< Jeremiah 51 >
1 “Yahweh says this: See, I am about to stir up a wind of destruction against Babylon and against those who live in Leb Kamai.
Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: “Monhwɛ, mɛkanyane ɔsɛefoɔ bi honhom atia Babilonia ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Leb Kamai.
2 I will send foreigners to Babylon. They will scatter her and devastate her land, for they will come against her from all around on the day of disaster.
Mɛsoma amanfrafoɔ akɔ Babilonia sɛ wɔnkɔhuhu ne so na wɔnsɛe nʼasase; wɔbɛtia no wɔ afanan nyinaa wɔ nʼamanehunu da no.
3 Do not let the archers bend their bows; do not let them put on armor. Do not spare her young men; set her whole army apart for destruction.
Mma agyantoni mpoma nʼagyan, mma ɔnhyɛ ne nkataboɔ. Mma ne mmeranteɛ mfa wɔn ho nni; sɛe nʼakodɔm no pasaa.
4 For the wounded people will fall in the land of the Chaldeans; those who are killed will fall in her streets.
Wɔbɛhwehwe ase a wɔatotɔ wɔ Babilonia, a wɔapirapira yie wɔ ne mmɔntene so.
5 For Israel and Judah are not forsaken by their God, by Yahweh of hosts, although their land is filled with offenses committed against the Holy One of Israel.
Na Asafo Onyankopɔn Awurade, nnyaa Israel ne Yuda hɔ. Ɛwom sɛ afɔdie ahyɛ wɔn asase no so ma wɔ Israel Ɔkronkronni no anim, nanso ɔkɔ so ara yɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn.
6 Flee from the midst of Babylon; let each man save himself. Do not perish in her iniquity. For it is the time of Yahweh's vengeance. He will repay all of it to her.
“Monnwane mfiri Babilonia! Montu mmirika mpere mo nkwa! Mommma wɔnsɛe mo ɛsiane wɔn bɔne enti. Awurade aweretɔberɛ aso; ɔde deɛ ɛfata no bɛtua wɔn ka.
7 Babylon was a golden cup in the hand of Yahweh that made all the world drunk; nations drank her wine and became insane.
Na Babilonia yɛ sikakɔkɔɔ kuruwa wɔ Awurade nsam; ɔmaa asase nyinaa boroo nsã. Aman no nom ne nsã; ɛno enti, afei, wɔabobɔ adam.
8 Babylon will fall suddenly and be destroyed. Wail for her! Give her medicine for her pain; perhaps she can be healed.
Babilonia bɛhwe ase abubu mpofirim. Montwa ne ho agyaadwoɔ! Mompɛ ne yea no ano aduro; ebia ne ho bɛtɔ no.
9 'We wished to heal Babylon, but she is not healed. Let us all leave her and go away, to our own land. For her guilt reaches up to the heavens; it is piled up to the clouds.
“‘Anka yɛbɛsa Babilonia yadeɛ, nanso wɔntumi nsa no yadeɛ; momma yɛnnya no hɔ na obiara nkɔ nʼankasa asase so, ɛfiri sɛ nʼatemmuo aduru ɔsorosoro. Ɛforo ɔsoro te sɛ omununkum.’
10 Yahweh has declared our innocence. Come, let us tell in Zion the deeds of Yahweh our God.'
“‘Awurade abu yɛn bem. Mommra, momma yɛnka wɔ Sion, deɛ Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn ayɛ.’
11 Sharpen the arrows and take up the shields. Yahweh is stirring up the spirit of the king of the Medes in a plan to destroy Babylon. This is for Yahweh's vengeance, vengeance for the destruction of his temple.
“Monse agyan no ano! Momfa nkataboɔ no! Awurade ahwanyane Mede ahemfo no, ɛfiri sɛ ne botaeɛ ne sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Babilonia. Awurade bɛtɔ were aweretɔ ama nʼasɔrefie no.
12 Lift up a banner over Babylon's walls; make the watch strong; set up watchmen; prepare the ambushes; for the LORD will do what he has said concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.
Mompagya frankaa bi ntia Babilonia afasuo! Mommia banbɔ mu, momma awɛmfoɔ no nnyinagyina. Monsiesie ahintaeɛ! Awurade bɛma nʼatirimpɔ aba mu, deɛ wahyɛ atia Babilonia no.
13 You people who live by many streams of water, you people who are rich with treasures, your end has come. The thread of your life is now cut short.
