Yeremia 23
1 Yehowa be, “Baba na alẽkplɔla siwo le alẽ siwo le nye lãnyiƒe la vuvum hele wo kakam!”
Yahweh declares, “Terrible things will happen to [the leaders] [MET] [of my people—those who are like] shepherds of [the people who are like] my sheep—because they have scattered my people and sent them away, and have not taken care of them.
2 Eya ta ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔ na alẽkplɔla siwo le nye dukɔ la kplɔm lae nye esi: “Esi mielé be na nye alẽhawo o, ke boŋ miekaka wo eye mienya wo de gbe ta la, mahe to na mi ɖe nu vɔ̃ɖi si miewɔ la ta.” Yehowae gblɔe.
So, this is what [I, ] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli [people worship], say to those leaders: ‘Instead of taking care of my people and [leading them to places where they are safe, like a shepherd does for] his sheep, you have scattered them. So I will punish you for the evil things that you have done.
3 “Nye ŋutɔ maƒo nye alẽ mamlɛawo nu ƒu tso anyigba siwo katã dzi menya wo ɖo ɖo la dzi, eye makplɔ wo va wo nyiƒe, afi si woadzi ɖe edzi fũu le.
But later I will gather those who are still alive, from the countries where I have forced them to go. I will bring them back to their own country, where they will have many children, and their number/population will increase.
4 Matsɔ alẽkplɔla siwo akpɔ wo dzi nyuie la aɖo wo nu, ale womagavɔ̃ alo dzidzi naƒo wo alo wo dometɔ aɖeke nabu o.” Yehowae gblɔe.
[Then] I will appoint [other] leaders for my people, leaders who will take care of them. And my people will never be afraid [DOU] of anything again, and none of them will be [like a] lost [sheep].’”
5 Yehowa be, “Ŋkekewo li gbɔna esime mana atilɔ dzɔdzɔe, aɖe nadze atso David ƒe ƒome me, anye fia si aɖu fia le nunya me eye wòawɔ nu si le eteƒe kple nu si le dzɔdzɔe le anyigba dzi.
Yahweh [also] says, “Some day I will appoint for you a righteous man who will be a descendant of King David. He will be a king who rules wisely. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 Le eƒe ŋkekewo me la, woaɖe Yuda eye Israel anɔ anyi le dedinɔnɔ me. Esiae nye ŋkɔ si woayɔ nɛ: Yehowa, Míaƒe Dzɔdzɔenyenye.
At that time, all the Israeli people [DOU] will be saved [from their enemies], and they will be safe. And his name will be ‘Yahweh, the one who vindicates/defends us.’”
7 “Yehowa be eya ta ŋkekewo li gbɔna esi amewo magagblɔ be, ‘Meta Yehowa, ame si kplɔ Israelviwo do goe le Egipte la ƒe agbe’ o.
Yahweh [also] says that at that time, people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives, who rescued the Israeli people from Egypt.”
8 Ke boŋ woagblɔ be, ‘Meta Yehowa, ame si kplɔ Israel ƒe dzidzimeviwo do go tso anyiehenyigba dzi kple dukɔ siwo katã me woɖe aboyo wo ɖo ɖo la ƒe agbe.’ Ekema woanɔ woawo ŋutɔ ƒe anyigba dzi.”
Instead, they will say, “[I will do it] as surely as Yahweh lives, who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the land to the northeast and from all the [other] countries to which he had exiled us.” And they will live in their own land [again].
9 Nya siwo ku ɖe nyagblɔɖilawo ŋu: nye dzi gbã le menye eye nye lãme katã le ƒoƒom. Ɖeko mele abe ŋutsu si mu aha alo abe ŋutsu si wain wu ko na la ene, le Yehowa kple eƒe nya kɔkɔewo ta.
I am very shocked because of the sacred message that Yahweh has spoken about [what will happen to] the [false] prophets; [it is as though] all my bones shake. I stagger like a man who is drunk after drinking a lot of wine.
10 Anyigba la dzi yɔ fũu kple ahasiwɔlawo eye le fiƒode la ta la, anyigba la ƒu kplakplakpla ale be lãnyiƒe siwo katã le gbegbe la hã yrɔ; elabena Nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe mɔ to vovo eye wowɔa woƒe ŋusẽ ŋu dɔ to mɔ madzɔmadzɔwo dzi.
