Jeremiah 5

1 [Yahweh said to the people of Jerusalem], “Go up and down every street. Search in the marketplaces to find people who do what is fair/right, who try to be faithful to me. [If you find even one person like that], I will forgive [the people of Jerusalem and not destroy] their city.

“Monni akɔneaba wɔ Yerusalem mmɔntene so, monhwɛ mo ho nhyia nhwɛ, monhwehwɛ adwaberem nyinaa. Sɛ mohunu onipa baako mpo a ɔyɛ pɛ na ɔdi nokorɛ a, mede kuropɔn yi ho bɛkyɛ no.

2 But when people there say, ‘I solemnly declare that as surely as Yahweh lives, [I will do what he says],’ they are lying.”

Ɛwom sɛ wɔka sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ nanso wɔda so ka ntam hunu.”

3 Yahweh, you are certainly [RHQ] searching for [people who tell the] truth. You struck/punished your people, but they did not pay any attention. You crushed them, but they ignored what you were telling them to do. They were extremely stubborn [IDM] and refused to return to you.

Ao Awurade, wopɛ nokorɛ enti wobɔɔ wɔn hwee fam, nanso wɔante yea biara; wodwerɛɛ wɔn, nanso wɔpoo ntenesoɔ. Wɔyɛɛ wɔn anim denden kyenee ɔboɔ na wɔpoo ahunu.

4 I thought, “[We cannot expect] these [people to act righteously, because they] are poor; they do not have any sense. They do not know the way Yahweh wants them to conduct their lives; they do not know what God requires them to do.

Mesusuu sɛ, “Yeinom nko ara ne ahiafoɔ no; wɔyɛ nkwaseafoɔ nso, ɛfiri sɛ wɔnnim Awurade akwan, deɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ.

5 So, I will go and talk to their leaders, because they [surely] know how God wants them to conduct their lives.” But they also have stopped obeying Yahweh [MET], and they will not allow him to lead them.

Enti mɛkɔ ntuanofoɔ no nkyɛn akɔkasa akyerɛ wɔn; ampa ara wɔnim Awurade akwan deɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ.” Nanso wɔn nso de adwene korɔ abubu kɔnnua no atete nkyehoma no mu.

6 Because of that, lions will come out of the forests and kill them; wolves from the desert will attack them; leopards that lurk/wait outside their cities will maul anyone who walks outside the cities. [Those things will happen] because the people have sinned very much against God and have turned away from him very frequently.

Ɛno enti gyata bi a ɔfiri kwaeɛm bɛto ahyɛ wɔn so, pataku bi a ɔfiri anweatam so bɛtete wɔn mu. Ɔsebɔ bi bɛtɛ wɔn abɛn wɔn nkuro na obiara a ɔbɛyi ne ti no ɔbɛtete ne mu nketenkete, ɛfiri sɛ wɔn adɔnyɛ no ano yɛ den na wɔn akyirisane aboro so.

7 Yahweh says, “I cannot [RHQ] forgive these people; [even] their children have abandoned me. When they solemnly declare something, they ask their gods [to show that what they say is true]. I gave my people everything that they needed, but they often went to [the shrines of their idols] and committed adultery there.

“Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mede mo ho kyɛ mo? Mo mma apo me wɔde anyame a wɔnyɛ anyame aka ntam. Memaa wɔn deɛ wɔhia nyinaa, nanso, wɔbɔɔ adwamam na wɔbɔɔ yuu kɔɔ adwamanfoɔ afie mu.

8 [Just like] [MET] well-fed male horses neigh, wanting sex with female horses, each of the men desires to have sex with his neighbor’s wife.

Mpɔnkɔnini aniberefoɔ a wɔhwɛ wɔn yie, wɔn mu biara su di ne yɔnko yere akyi.

9 (Should I not punish them for this [RHQ]?/I will certainly get revenge on this nation for this!) I will certainly get revenge [RHQ] on this nation whose people behave like that!

Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ yei ho?” Sei na Awurade seɛ. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sei so were anaa?

10 [I will say to your enemies], ‘The people [of Judah and Israel are like a vineyard]. Go along the rows in their vineyards and get rid of [most of] the people, but do not kill all of them. These people do not belong to me, [so get rid of them], [like a gardener] [MET] lops/cuts off branches from a vine.

“Momfa ne bobe nturo no mu na monsɛe no, nanso monnsɛe no koraa. Mompempan ne mman no, ɛfiri sɛ saa nnipa yi nyɛ Awurade dea.

11 The people of Israel and Judah have turned away from me completely.’

Israel fiefoɔ ne Yuda fiefoɔ anni me nokorɛ koraa,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

12 They have lied about me and said, ‘He will not punish us! He will not cause us to experience disasters! We will not experience wars or famines!

Wɔadi atorɔ afa Awurade ho, wɔkaa sɛ, “Ɔrenyɛ hwee! Ɔhaw biara remma yɛn so; yɛrenhunu akofena anaa ɛkɔm da.

13 What [God’s] prophets say is nothing but hot air! They do not have messages [from God]! We would like [the disasters that they predict] to happen to them!’”

Adiyifoɔ no yɛ mframa bi kɛkɛ na asɛm no nte wɔn mu; enti momma deɛ wɔka no mmra wɔn so.”

14 So, this is what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, has said to me: “Because my people are saying those things, I will give you a message to tell them [MTY] that will be [like] [MET] a fire, and [these people will be like] [MET] wood that the fire will burn up.

Enti yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Onyankopɔn seɛ: “Esiane sɛ nnipa no aka saa nsɛm yi enti, mɛyɛ me nsɛm a ɛwɔ wʼanomu no ogya na saa nnipa yi ayɛ nnyina a ogya no bɛhye.

15 Listen to this, you people of Israel: I will bring [the army of] a distant nation to attack you. It is a very powerful nation that has existed for a long time. They speak a language that you do not know and which you will not be able to understand.

Ao, Israel fiefoɔ,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “Mede ɔman bi a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri rebɛtia wo, tete ɔman a ɛyɛ ɔmantease, nnipa a monnim wɔn kasa, na monnte wɔn kasa ase.

16 Their soldiers are all very strong, and the arrows from their quivers [MET] will (send many Israeli men to their graves/cause many Israeli people to die).

Wɔn agyan mmɔtɔwa te sɛ damena a ano da hɔ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ nnɔmmarima.

17 They will eat the food that you have harvested from your fields, and eat your bread. They will kill your sons and daughters, and they will kill your flocks [of sheep] and herds [of cattle]. They will eat your grapes and your figs. They will [also] destroy your cities that have high walls around them and kill the people with their swords.

Wɔbɛsɛe mo nnɔbaeɛ ne mo aduane, asɛe mo mmammarima ne mo mmammaa; wɔbɛsɛe mo nnwankuo ne mo anantwikuo, asɛe mo bobe ne mo mmɔrɔdɔma. Wɔde akofena bɛsɛe nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ a mode mo werɛ ahyɛ mu no.

18 But even when those things happen, I will not get rid of all of you.

“Afei saa nna no mu mpo,” sei na Awurade seɛ, “Merensɛe mo korakora.

19 And when the survivors ask, ‘Why is Yahweh our God doing this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘You rejected him and worshiped foreign gods in your [own] land, so [now] you will become slaves of foreigners in a land that is not your land.’”

Na sɛ nnipa no bisa sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn, ayɛ yɛn sei’ a, mobɛka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ moagya me hɔ akɔsom ananafoɔ anyame wɔ mo ankasa mo asase so no, saa ara na seesei mobɛsom ananafoɔ wɔ asase a ɛnyɛ mo dea so.’

20 [Yahweh said to me], “Proclaim this to the people of Israel and Judah:

“Monka yei nkyerɛ Yakob fiefoɔ na mo mpae mu nka wɔ Yuda sɛ:

21 Listen to this, you people who are foolish and who do not have any sense: You have eyes, but [it is as though] you cannot see; you have ears, but [it is as though] you cannot hear.

