Jeremiah 44

1 [This is] the message that Yahweh gave me concerning the Jews who were living in [northern] Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpenes, and Memphis [cities], and in the Pathros [region in southern Egypt]:

Saa asɛm yi baa Yeremia nkyɛn. Ɛfa Yudafoɔ a wɔtete Misraim anafoɔ fam wɔ Migdol, Tapanhes, Memfis ne Misraim atifi fam ho.

2 “This is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say: ‘You saw the disaster that I caused [the people in] Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah to experience. Those towns are now ruined and deserted.

“Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ: Mohunuu amanehunu kɛseɛ a mede baa Yerusalem ne Yuda nkuro nyinaa so. Ɛnnɛ wɔayeyɛ amanfo na wɔasɛe

3 [That happened] because I was extremely angry with them on account of their being very wicked. They burned incense to other gods and worshiped them. They were gods that you [previously] did not know about, and your ancestors also [did not know about them].

ɛsiane bɔne a wɔayɛ no enti. Wɔhyee nnuhwam, somm anyame foforɔ a wɔn anaa mo anaa mo agyanom nnim wɔn de hyɛɛ me abufuo.

4 Many times I sent my prophets who served me, to say to them, “Do not do those abominable things that I hate!”

Mpɛn bebree mesomaa mʼasomfoɔ adiyifoɔ a wɔkaa sɛ, ‘Monnyɛ saa atantanneɛ a mekyiri no!’

5 But my people would not pay any attention [DOU] [to what I said to them]. They would not turn away from their wicked behavior, or stop burning incense to [worship/honor] other gods.

Nanso wɔantie. Wɔamfa anyɛ asɛm, na wɔannane amfiri wɔn amumuyɛsɛm ho na wɔannyae hye a wɔhye nnuhwam ma anyame foforɔ no.

6 So I poured out my anger [MTY] on them. I punished people on the streets of Jerusalem and on the [other] towns in Judah. It caused those towns to be ruined and deserted, and they are still like that.’

Enti, mehwiee mʼabufuo guiɛ na ɛdɛre kɔɔ Yuda nkuro ne Yerusalem mmɔntene so, ma ɛsɛɛsɛeɛ na ɛdedaa mpan sɛdeɛ ɛteɛ ɛnnɛ yi.

7 So now [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], ask you: ‘Why are you causing yourselves to experience these disasters? [Do you not realize that because of what you are doing], soon there will be no more men or women or children or infants left among you [who have come here to Egypt] from Judah?

“Na seesei, deɛ Asafo Awurade Onyankopɔn, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ nie: Adɛn enti na mode amanehunu kɛseɛ aba mo ho so, sɛ moyii mmarima ne mmaa, mmɔfra ne mmotafowa firii Yuda a moangya nkaeɛfoɔ biara amma mo ho.

8 Why are you [RHQ] provoking me and causing me to be very angry by burning incense to the idols that you have made here in Egypt? [If you continue doing this, ] you will destroy yourselves, and you will cause yourselves to be people whom all the nations on the earth will curse and despise.

Adɛn enti na mode deɛ mo nsa ayɛ hyɛ me abufuo, na mohye nnuhwam ma anyame foforɔ wɔ Misraim, baabi a moabɛtena hɔ? Mobɛsɛe mo ho, na moayɛ nnomedeɛ ne nsopa wɔ asase so amanaman nyinaa mu.

9 Have you forgotten [how I punished] your ancestors for the wicked things that they did, and [how I punished] the kings and queens of Judah for what they did, and you and your wives for the sins that you committed in the streets of Jerusalem and [the other towns] in Judah?

Mo werɛ afiri amumuyɛsɛm a mo agyanom, Yuda ahemfo ne ahemaa yɛeɛ, na mo ne mo yerenom nso yɛɛ wɔ Yuda asase ne Yerusalem mmɔntene so no anaa?

10 Up until this day you have not humbled yourselves or revered me. You have not obeyed the laws and decrees [DOU] that I gave to you and your ancestors.’

Ɛbɛsi ɛnnɛ yi, wɔmmrɛɛ wɔn ho ase, wɔnnaa anidie adi na wɔnnii me mmara ne ahyɛdeɛ a mede maa mo ne mo agyanom no so.

11 Therefore, this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say: ‘I am determined to cause all of you to experience disasters and to get rid of every one of you.

“Enti, deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ nie: Masi mʼadwene pi sɛ mede amanehunu bɛba mo so na masɛe Yuda nyinaa.

