< Jeremiah 4 >

1 If thou dost turn back, O Israel, An affirmation of Jehovah, unto Me turn back, And if thou dost turn aside Thine abominations from My face, Then thou dost not bemoan.
“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 hast sworn — Jehovah liveth, In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, And blessed themselves in Him have nations, And in Him they boast themselves.
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 said Jehovah, To the man of Judah, and to Jerusalem: Till for yourselves tillage, And do not sow unto the thorns.
Eyi ne asɛm a, Awurade ka kyerɛ Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalem: “Munsiesie mo asase a womfuntum da, na munnnua wɔ nsɔe mu.
4 Be circumcised to Jehovah, And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, O man of Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury go out as fire, and hath burned, And there is none quenching, 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 in Jerusalem sound, And say ye, 'Blow a trumpet in the land,' Call ye fully, and say ye: 'Be gathered, and we go in to the fenced city.'
“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 Lift up an ensign Zionward, Strengthen yourselves, stand not still, For evil I am bringing in 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 Gone up hath a lion from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations hath journeyed, He hath come forth from his place To make thy land become a desolation, Thy cities are 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, gird on sackcloth, lament and howl, For the fierce anger of Jehovah hath not turned back from us.
Enti fura atweaatam, di awerɛhow na twa adwo, efisɛ Awurade abufuwhyew no nnan mfii yɛn so.
9 And it hath come to pass, in that day, An affirmation of Jehovah: 'Perish doth the heart of the king, And the heart of the princes, And astonished have been the priests, And the prophets do 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 And I say, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah, Surely thou hast entirely forgotten this people and Jerusalem, saying, Peace is for you, And struck hath a sword unto 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 it is said of this people, And of Jerusalem: 'A dry wind of high places in the wilderness,' The way of the daughter of My people, (Not for winnowing, nor for cleansing, )
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 doth come for Me, Now, also, I speak judgments with them.
mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no fi me nkyɛn. Afei mepae mu ka mʼatemmu a etia wɔn.”
13 Lo, as clouds he cometh up, And as a hurricane his chariots, Lighter than eagles have been his horses, Woe to us, for we have been spoiled.
Hwɛ! ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ mfɛtɛ, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ hare sen akɔre. Yennue! Yɛawu!
14 Wash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?
Yerusalem, yi bɔne fi wo koma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akosi da bɛn?
15 For a voice is declaring from Dan, And sounding sorrow from mount Ephraim.
Nne bi rebɔ amanneɛ fi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuru fi Efraim nkoko so.
16 Make ye mention to the nations, Lo, sound ye to Jerusalem: 'Besiegers are coming from the land afar off, And they give forth against cities of Judah their voice.
“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 the keepers of a field They have been against her round about, For with Me she hath been rebellious, An affirmation of Jehovah.'
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 done these to thee, This [is] thy vexation, for [it is] bitter, For it hath struck unto 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] the walls of my heart, Make a noise for me doth My heart, I am not silent, For the voice of a trumpet I have heard, O my soul — a shout of battle!
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 proclaimed, For spoiled hath been all the land, Suddenly spoiled have been my tents, In a moment — my curtains.
Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntamadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
21 Till when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a trumpet?
Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na mitie torobɛnto no nnyigye kosi da bɛn?
22 For my people [are] foolish, me they have not known, Foolish sons [are] they, yea, they [are] not intelligent, Wise [are] they to do evil, And to do good they have not known.
“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 looked [to] the land, and lo, waste and void, And unto the heavens, and their light is not.
Mehwɛɛ asase no, na enni bɔbea, na ɛda mpan; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.
24 I have looked [to] the mountains, And lo, they are trembling. And all the hills moved themselves lightly.
Mehwɛɛ mmepɔw no, na wɔrewosowosow, na nkoko no nyinaa rehinhim.
25 I have looked, and lo, man is not, And all fowls of the heavens have fled.
Mehwɛe, na nnipa nni hɔ; wim anomaa biara atu kɔ.
26 I have looked, and lo, The fruitful place [is] a wilderness, And all its cities have been broken down, Because of Jehovah, Because of the fierceness of His anger.
Mehwɛe, na nsasebere no adan nweatam na ne nkurow nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuwhyew ano.
27 For thus said Jehovah: All the land is a desolation, but a completion I make not.
Sɛnea Awurade se: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa; mmom, merensɛe no korakora.
28 For this doth the land mourn, And black have been the heavens above, because I have spoken — I have purposed, And I have not repented, Nor do I turn back from it.
Enti asase bedi awerɛhow na ɔsorosoro beduru sum, efisɛ makasa na merentwe nsan; masi gyinae na merennan no.”
29 From the voice of the horseman, And of him shooting with the bow, all the city is fleeing, They have come into thickets, And on cliffs they have gone up, All the city is forsaken, And there is no one dwelling in them.
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 thou, O spoiled one, what dost thou? For thou puttest on scarlet, For thou adornest thyself [with] ornaments of gold. For thou rendest with pain thine eyes, In vain thou dost make thyself fair, Kicked against thee have doting ones, Thy life they do seek.
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 a voice as of a sick woman I have heard, Distress, as of one bringing forth a first-born, The voice of the daughter of Zion, She bewaileth herself, she spreadeth out her hands, 'Woe to me now, for weary is my soul of slayers!'
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.”

< Jeremiah 4 >