Yeremia 13

1 Ale Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Yi nàƒle alidziblanu si wowɔ kple aklala biɖibiɖi, eye nàtsɔe abla wò ali dzi. Ke mègana wòade tsi me o.”

This is what the Lord told me to do: Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it on, but don't wash it.

2 Ale meƒle alidziblanu la abe ale si Yehowa gblɔ nam ene, eye metsɔe bla nye ali dzi.

So I went and bought a loincloth as the Lord had instructed me, and I put it on.

3 Tete Yehowa ƒe nya va nam zi evelia be,

Then the Lord gave me another message:

4 “Tsɔ alidziblanu si nèƒle tsɔ bla ali dzi la, nàyi ɖe Frat azɔ eye nàɣlae ɖe kpetome le afi ma.”

Take the loincloth that you bought and put on, and go immediately to the River Perath and hide it there in a hole among the rocks.

5 Ale meyi ɖaɣlae ɖe Frat abe ale si Yehowa gblɔ nam ene.

So I went and hid it at the River Perath, as the Lord had told me.

6 Le ŋkeke geɖewo megbe la, Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Yi ɖe Frat azɔ nàɖatsɔ alidziblanu si megblɔ na wò be nàɣla ɖe afi ma.”

A long time later the Lord told me, Go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I ordered you to hide there.

7 Ale meyi ɖe Frat ɖaku alidziblanu la le teƒe si meɣlae ɖo. Ke azɔ la mekpɔ be enyunyɔ eye ŋudɔwɔnu aɖeke megale eŋu o.

I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and removed it from where I'd hidden it. Obviously it was ruined—completely useless.

8 Yehowa ƒe gbe va nam be,

Then a message from the Lord came to me:

9 “Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Alea kee magblẽ Yuda ƒe dada kple Yerusalem ƒe dada gã la mee.

This is what the Lord says: I will ruin the arrogance of Judah and the great arrogance of Jerusalem in exactly the same way.

10 Ame vɔ̃ɖi siawo, esi wogbe nye gbe sese hedze woƒe dziwo ƒe aglãdzedze yome eye woti mawu bubuwo yome be yewoasubɔ wo, ade ta agu na wo la, anɔ abe alidziblanu sia si ŋu wɔna aɖeke megale o la ene.’

These evil people refuse to listen to what I tell them. They follow their own stubborn and evil thinking and run off to worship other gods—they will be like this loincloth, completely useless.

11 Yehowa be, ‘Elabena, abe ale si alidziblanu nɔa ali dzii na ŋutsu ene la, nenema mebla Israel ƒe aƒe la katã kple Yuda ƒe aƒe la katãe ɖe ɖokuinye ŋu be woanye nye dukɔ, nye bubu, nye kafukafu kple nye atsyɔ̃ gake wogbe toɖoɖo.’

In the same way that a loincloth holds tightly to the body, so I made all the people of Israel and Judah hold tightly to me, declares the Lord. Then they could have been my people, representing me, giving me honor and praise. But they refused to listen.

12 “Gblɔ na wo be, ‘Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: Miku wain ɖe lãgbalẽgoawo katã me.’ Eye ne woagblɔ na wò be, ‘Ɖe míenyae be ele be woaku wain ɖe goawo katã me o hã?’ la,

So tell them this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wine jar shall be filled with wine. When they reply, “Don't we know that already? Of course every wine jar should be filled with wine!”

13 ekema gblɔ na wo be, aleae Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Matsɔ ahamumu ayɔ ame siwo katã le anyigba la dzi mee fũu, fia siwo nɔ David ƒe fiazikpui dzi la hã anɔ eme hekpe ɖe nunɔlawo, nyagblɔɖilawo kple ame siwo katã le Yerusalem ŋuti.

then tell them that this is what the Lord says: I'm going to make everyone who lives in this land drunk—the kings sitting on David's throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.

14 Yehowa be, matsɔ wo axlã ɖe wo nɔewo, fofowo kple viwo siaa, nyemana be nublanuikpɔkpɔ, amenuveve alo dɔmetɔtrɔ nawɔe be magbe wo tsɔtsrɔ̃ o.’”

I'm going to smash them against each other like wine jars, both parents and children, declares the Lord. I won't let any mercy or pity or compassion stop me from destroying them.

15 Misee, miƒu to anyi, migado mia ɖokui ɖe dzi o, elabena Yehowae ƒo nu.

Listen and pay attention. Don't be arrogant, for the Lord has spoken.

