Yeremia 4
1 Yehowa be, “O Israel, ne miatrɔ la, ekema mitrɔ va gbɔnye ne mieɖe miaƒe legba nyɔŋuawo ɖa le nye ŋkuta eye miagatra mɔ o.
Israel, if you want to come back, then come back to me, declares the Lord. If you get rid of these disgusting idols I see, and don't wander away,
2 Ne mieta nu be ‘Zi ale si Yehowa le agbe’ le nyateƒe, kakaɖedzi kple dzɔdzɔenyenye me la, ekema ayra dukɔwo eye le eya amea mee woaƒo adegbe le.”
and if when you make your vows, you do so only to me, sincerely, truly, and honestly, then the nations will be blessed by me, and they will praise me.
3 Ale Yehowa gblɔ na Yuda kple Yerusalem ŋutsuwoe nye esi: “Miŋlɔ agble yeye, migaƒã nu ɖe aŋɔkawo me o.
This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: Plow your unplowed ground, and don't sow among the thorns.
4 Mi Yuda kple Yerusalem ŋutsuwo, mitso aʋa na mia ɖokuiwo na Yehowa. Mitso aʋa na miaƒe dziwo, ne menye nenema o la, nye dziku helĩhelĩ alé dzo abi abe dzo ene eye ame aɖeke mate ŋu atsii o, ɖe nu vɔ̃ siwo miewɔ la ta.”
Dedicate yourselves to the Lord; be totally committed to him, people of Judah and Jerusalem. Otherwise, my anger will blaze like fire, burning so hard that no one can put it out because of the evil you've done.
5 “Miɖe gbeƒã le Yuda, eye mido kpo le Yerusalem gblɔ be, ‘Miku kpẽ le anyigba la katã dzi!’ Mido ɣli sesĩe be, ‘Miƒo ƒu! Mina míasi ayi ɖe du sesẽwo me!’
Announce this warning throughout Judah and Jerusalem! Tell them: Blow the trumpet everywhere in the country! Shout out, “Hurry! Let's run to the fortified towns for protection!”
6 Mikɔ aflaga dzi ɖo ɖe Zion! Misi yi sitsoƒe, migatɔ o! Elabena mehe gbegblẽ tso anyiehe gbɔnae, gbegblẽ si teƒe makɔ o.”
Raise the danger flag; go to Zion! Find somewhere safe! Don't hesitate! I'm bringing enemies from the north who will cause terrible destruction.
7 “Dzata aɖe do tso eƒe do me, dukɔwo gblẽla aɖe tso dze mɔ. Etso le enɔƒe be wòava wɔ miaƒe anyigba wòazu gbegbe, ne wòawɔ miaƒe duwo woazu aƒedowo eye amewo manɔ wo me o.
A lion has left his hiding place; a destroyer of nations has started out. He has left his den to come and turn your country into a wasteland. Your towns will be demolished, and no one will live there.
8 Eya ta mita akpanya, mifa konyi eye mifa avi sesĩe, elabena Yehowa ƒe dziku sesẽ la medzo le mía dzi o.”
Wear clothes made of sackcloth, weep and wail, crying out, “The Lord's furious anger against us hasn't stopped.”
9 Yehowa be, “Ɣe ma ɣi la dzi aɖe le fia la kple eƒe dumegãwo ƒo, ŋɔdzi alé Nunɔlawo eye Nyagblɔɖilawo ƒe nu atsi te.”
When that happens declares the Lord, the king and officials will lose heart, the priests will be devastated, and the prophets will be shocked.
10 Tete megblɔ be, “O Aƒetɔ Yehowa, èflu ame siawo kple Yerusalem ŋutɔ esi nègblɔ be, ‘Miakpɔ ŋutifafa.’ Evɔ, woɖo yi míaƒe vewo dzi.”
Then I said, “Oh, Lord God, you have completely fooled the people of Jerusalem by telling them, ‘You will have peace,’ while holding a sword to our throats.”
11 Le ɣe ma ɣi la, woagblɔ na ame siawo kple Yerusalem be, “Ya xɔdzo aɖe ƒo tso to ƒuƒluwo dzi to gbegbe gbɔna va nye amewo gbɔ gake menye wòagbɔ nu alo aklɔ nu ta o.
At that time the people of Jerusalem will be told, “A burning wind from the bare hills of the desert is blowing toward the Jerusalem, but not to blow away the chaff or the dust.
12 Ya sia sẽ ŋutɔ elabena etso gbɔnye. Azɔ la, mehe nye ʋɔnudɔdrɔ̃ va wo dzii.”
No, this wind is too strong for that, and it comes from me. Now I'm also going to tell them how I will punish them.”
13 Kpɔ ɖa! Egbɔna abe lilikpowo ene, eƒe tasiaɖamwo le du dzi abe ahomya ene eye eƒe sɔwo ɖea abla wu hɔ̃wo. Baba na mí! Míetsrɔ̃ vɔ!
Look, he's rushing in like stormclouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind. His horses fly faster than eagles. “What a disaster! We're ruined!”
14 O Yerusalem, klɔ nu tovo ɖa le wò dzi ŋu be nàkpɔ xɔxɔ. Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣie susu vɔ̃ɖi anɔ mewò?
Clean the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you can be saved. How long will you hold onto your evil thoughts?
15 Gbe aɖe le gbeƒã ɖem tso Dan. Ele kpo dom gbegblẽ si tso Efraim togbɛwo dzi gbɔna.
News is shouted out from Dan, announcing disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 “Migblɔ nya sia na dukɔwo, miɖe gbeƒãe na Yerusalem be, ‘Asrafo siwo ɖea to ɖe duwo la gbɔna tso adzɔgenyigba aɖe dzi; wole aʋaɣli dom ɖe Yuda ƒe duwo ŋuti.
