sɛɛ na Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, ka kyerɛ ahwɛfo a wɔhwɛ me nkurɔfo so ni: “Esiane sɛ moabɔ me nguankuw ahwete, na moapam wɔn na moanhwɛ wɔn so yiye no nti, mede asotwe bɛbrɛ mo, mo bɔne a moayɛ no nti,” nea Awurade se ni.
3 But later I will gather those who are still alive, from the countries where I have forced them to go. I will bring them back to their own country, where they will have many children, and their number/population will increase.
“Mʼankasa mɛboaboa me nguan nkae no afi aman a mapam wɔn akɔ hɔ nyinaa no so na mede wɔn bɛsan aba wɔn adidibea bio, baabi wɔbɛwowo na wɔn ase atrɛw.
4 [Then] I will appoint [other] leaders for my people, leaders who will take care of them. And my people will never be afraid [DOU] of anything again, and none of them will be [like a] lost [sheep].’”
Na meyi nguanhwɛfo a wɔbɛhwɛ wɔn so, na wɔrensuro na wɔremmɔ hu bio na wɔn mu baako mpo renyera.” Awurade na ose.
5 Yahweh [also] says, “Some day I will appoint for you a righteous man who will be a descendant of King David. He will be a king who rules wisely. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
“Nna bi reba,” Awurade na ose, “sɛ mɛma trenee dubaa bi so ama Dawid ɔhene bi a obedi ade nyansa mu na wayɛ nea ɛteɛ ne nea eye wɔ asase yi so.
6 At that time, all the Israeli people [DOU] will be saved [from their enemies], and they will be safe. And his name will be ‘Yahweh, the one who vindicates/defends us.’”
Ne mmere so, wobegye Yuda nkwa na Israel bɛtena ase wɔ asomdwoe mu. Eyi ne din a wɔde bɛfrɛ no: Awurade Yɛn Trenee.
7 Yahweh [also] says that at that time, people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives, who rescued the Israeli people from Egypt.”
Na afei nna bi reba,” Awurade na ose, “a nnipa renka bio se, ‘Nokware sɛ Awurade te ase yi, nea oyii Israelfo fii Misraim,’
8 Instead, they will say, “[I will do it] as surely as Yahweh lives, who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the land to the northeast and from all the [other] countries to which he had exiled us.” And they will live in their own land [again].
na mmom, wɔbɛka se, ‘Nokware sɛ Awurade te ase yi, nea oyii Israel asefo fii atifi asase so ne aman nyinaa a ɔpam wɔn kɔɔ hɔ no so no.’ Na afei wɔbɛtena wɔn ankasa asase so.”
9 I am very shocked because of the sacred message that Yahweh has spoken about [what will happen to] the [false] prophets; [it is as though] all my bones shake. I stagger like a man who is drunk after drinking a lot of wine.
Nea ɛfa adiyifo no ho no: Me koma abubu wɔ me mu; me nnompe nyinaa wosow. Mete sɛ ɔsabowfo, mete sɛ obi a nsa abow no, esiane Awurade ne ne nsɛm kronkron no nti.
10 The land is full of [people who commit] adultery; and [Yahweh] has cursed the land. Even the pastures in the desert are all dried up, because the people do what is evil, and [the false prophets] use their power to do things that are not just/fair.
Aguamammɔfo ahyɛ asase no so ma; nnome no nti asase no awo wosee, adidibea a ɛwɔ nweatam no so ahyew. Adiyifo no nam ɔkwan bɔne so de wɔn tumi yɛ nea ɛnteɛ.
11 Yahweh says, “[Yes, even] the priests and the prophets are ungodly; they do wicked things even in my temple.
“Odiyifo ne ɔsɔfo nyinaa nsuro Nyankopɔn; mʼasɔredan mu mpo mihu wɔn amumɔyɛsɛm,” Awurade na ose.
12 Therefore, [it will be as though] the paths that they walk on are slippery. [It will be as though] they are being chased in the darkness, and there they will fall down, because I will cause them to experience disasters at the time that I will punish them. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
“Ɛno nti, wɔn kwan so bɛyɛ torotorootoro; wɔbɛpam wɔn akɔ sum mu na hɔ na wɔbɛhwehwe ase. Mede amanehunu bɛba wɔn so wɔ afe a wɔbɛtwe wɔn aso mu no,” Awurade na ose.
13 [Previously] I saw that the prophets in Samaria were doing something that was wrong; they were prophesying, saying that Baal [gave them the messages that they were proclaiming], and they were deceiving my people.
“Samaria adiyifo mu no mihuu saa atantanne yi: Wɔde Baal hyɛɛ nkɔm nam so maa me nkurɔfo Israelfo fom kwan.
14 And [now] I have seen the prophets in Jerusalem doing terrible things. They commit adultery and habitually tell lies. They encourage evil people to continue to do evil things, with the result that the people do not stop sinning. Those prophets are as wicked as the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were.
