Yeremia 18
1 Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe gbe si va na Yeremia,
Yahweh gave another message to me. [He said],
2 “Tso nàyi ɖe zemela ƒe aƒe me, eye le afi ma matsɔ nye gbedeasi na wo.”
“Go to the shop of the man who makes clay pots. I will give you a message there.”
3 Ale meyi ɖe zemela ƒe aƒe me eye mekpɔe wònɔ dɔ wɔm le zemenu dzi.
So I went to that shop, and I saw the man who makes pots. He was working at the wheel [that he uses to form pots].
4 Ke ze si mem wòle la gbã ɖe eƒe asiwo me, eya ta zemela la tsɔ anyi la me ze bubu ale si dze eya zemela la ŋu.
But when he finished making one jar, it was not as good as he hoped/wanted it to be. [So], he took that clay and formed it into another jar, shaping it as he desired.
5 Tete Yehowa ƒe gbe va nam bena,
Then Yahweh gave me this message:
6 “Yehowa be O Israel ƒe aƒe, ɖe nyemate ŋu awɔ na wò abe ale si zemela sia wɔ ene oa? O Israel ƒe aƒe, abe ale si anyi nɔa zemela ƒe asi me ene la, nenema miele nye asimee.
“Perhaps the people of Israel [think that] I cannot do to them like this man who makes pots has done [RHQ]. [But what they think is wrong]. I [can control what happens to them like] this man [controls what he does with the clay] in his hands.
7 Ne ɣe aɖe ɣi meɖe gbeƒã be maho dukɔ alo fiaɖuƒe aɖe kple ke, agbãe, ahatsrɔ̃e,
There may be a time when I proclaim that I will get rid of a nation or kingdom, [like someone] pulls up [a plant with its roots], and smashes it, and destroys it.
8 eye dukɔ si ŋu megblɔ nya la ɖo la trɔ le eƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi vavã la, ekema matrɔ susu eye nyemagahe gbegblẽ si meɖo ɖe eŋuti la ava edzi o.
But if [the people of] that nation repent of doing evil things, I will not send to them the disasters that I planned to send.
9 Ke ne meɖe gbeƒã ɣe bubu ɣi be maɖo dukɔ alo fiaɖuƒe aɖe te, ahade eƒe agunu to
And there may be a time when I proclaim that I will establish a nation or kingdom and cause it to be strong [MET].
10 gake wòwɔ nu si nye vɔ̃ le nye ŋkume eye meɖo tom o la, ekema matrɔ susu le nu nyui si meɖo be mawɔ nɛ hafi la ŋuti.
But if [the people of] that nation [start to] do evil things and refuse to obey me, then I will not bless them as I said that I would do.
11 “Azɔ gblɔ na ame siwo le Yuda kple Yerusalem be, ‘Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Kpɔ ɖa, meɖo gbegblẽ ɖe mia ŋu eye mele nugbe ɖom ɖe mia ŋu. Mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe netrɔ le eƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi eye miaɖɔ miaƒe mɔwo kple wɔnawo ɖo.’
Therefore, [Jeremiah, go and warn all] the people in Jerusalem and [in other places] in Judah. Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “I am planning to cause you to experience a disaster [DOU]. [So], each of you should turn from your evil behavior and start doing what is right, [in order that you will not experience that disaster].”’’”
12 Gake woaɖo eŋu be, ‘Mehiã o; miayi edzi awɔ miaƒe lɔlɔ̃nu eye mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe adze eƒe dzi vɔ̃ɖi kple aglãdzenuwo yome.’”
[So I told that message to the people], but they replied, “It is useless [for you to tell us that]. We will [continue to] be stubborn and behave as we want to.”
13 Eya ta ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Mibia le dukɔwo dome be, ame kae se esia tɔgbi kpɔ mahã? Ɖetugbi dzadzɛ, Israel, wɔ ŋunyɔnu si teƒe mekɔ o.
So, this is what Yahweh says: “Ask the [people who live in other] nations if they have [RHQ] ever heard of such a thing. My Israeli people, who [have been pure like] [MET] virgins, have done a terrible thing!
14 Ɖe tsikpe si dzana ɖe Lebanon ƒe agakpewo kɔgo la vɔna? Ɖe eƒe tsi fafɛ si sina toa dukɔ la me tso teƒe didiwo la nu tsona?
The snow certainly never [RHQ] completely disappears/melts from the rocky slopes of the mountains in Lebanon. The cold streams that flow down from those distant mountains never [RHQ] cease flowing.
