< Jeremiah 6 >
1 O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
“Benyaminfoɔ monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Monnwane mfiri Yerusalem! Monhyɛne totorobɛnto no wɔ Tekoa! Monsi frankaa no wɔ Bet-Hakerem! Ɛfiri sɛ amanehunu bobɔ firi atifi fam, ɔsɛeɛ bi a ɛyɛ hu.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.
Mɛsɛe Ɔbabaa Sion ɔhoɔfɛfoɔ sɔɔnɔ no.
3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come to her; they shall pitch their tents against her on every side; they shall feed every one in his place.
Atamfoɔ bɛba abɛtwa ne ho ahyia te sɛ nnwanhwɛfoɔ; wɔbɛsisi wɔn ntomadan atwa ne ho ahyia na wɔn mu biara bɛhwɛ ne kyɛfa so.”
4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe to us! for the day departeth, for the shadows of the evening are lengthened.
“Monsiesie mo ho ne no nkɔko! Monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so owigyinaeɛ! Nanso, hwɛ, onwunu redwo, na anwummerɛ sunsumma reyɛ tenten.
5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
Enti, monsɔre momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so anadwo na yɛnsɛe nʼaban hodoɔ!”
6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Montwitwa nnua no ngu fam na monsisi epie ntia Yerusalem. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe kuropɔn yi aso; nhyɛsoɔ ahyɛ no ma.
7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and destruction is heard in her; before me continually are grief and wounds.
Sɛdeɛ abura pu ne nsuo no, saa ara nso na ɔpu nʼamumuyɛ. Wɔte awurukasɛm ne ɔsɛeɛ nka wɔ ne mu; ne yadeɛ ne nʼapirakuro wɔ mʼanim daa.
8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Fa kɔkɔbɔ, Ao Yerusalem, anyɛ saa a metwe me ho afiri wo ho na mama wʼasase ada mpan a obiara ntumi ntena soɔ.”
9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thy hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.
Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Ma wɔnyiyi Israel nkaeɛfoɔ no mu yie sɛdeɛ wɔyiyi bobe mu; fa wo nsa fa mman no so bio, sɛ obi a ɔretete bobe aba.”
10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is to them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
Hwan na mɛtumi akasa akyerɛ no na mabɔ no kɔkɔ? Hwan na ɔbɛtie me? Wɔn aso asisi enti wɔnte asɛm. Awurade asɛm yɛ akyiwadeɛ ma wɔn na wɔn ani nnye ho.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
Nanso Awurade abufuhyeɛ ahyɛ me ma, na mentumi nkora so. “Hwie gu mmɔfra a wɔwɔ mmɔntene so ne mmaranteɛ a wɔahyia; ɛbɛka okunu ne ɔyere, mmasiriwa ne wɔn a onyini adoko wɔn.
12 And their houses shall be turned to others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
Sɛ metene me nsa wɔ wɔn a wɔte asase no so a wɔbɛdane wɔn afie ama afoforɔ, na wɔn mfuo ne wɔn yerenom bɛka ho,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
13 For from the least of them even to the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest every one dealeth falsely.
“Ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so, wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfoɔ de pɛ ahonya; adiyifoɔ ne asɔfoɔ te saa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifoɔ.
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.
Wɔmia me nkurɔfoɔ apirakuro te sɛ deɛ ɛnyɛ hu. Wɔka sɛ, ‘Asomdwoeɛ, asomdwoeɛ’ wɔ mmerɛ a asomdwoeɛ nni hɔ.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
Wɔn ani wu wɔ wɔn animguaseɛ nneyɛɛ no ho anaa? Dabi, wɔn ani nnwu koraa; wɔnnim fɛreɛ mpo. Enti sɛ metwe wɔn aso a, wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfoɔ mu; wɔbɛhwehwe ase,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk in it.
Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, “Monnyina nkwantanan no so na monhwɛ; mommisa tete akwan no, mommisa baabi a ɛkwan pa no da na monnante so, na mobɛnya homeɛ ama mo akra. Nanso mokaa sɛ, ‘yɛnnante so.’
17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
Mede awɛmfoɔ sisii mo so na mekaa sɛ, ‘Montie totorobɛnto nnyegyeeɛ no!’ Nanso, mokaa sɛ, ‘Yɛrentie.’
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.
Ɛno enti, monyɛ aso, Ao amanaman; monhwɛ, Ao adansefoɔ, deɛ ɛbɛto wɔn.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened to my words, nor to my law, but have rejected it.
Yɛ aso, Ao asase: Mede amanehunu reba saa nnipa yi so, wɔn nneyɛɛ so aba, ɛfiri sɛ wɔantie me nsɛm na wɔapo me mmara.
20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a distant country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet to me.
Nnuhwam a ɛfiri Seba anaa ahwedeɛ pa a ɛfiri akyirikyiri asase so fa me ho bɛn? Mennye wo hyeɛ afɔdeɛ no nto mu; wʼafɔrebɔ ahodoɔ no nsɔ mʼani.”
21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
Ɛno enti, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Mede akwansideɛ bɛgu saa nkurɔfoɔ yi anim. Agyanom ne mmammarima nyinaa bɛsuntisunti wɔ so; ayɔnkofoɔ ne nnamfonom bɛyera.”
22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Monhwɛ, akodɔm bi reba, wɔfiri atifi fam asase so; wɔrekanyane ɔman kɛseɛ bi afiri nsase ano.
23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
Wɔkurakura bɛmma ne pea; wɔn tirim yɛ den, na wɔnni ahummɔborɔ. Wɔn nnyegyeeɛ te sɛ ɛpo asorɔkye. Sɛ wɔtete wɔn apɔnkɔ so a, wɔba te sɛ mmarima a wɔrekɔ ɔko. Wɔrebɛto ahyɛ wo so, Ao Ɔbabaa Sion.”
24 We have heard the report of it: our hands become feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.
Yɛate wɔn ho nsɛm, na yɛn nsa sesa yɛn ho sɛ deɛ awu. Ehu akyekyere yɛn ɔyea aba wɔn so, te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔreko awoɔ.
25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.
Mfiri adi nkɔ wiram na nnante akwan no so, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no wɔ akofena, na baabiara ayɛ hu.
26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
Ao me nkurɔfoɔ, monfira ayitoma na mommunimuni nsõ mu. Momfa adwadwotwa yaaya nni awerɛhoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔsu ma ɔbabarima korɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mpofirim ara ɔsɛefoɔ no bɛba yɛn so.
27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
“Mayɛ wo obi a ɔsɔ fagudeɛ hwɛ na me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ dadeben, a wobɛhwɛ wɔn na woasɔ wɔn akwan ahwɛ.
28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.
Wɔn nyinaa yɛ atuatefoɔ a wɔyɛ den, wɔnenam di nsekuro. Wɔyɛ den sɛ kɔbere ne dadeɛ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn adeɛ wɔ porɔeɛ ɛkwan so.
29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
Afa no bɔ mframa denden de ogya nane sumpii no, nanso ahobereɛ no yɛ ɔkwa. Ɛntumi nyiyii bɔne no mfirii wɔn mu.
30 Rejected silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
Mɛfrɛ wɔn dwetɛ a wɔapo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade apo wɔn.”