Mo a motete nsuwansuwa bebree ho na akoradeɛ abu mo so, mo awieeɛ aba, ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwa mo twene no.
14 Yahweh of hosts has sworn by his own life, 'I will fill you with men, like a swarm of locusts, and they will raise a battle cry against you.'
Asafo Awurade aka ne ho ntam sɛ: mede nnipa bɛhyɛ wo ma sɛ mmɛbɛ, na wɔabɔ ose wɔ wo so.
15 He has made the earth by his power; he set in place the world by his wisdom. By his understanding he stretched out the heavens.
“Ɔde ne tumi bɔɔ asase; ɔtoo ewiase fapem wɔ ne nyansa mu na ɔde ne nhunumu trɛɛ ɔsorosoro mu.
16 When he thunders, there is the roar of waters in the heavens, for he brings up the mist from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for rain and sends out wind from his storehouses.
Sɛ ɔbobɔm a, ɔsoro nsuo woro so; ɔma omununkum ma ne ho so firi nsase ano. Ɔsoma anyinam ka ɔsutɔ ho na ɔma mframa bɔ firi nʼakoradan mu.
17 Every man has become ignorant, without knowledge. Every metalworker is put to shame by his idols. For his cast images are frauds, and there is no life in them.
“Onipa biara nnim nyansa, na ɔnni nimdeɛ; sikadwumfoɔ biara anim agu ase, ɛsiane nʼahoni enti. Ne nsɛsodeɛ yɛ atorɔ; wɔnni ahome biara wɔ wɔn mu.
18 They are useless, the work of mockers; they will perish at the time of their punishment.
Wɔn ho nni mfasoɔ, wɔyɛ aseredeɛ nneɛma; sɛ wɔn atemmuo duru so a, wɔbɛyera.
19 But God, the portion of Jacob, is not like these, for he is the molder of all things. Israel is the tribe of his inheritance; Yahweh of hosts is his name.
Deɛ ɔyɛ Yakob Kyɛfa no nte sɛ yeinom, ɛfiri sɛ ɔno ne adeɛ nyinaa Yɛfoɔ a nʼadedie abusuakuo ka ho bi. Asafo Awurade ne ne din.
20 You are my war hammer, my weapon for battle. With you I will smash nations and destroy kingdoms.
“Woyɛ me ko asaeɛ, mʼakodeɛ a mede kɔ ɔsa; mede wo dwerɛ amanaman, mede wo sɛe ahennie bebree,
21 With you I will smash horses and their riders; with you I will smash chariots and their drivers.
mede wo bobɔ apɔnkɔ ne wɔn sotefoɔ, teaseɛnam ne wɔn kafoɔ,
22 With you I will smash each man and woman; with you I will smash the old and the young. With you I will smash the young men and the virgin girls.
mede wo dwerɛ mmarima ne mmaa, mede wo dwerɛ nkɔkoraa ne mmabunu, mede wo dwerɛ mmeranteɛ ne mmabaawa,
23 With you I will smash the shepherds and their flocks; with you I will smash the plowmen and their teams. With you I will smash the governors and officials.
mede wo dwerɛ nnwanhwɛfoɔ ne nnwankuo, mede wo dwerɛ akuafoɔ ne anantwie, mede wo dwerɛ amradofoɔ ne adwumayɛfoɔ.
24 For in your sight I will pay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all of the evil that they did in Zion—this is Yahweh's declaration.
“Mɛtua Babilonia ne wɔn a wɔtete Babilonia ka wɔ mfomsoɔ a wɔayɛ wɔ Sion nyinaa, wɔ wʼanim,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
25 See, I am against you, mountain of destruction—this is Yahweh's declaration—which destroys the whole earth. I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the cliffs, and make you a burned-out mountain.
“Ao, bepɔ sɛefoɔ me ne wo anya, wo a wosɛe asase nyinaa no,” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Mɛtene me nsa wɔ wo so mɛpia wo afiri abotan no so, na mayɛ wo sɛ bepɔ a ɛnka hwee.
26 So they will not take from you any stone to construct a building's corner or foundation; for you will become an everlasting devastation—this is Yahweh's declaration.
Wɔremfa ɔboɔ biara mfiri wo so nyɛ tweatiboɔ anaa sɛ fapem mpo, ɛfiri sɛ wobɛda mpan afebɔɔ,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
27 Lift up a banner over the earth. Blow the trumpet over the nations. Call the nations to attack her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a commander to attack her; bring up horses like swarming locusts.