12 [You] people from Judah who have survived were determined to come and live here in Egypt. So I will get rid of all of you here in Egypt. Every one of you will die, including those who are important and those who are not important. [Some of] you will be killed by [your enemies’] swords, [some will die] from famines. You will become [people whom others] curse, be horrified about, and make fun of.

Mɛfa Yuda nkaeɛfoɔ a wɔsii wɔn adwene pi sɛ wɔbɛkɔ Misraim akɔtena hɔ no. Wɔn nyinaa bɛwuwu wɔ Misraim; wɔbɛtotɔ akofena ano anaa ɛkɔm bɛkum wɔn. Ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so, akofena ne ɛkɔm bɛkunkum wɔn. Wɔbɛyɛ nnomedeɛ, ahodwiredeɛ, afɔbudeɛ ne ahohora.

13 I will punish you here in Egypt like I punished [others in] Jerusalem, [some of whom were killed] by [their enemies’] swords and [some of whom] died from famines or diseases.

Mede akofena, ɛkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm bɛtwe wɔn a wɔtete Misraim aso, sɛdeɛ metwee Yerusalem aso no.

14 You people who did not die in Judah fled here to Egypt, hoping that [some day] you would return to Judah. But very few [HYP] of you will survive and escape. You are longing/wanting to remain alive and return to Judah, but only a very few of you will escape and be able to do that.’”

Yuda nkaeɛfoɔ a wɔakɔtena Misraim no mu biara rennwane, na wɔremfa wɔn ho nni na wɔasane aba Yuda, asase a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔsane bɛtena so no; wɔn mu biara remma bio, gye sɛ adwanefoɔ kakraa bi.”

15 Then a large group of the people who had started to live in northern Egypt and southern Egypt, including all the men who knew that their wives had been burning incense to other gods, and all the women who were standing there, said this to me:

Afei, mmarima a na wɔnim sɛ wɔn yerenom hye nnuhwam ma anyame foforɔ, wɔne mmaa a wɔwɔ hɔ no nyinaa ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Misraim Atifi fam ne Anafoɔ fam ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia sɛ,

16 “You are saying that [MTY] Yahweh gave messages to you, but we will not pay any attention to your messages!

“Yɛrentie asɛm a waka akyerɛ yɛn wɔ Awurade din mu no!

17 We will certainly do everything that we said that we would do. We will burn incense to [worship our goddess Astarte, ] the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out offerings [of wine] to her, just like we and our ancestors and our kings and [their] officials have [always] done in the streets of Jerusalem and in the [other] towns in Judah. At that time, we had plenty of food, and we were prosperous and we did not have any troubles.

Ampa ara yɛbɛyɛ biribiara a yɛkaa sɛ yɛbɛyɛ: Yɛbɛhye nnuhwam ama Ɔsoro Hemmaa na yɛahwie ahwiesa ama no, sɛdeɛ yɛ ne yɛn agyanom, ahemfo ne adwumayɛfoɔ yɛɛ wɔ Yuda nkuro ne Yerusalem mmɔntene so pɛpɛɛpɛ. Saa ɛberɛ no na yɛwɔ aduane, na yɛdi yie a yɛnni ɔhaw biara nso.

18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and giving her offerings [of wine], we have had many troubles, and [some of our people] have been killed by [our enemies’] swords and [some have died] from hunger.”

Nanso ɛfiri ɛberɛ a yɛgyaee nnuhwam a yɛhye ma Ɔsoro Hemmaa, na yɛgyaee ahwiesa a yɛde ma no no, biribiara abɔ yɛn na yɛrewuwu wɔ akofena ne ɛkɔm ano.”

19 And [the women said], “[Furthermore], we burned incense and poured out [wine] offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and we also made small cakes that resembled her idol, to offer to her. But our husbands certainly knew about [and approved of] [RHQ] what we were doing!”

Na mmaa no nso ka kaa ho sɛ, “Ɛberɛ a yɛhyee nnuhwam maa Ɔsoro Hemmaa na yɛhwiee ahwiesa maa no no, na yɛn kununom nnim sɛ yɛto ɔfam a ɛyɛ ne sɛso, hwie ahwiesa ma no anaa?”

20 Then I said to all the men and women who had answered me,

Na Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa, mmarima ne mmaa a wɔrebua noɔ no sɛ,

21 “Do not think [RHQ] that Yahweh did not know that you and your ancestors and your kings and their officials and all the other people in Judah were burning incense to [worship/honor] idols in the streets of Jerusalem and in the [other] towns in Judah!

“Mosusu sɛ, Awurade nnim sɛ na mo ne mo agyanom, mo ahemfo, adwumayɛfoɔ ne ɔmanfoɔ no hye nnuhwam ma ahoni wɔ Yuda nkuro so ne Yerusalem mmɔntene so anaa?