15 Ke nye amewo ŋlɔm be hedoa dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ na legba maɖinu siwo nana be woklia nu le woƒe toƒewo kple blemamɔwo dzi. Wonana be wozɔa mɔ siwo to duwo xa kple mɔ siwo menye mɔ dodowo o la dzi.
But my people [are not as reliable as those streams: ] They have abandoned me. They burn incense to [honor/worship] worthless idols. [It is as though] they have stumbled as they walked along very old roads that are good roads, and now, instead, they are walking on dirt paths.
16 Woana woƒe anyigba nazu gbegbe, eye woazu alɔmeɖenu tegbee. Ame siwo katã ato afi ma ayi la, ƒe mo awɔ yaa, eye woaʋuʋu ta.
Therefore, their land will become desolate, and people who see it will hiss [to ridicule it]. Everyone who passes by will be appalled; they will shake their heads [to show that they are shocked].
17 Makaka wo le woƒe futɔwo ŋgɔ abe ɣedzeƒeya ene. Matrɔ nye megbe ade wo le woƒe dzɔgbevɔ̃e ƒe ŋkeke la dzi, ke menye nye ŋkume o.”
I will scatter the people when their enemies [attack them] like dust is scattered by an east wind. And when they experience all those difficulties/disasters, I will turn my back on them [and refuse] to help them.”
18 Tete wogblɔ be, “Miva, mina míaɖo nugbe ɖe Yeremia ŋu, elabena mele be nunɔlawo ƒe se la fiafia, nunyalawo ƒe aɖaŋudede alo nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe nyawo nabu o, eya ta miva míawɔ avu kplii kple míaƒe aɖewo, eye míado toku nu sia nu si wòagblɔ.”
Then some of the people said, “Come, let’s plan to attack Jeremiah. We have [many] priests who teach us God’s laws, and wise men who give us good advice, and prophets who tell us [what will happen. We do not need Jeremiah!] So, let’s slander him and not pay attention to anything that he says.”
19 Yehowa, ɖo tom, se nu si gblɔm nunyetsolawo le la ɖa!
[Then I prayed], “Yahweh, [please] listen to me! And listen to what my enemies are saying about me.
20 Ɖe woatsɔ vɔ̃ aɖo nyui teƒea? Ke woɖe ʋe ɖi nam. Ɖo ŋku edzi be metsi tsitre ɖe ŋkuwòme ɖe kuku ɖe wo ta be nàtsɔ woƒe nu vɔ̃wo ake wo ne màgatrɔ wò dɔmedzoe akɔ ɖe wo dzi o.
I am doing things that are good, so it is disgusting that [RHQ] they are paying me back by doing evil [things to me]. [It is as though] they have dug a pit for me [to fall into] and die. Do not forget that [one time] I stood in front of you and pleaded for you [to help them], and I tried to prevent you from [punishing them] [MTY], even though you were very angry with them.
21 Eya ta tsɔ wo viwo de asi na dɔwuame, tsɔ wo de asi na yi ƒe ŋusẽ. Na be wo srɔ̃wo nazu konɔwo kple ahosiwo, na be woawu wo srɔ̃ŋutsuwo, eye woƒe ɖekakpuiwo natsi yi nu le aʋagbedzi.
So [now], allow their children to die from hunger! Or cause them to be killed by [their enemies’] swords! Cause their wives to become widows, whose children are all dead! Cause their [old] men to die in a plague, and cause their young men to be killed in battles!
22 Na be avifafa naɖi le woƒe aƒewo me ne èkplɔ adzohawo va ƒo ɖe wo dzi kpoyi, elabena woɖe ʋe ɖi be mage ɖe eme ne yewoalém, eye woɖo mɔ ɖi na nye afɔwo.
Cause people to scream in their homes when enemy soldiers suddenly come into their houses! [Cause all those things to happen to them] because they [want to kill me]. [It is as though] they have dug a pit for me [to fall into], and they have hidden traps along my path.
23 O Yehowa, wò la, ènya nugbe si woɖo ɖe ŋunye be yewoawum. Mègatsɔ woƒe hlɔ̃dodowo ke alo nàtutu woƒe nu vɔ̃wo ɖa le ŋkuwòme o. Na be woatsɔ wo axlã ɖe anyi le ŋkuwòme, eye nàtu nu kpli wo le wò dzikudogbe.
Yahweh, you know all the things that they are planning to do to kill me. Do not forgive them for their crimes or blot out [the record of] their sins. Cause them to be destroyed; punish them because of your being angry [with them]!”
