Jeremiah 37
1 After Jehoiakim died, [his son Jehoiachin became king for only three months, after which] King Josiah’s son Zedekiah became the King of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, appointed him to be the new king.
Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar de Yosia babarima Sedekia dii Yudahene; ɔsii Yehoiakim babarima Yehoiakin anan mu.
2 But King Zedekiah and his palace officials and the other people in the land paid no attention to the messages that Yahweh gave me.
Ɔno, nʼasomfoɔ ne nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so antie Awurade asɛm a ɔnam odiyifoɔ Yeremia so kaeɛ no.
3 However, [one day] King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, who was the son of Maaseiah, to me. They requested me to pray to Yahweh our God for our [nation].
Ɔhene Sedekia somaa Selemia babarima Yehukal ne Maaseia babarima ɔsɔfoɔ Sefania sɛ, wɔnkɔka nkyerɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ wo, bɔ Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ ma yɛn.”
4 At that time I had not yet been put in prison, so I could come and go wherever and whenever I wanted to, [without being hindered].
Na Yeremia de ne ho, di nnipa no mu akɔneaba, ɛfiri sɛ na wɔmfaa no ntoo afiase.
5 [At that time], the army of [Hophra], the King of Egypt, came [to the southern border of Judah]. When the army of Babylonia heard about that, they stopped surrounding Jerusalem and left there [to fight against the army from Egypt].
Na Farao akodɔm afiri Misraim reba, na Babiloniafoɔ a wɔatua Yerusalem no tee wɔn nka no, wɔfirii Yerusalem.
6 Then Yahweh gave this message to me:
Ɛna Awurade asɛm baa odiyifoɔ Yeremia nkyɛn sɛ,
7 “[I], Yahweh, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say this: ‘The King of Judah has sent [messengers] to you to ask me [what is going to happen]. Tell the king that even though the army of the King of Egypt came to help him, they are about to return to Egypt.
“Yei ne deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ: Monka nkyerɛ Yudahene a, ɔsomaa mo sɛ mommɛbisa me hɔ biribi no sɛ, ‘Farao akodɔm a wɔfirii adi sɛ wɔrebɛboa mo no bɛsane akɔ wɔn ankasa asase so, Misraim so.
8 Then the army of Babylonia will return here and capture this city and burn everything in it.’
Na Babiloniafoɔ no bɛsane abɛto ahyɛ saa kuropɔn yi so; wɔbɛgye na wɔahye no dworobɛɛ.’
9 [So], this is what I say [to you Israelis]: ‘You should not deceive yourselves, thinking that the army from Babylonia has gone and will not return. That is not true.
“Sɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Monnnaadaa mo ho nnwene sɛ, ‘Ampa ara Babiloniafoɔ no bɛfiri yɛn so akɔ.’ Wɔrenkɔ!
10 And even if your soldiers could destroy almost all of the soldiers from Babylonia who are attacking you, and allow only a few of them who were wounded to remain alive in their tents, they would come out [of their tents] and burn this city completely!”’”
Sɛ modi Babiloniafoɔ akodɔm a wɔato ahyɛ mo so no so ma ɛka apirafoɔ wɔ wɔn ntomadan mu mpo a, wɔbɛfiri adi abɛhye kuropɔn yi dworobɛɛ.”
11 When the army from Babylonia left Jerusalem because the army from Egypt was approaching,
Babilonia akodɔm firii Yerusalem, ɛsiane Farao akodɔm no enti akyi no,
12 I started to leave the city. I intended to go to the area [where the descendants of] Benjamin live, in order to take possession of my share of the property from my family.
Yeremia yɛɛ ahoboa sɛ ɔrefiri kuropɔn no mu, akɔ Benyamin mantam akɔgye nʼagyapadeɛ mu kyɛfa wɔ nkurɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ hɔ no mu.
13 But as I was walking out the Benjamin Gate, a guard seized me and said, “You are deserting [us and going] to [the soldiers from] Babylonia!” The man who seized me was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah.
Nanso, ɔkɔduruu Benyamin Ɛpono ano no, awɛmfoɔ no so panin a wɔfrɛ no Yiria a ɔyɛ Selemia babarima ne Hanania nana kyeree no kaa sɛ, “Woredwane agya yɛn akɔ Babiloniafoɔ afa!”
14 But I [protested and] said, “That is not true! I was not intending to do that!” But Irijah would not pay attention to what I said. He took me to the [king’s] officials.
Yeremia buaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ nokorɛ. Merennwane nkɔ Babiloniafoɔ afa.” Nanso, Yiria antie, na mmom ɔkyeree Yeremia de no kɔmaa ne mpanimfoɔ.
15 They were very angry with me. They [commanded the guards to] beat me and [then to] put me in the house where Jonathan the king’s secretary stayed. They had changed Jonathan’s house to make it become a prison.
Wɔn bo fuu Yeremia, na wɔmaa wɔboroo no de no too afiase wɔ ɔtwerɛfoɔ Yonatan efie a na wɔde ayɛ nneduadan no.
16 They put me in a dungeon/cell in that prison, and I remained there for several days.
Wɔde Yeremia too asase ase afiase, ma ɔdii nna bebree wɔ hɔ.
17 Then King Zedekiah secretly sent a servant to me, who took me to the palace. There the king asked me, “Do you have any messages from Yahweh?” I replied, “Yes, [the message is that] you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”
Akyire yi, ɔhene Sedekia soma ma wɔkɔfaa no baa ahemfie, ɛhɔ na ɔbisaa no wɔ kɔkoam sɛ, “Woanya asɛm bi afiri Awurade nkyɛn anaa?” Yeremia buaa sɛ, “Aane, wɔde wo bɛma Babiloniahene.”
18 Then I asked the king, “What crime have I committed [RHQ] against you or against your officials or against the Israeli people, with the result that you have [commanded that] I be put in a prison?
Afei, Yeremia bisaa ɔhene no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn bɔne na mayɛ atia wo, anaa wʼadwumayɛfoɔ anaa nnipa yi a enti wɔde me ato afiase yi?
19 Your prophets predicted that the army of the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land. Why were [RHQ] [their messages] not fulfilled?
Ɛhe na wʼadiyifoɔ a wɔhyɛɛ nkɔm kyerɛɛ wo sɛ, ‘Babiloniahene rento nhyɛ wo so anaa asase yi so’ no wɔ?
20 Your majesty, I plead with you to listen to me. Do not send me back to the dungeon/cell in the house of Jonathan your secretary, because [if you do that, ] I will die there.”
Na afei, ɔdɛɛfoɔ, mesrɛ wo, tie. Ma memfa me nkotosrɛ nto wʼanim: Mfa me nkɔto ɔtwerɛfoɔ Yonatan efie hɔ bio, anyɛ saa a mɛwu wɔ hɔ.”
21 So King Zedekiah commanded that [I not be sent back to the prison cell. Instead, ] I was allowed to be watched by the guards in the courtyard [of the palace]. [The king] also [commanded that they should] bring me a loaf of fresh bread every day, until there was no bread left in the city. So [they put me] in that courtyard and I remained there.
Ɔhene Sedekia hyɛɛ sɛ wɔmfa Yeremia nkɔto awɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ, na wɔmma no burodo a ɛfiri burodotofoɔ borɔno so da biara nkɔsi sɛ kuropɔn no mu burodo nyinaa bɛsa. Enti Yeremia kaa awɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ.