“Mompagya frankaa wɔ asase no so! Monhyɛn totorobɛnto no wɔ amanaman no mu! Monsiesie amanaman no ma wɔnkɔko ntia no; Momfrɛfrɛ saa ahennie ahodoɔ yi ntia no: Ararat, Mini ne Askenas. Monnyi ɔsahene ntia no; momfa apɔnkɔdɔm te sɛ mmɛbɛ mmra.
28 Prepare the nations to attack her: The kings of the Medes and his governors, all of his officials and all the lands under his rule.
Monsiesie amanaman no ma wɔntu ne so sa, mo ne Mede ahemfo, wɔn amradofoɔ ne wɔn adwumayɛfoɔ nyinaa, ne aman a wɔdi wɔn so nyinaa.
29 For the land will shake and be in anguish, since Yahweh's plans continue against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a wasteland where there is no inhabitant.
Asase no woso, na ɔnukanuka ne mu, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade atirimpɔ a ɛtia Babilonia sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Babilonia asase a obiara rentumi ntena so no nsesaeɛ.
30 The soldiers in Babylon have stopped fighting; they stay in their strongholds. Their strength has failed; they have become women—her homes are on fire, the bars of her gates are broken.
Babilonia nnɔmmarima agyae ko; wɔhyehyɛ wɔn aban mu. Wɔn ahoɔden asa; wɔayɛ sɛ mmaa. Wɔatoto nʼatenaeɛ ahodoɔ no mu ogya, na wɔabubu nʼapono akyi adaban.
31 A messenger runs to proclaim to another messenger, and a runner tells another runner to report to the king of Babylon that his city has been taken from end to end.
Abɔfoɔ didi so asomafoɔ didi so a wɔrekɔbɔ Babiloniahene amaneɛ sɛ, wɔafa ne kuropɔn no,
32 So the fords over the river are seized; the enemy is burning the reed marshes, and Babylon's fighting men are confused.
wɔagye atwaeɛ a ɛdeda asubɔnten no so afa, na wɔde ogya ato ɔwora no mu, na asraafoɔ no abɔ huboa.”
33 For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor. It is time to trample her down. In a little while the time of harvest will come to her.
Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ: “Ɔbabaa Babilonia ayɛ sɛ ayuporobea wɔ ɛberɛ a wɔretiatia hɔ. Aka kakraa bi, na ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwa no sɛ nnɔbaeɛ no aduru.”
34 'Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me, he has driven me into confusion and has made me an empty pot. Like a monster he has swallowed me, he has filled his stomach with my delicious foods, and then he has spit me out.'
“Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar adwerɛ yɛn, ɔde yɛn ato ɔhaw mu, wayɛ yɛn sɛ ahina a hwee nni muo. Wamene yɛn sɛ ɔtweaseɛ no na ɔde yɛn nneɛma a ɛyɛ dɛ ahyɛ ne yafunu ma, na wape yɛn afiri nʼanom agu.
35 The one who lives in Zion will say, 'May the violence done to me and my flesh be on Babylon.' Jerusalem will say, 'May my blood be on the inhabitants of Chaldea.'
Ma ayakayakadeɛ a wɔde dii yɛn honam no mmra Babilonia so,” nnipa a wɔtete Sion na wɔka. “Ma yɛn mogya ngu wɔn a wɔtete Babilonia so,” Yerusalem na ɔka.
36 Therefore Yahweh says this: See, I am about to plead your case and bring about vengeance for you. For I will dry up Babylon's waters and make her springs run dry.
Enti yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: “Hwɛ, mɛdi mo asɛm ama mo na matɔ were ama mo; Mɛma ɛpo a ɛwɔ no no awe na mama ne asutene awewe.
37 Babylon will become heaps of rubble, a den of jackals, a horror, an object of hissing, where there are no inhabitants.
Babilonia bɛyɛ mmubuiɛ sie, sakraman atu ahodwiredeɛ ne fɛdideɛ, baabi a obiara nteɛ.
38 The Babylonians will roar together like young lions. They will growl like lion cubs.
Ne nkurɔfoɔ nyinaa bobom sɛ agyata, wɔpɔ so te sɛ agyata mma.