16 Mitsɔ ŋutikɔkɔe na Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la hafi wòahe viviti vɛ, hafi miaƒe afɔwo nanɔ nu klim le togbɛ dovivitiwo dzi. Miele mɔ kpɔm na kekeli, ke ana wòazu viviti tsiɖitsiɖi eye wòatrɔe wòazu blanuiléle ƒe blukɔ.

Honor the Lord your God before he brings the darkness, before you trip and fall in the twilight on the mountains. You long for light to come, but he send only gloom and complete darkness.

17 Ke ne mieɖo to o la, mafa avi le bebeme le miaƒe dada ta. Nye ŋkuwo afa avi vevie eye aɖatsi ado le mo nam blobloblo elabena woaɖe aboyo Yehowa ƒe alẽha la.

But if you refuse to listen, I will weep secretly inside because of your pride. My tears pouring down because the Lord's flock has been captured.

18 Gblɔ na fia la kple fiasrɔ̃ la be, “Miɖi le miaƒe fiazikpuiwo dzi elabena miaƒe atsyɔ̃fiakukuwo age le ta na mi.”

Tell the king and the queen mother: Get down from your thrones, because your splendid crowns have fallen from your heads.

19 Woatu du siwo le gbegbe la ƒe agbowo eye ame aɖeke meli si aʋu wo o. Woaɖe aboyo Yudatɔwo katã eye woakplɔ wo adzoe.

The towns in the Negev are surrounded; no one can get through to them. The whole of Judah has been taken away into exile, everyone has been exiled.

20 Mifɔ mo dzi ne miakpɔ ame siwo gbɔna tso anyiehe. Afi ka alẽha si wotsɔ de asi na mi la le, alẽha si dzi miedana ɖo?

Look up and you'll see the invaders coming from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you to look after? Where are the sheep you were so proud of?

21 Nu ka nàgblɔ nenye be Yehowa tsɔ ame siwo nèhe be woanye xɔ̃wòwo la ɖo tatɔwo na wò? Ɖe màse veve abe nyɔnu si le ku lém la ene oa?

What are you going to say when he puts your enemies in charge of you, people you once counted as your friends? Won't you suffer pains like a woman in labor?

22 Ne èbia ɖokuiwò be, “Nu ka ta nu sia dzɔ ɖe dzinye hã la le wò nu vɔ̃ gbogboawo ta wovuvu avɔ le ŋuwò eye wowɔ fu wò ŋutilã ɖo?

If you say to yourself, Why has this happened to me? it's because you have been so wicked. That's why your skirts were stripped off and you were raped.

23 Ɖe Etiopiatɔ ate ŋu atrɔ eƒe ŋutigbalẽ alo lãkle natrɔ agbalẽ ŋɔtaŋɔta si le eŋutia? Nenema kee mi ame siwo vɔ̃wɔwɔ ma la, miate ŋu awɔ nyui o.”

Can Ethiopians change the color of their skin? Can a leopard change its spots? In the same way you can't change and do good because you're so used to doing evil.

24 Yehowa be, “Makaka mi ahlẽ abe ale si dzogbeya lɔa tsro ɖe nu ene.

I'm going to scatter you like chaff blown away by the desert wind.

25 Esiae nye tɔwò kple wò gomekpɔkpɔ si meɖo ɖi na wò, elabena ègblẽm ɖi hedze aʋatsomawuwo yome.

This is what's going to happen to you; this is what I have decided to do to you, declares the Lord, because you have forgotten me and believed in lies.

26 Maɖe avɔ le ŋuwò atsɔ atsyɔ mo na wò be woakpɔ wò ŋukpeƒe,

I will pull your skirts up over your face, so you will be seen naked and ashamed.

27 wò ahasiwɔwɔ, wò ahiãgbetetewo kple wò gbolowɔwɔ ŋukpemanɔmetɔe! Mekpɔ wò ŋunyɔnuwɔwɔwo le togbɛwo dzi kple baliwo me. Oo, Yerusalem, babaa na wò. Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣi nàƒo ɖi ase ɖo?”

I watched your acts of adultery and lust, how you prostituted yourselves shamelessly, worshiping idols on the hills and in the fields. Yes, I saw the disgusting things you did. Disaster is coming to you, Jerusalem! How long are you going to remain unclean?