Yeremia 44

1 Nya sia va na Yeremia tso Yudatɔ siwo katã le Egipte ƒe anyigbe, le Migdol, Tapanhes, Memfis kple Egipte ƒe dzigbe be,

This is the message that came to Jeremiah regarding all the people of Judah living in Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis—and in Upper Egypt.

2 “Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: Miekpɔ gbegblẽ gã si mehe va Yerusalem kple Yuda duwo katã dzi. Egbe la, wozu aƒedo siwo me ame aɖeke mele o,

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the complete disaster that I brought down on Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah. You can see how today they're ruined and abandoned

3 ɖe nu vɔ̃ɖi si wowɔ la ta. Wodo dziku nam vevie elabena wodo dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ na gbetsiwo eye wode ta agu na mawu tutɔ siwo woawo ŋutɔwo loo, alo miawo alo wo fofowo menya kpɔ o.

because of the evil they did. They made me angry by burning incense and serving other gods that they hadn't ever known, and you and your forefathers hadn't known either.

4 Zi geɖe meɖo nye dɔla nyagblɔɖilawo ɖe wo, ame siwo gblɔ na wo be, ‘Migawɔ ŋunyɔnu si metsri vevie la o!’

I sent you all my servants the prophets time and again to warn you: “Don't do these offensive things that I hate.”

5 Ke womeɖo to alo tsɔ ɖeke le eme o; Womeɖe asi le woƒe nu vɔ̃ɖiwo wɔwɔ ŋu alo dzudzɔ dzudzɔʋeʋĩdodo na mawu tutɔwo o,

But you refused to listen or to pay attention. You didn't stop their wickedness or burning incense in worship of other gods.

6 eya ta metrɔ nye dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ la kɔ ɖi eye wòbi le Yuda ƒe duwo kple Yerusalem kpɔdomewo, hewɔ wo wozu aƒedo abe ale si miele ekpɔm egbea ene.

That's why my furious anger poured out and set fire to the towns of Judah and burned in the streets of Jerusalem, making them the abandoned ruins they still are today.

7 “Azɔ la, ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Mawu, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: Nu ka ta miehe gbegblẽ gã sia va mia ɖokuiwo dzi, be mieɖe ŋutsuwo, nyɔnuwo, ɖeviwo kple vidzĩwo ɖa le Yuda eye miegble ɖeke ɖi na mia ɖokuiwo o?

So this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Why are you hurting yourselves so badly by removing from Judah every man, woman, child, infant, so you don't have anyone left?

8 Nu ka wɔ mietsɔ miaƒe asinudɔwɔwɔwo do dziku nam, eye miedo dzudzɔʋeʋĩ na Egipte mawu tutɔwo, afi si mieva be mianɔ? Miele mia ɖokuiwo dome gblẽ ge, ahawɔe be miazu ɖiŋudonu kple ŋunyɔnu le anyigbadzidukɔwo katã dome.

Why are you making me angry by what you do, burning incense to other gods in Egypt where you have come to live? Because if this you will be destroyed, and will you will become a curse word, an expression of condemnation among all the nations on earth.

9 Ɖe mieŋlɔ nu vɔ̃ɖi si mia fofowo, Yuda fiawo kple fiasrɔ̃wo wɔ kple nu vɔ̃ɖi siwo miawo kple mia srɔ̃wo miewɔ le Yudanyigba dzi kple Yerusalem kpɔdomewo bea?

Have you forgotten the evil of your forefathers and the evil of the kings of Judah and the evil of their wives, as well as your own evil and the evil your wives, all practiced in the country of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

10 Va se ɖe egbe sia womebɔbɔ wo ɖokuiwo, de bubu ŋunye loo, alo wɔ nye sewo kple ɖoɖo siwo metsɔ ɖo mi kple mia fofowo ŋkume la dzi o.

Even up to now you haven't shown any remorse or reverence. You haven't followed my rules and regulations I gave you and your forefathers.

11 “Eya ta ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: Meɖoe kplikpaa be, mahe dzɔgbevɔ̃e va mia dzi, eye matsrɔ̃ Yuda katã.

So this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster and to wipe out everyone from Judah.

12 Makplɔ Yuda ƒe ame mamlɛ siwo ɖoe be yewoayi aɖanɔ Egipte godoo la adzoe. Wo katã woatsrɔ̃ ɖe Egipte; woatsi yi nu loo, alo aku ɖe dɔwuame ƒe asi me. Tso ɖeviwo dzi va se ɖe tsitsiawo dzi la, woatsi yi nu alo aku ɖe dɔwuame ƒe asi me. Woazu ɖiŋudonu, ŋɔdzinu, fiƒodenu kple fewuɖunu.

I'm going to destroy you who are left who decided to go to Egypt to live there. You will die there, killed by the sword or by famine. Whoever you are, from the least to the most important, you're going to die by sword or by famine; and you will become a curse word, something horrible, an insult, an expression of condemnation.

13 Matsɔ yi, dɔwuame kple dɔvɔ̃ ahe toe na ame siwo le Egipte abe ale si mehe toe na Yerusalem nɔlawo ene.

I'm going to punish you who live in Egypt like I punished Jerusalem, by war and famine and disease.

