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.”

Thus said the Lord unto me, Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it around thy loins, and lay it not in water.

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

So I bought the girdle, according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my loins.

3 Tete Yehowa ƒe nya va nam zi evelia be,

And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying,

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

Take the girdle that thou hast bought, which is around thy loins; and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

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

So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord has commanded 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.”

And it came to pass at the end of many days, that the Lord said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle, which I commanded thee 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.

And I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it: and, behold, the girdle was spoiled, it was useful for nothing.

8 Yehowa ƒe gbe va nam be,

Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

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

Thus hath said the Lord, After this manner will I destroy the pride of Judah, and the pride of Jerusalem, which is great.

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.’

And this bad people, who refuse to hearken to my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have followed other gods, to serve them, and to bow down to them, shall even be as this girdle which is useful for nothing.

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.’

For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so had I caused to cleave unto me all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, —to become unto me a people, and [to be] for a name, and for praise, and for honor; but they would not hear.

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,

Therefore shalt thou say unto them this word, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and when they will say unto thee, Do we not know full well that every bottle shall 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 shalt thou say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit after David upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

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.’”

And I will dash them one against the other, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, so as not to destroy them.

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

Hear ye, and bend your ear: be not proud; for the Lord hath 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.

Give unto the Lord your God glory, before he cause darkness, and before your feet strike upon the mountains of twilight, and [where], while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and change it into gross 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 ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places because of [your] pride; and my eye shall weep sorely, and run down with tears, because the flock of the Lord is driven away captive.

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

Say unto the king and to the queen-mother, Sit down very lowly; for sunk down are your head-attires, the crown of your ornament.

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 cities of the south are shut up, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away into exile altogether, it is carried into exile completely.

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?

Lift up your eyes, and see those that are coming from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy splendid flock?

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 wilt thou say when he will punish thee? since thou hast accustomed them to be over thee captains, and chiefs? shall not pangs seize upon thee, as on a woman in travail?

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?

And if thou wilt say in thy heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts laid open, thy heels are made bare violently.

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 the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

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

Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away before the wind of the wilderness.

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

This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

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

Therefore do I also strip up thy skirts over thy face, that thy shame may be seen.

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?”

Thy adulteries and thy loud shoutings, the lewdness of thy incest, thy abominations on the hills in the fields have I seen. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean after ever so long a time.