< Jeremiah 39 >

1 After King Zedekiah had been ruling Judah for almost nine years, King Nebuchadnezzar came in January with his army, and they surrounded Jerusalem.
Yudahene Sedekia dii adeɛ no, ne mfeɛ nkron mu bosome edu so no, Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar ne nʼakodɔm nyinaa tuu Yerusalem so sa, wɔtua kuropɔn no na wɔyɛɛ mpie twaa ho hyiaeɛ.
2 One and a half years later, after Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years, on July 18, [soldiers from Babylonia] broke through the city [wall. Then they rushed in and captured the city].
Sedekia adedie afe a ɛtɔ so dubaako, bosome a ɛtɔ so ɛnan no da a ɛtɔ so nkron no, wɔbubuu kuropɔn no afasuo.
3 Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate [to decide what they would do to the city. They included] Nergal-Sharezer from Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim who was one of the chief army officers, another Nergal-Sharezer, the king’s advisor, and many other officials.
Na Babiloniahene adwumayɛfoɔ no nyinaa bɛtenaa Mfimfini Ɛpono hɔ: Nergal-Sareser a ɔfiri Samgar ne Nebo-Sarsekim a ɔyɛ ɔsraani panin ne Nergal-Sareser a ɔyɛ otitire, ne Babiloniahene adwumayɛfoɔ a aka no nyinaa.
4 When King Zedekiah and all his soldiers realized that [the army of Babylonia had broken into the city], they fled. [They waited until] it was dark. Then they went out of the city through the king’s garden, through the gate that was between the two walls. Then they started [running] toward the Jordan River Valley.
Ɛberɛ a Yudahene Sedekia ne nʼasraafoɔ nyinaa hunuu wɔn no, wɔdwaneeɛ, wɔfaa ɔhene turo mu firii kuropɔn no mu anadwo, kɔfaa ɛpono a ɛwɔ afasuo mmienu no ntam, de wɔn ani kyerɛɛ Araba.
5 But the soldiers from Babylonia pursued the king, and they caught him on the plains near Jericho. They took him to the King of Babylon, who was at Riblah [town] in the Hamath [region]. There the king of Babylon told [his soldiers what] they should do to punish Zedekiah.
Nanso, Babilonia akodɔm no taa wɔn kɔtoo Sedekia wɔ Yeriko tata so. Wɔfaa no dommum de no kɔmaa Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar wɔ Ribla a ɛwɔ Hamat asase so, na ɛhɔ na ɔbuu no atɛn.
6 They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
Ribla hɔ na Babiloniahene kunkumm Sedekia mmammarima wɔ nʼanim na ɔkumm Yudafoɔ mmapɔmma nyinaa nso.
7 [Then] they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
Afei ɔtutuu Sedekia ani, de kɔbere mfrafraeɛ mpokyerɛ guu no sɛ ɔde no rekɔ Babilonia.
8 [Meanwhile, ] the Babylonian army burned the palace and all the other buildings in Jerusalem. And they tore down the city walls.
Babiloniafoɔ no de ogya too ahemfie no ne nnipa no afie mu, na wɔdwirii Yerusalem afasuo no.
9 Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, forced to go to Babylon [most of] the other people who remained in the city and the Jews who had joined the soldiers of Babylonia.
Ɔsahene Nebusaradan a ɔtua ɔhene awɛmfoɔ ano no de kuropɔn no mu nkaeɛfoɔ, wɔn a wɔde wɔn ho kɔmaa no ne nnipa a aka no kɔɔ nkoasom mu wɔ Babilonia.
10 But he allowed some of the very poor people to remain in Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields [to take care of].
Nanso, ɔsahene Nebusaradan a ɔtua awɛmfoɔ no ano no gyaa ahiafoɔ wɔnni hwee no mu bi wɔ Yuda asase so, na saa ɛberɛ no ɔmaa wɔn bobe nturo ne nsase.
11 King Nebuchadnezzar had [previously] told Nebuzaradan to find me. He said,
Na Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar afa ɔsahene Nebusaradan a ɔtua ɔhene awɛmfoɔ ano no so ama saa ɔhyɛ nsɛm yi a ɛfa Yeremia ho sɛ,
12 “Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.”
“Fa no na hwɛ ne so; nha no na deɛ ɔbisa biara no, yɛ ma no.”
13 So he and Nebushazban, who was one of their chief officers, and Nergal-Sharezer the king’s advisor, and other officers of the King of Babylon
Enti, ɔsahene Nebusaradan a ɔtua awɛmfoɔ no ano, Nebusaradan, adwumayɛfoɔ panin, Nergal-Sareser a ɔyɛ otitire ne Babiloniahene adwumayɛfoɔ a wɔaka no nyinaa
14 sent [some men] to bring me out of the courtyard outside of the palace. They took me to Gedaliah who was the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Then Gedaliah took me to my home, and I stayed [in Judah] among [my own] people [who had been allowed to remain there].
soma ma wɔkɔfaa Yeremia firi awɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ baeɛ. Wɔde no hyɛɛ Safan babarima Gedalia babarima Ahikam nsa sɛ ɔmfa no nkɔ ne efie. Enti, Yeremia tenaa nʼankasa nkurɔfoɔ mu.
15 While I was [still] being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave me this message:
Ɛberɛ a Yeremia da so da afiase wɔ awɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ no, Awurade asɛm baa ne nkyɛn sɛ,
16 “Say this to Ebed-Melech, the official from Ethiopia: ‘This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: “I will do to this city everything that I said that I would do. I will not enable the people to prosper; I will cause them to experience disasters. You will see Jerusalem being destroyed,
“Kɔka kyerɛ Kusni Ebed-Melek sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ nie: Me nsɛm a ɛtia kuropɔn yi no mede refa amanehunu so na ɛnyɛ yiedie so ama aba mu. Saa ɛberɛ no ɛbɛba mu wɔ wʼanim.
17 but I will rescue you from the people whom you are afraid of.
Nanso mɛgye wo saa ɛda no, Awurade na ɔseɛ; wɔremfa wo nhyɛ wɔn a wosuro wɔn no nsa.
18 You trusted me, so I will save you. You will not be killed by [your enemies’] swords; you will remain alive. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.’”
Mɛgye wo nkwa, na worentɔ wɔ akofena ano na mmom wobɛnya wo tiri adidi mu, ɛfiri sɛ wogye me di, Awurade, na ɔseɛ.’”

< Jeremiah 39 >