Na Yerusalem adiyifo mu no mahu ade a ɛyɛ hu: Wɔsɛe aware na wodi atoro. Wɔhyɛ wɔn a wɔyɛ bɔne no mpamuden, enti obiara ntwe ne ho mfi nʼamumɔyɛsɛm ho. Wɔn nyinaa te sɛ Sodom ma me; na Yerusalemfo te sɛ Gomora.”
15 So, this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says about those [false] prophets: “I will give those prophets bitter things to eat and poison to drink, because it is because of them that this land is filled with [people who do] wicked things.”
Ɛno nti sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, se fa adiyifo no ho: “Mɛma wɔadi aduan a ɛyɛ nwen na wɔanom nsu a awuduru wɔ mu, efisɛ Yerusalem adiyifo nti, bɔneyɛ ahyɛ asase yi so ma.”
16 This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “Do not pay any attention to what those [false] prophets say to you, because they are just deceiving you. They tell you about visions that they have thought/created [only] in their own minds, not about visions that I have given them.
Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se: “Munntie nkɔm a adiyifo no hyɛ kyerɛ mo; wɔma mo nya anidaso a enni nnyinaso. Wɔbɔ wɔn tirim ka anisoadehu, a emfi Awurade anom.
17 They habitually say to those who hate me, ‘[Yahweh says that] you will have peace.’ And they say to those who stubbornly do what they want to do, ‘Nothing bad will happen to you [because of your doing those things].’
Wɔkɔ so ka kyerɛ wɔn a wobu me animtiaa no se, ‘Awurade se: Mubenya asomdwoe.’ Na wɔn a wodi wɔn komaden akyi no nyinaa, wɔka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Ɔhaw biara remma mo so.’
18 But none of them has ever been in a council [meeting] in heaven in order to listen to a message from me. None of them has paid attention to anything that [I], Yahweh, have said.
Na wɔn mu hena na wasɔre wɔ Awurade agyinatufo mu sɛ ɔbɛhwɛ anaa obetie nʼasɛm? Hena na wayɛ aso ate nʼasɛm?
19 So, listen to this: I will punish them; it will be [like] a great storm; it will come down [like] a whirlwind, swirling around the heads of those wicked people.
Hwɛ, Awurade ahum betu abufuwhyew mu, mfɛtɛ bedi kyinhyia wɔ amumɔyɛfo mpampam.
20 I will not stop being angry until I completely accomplish all that I have planned. In the future, you will understand [all of] this clearly.”
Awurade abufuw rensan kosi sɛ obewie ne koma mu nhyehyɛe nyinaa. Nna a ɛreba no mu no mobɛte ase yiye.
21 [Yahweh also says, ] “I have not appointed those prophets, but they run [around telling people their messages]. I did not speak to them, but they [continue to] prophesy.
Mansoma saa adiyifo yi, nanso wɔde wɔn asɛm akyinkyin; mamma wɔn nkra biara, nanso wɔahyɛ nkɔm.
22 If they had been in my council [meetings], they would have been able to speak messages from me, and they would have caused people to turn away from committing evil things.”
Sɛ wɔkaa mʼagyinatufo ho a, anka wɔbɛpae mu aka mʼasɛm akyerɛ me nkurɔfo na ama wɔatwe wɔn ho afi wɔn akwammɔne ne wɔn nneyɛe bɔne ho.
23 Yahweh [also] says, “Am I a God who is only nearby? No, I am a God who is far away, also.
“Meyɛ Onyankopɔn a mebɛn nko ara anaa,” Awurade na ose, “na menyɛ Onyankopɔn a mewɔ akyirikyiri nso?
24 So, no one can hide in some secret place with the result that I cannot see him. I am everywhere, in heaven and on the earth! [That is what I], Yahweh, say!
Obi betumi de ne ho asie baabi a merentumi nhu no ana?” Awurade na ose. “Menyɛɛ ɔsoro ne asase so ma ana?” Awurade na ose.
25 I have heard those prophets prophesy lies, saying that they are telling people messages from me. They say, ‘[Listen to me tell you] the dream that God gave me last night! I [really] had this dream!’
“Mate nea adiyifo a wɔde me din hyɛ atoro nkɔm no keka. Wɔkeka se, ‘Mesoo dae! Mesoo dae!’
26 How long will they continue to do this? How long will those lying prophets continue to prophesy things that come only from their own minds?
Eyi bɛkɔ so akosi da bɛn wɔ atoro adiyifo yi koma mu? Wɔn a wɔbɔ wɔn tirim hyɛ nnaadaa nkɔm?
27 They think that because of the dreams that they tell to each other, people will forget me, like their ancestors forgot about me when they started to worship Baal.
Wodwen sɛ dae a wɔkeka kyerɛkyerɛ wɔn ho no bɛma me nkurɔfo werɛ afi me din, sɛnea Baal som nti wɔn agyanom werɛ fii me din no.