The land is full of [people who commit] adultery; and [Yahweh] has cursed the land. Even the pastures in the desert are all dried up, because the people do what is evil, and [the false prophets] use their power to do things that are not just/fair.
11 “Nyagblɔɖilawo kple Nunɔlawo siaa nye Mawumavɔ̃lawo eye le nye gbedoxɔ me gɔ̃ hã la, mekpɔ woƒe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi.” Yehowae gblɔe.
Yahweh says, “[Yes, even] the priests and the prophets are ungodly; they do wicked things even in my temple.
12 “Eya ta woƒe mɔ dzi aɖiɖi dribadriba, woatsɔ wo aƒu gbe ɖe blukɔ me eye woadze anyi ɖe afi ma. Mahe gbegblẽ ava wo dzi le ƒe si me mahe to na wo.” Yehowae gblɔe.
Therefore, [it will be as though] the paths that they walk on are slippery. [It will be as though] they are being chased in the darkness, and there they will fall down, because I will cause them to experience disasters at the time that I will punish them. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
13 “Mekpɔ bometsinu sia le nyagblɔɖila siwo le Samaria la dome. Wogblɔ nya ɖi le Baal ƒe ŋkɔ me eye wokplɔ nye dukɔ Israel trae.
[Previously] I saw that the prophets in Samaria were doing something that was wrong; they were prophesying, saying that Baal [gave them the messages that they were proclaiming], and they were deceiving my people.
14 Ke mekpɔ ŋunyɔnu sia hã le nyagblɔɖila siwo le Yerusalem la dome. Wole ahasi wɔm eye wole alakpa hã dam. Wodoa ŋusẽ nu baɖa wɔlawo be ne ame aɖeke nagaɖe asi le eƒe nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ ŋu o. Wo katã le nam abe Sodom ene. Yerusalem nɔlawo le abe Gomoratɔwo ene.”
And [now] I have seen the prophets in Jerusalem doing terrible things. They commit adultery and habitually tell lies. They encourage evil people to continue to do evil things, with the result that the people do not stop sinning. Those prophets are as wicked as the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were.
15 Eya ta ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔ ɖe nyagblɔɖilawo ŋutie nye esi: “Kpɔ ɖa, mana nuɖuɖu veve wo eye makpe tsi si me wode aɖii la na wo elabena Yerusalem ƒe nyagblɔɖilawo gbɔe wòtso be, mawumavɔmavɔ̃ kaka ɖe anyigba blibo la dzi.”
So, this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says about those [false] prophets: “I will give those prophets bitter things to eat and poison to drink, because it is because of them that this land is filled with [people who do] wicked things.”
16 Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔe nye esi: “Migaɖo to nyagblɔɖi siwo gblɔm Nyagblɔɖilawo le na mi la o. Mia flum wole kple mɔkpɔkpɔ ƒuƒlu. Wogblɔa nya si woawo ŋutɔ susu la be ŋutegae yewokpɔ, ke menye nya si do tso Yehowa ƒe nu me o.
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “Do not pay any attention to what those [false] prophets say to you, because they are just deceiving you. They tell you about visions that they have thought/created [only] in their own minds, not about visions that I have given them.
17 Wogblɔna na ame siwo doa vlom ɖaa la be, ‘Yehowa be: miakpɔ ŋutifafa’, eye wogblɔna na ame siwo zɔna ɖe woƒe dzi vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe ɖoɖo nu la be, ‘Dzɔgbevɔ̃e aɖeke mava mia dzi o.’
They habitually say to those who hate me, ‘[Yahweh says that] you will have peace.’ And they say to those who stubbornly do what they want to do, ‘Nothing bad will happen to you [because of your doing those things].’
18 Ke wo dometɔ kae nɔ Yehowa ƒe aɖaŋu me be wòakpɔ nu alo ase eƒe nya? Ame kae ɖo to hese eƒe nya?
But none of them has ever been in a council [meeting] in heaven in order to listen to a message from me. None of them has paid attention to anything that [I], Yahweh, have said.
