Jeremiah 4
1 “If you will return, Israel,” says the LORD, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed;
“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 you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”
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 the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow amongst 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, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one 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 in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the shofar in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s 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 a standard towards Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; 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 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without 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, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the LORD hasn’t turned back from us.
Enti fura atweaatam, di awerɛhow na twa adwo, efisɛ Awurade abufuwhyew no nnan mfii yɛn so.
9 “It will happen at that day,” says the LORD, “that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the princes. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will 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 I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”
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 it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness towards the daughter of my people, not to winnow, 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 A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgements against them.”
mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no fi me nkyɛn. Afei mepae mu ka mʼatemmu a etia wɔn.”
13 Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.
Hwɛ! ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ mfɛtɛ, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ hare sen akɔre. Yennue! Yɛawu!
14 Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?
Yerusalem, yi bɔne fi wo koma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akosi da bɛn?
15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:
Nne bi rebɔ amanneɛ fi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuru fi Efraim nkoko so.
16 “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise 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 all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says the LORD.
Wotwa ne ho hyia sɛ mmarima a wɔrewɛn afuw, efisɛ watew me so atua,’” sɛɛ na Awurade se.
18 “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.”
“Wo ankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛe, na ɛde eyi aba wo so. Eyi yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwen! Ɛwowɔ koma!”
19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the shofar, 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 on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment.
Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntamadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
21 How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the shofar?
Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na mitie torobɛnto no nnyigye kosi da bɛn?
22 “For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skilful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”
“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 saw the earth and, behold, it was waste 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 saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.
Mehwɛɛ mmepɔw no, na wɔrewosowosow, na nkoko no nyinaa rehinhim.
25 I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.
Mehwɛe, na nnipa nni hɔ; wim anomaa biara atu kɔ.
26 I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, before his fierce anger.
Mehwɛe, na nsasebere no adan nweatam na ne nkurow nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuwhyew ano.
27 For the LORD says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
Sɛnea Awurade se: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa; mmom, merensɛe no korakora.
28 For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, 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 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells 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 You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your 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, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the 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.”
