< 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 Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
“Benyaminfo, munguan nkɔbɔ mo ho aguaa! Munguan mfi Yerusalem! Monhyɛn torobɛnto no wɔ Tekoa! Munsi frankaa no wɔ Bet-Hakerem! Efisɛ amanehunu bobɔw fi atifi fam, ɔsɛe bi a ɛyɛ hu.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate [woman].
Mɛsɛe Ɔbabea Sion, ɔhoɔfɛfo 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.
Nguanhwɛfo ne wɔn nguankuw bɛba abetia no; wobesisi wɔn ntamadan atwa ne ho ahyia, 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.
“Munsiesie mo ho ne no nkɔko! Monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔtow nhyɛ ne so owigyinae! Nanso hwɛ, onwini redwo, na anwummere sunsuma reware.
5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
Enti monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔtow nhyɛ ne so anadwo na yɛnsɛe nʼaban ahorow!”
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.
Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Muntwitwa nnua no ngu fam na muntwa Yerusalem ho dantaban. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe kuropɔn yi aso; nhyɛso ahyɛ no ma.
7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and devastation is heard in her; before me continually [are] grief and wounds.
Sɛnea abura puw ne nsu no, saa ara na opuw nʼamumɔyɛ. Wɔte awurukasɛm ne ɔsɛe nka wɔ ne mu; ne yare ne nʼapirakuru 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, Yerusalem, anyɛ saa metwe me ho afi wo ho na mama wʼasase ada mpan a obiara ntumi ntena so.”
9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thy hand as a grape-gatherer into the baskets.
Nea Asafo Awurade se ni: “Ma wonyiyi Israel nkae no mu yiye sɛnea woyiyi bobe mu yiye no; fa wo nsa fa mman no so bio, sɛ obi a ɔretetew 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.
Hena na metumi akasa akyerɛ no na mabɔ no kɔkɔ? Hena na obetie me? Wɔn aso asisiw enti wɔnte asɛm. Awurade asɛm yɛ akyiwade 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 abufuwhyew ahyɛ me ma, na mintumi nkora so. “Hwie gu mmofra a wɔwɔ mmɔnten so ne mmerante a wɔahyia; ɛbɛka okunu ne ɔyere, mmasiriwa, wɔn a onyin ahunhuan wɔn no so.
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.
Wɔbɛdan wɔn afi ama afoforo, wɔn mfuw ne wɔn yerenom bɛka ho; sɛ meteɛ me nsa wɔ wɔn a wɔte asase no so a,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
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.
“Efi akumaa so kosi ɔkɛse so, wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfo de pɛ ahonya; adiyifo ne asɔfo te saa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifo.
14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.
Wɔtoto me nkurɔfo apirakuru te sɛnea ɛnyɛ hu. Wɔka se, ‘Asomdwoe, asomdwoe’ wɔ mmere a asomdwoe nni hɔ.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? no, 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 animguase nneyɛe no ho ana? Dabi da, wɔn ani nnwu koraa; wonnim fɛre mpo. Enti wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfo mu; wɔbɛhwehwe ase, sɛ metwe wɔn aso a,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
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].
Eyi ne nea Awurade se, “Munnyina nkwantanan no so na monhwɛ; mummisa tete akwan no, mummisa faako a ɔkwan pa no da na monnantew so, na mubenya home ama mo akra. Nanso mokae se, ‘yɛnnantew so.’
17 Also I set watchmen over you, [saying], Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
Mede awɛmfo sisii mo so na mekae se, ‘Muntie torobɛnto nnyigyei no!’ Nanso mokae se, ‘Yɛrentie.’
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what [is] among them.
Ɛno nti monyɛ aso, mo amanaman; mo a moyɛ nnansefo, monhwɛ, monhwɛ nea 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.
Tie, wo asase: Mede amanehunu reba saa nnipa yi so, wɔn nneyɛe so aba, efisɛ 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.
Nnuhuam a efi Seba anaa ahwerew pa a efi akyirikyiri asase so fa me ho bɛn? Minnye wo hyew afɔre no nto mu, wʼafɔrebɔ ahorow no nsɔ mʼani.”
21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumbling-blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbor and his friend shall perish.
Ɛno nti, nea Awurade se ni: “Mede akwanside begu saa nkurɔfo yi anim. Agyanom ne mmabarima nyinaa behintiw wɔ so; yɔnkonom 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.
Sɛnea Awurade se ni: “Monhwɛ, nsraadɔm bi reba, wofi atifi fam asase so; wɔrehwanyan wɔn afi 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.
Wokurakura bɛmma ne mpeaw; wɔn tirim yɛ den, na wonni ahummɔbɔ. Wɔn nnyigyei te sɛ po asorɔkye. Sɛ wɔtete wɔn apɔnkɔ so a, wɔba te sɛ mmarima a wɔrekɔ ɔko. Wɔrebɛtow ahyɛ wo so, Ɔbabea Sion.”
24 We have heard the fame 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 nea awuwu. Awerɛhow akyekyere yɛn yɛte yaw sɛ ɔbea a ɔreko awo.
25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy [and] fear [is] on every side.
Mfi adi nkɔ wuram na nnantew akwan no so, efisɛ ɔtamfo no wɔ afoa, 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.
Me nkurɔfo, mumfura atweaatam na mommunummunum wɔ nsõ mu, momfa adwadwotwa yaayaw nni awerɛhow sɛnea wosu ma ɔbabarima koro, efisɛ ɔsɛefo no bɛba yɛn so mpofirim.
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 agude hwɛ na me nkurɔfo dadeben, a wobɛhwɛ 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 atuatewfo a wɔyɛ den, wɔnenam di nseku. Wɔyɛ kɔbere ne dade; wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn ade wɔ porɔwee kwan so.
29 The bellows is burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
Afa no bɔ mframa dennen de ogya nan sumpii no, nanso ɔnan no yɛ ɔkwa. Entumi nyiyii bɔne no mfii wɔn mu ɛ.
30 Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
Wɔfrɛ wɔn dwetɛ a wɔapo, efisɛ Awurade apo wɔn.”

< Jeremiah 6 >