19 Kpɔ ɖa, Yehowa ƒe ahom atu sesĩe le eƒe dziku helĩhelĩ me, eye yali atso abla ɖe ta na ame vɔ̃ɖiwo kɔtɔɔ.
So, listen to this: I will punish them; it will be [like] a great storm; it will come down [like] a whirlwind, swirling around the heads of those wicked people.
20 Yehowa ƒe dziku magbugbɔ o va se ɖe esime wòwɔ nu si wòɖo ɖe eƒe dzi me de goe. Le ŋkeke siwo gbɔna me la, miase nu siawo gɔme keŋkeŋ.
I will not stop being angry until I completely accomplish all that I have planned. In the future, you will understand [all of] this clearly.”
21 Nyemedɔ nyagblɔɖila siawo o, gake wole du dzi kple woawo ŋutɔwo ƒe gbedeasi. Nyemeƒo nu kpli wo o, evɔ wogblɔ nya ɖi.
[Yahweh also says, ] “I have not appointed those prophets, but they run [around telling people their messages]. I did not speak to them, but they [continue to] prophesy.
22 Ke ne ɖe wonɔ nye aɖaŋudede me la, anye ne wogblɔ nye nyawo na nye dukɔ eye woatrɔ le woƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo dzi kple woƒe nuwɔwɔ vɔ̃ɖiwo me.”
If they had been in my council [meetings], they would have been able to speak messages from me, and they would have caused people to turn away from committing evil things.”
23 Yehowa be, “Kpuiƒe ƒe Mawu ko menyea, eye nyemenye Mawu si le adzɔge oa?
Yahweh [also] says, “Am I a God who is only nearby? No, I am a God who is far away, also.
24 Ɖe ame aɖe abe ɖe bebeƒe aɖe be nyemate ŋu akpɔe oa?” Yehowae gblɔe. “Ɖe nyemeyɔ dziƒo kple anyigba taŋtaŋ oa?” Yehowae gblɔe.
So, no one can hide in some secret place with the result that I cannot see him. I am everywhere, in heaven and on the earth! [That is what I], Yahweh, say!
25 “Mese nu si gblɔm nyagblɔɖilawo le, ame siwo gblɔ aʋatsonyagblɔɖi le nye ŋkɔ me. Wogblɔ be, ‘Meku drɔ̃e aɖe! Meku drɔ̃e aɖe.’
I have heard those prophets prophesy lies, saying that they are telling people messages from me. They say, ‘[Listen to me tell you] the dream that God gave me last night! I [really] had this dream!’
26 Ɣe ka ɣie nu sia ayi edzi le aʋatsonyagbɔɖila siawo ƒe dzi me ase ɖo, ame siwo gblɔ beblenya siwo woƒe susuwo gblɔ na wo?
How long will they continue to do this? How long will those lying prophets continue to prophesy things that come only from their own minds?
27 Wobu xaa be drɔ̃e siwo wolĩna na wo nɔewo la awɔe be nye amewo aŋlɔ nye ŋkɔ be abe ale si wo fofowo ŋlɔ nye ŋkɔ be, to Baal subɔsubɔ me ene.”
They think that because of the dreams that they tell to each other, people will forget me, like their ancestors forgot about me when they started to worship Baal.
28 Yehowa be, “Nyagblɔɖila si ku drɔ̃e la, nelĩ drɔ̃e la faa, gake ame si si nye nya le la, neɖe gbeƒãe anukwaretɔe. Elabena kadodo kae le bli kple atsa dome?” Yehowae gblɔe.
Allow those [false] prophets to tell people their dreams, but those who have messages that [really] come from me should proclaim those messages faithfully. I, Yahweh, say [that like] straw and grain are certainly very different, [my messages and the messages from those false prophets are certainly very different].
29 “Ɖe nye nya mele abe dzo ene kple zu si gbãa kpe sesẽ gudugudu la ene oa?” Yehowae gblɔ.
[It is as though] my messages [burn] like a fire; they [strike people’s inner beings like] someone strikes a rock with a hammer and smashes it into pieces.
30 Eya ta ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Matso ɖe nyagblɔɖila siwo fia nya siwo wosusu be etso gbɔnye la le wo nɔewo gbɔ la ŋuti.”