28 Allow those [false] prophets to tell people their dreams, but those who have messages that [really] come from me should proclaim those messages faithfully. I, Yahweh, say [that like] straw and grain are certainly very different, [my messages and the messages from those false prophets are certainly very different].
Ma odiyifo a waso dae no nka nʼadaeso, na ma nea ɔwɔ mʼasɛm no nka no nokware mu. Na dɛn na ntɛtɛ ne awi wɔ yɛ?” Awurade na ose.
29 [It is as though] my messages [burn] like a fire; they [strike people’s inner beings like] someone strikes a rock with a hammer and smashes it into pieces.
“Na mʼasɛm nte sɛ ogya,” Awurade na ose, “ɛnte sɛ asae a ɛpaapae ɔbotan mu nketenkete ana?
30 Therefore, [I, ] Yahweh say, 'I oppose all those prophets who steal messages from each other and claim that those messages came from me.
“Ɛno nti,” Awurade na ose, “mikyi adiyifo a wɔfa nsɛm a efi wɔn yɔnkonom nkyɛn, na wɔpae mu ka no sɛnea efi me nkyɛn no.
31 I oppose those prophets who speak their own messages but claim that those messages came from me.
Yiw,” Awurade asɛm ni, “mikyi saa adiyifo a wɔde wɔn ankasa tɛkrɛmawo ka se, ‘Awurade na ose.’
32 I oppose those prophets who falsely say that I told them something in a vision, but they are [only] telling lies that cause my people to sin. I did not send those prophets. I did not even appoint them [to be prophets]. And they have no messages that will benefit my people at all.' [That is what I, ] Yahweh, declare.”
Nokware, mikyi wɔn a wɔhyɛ adaeso ho atoro nkɔm,” Awurade na ose. “Wɔka kyerɛ wɔn na wɔde atoro nsɛm daadaa me nkurɔfo ma wɔfom kwan, nso mensomaa wɔn na minnyii wɔn. Wɔn so nni mfaso mma saa nnipa yi koraa,” Awurade na ose.
33 [Yahweh said to me], “If one of those prophets or priests or one of the [other] people asks you, ‘What problem has Yahweh told you about [now]?’, you must reply, ‘You are the problem! And Yahweh says that he will abandon you!’
“Sɛ saa nnipa yi, anaa odiyifo anaa ɔsɔfo bisa mo se, ‘Dɛn ne Awurade adiyisɛm no a?’ Monka nkyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Adiyisɛm bɛn? Mɛpo mo, Awurade na ose.’
34 And if any prophet or priest or anyone [else falsely] says, ‘[I have] a prophecy from Yahweh,’ I will punish that person and his family.
Sɛ odiyifo bi, ɔsɔfo bi anaa obi foforo si so dua se, ‘Awurade adiyisɛm ni’ a, mɛtwe saa ɔbarima no ne ne fifo aso.
35 What you should continually ask each other is, ‘[When you spoke to Yahweh, ] what did he reply? What is he saying [to us]?’
Eyi ne nea mo mu biara kɔ so ka kyerɛ ne yɔnko anaa ne busuani: ‘Awurade mmuae ne dɛn?’ Anaa ‘Dɛn na Awurade aka?’
36 But stop saying ‘[I have] a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ because those who say that are doing it only because they want people to accept their ideas, and by doing that they distort/change the messages that are from our God, the Commander of the armies of angels.
Nanso ɛnsɛ sɛ mobɔ ‘Awurade adiyisɛm’ so bio; efisɛ obiara asɛm bɛyɛ nʼadiyisɛm, ne saa nti modannan nsɛm a efi Onyankopɔn, Ɔteasefo, Asafo Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn nkyɛn no mu.
37 This is what you should ask each prophet: ‘What did Yahweh reply [when you talked to him]? What is he saying [to us]?’
Eyi ne nea mokɔ so ka kyerɛ odiyifo: ‘Mmuae bɛn na Awurade de ama mo?’ Anaa ‘Asɛm bɛn na Awurade aka?’
38 If he replies, ‘[What I told you] is a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ you should say to him, ‘You have continued to say, “[I received] a prophecy/message from Yahweh” even though I told you to not claim that you have received prophecies/messages from Yahweh.’
Ɛwɔ mu, musi so dua se, ‘Eyi ne Awurade adiyisɛm’ nanso sɛɛ na Awurade ka: Mokae se, ‘Eyi yɛ Awurade adiyisɛm,’ wɔ bere a maka akyerɛ mo se monnka saa nsɛm yi bio.
39 So I [, Yahweh, ] will get rid of you [false prophets]. I will expel you from my presence. And I will get rid of this city that I gave to you and to your ancestors.
Afei, nokware, me werɛ befi mo, na mapam mo ne kuropɔn a mede maa mo ne mo agyanom afi mʼani so.
40 I will cause people to make fun of you forever. People will never forget that you were disgraced.”
Na mede daa animguase, ne daa ahohora a werɛ remfi da bɛba mo so.”