39 When they become hot with greed, I will make a feast for them; I will make them drunk so they become happy, and then sleep an unending sleep and not wake up—this is Yahweh's declaration—
Nanso ɛberɛ a wɔahwanyane wɔn ho no mɛto ɛpono ama wɔn na mama wɔaboboro nsã sɛdeɛ wɔde nteateam bɛdi ahurisie, na wɔadeda a wɔrennyane bio,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
40 I will send them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with male goats.
“Mede wɔn bɛba te sɛ nnwammaa a wɔrekɔkum wɔn, te sɛ, nnwennini ne mpapo.
41 How Babylon has been captured! So the praise of all the earth is seized. How Babylon has become a ruined place among the nations.
“Wɔbɛfa Sesak, Sesak a agye asase nyinaa ayɛyie no! Babilonia bɛyɛ ahodwiredeɛ wɔ amanaman no mu!
42 The sea has come up over Babylon! She is covered with its roaring waves.
Ɛpo bɛbunkam afa Babilonia so; na nʼasorɔkye bɛkata ne so.
43 Her cities have become a desolation, a dry land and a wilderness, a land that no one inhabits, and no human being passes through.
Ne nkuro bɛda mpan. Ɛbɛyɛ anweatam a ɛso awo, asase a obiara nte soɔ, na obiara nntu ɛkwan mfa so.
44 So I will punish Bel in Babylon; I will bring out from his mouth what he swallowed, and the nations will no longer flow to him with their offerings. The walls of Babylon will fall.
Mɛtwe Bel aso wɔ Babilonia na mama wape deɛ wamene agu. Amanaman no nnto santene nkɔ ne nkyɛn bio. Na Babilonia ɔfasuo bɛbubu.
45 Go out from her midst, my people. Let each of you save his own life from the fury of my wrath.
“Me nkurɔfoɔ, Momfiri ne mu mfi! Montu mmirika mpere mo nkwa! Monnwane mfiri Awurade abufuhyeɛ ano.
46 Do not let your hearts be timid or fear the news that is heard in the land, for the news will come one year. After it in the next year there will be news, and violence will be in the land. Ruler will be against ruler.
Mommma mo bo ntu na monnsuro sɛ mote atesɛm wɔ asase no so a; atesɛm bɛba afeɛ yi na foforɔ bɛba afedan, basabasayɛ ho atesɛm bɛba asase no so a ɛfa sodifoɔ a wɔsɔre tia afoforɔ ho.
47 Therefore, see, days are coming when I will punish the carved idols of Babylon. All of her land will be ashamed, and all of her slaughtered ones will fall in her midst.
Na ampa ara ɛberɛ no bɛba a mɛtwe Babilonia ahoni aso; nʼasase no nyinaa anim bɛgu ase na nʼatɔfoɔ nyinaa bɛhwehwe ase wɔ ne so.
48 Then the heavens and the earth, and all that is in them will rejoice over Babylon. For destroyers will come for her from the north—this is Yahweh's declaration.
Ɔsoro ne asase ne deɛ ɛwo mu nyinaa de ahosɛpɛ bɛteam agu Babilonia so, ɛfiri sɛ ɔsɛefoɔ bɛfiri atifi fam abɛto ahyɛ ne so,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
49 As Babylon has made the killed of Israel fall, so the killed of all her land will fall in Babylon.
“Ɛsɛ sɛ Babilonia hwe ase, ɛsiane Israel atɔfoɔ enti, sɛdeɛ atɔfoɔ a wɔwɔ ewiase nyinaa ahwehwe ase ɛsiane Babilonia enti no.
50 Survivors of the sword, go away! Do not stay still. Call Yahweh to mind from far away; let Jerusalem come to mind.
Mo a mo adwane afiri akofena ano, monkɔ na monntwentwɛn mo nan ase! Monkae Awurade wɔ akyirikyiri asase so, na monnwene Yerusalem ho.”
51 We are ashamed, for we have heard insults; reproach has covered our faces, for foreigners have entered the holy places of Yahweh's house.
“Wɔagu yɛn anim ase, ɛfiri sɛ wasopa yɛn na fɛreɛ akata yɛn anim, ɛfiri sɛ amanfrafoɔ ahyɛne Awurade efie kronkronbea ahodoɔ hɔ.”
52 Therefore, see, days are coming—this is Yahweh's declaration—when I will punish her carved idols, and the wounded people will groan in all of her land.
“Nanso nna bi reba,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “a mɛtwe nʼahoni aso, na nʼasase so nyinaa apirafoɔ bɛsi apinie.