Therefore, [I, ] Yahweh say, 'I oppose all those prophets who steal messages from each other and claim that those messages came from me.
31 Yehowa be, “Kpɔ ɖa, matso ɖe nyagblɔɖila siwo kpa nya kple woƒe aɖewo, evɔ wohegblɔna be, ‘Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi’ la ŋuti.
I oppose those prophets who speak their own messages but claim that those messages came from me.
32 Kpɔ ɖa,” ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Matso ɖe ame siwo tsɔ alakpadrɔ̃ewo gblɔa nya ɖi la ŋuti. Wogblɔnɛ na dukɔa, eye wokplɔa nye amewo tranae to woƒe alakpa vivivo la me, evɔ nyemedɔ wo alo de dɔ asi na wo o. Womenye viɖe aɖeke na nye dukɔ o,” Yehowae gblɔe.
I oppose those prophets who falsely say that I told them something in a vision, but they are [only] telling lies that cause my people to sin. I did not send those prophets. I did not even appoint them [to be prophets]. And they have no messages that will benefit my people at all.' [That is what I, ] Yahweh, declare.”
33 “Ne ame siawo, alo nyagblɔɖila alo nunɔla bia wò be, ‘Nu kae nye Yehowa ƒe gbe hã la,’ ɖo eŋu na wo be, ‘Nu ka ƒe gbe? Magbe nu le mia gbɔ’ Yehowae gblɔe.
[Yahweh said to me], “If one of those prophets or priests or one of the [other] people asks you, ‘What problem has Yahweh told you about [now]?’, you must reply, ‘You are the problem! And Yahweh says that he will abandon you!’
34 Ke ne nyagblɔɖila alo nunɔla alo ame aɖe ko agblɔ be, ‘Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe gbe’ la, mahe to na ame la kple eƒe aƒekɔ katã.
And if any prophet or priest or anyone [else falsely] says, ‘[I have] a prophecy from Yahweh,’ I will punish that person and his family.
35 Esiae nye nu si mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe nɔ gbɔgblɔm na ehavi alo eƒe ƒometɔ: ‘Aleke Yehowa ɖo eŋutie?’ Alo ‘Nya ka Yehowa gblɔ?’
What you should continually ask each other is, ‘[When you spoke to Yahweh, ] what did he reply? What is he saying [to us]?’
36 Ke migakɔ nu le ‘Yehowa ƒe nya’ dzi azɔ o, elabena ame sia ame ŋutɔ ƒe nya zu eƒe nyagblɔɖi, ale mietrɔ gbo Mawu gbagbe, Yehowa ƒe Aƒetɔ la, miaƒe Mawu la ƒe nyawo.
But stop saying ‘[I have] a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ because those who say that are doing it only because they want people to accept their ideas, and by doing that they distort/change the messages that are from our God, the Commander of the armies of angels.
37 Esia nye nya si mienɔ gbɔgblɔm ɖaa na nyagblɔɖila, ‘Aleke Yehowa ɖo eŋutie?’ Alo ‘Nya kae Yehowa gblɔ?’
This is what you should ask each prophet: ‘What did Yahweh reply [when you talked to him]? What is he saying [to us]?’
38 Togbɔ be miegblɔ be, ‘Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe nya, ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi’ hã la, miegagblɔna be, ‘Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe nya,’ evɔ megblɔe na mi, miganɔ gbɔgblɔm be, ‘Esiae nye Yehowa ƒe nya’ o.
If he replies, ‘[What I told you] is a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ you should say to him, ‘You have continued to say, “[I received] a prophecy/message from Yahweh” even though I told you to not claim that you have received prophecies/messages from Yahweh.’
39 Eya ta kpɔ ɖa, maŋlɔ mi be le nyateƒe me, eye matsɔ mi aƒu gbe le nye ŋkume akpe ɖe du si metsɔ na mi kple mia fofowo la ŋuti.
So I [, Yahweh, ] will get rid of you [false prophets]. I will expel you from my presence. And I will get rid of this city that I gave to you and to your ancestors.
40 Mahe ŋukpe mavɔ kple vlododo mavɔ si womaŋlɔ be akpɔ o la va mia dzi.”
I will cause people to make fun of you forever. People will never forget that you were disgraced.”
