Jeremiah 1
1 [I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
Nsɛm a ɛfiri Yeremia nkyɛn nie. Yeremia yɛ Hilkia babarima a na ɔyɛ Anatot asɔfoɔ no mu baako wɔ Benyamin asase so.
2 Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
Awurade asɛm baa ne nkyɛn wɔ Yosia a ɔyɛ Yuda ɔhene Amon babarima adedie afe a ɛtɔ so dumiɛnsa mu.
3 Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
Ɛtoaa so wɔ Yuda ɔhene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim ɛberɛ so kɔsii Yuda ɔhene Yosia babarima Sedekia ɛberɛ so a nnipa a wɔte Yerusalem kɔɔ nkoasom mu wɔ adedie afe a ɛtɔ so dubaako no bosome a ɛtɔ so enum.
4 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,
5 “I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
“Ansa na merebɔ wo wɔ awotwaa mu no, na menim wo; ansa na wɔrebɛwo wo no, meyii wo sii nkyɛn; meyɛɛ wo sɛ odiyifoɔ maa aman no.”
6 I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
Mekaa sɛ, “Aa, Otumfoɔ Awurade mennim kasa; meyɛ abɔfra.”
7 Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Nka sɛ ‘meyɛ abɔfra.’ Ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ obiara a mɛsoma wo ne nkyɛn na woka asɛm biara a mɛhyɛ wo sɛ ka no.
8 And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
Nsuro wɔn, ɛfiri sɛ meka wo ho, na magye wo,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
9 Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
Na Awurade tenee ne nsa de kaa mʼano na ɔka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Seesei mede me nsɛm ahyɛ wʼanomu.
10 Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
Hwɛ, ɛnnɛ mede wo asi aman ne ahennie so sɛ, tutu na dwiri gu, sɛe na tu gu, kyekyere na dua.”
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
Na Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na wohunu yi, Yeremia?” Na mebuaa sɛ, “Mehunu sorɔno dubaa.”
12 Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Wahunu no yie, na merehwɛ anim sɛ mʼasɛm bɛba mu.”
13 [Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na wohunu yi?” Mebuaa sɛ, “Mehunu ɛsɛn a ɛrehuru sɛ ano rekyea akyerɛ yɛn firi atifi fam.”
14 Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Wɔbɛfiri atifi fam de amanehunu aba wɔn a wɔte asase no so nyinaa so.
15 Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
Merebɛfrɛ atifi ahennie mu nnipa nyinaa,” deɛ Awurade seɛ nie. “Wɔn ahemfo de wɔn ahennwa bɛba abɛsisi Yerusalem kuropɔn apono ano; wɔbɛto ahyɛ nʼafasuo a atwa ahyia ne Yuda nkuro nyinaa so.
16 I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
Mɛbu me nkurɔfoɔ atɛn wɔ wɔn amumuyɛ sɛ wɔagya me, sɛ wɔhye nnuhwam ma anyame foforɔ na wɔkoto sɔre deɛ wɔde wɔn nsa ayɛ.
17 So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
“Siesie wo ho! Sɔre na ka deɛ mɛka akyerɛ wo biara kyerɛ wɔn. Mma wɔmmmɔ wo hu, anyɛ saa a mɛma woabɔ hu wɔ wɔn anim.
18 But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
Ɛnnɛ, mayɛ wo kuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ, dadeɛ dum ne kɔbere ɔfasuo sɛ wobɛsɔre atia asase no nyinaa, Yuda ahemfo, nʼadwumayɛfoɔ, asɔfoɔ ne nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so.
19 They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
Wɔbɛko atia wo nanso wɔrentumi nni wo so nkonim, ɛfiri sɛ meka wo ho, na mɛgye wo,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