“Let the nations know! Look what's happening! Announce this to Jerusalem: An army is coming to besiege you from a distant country; shouting war-cries against the towns of Judah.
17 Woɖe to ɖee abe agbleŋudzɔlawo ene elabena edze aglã ɖe ŋunye.’” Yehowae gblɔe.
They encircle her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against me, declares the Lord.
18 “Wò ŋutɔ wò afɔɖeɖewo kple nuwɔnawoe he esia va dziwòe. Esiae nye wò tohehe. Aleke wòahave wòe! Aleke wòahaƒo ɖe wò dzii!”
You've brought this on yourself by your own attitudes and actions. This is your punishment, and it's so painful, it's like being stabbed in the heart!”
19 O nye dablibɛƒoƒo, nye dablibɛƒoƒo! Mele ŋeŋem le vevesese me. O nye dzi xɔ abi ɖe dɔ me nam! Nye dzi le ƒoƒom le menye, nyemate ŋu azi ɖoɖoe o, elabena mese kpẽ ƒe ɖiɖi, mese aʋaɣlidodo.
“I'm in agony, absolute agony! My heart is breaking! It's beating wildly in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I can't keep quiet because I've heard the trumpet, the signal for battle.
20 Gbegblẽ kplɔ gbegblẽ ɖo eye anyigba blibo la zu aƒedo. Enumake wogbã nye agbadɔwo eye le aɖabaƒoƒo ɖeka me wogbã nye aƒe.
News of one disaster after another comes flooding in, for the whole country is in ruins. My own home is destroyed in a moment, and everything inside.
21 Va se ɖe ɣe ka ɣie makpɔ aflaga, ase aʋakpẽ?
How long do I have to see the flags of war and hear the trumpets of battle?”
22 “Nye amewo nye movitɔwo eye womenyam o. Wole abe ɖevi abunɛtɔwo ene elabena womenyam o. Wobi ɖe nu vɔ̃ɖi wɔwɔ me eye womenya nu nyui wɔwɔ o.”
“My people are stupid; they don't know me. They are foolish children who just don't understand. They're experts at doing evil, but they don't know how to do good.”
23 Metsa ŋku le anyigba dzi, ele nyamaa, le ƒuƒlu. Mewu mo dzi kpɔ dziƒo gake woƒe kekeli megali o.
I looked at the earth, and it was formless and empty; I looked to the heavens, and its light was gone.
24 Mewu mo dzi kpɔ towo, wole dzodzom kpekpekpe eye togbɛwo katã le ʋuʋum.
I looked at the mountains, and saw that they were shaking; all the hills were swaying to and fro.
25 Metsa ŋku ke nyemekpɔ ame aɖeke o. Xevi ɖe sia ɖe si le yame gɔ̃ hã dzo dzo.
I looked, and nobody was left; all the birds had flown away.
26 Menye kɔ eye mekpɔ anyigba nyonu la zu gbegbe; eƒe duwo katã hã zu aƒedo le Yehowa ŋkume le eƒe dziku helĩhelĩ la ta.
I looked, and the productive fields were a desert. All the towns were demolished because of the Lord's furious anger.
27 Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Anyigba blibo la azu aƒedo, gake nyemagblẽe gbidigbidi o.
This is what the Lord says: “The whole country will be devastated, but I won't do so completely.
28 Eya ta anyigba axa nu eye dziƒo ado viviti elabena meƒo nu eye nyemagbe edziwɔwɔ o. Meɖo ta me eye nyematrɔ susu o.”
The earth will mourn and the heavens above will go dark. I have spoken; this is what I have ordered. I'm not going to stop or change my mind.”
29 Du sia du lé du tsɔ esi wose sɔwo kple aŋutrɔdalawo ƒe hoowɔwɔ. Ame aɖewo yi ɖabe ɖe ave dodowo me, eye ɖewo lia agakpewo. Duwo katã me ɖi gbɔlo: ame aɖeke megale wo me o.
People from every town: run away when they hear the enemy horsemen and archers coming. They hide in the forest and among the rocks. All the towns are abandoned; no one lives in them.
30 O, wò ame si wotsrɔ̃, nu ka wɔm nèle? Nu ka ta nètsɔ awu dzĩ kple sikanuwo do? Nu ka ta nètsɔ ɖoŋkui sisi ɖe ŋkuta ɖo? Dzodzroe nèwɔ leke na ɖokuiwò. Wò lɔlɔ̃tɔwo do vlo wò eye wole wò agbe yome tim.
You, Jerusalem, now desolate, what are you going to do? Even though you dress in scarlet clothes, and put on gold jewelry, and paint your eyes with make-up, all your dressing-up is pointless! Your lovers hate you; they want to kill you!
31 Mese ɣli aɖe abe nyɔnu si le ku lém la tɔ ene. Mese ŋeŋe aɖe abe nyɔnu si le vi gbãtɔ dzim la tɔ ene. Ɣli la nye Zion vinyɔnu si lé gbɔgbɔtsixe ɖe ƒo hetsɔ eƒe asiwo do ɖe dzi la tɔ. Ele gbɔgblɔm be, “Evɔ nam! Nye mo le zi tsyɔm; wotsɔ nye agbe de asi na amewulawo.”
I hear the cries like a woman in labor, the agonizing moans of a woman giving birth to her first child. These are the cries of the Daughter of Zion gasping for air, holding out her hands, saying, “Please help me, I'm being murdered!”