22 It was because Yahweh could no longer endure/tolerate your wicked actions and the detestable things that you were doing that he caused your land to be [a place whose name people say when they] curse someone, a land that is ruined and which has no one living in it. And your land is still like that.

Ɛberɛ a mo amumuyɛ ne akyiwadeɛ a moyɛeɛ no fonoo Awurade no, mo asase danee nnomedeɛ ne amanfo a obiara nte so, sɛdeɛ ɛte ɛnnɛ yi.

23 It is because you burned incense to [worship/honor] idols and committed [other] sins against Yahweh that you experienced [all] those disasters. It is because you have not obeyed him or his laws and decrees and commandments.”

Esiane sɛ moahye nnuhwam, ayɛ bɔne atia Awurade, na moannyɛ ɔsetie amma no, na moanni ne mmara, nʼahyɛdeɛ ne nʼadansesɛm soɔ enti, amanehunu aba mo so sɛdeɛ mohunu yi.”

24 [Then] I said to all of them, including the women, “All you [people of] Judah who are [here] in Egypt, listen to this message from Yahweh.

Afei, Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa a mmaa no ka ho sɛ, “Mo Yudafoɔ a mowɔ Misraim nyinaa montie Awurade asɛm.

25 This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says [to you Israeli men]: ‘You and your wives have said that you would continue to do what you promised, to burn incense and pour out wine to the [goddess whom you call] the Queen of Heaven. [And you have proved by your actions that you intend to continue to do that]. So go ahead and continue doing what you have promised to do [for her].’

Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ: Mo ne mo yerenom de mo nneyɛɛ akyerɛ mo bɔ a mohyɛɛ sɛ, ‘Ampa ara yɛbɛdi ɛbɔ a yɛhyɛɛ sɛ, yɛbɛhye nnuhwam ahwie ahwiesa ama Ɔsoro Hemmaa no, no so.’ “Monkɔ so, monni mo bɔhyɛ ne mo ntam so!

26 But now, all you people from Judah who are [now] living [here] in Egypt, listen to this message from Yahweh. He says, ‘I have solemnly declared, using my great name, that [soon] none of [you] people from Judah who are here in Egypt will ever again use my name. [There will be none of you who, when you solemnly promise to do something, ] will ever again say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives.”

Nanso, montie Awurade asɛm, mo Yudafoɔ a mowɔ Misraim nyinaa. ‘Mede me din kɛseɛ no ka ntam sɛ,’ deɛ Awurade seɛ nie, ‘obiara a ɔfiri Yuda a ɔte Misraim asase so baabiara remmɔ me din nka ntam bio da sɛ, “Sɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade te ase yi.”

27 Because I will be watching over you, not to cause good things to happen to you but to cause things to happen that will harm you. [Almost] everyone [HYP] from Judah who is [now here] in Egypt will experience being [killed by their enemies’] swords, or dying from famine.

Na mɛhwɛ ama wɔahunu amane na ɛnyɛ yiedie; Yudafoɔ a wɔwɔ Misraim bɛwuwu wɔ akofena ne ɛkɔm ano kɔsi sɛ wɔbɛsɛe wɔn nyinaa.

28 [Only a very] few [of you] will not die, and will return to Judah. [When that happens], all those who came to Egypt will find out whose words (were true/were fulfilled), theirs or mine.’

Wɔn a wɔbɛdwane afiri akofena ano na wasane afiri Misraim akɔ Yuda asase so no bɛyɛ kakraa bi. Afei Yuda nkaeɛfoɔ a wɔbɛtenaa Misraim no nyinaa bɛhunu deɛ nʼasɛm yɛ nokorɛ; me deɛ anaa wɔn deɛ.

29 And Yahweh [also] says, ‘I will do something that will prove to you that everything that I have said will happen, and that I will punish you [here] in this place.

“‘Yei na ɛbɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnneɛ ama mo sɛ mɛtwe mo aso wɔ ha, na mo ahunu sɛ ampa ara mʼahunahuna a ɛfa ɔhaw ho no bɛba mu,’ Awurade na ɔseɛ.

30 I will cause Hophra, the king of Egypt, to be captured by his enemies who want to kill him, just like I caused King Zedekiah of Judah to be captured by [the soldiers of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” [And that is what happened several years later].

‘Mede Misraimhene Farao Hofra rebɛhyɛ nʼatamfoɔ a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔkum no no nsa, sɛdeɛ mede Yudahene Sedekia hyɛɛ Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar, ne ɔtamfoɔ a na ɔrepɛ no akum no no nsa. Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ.’”