< Jeremiah 4 >
1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return to me: and if thou wilt put away thy abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
“Sɛ wo, Israel, wobɛsan wʼakyi a, san bra me nkyɛn,” sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Sɛ wuyi wʼahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwade fi mʼani so na sɛ woamman bio,
2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
na sɛ wufi nokware, pɛpɛyɛ ne trenee mu ka ntam se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ a afei wobehyira aman no na ne mu na wobenya anuonyam.”
3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Eyi ne asɛm a, Awurade ka kyerɛ Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalem: “Munsiesie mo asase a womfuntum da, na munnnua wɔ nsɔe mu.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench [it], because of the evil of your doings.
Muntwitwa mo ho twetia mma Awurade muntwitwa mo koma twetia, mo Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalemfo, anyɛ saa a mʼabufuwhyew bɛsɔre na adɛw sɛ ogya mo bɔne a moayɛ nti, ɛbɛhyew a obiara rennum.”
5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, Gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.
“Bɔ nkae wɔ Yuda na pae mu ka wɔ Yerusalem se ‘Hyɛn torobɛnto no wɔ asase no nyinaa so!’ Teɛ mu dennen se: ‘Mommoaboa mo ho ano! Momma yenguan nkɔ nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no mu!’
6 Set up the standard towards Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
Momma frankaa so na monkɔ Sion munguan nkɔbɔ mo ho aguaa! Efisɛ mede amanehunu fi atifi fam reba, ɔsɛe a ɛyɛ hu.”
7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
Gyata bi afi ne tu mu; ɔbɔɔaman bi asi mu. Wafi ne tenabea sɛ ɔrebɛsɛe wʼasase. Wo nkurow bebubu na ada mpan.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
Enti fura atweaatam, di awerɛhow na twa adwo, efisɛ Awurade abufuwhyew no nnan mfii yɛn so.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, [that] the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
“Saa da no,” Awurade na ose, “ɔhene no ne adwumayɛfo no bɛbɔ hu, asɔfo no bo betu, na adiyifo no ho bedwiriw wɔn.”
10 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth to the soul.
Afei, mekae se, “Aa, Otumfo Awurade, woadaadaa nnipa yi ne Yerusalem, wokae se, ‘Mubenya asomdwoe,’ wɔ bere a afoa da yɛn mene mu.”
11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness towards the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
Saa bere no wɔbɛka akyerɛ nnipa yi ne Yerusalem se, “Mframa a emu yɛ hyew bɛbɔ afi nkoko wosee a ɛwɔ nweatam so aba me nkurɔfo so, ɛnyɛ nea ɛpo ho anaa ehuhuw so;
12 [Even] a full wind from those [places] shall come to me: now also will I give sentence against them.
mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no fi me nkyɛn. Afei mepae mu ka mʼatemmu a etia wɔn.”
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! for we are laid waste.
Hwɛ! ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ mfɛtɛ, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ hare sen akɔre. Yennue! Yɛawu!
14 O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
Yerusalem, yi bɔne fi wo koma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akosi da bɛn?
15 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.
Nne bi rebɔ amanneɛ fi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuru fi Efraim nkoko so.
16 Make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, [that] watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
“Monka eyi nkyerɛ aman no, mommɔ no dawuru nkyerɛ Yerusalem se, ‘Atuafo dɔm fi akyirikyiri asase bi so reba, wɔma ɔko nteɛmu so de tia Yuda nkuropɔn.
17 As keepers of a field they are against her on all sides; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.
Wotwa ne ho hyia sɛ mmarima a wɔrewɛn afuw, efisɛ watew me so atua,’” sɛɛ na Awurade se.
18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these [things] to thee; this [is] thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth to thy heart.
“Wo ankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛe, na ɛde eyi aba wo so. Eyi yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwen! Ɛwowɔ koma!”
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Ao, mʼahoyeraw, mʼahoyeraw! midi me mu yaw. Me koma mu yawdi! Me koma bɔ kitirikitiri wɔ me mu, mintumi nyɛ komm. Efisɛ, mate torobɛnto no nnyigye; mate ɔko frɛ no.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is laid waste; suddenly are my tents ruined, [and] my curtains in a moment.
Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntamadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
21 How long shall I see the standard, [and] hear the sound of the trumpet?
Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na mitie torobɛnto no nnyigye kosi da bɛn?
22 For my people [are] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have no understanding: they [are] wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
“Me nkurɔfo yɛ nkwaseafo; wonnim me. Wɔyɛ mma a wonni adwene; wɔnte hwee ase. Wɔwɔ bɔneyɛ ho nyansa; na wonnim sɛnea wɔyɛ papa.”
23 I beheld the earth, and lo, [it was] without form, and void; and the heavens, and they [had] no light.
Mehwɛɛ asase no, na enni bɔbea, na ɛda mpan; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.
24 I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
Mehwɛɛ mmepɔw no, na wɔrewosowosow, na nkoko no nyinaa rehinhim.
25 I beheld, and lo, [there was] no man, and all the fowls of the heavens had fled.
Mehwɛe, na nnipa nni hɔ; wim anomaa biara atu kɔ.
26 I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place [was] a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, [and] by his fierce anger.
Mehwɛe, na nsasebere no adan nweatam na ne nkurow nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuwhyew ano.
27 For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
Sɛnea Awurade se: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa; mmom, merensɛe no korakora.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken [it], I have purposed [it], and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Enti asase bedi awerɛhow na ɔsorosoro beduru sum, efisɛ makasa na merentwe nsan; masi gyinae na merennan no.”
29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city [shall be] forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
Apɔnkɔsotefo ne agyantowfo nnyigyei ma kurow biara sofo guan. Ebinom kɔhyɛ nkyɛkyerɛ mu, ebinom foro kɔ abotan mu. Nkurow no nyinaa so adeda mpan; na obiara nte so.
30 And [when] thou [art] laid waste, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rendest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair: [thy] lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life.
Dɛn na woreyɛ, wo a wɔasɛe wo? Adɛn na wufura ɔkɔben de sikakɔkɔɔ agude asiesie wo ho? Adɛn na wode nnuru keka wʼani? Wohyehyɛ wo ho kwa. Wʼadɔfo bu wo animtiaa; wɔrehwehwɛ wo akum wo.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, [and] the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth herself, [that] spreadeth her hands, [saying], Woe [is] me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Mete osu bi te sɛ ɔbea a ɔwɔ awoko mu, apinisi te sɛ ɔbea a ɔrewo nʼabakan, Ɔbabea Sion resu te sɛ nea osi apini, ɔtrɛw ne nsa mu na ɔreka se, “Afei de meretɔ piti; wɔde me nkwa ama awudifo.”