< Yeremia 16 >

1 Yehowa ƒe nya va nam be,
A message from the Lord that came to me, saying,
2 “Mègaɖe srɔ̃ be nàdzi ŋutsuviwo kple nyɔnuviwo ɖe teƒe sia o”
Don't marry or have children here.
3 Elabena ale Yehowa gblɔ tso ŋutsuvi kple nyɔnuvi siwo wodzi ɖe anyigba sia dzi, wo dadawo kple wo fofowo ŋutie nye esi:
This is what the Lord says about children born here, and about their mothers and fathers—their parents here in this country:
4 “Dɔ vɔ̃wo ava wu wo, womafa na wo alo aɖi wo o, ke boŋ woanɔ abe gbeɖuɖɔ ene le anyigba. Woatsrɔ̃ le yi kple dɔwuame ta, eye woƒe ŋutilã kukuawo anye nuɖuɖu na dziƒoxeviwo kple lã wɔadã siwo le anyigba dzi.”
They will die from fatal diseases. No one will mourn for them. Their bodies won't be buried, but will lie on the ground like manure. They will be destroyed by war and famine, and their bodies will be food for birds of prey and wild animals.
5 Elabena ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Mègayi kuteƒe nàɖu nu o, mègayi afa kple kutɔwo alo aɖe wò konyifafa afia o, elabena meɖe nye yayra, nye lɔlɔ̃ kple nye nublanuikpɔkpɔ ɖa le dukɔ sia dzi.” Yehowae gblɔe.
This is what the Lord says: Don't enter a home where people are having a funeral meal. Don't visit them to mourn or to offer condolences, for I have taken away my peace, my trustworthy love, and my mercy from these people, declares the Lord.
6 “Amegãwo kple ame gblɔewo siaa aku le anyigba sia dzi. Womaɖi wo alo afa na wo o, eye ame aɖeke maxa ɖe wo ta asi eɖokui alo alũ eƒe taɖa o.
Everyone, from the most important to the least, will die in this country. They will not be buried or mourned; there will be no rites for the dead such as cutting oneself or shaving of heads.
7 Ame aɖeke maɖa nu aka na konyifalawo, atsɔ afa akɔe na wo o. Nenye wo fofo alo wo dada gɔ̃ hãe la, ame aɖeke mana aha wo teti atsɔ afa akɔe na wo o.
No funeral receptions will be held to comfort those who mourn—not even a comforting drink is to be offered at the loss of a father or mother.
8 “Ne wole nu ɖum le dzidzɔ kpɔm le aƒe aɖe me la, mègage ɖe aƒe ma me nanɔ anyi be yeaɖu nu, ano nu o.
Don't go into a house where people are celebrating and sit down with them to eat and drink.
9 Elabena ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Le wò ŋkume kple wò ŋkekewo me, matɔ te dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ kple aglotutu ƒe ɣliwo eye womagase ŋugbetɔ kple ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ ƒe gbewo le teƒe sia o.’
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am going to put a stop right here, while you watch, to any sounds of celebration and joy, the happy voices of the groom and bride.
10 “Ne ègblɔ nya siawo katã na dukɔ sia eye wobia wò be, ‘Nu ka ta Yehowa ɖo gbegblẽ gã sia ɖi ɖe mia ŋuti? Vodada kae miewɔ eye nu vɔ̃ kae miewɔ ɖe Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la ŋuti hã?’ la,
When you explain all this to them they'll ask you, “Why has the Lord ordered that such a terrible disaster should happen to us? What did we do wrong? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?”
11 ekema nàgblɔ na wo be elabena mia fofowo gblẽm ɖi hedze mawu bubuwo yome; wosubɔ wo eye wode ta agu na wo. Wogbem eye womelé nye seawo me ɖe asi o.
Answer them: It's because your forefathers deserted me, declares the Lord. They went and followed other gods, serving them and worshiping them. They abandoned me and didn't keep my laws.
12 Ke miawo la, miewɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi wu mia fofowo. Kpɔ ale si mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe dze eƒe dzi vɔ̃ɖi ƒe aglãdzedze yomee hegbe toɖoɖom ɖa!
You however have done even more evil than your forefathers. Look at how all of you followed your own stubborn evil thinking instead of obeying me.
13 Eya ta matsɔ mi aƒu gbe tso anyigba sia dzi aɖo ɖe anyigba si miawo alo mia fofowo menya o la dzi. Le afi ma miasubɔ Mawu bubuwo zã kple keli elabena nyemave mia nu o” Yehowae gblɔe.
So I'm going to throw you out of this country and exile you in a country unfamiliar to you and your forefathers. There you'll serve other gods day and night, because I won't help you at all.
14 “Yehowa be, gake ŋkekewo li gbɔna esi amewo magagblɔ be, ‘Meta Yehowa si kplɔ Israelviwo tso Egipte ƒe agbe’ o.
But listen! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when people won't any longer make vows, saying. “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites out of Egypt.”
15 Ke boŋ woagblɔ be, ‘Meta Yehowa si kplɔ Israelviwo tso anyiehenyigba dzi kple dukɔ siwo katã me wonya wo ɖo ɖa la ƒe agbe.’ Elabena magbugbɔ wo aɖo te le anyigba si metsɔ na wo fofowo la dzi.
Instead they'll say, “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites back from the northern country and all the other countries where he had exiled them.” I'm going to bring them back to the country I gave their forefathers.
16 “Yehowa be, ‘Ke azɔ la, madɔ ame ɖe ɖɔkplɔla geɖewo eye woaɖe wo. Le esia megbe la, madɔ ame ɖe adela geɖewo eye woayɔ wo ɖe nu tso towo, togbɛwo dzi kple agadowo me.
But for the moment I'm going to send for many fishermen and they'll catch them, declares the Lord. Then I'm going to send for many hunters, and they'll hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from their hiding places in the rocks.
17 Elabena nye ŋku le woƒe mɔwo katã ŋu, womele ɣaɣla ɖem o eye woƒe nu vɔ̃wo hã meɣla ɖe nye ŋkuwo o.
I see everything they're doing. They can't hide from me, and their sins aren't hidden from me either.
18 Maɖo eteƒe na wo zi eve le woƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi kple woƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta, elabena wodo gu nye anyigba kple woƒe aklamakpakpɛwo, eye woli legba nyɔŋuwo ɖe nye domenyinu la dzi fũu.’”
First I'm going to pay them back double for their wickedness and sin, because they have made my land unclean with the lifeless bodies of their disgusting idols, filling my special country with their offensive pagan images.
19 O Yehowa, nye ŋusẽ kple nye mɔ sesẽ, nye sitsoƒe le hiahiãgbe, gbɔwòe dukɔwo ava tso anyigba ƒe mlɔenuwo ke, agblɔ be, “Alakpamawuwo koe mia fofowo tsɔ nyi domee; toflokolegbawo wonye, eye womehe nu nyui aɖeke vɛ na wo o.
Lord, you are my strength and my fortress, my safe place in the time of trouble. Nations will come to you from all over the earth, and they will say, “The religion of our forefathers was a total lie! The idols they worshiped were useless—no good at all.
20 Ɖe amewo wɔa woawo ŋutɔ ƒe mawuwoa? Ɛ̃, gake menye mawuwoe wonye o!”
How can people make gods for themselves? These aren't gods!”
21 “Eya ta mafia wo, ke azɔ la, mafia nye ŋusẽ kple nye sesẽ wo. Ekema woadze sii be nye ŋkɔe nye Yehowa.
Now they'll see! I'll show them, and then they'll recognize my power and strength. Then they'll know that I am the Lord!

< Yeremia 16 >