53 For even if Babylon went up to the heavens or fortified her highest fortresses, destroyers would come from me to her—this is Yahweh's declaration.
Sɛ Babilonia kɔka ɔsoro mpo, na ɔmiamia nʼaban tenten banbɔ mu a, mɛsoma ɔsɛefoɔ abɛtia no,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
54 A shout of distress came from Babylon, a great collapse from the land of the Chaldeans.
“Osu nnyegyeeɛ bi firi Babilonia, ɔsɛeɛ kɛseɛ bi nnyegyeeɛ firi Babiloniafoɔ asase so.
55 For Yahweh is destroying Babylon. He is causing her loud voice to perish. Their enemies roar like the waves of many waters; their noise becomes very strong.
Awurade bɛsɛe Babilonia; ɔbɛma nʼasotuatua nnyegyeeɛ no agyae. Atamfoɔ a wɔte sɛ ahum bɛtu sɛ nsuo akɛseɛ aba ne so; wɔn mmobom bɛgyegye.
56 For the destroyers have come against her—against Babylon!—and her warriors have been captured. Their bows are broken, for Yahweh is the God of vengeance; he will surely carry out this repayment.
Ɔsɛefoɔ bi bɛba abɛtia Babilonia; wɔbɛfa ne nnɔmmarima nnommum na wɔbɛbubu wɔn tadua mu. Ɛfiri sɛ Awurade yɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔhyɛ anan mu; ɔbɛtua so ka pɛpɛɛpɛ.
57 For I will make her princes, her sages, her officials, and her soldiers drunk, and they will sleep in an unending sleep and never wake up —this is the King's declaration: Yahweh of hosts is his name.
Mɛma nʼadwumayɛfoɔ ne nʼanyansafoɔ aboro nsã, nʼamradofoɔ, ne mpanimfoɔ ne nnɔmmarima nso saa ara; wɔbɛdeda afebɔɔ a wɔrennyane,” sei na ɔhempɔn a ne din ne Asafo Awurade no seɛ.
58 Yahweh of hosts says this: The thick walls of Babylon will be completely demolished, and her high gates will be burned. Then the peoples coming to her aid will labor uselessly; everything that the nations try to do for her will be burned up.”
Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Wɔbɛdwiri Babilonia afasuo a ɛtrɛ no agu fam na wɔbɛto nʼapono a ɛwoware no mu ogya; nnipa no ha wɔn ho kwa, ɔman no adwumayɛ ma ogya no dɛre mmom.”
59 This is the word that Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. Now Seraiah was a chief officer.
Yei ne asɛm a Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Neria babarima Seraia a ɔyɛ adwumayɛfoɔ panin na ɔyɛ Maseia nana no, ɛberɛ a ɔne Yudahene Sedekia kɔɔ Babilonia wɔ nʼadedie afe a ɛtɔ so ɛnan no mu.
60 For Jeremiah had written in a scroll about all the disaster that was going to come on Babylon—all these words that were written about Babylon.
Na Yeremia atwerɛ amanehunu a ɛbɛba Babilonia so no nyinaa agu nwoma mmobɔeɛ so, deɛ watwerɛ a ɛfa Babilonia ho nyinaa.
61 Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “When you go to Babylon, then you will see and you will read these words aloud.
Ɔka kyerɛɛ Seraia sɛ, “Sɛ woduru Babilonia a, hwɛ sɛ wo bɛkenkan saa nsɛm yi nyinaa sɛdeɛ obiara bɛte.
62 Then you will say, 'Yahweh, you yourself have declared that you would destroy this place, and that no man or animal will live in it, and it will be desolate forever.'
Afei, ka sɛ, ‘Ao Awurade, woaka sɛ wobɛsɛe beaeɛ yi sɛdeɛ onipa anaa aboa biara rentumi ntena so; na ɛbɛda mpan afebɔɔ.’
63 Then when you have finished reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates.
Sɛ wokenkane nwoma mmobɔeɛ yi wie a, kyekyere fam ɛboɔ ho, na to twene Asubɔnten Eufrate mu.
64 Say, 'Babylon will sink like this. It will not arise because of the disaster that I am sending against it, and they will fall.'” Jeremiah's words end here.
Afei ka sɛ, ‘Sei na Babilonia ne ne nkurɔfoɔ bɛmem a wɔrensɔre bio, ɛsiane amanehunu a mede bɛba ne so no enti.’” Yeremia nsɛm no awieeɛ nie.