Montie, mo nkwaseafoɔ ne nnipa a monni adwene, mowɔ ani nso monhunu adeɛ, na mowɔ aso nso monte asɛm:

22 Why do you not revere me [RHQ]? You should [RHQ] tremble when you are in my presence! I, Yahweh, am the one who put a barrier along the shores so that the waters of the ocean cannot cross it [and flood the land]. The waves roll and roar, but they cannot go past that barrier.

Ɛnsɛ sɛ mosuro me anaa?” Sei na Awurade seɛ. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mo ho popo wɔ mʼanim anaa? Mede anwea ato hyeɛ ama ɛpo, ɛhyeɛ a ɛwɔ hɔ daa a ɛrentumi ntra. Asorɔkye bɛbɔ nanso ɛrentumi mmu mfa so; ɛbɛhuru so nanso ɛrentumi ntra.

23 But you people [are not like the waves that obey me]. You people are very stubborn and rebellious. You have constantly turned away from me.

Nanso, saa nnipa yi wɔ asoɔden ne atuateɛ akoma; wɔatwe wɔn ho afiri me ho kɔ.

24 You do not say to yourselves, ‘We should revere Yahweh our God, the one who sends us rain at the times when we need it, the one who causes the grain to become ripe at the harvest season.’

Wɔnnka nkyerɛ wɔn ho sɛ, ‘Momma yɛnsuro Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn, a ɔma osu tɔ wɔ ne mmerɛ mu, deɛ ɔma yɛn awerɛhyɛmu wɔ ɔtwaberɛ nnapɛn a wahyɛ no ho.’

25 It is because of the wrong things that you have done, that those good things have not happened; it is because of the sins that you have committed that you have been prevented from receiving those blessings.

Mo amumuyɛ abɔ yeinom agu; mo bɔne ama adepa abɔ mo.

26 Among my people are wicked people who hide along the roads to ambush/attack people like [SIM] men who hunt birds (put out nets/set traps) to catch them.

“Amumuyɛfoɔ bi wɔ me nkurɔfoɔ yi mu a wɔtɛ sɛ nnipa a wɔsum nnomaa afidie, na wɔte sɛ wɔn a wɔsum mfidie yi nnipa.

27 Like [a hunter has] a cage full of birds [that he has captured], their homes are full of things that they have gotten by deceiving others. So now they are [very] rich and powerful.

Sɛdeɛ nnomaa ahyɛ kɛntɛn ma no saa ara na nsisie ahyɛ wɔn afie ma; wɔayeyɛ adefoɔ na wɔanya tumi.

28 They are big and fat, and there is no limit to the evil things that they have done. They do not try to defend orphans in the courtrooms, and they do not help poor people to get what they have a right to receive.

Wɔadodɔre sradeɛ ama wɔn ho ayɛ srasra. Wɔn amumuyɛsɛm no nni awieeɛ; wɔnnka nwisiaa asɛm mma wɔn nni bem, na wɔmmɔ ahiafoɔ tumi ho ban.

29 So I will certainly [RHQ] punish them for doing those things. I will certainly [RHQ] (get revenge on their nation/do to their nation what they deserve).

Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ yeinom ho anaa?” Sei na Awurade seɛ. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sei so were anaa?

30 Very appalling/horrible and terrible [DOU] things are happening in this country:

“Adeɛ a ɛyɛ hu ne ahodwirie asi wɔ asase no so:

31 Prophets speak [only] lies and priests rule by their own authority, and you people like that! But when you [start to] experience disasters, what will you do [RHQ]?”

Adiyifoɔ no hyɛ nkɔntorɔ, asɔfoɔ no de wɔn dibea di tumi, na me nkurɔfoɔ no pɛ no saa ara. Nanso awieeɛ no, ɛdeɛn na wobɛyɛ?”