14 Yuda ƒe ame mamlɛ siwo si yi ɖe Egipte la dometɔ aɖeke masi alo atsi agbe be wòatrɔ ayi ɖe Yudanyigba dzi, afi si ŋu woƒe dzi ku ɖo vevie be woaɖanɔ o; ame aɖeke matrɔ agbɔ o, negbe aʋasila aɖewo ko.”

Nobody who is left from Judah who has gone to live in Egypt will escape or survive to return to the country of Judah. You long to go back and live there, but nobody will return except a few stragglers.

15 Tete ŋutsu siwo katã nya be yewo srɔ̃wo le dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ dom na mawu tutɔwo, kpe ɖe nyɔnuawo katã ŋuti, wonye ameha gã aɖe ŋutɔ eye ame siwo katã le Egipte ƒe anyigbe kple dzigbe kpe ɖe wo ŋuti wova gblɔ na Yeremia bena,

All the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, and all the women who were there, a great crowd of people, those living in Egypt and Upper Egypt all told Jeremiah,

16 “Míaɖo to nya si nègblɔ na mí le Yehowa ŋkɔ me la o!

“Even though you say this message is from the Lord, we're not going to listen to you”

17 Ke boŋ míawɔ nu sia nu si míegblɔ be míawɔ, míado dzudzɔʋeʋĩ na Dziƒofianyɔnu, eye míaƒo aha ɖi nɛ abe ale si ko mía fofowo, míaƒe fiawo kple dumegãwo wɔe le Yuda duwo kple Yerusalem kpɔdomewo ene. Le ɣe ma ɣi la, nuɖuɖu geɖe nɔ mía si, agbe hã dze dzi na mí nyuie eye míekpe hiã aɖeke o.

In fact we're going to do everything we said we would. We'll burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and offer drink offerings to worship her as we did before, just like our fathers, our kings, and our officials who did the same things in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Back then we had plenty of food and we were well off and nothing bad happened to us.

18 Gake tso esime míedzudzɔ dzudzɔdodo na Dziƒofianyɔnu la kple ahaƒoƒo ɖe anyi nɛ la, naneke megadzea edzi na mí o, eye míele tsɔtsrɔ̃m ɖe yi kple dɔwuame ƒe asi me boŋ.”

But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to worship her, we've lost everything and have been dying as a result of war and famine.

19 Nyɔnuawo gblɔ kpe ɖe ŋu be, “Esi míedoa dzudzɔ na Dziƒofianyɔnu la eye míeƒoa aha ɖi nɛ la, mía srɔ̃ŋutsuwo menya hã be míemea akpɔnɔ vivi si míewɔ ɖe eƒe nɔnɔme me la heƒoa aha ɖi nɛ oa?”

“On top of that,” the women added, “when we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to worship her, did we do this without our husbands knowing about it, that we baked cakes stamped with her image and poured out drink offerings to worship her?”

20 Tete Yeremia gblɔ na ameawo katã, ŋutsu kple nyɔnu siwo le nya ŋu ɖom nɛ la be,

Jeremiah replied to all the people, both men and women, who were responding to him,

21 “Ɖe Yehowa meɖo ŋku edzi eye wòbu dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ si miawo ŋutɔ, mia fofowo, miaƒe fiawo, miaƒe dumegãwo kple anyigbadzitɔwo dona le Yuda duwo kple Yerusalem kpɔdomewo ŋuti oa?

“About that incense you burned to other gods in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, as well as your fathers, your kings, your officials, and the ordinary people—don't you think the Lord wouldn't remember and think about it?

22 Esi Yehowa magate ŋu atsɔ miaƒe nuwɔna vɔ̃ɖiwo kple miaƒe ŋunyɔnu siwo miewɔ o ta la, miaƒe anyigba zu ɖiŋudonu, aƒedo kple gbegbe eye amewo meganɔ dzi o, abe ale si wòle egbea ene.

The Lord couldn't take it anymore—the evil things you did and your disgusting acts—so your country was turned into an uninhabited wasteland, a place of horror and a curse word to others, as it still is today.

23 Esi miedo dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ, hewɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa ŋu eye mieɖo toe alo wɔ eƒe sewo, ɖoɖowo kple dɔdeasiwo dzi o tae dzɔgbevɔ̃e sia va mia dzi ɖo, abe ale si miele ekpɔm egbea ene.”

As you can see today, the disaster you've experienced happened because you burned incense to other gods and sinned against the Lord, refusing to listen to the Lord or to follow his instructions, his rules, and his regulations.”

24 Emegbe Yeremia gblɔ na ameha la katã kple nyɔnuwo siaa be, “Mi Yudatɔ siwo katã le Egiptenyigba dzi, mise Yehowa ƒe nya.

Then Jeremiah told everyone, including all the women, “Listen to the Lord's message, all you people from Judah living here in Egypt.

25 Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Miawo ŋutɔ kple mia srɔ̃nyɔnuwo, to miaƒe nuwɔnawo me, ɖe ŋugbe si miedo la fia, esi miegblɔ be, míawɔ adzɔgbe si míeɖe be míado dzudzɔ ʋeʋĩ, aƒo aha ɖi na Dziƒofianyɔnu la dzi godoo.’ “Eya ta, miyi edzi, miwɔ ɖe miaƒe ŋugbedodowo dzi! Milé miaƒe adzɔgbeɖeɖewo me ɖe asi!

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You and your wives, you've said what you're going to do, and you've done what you said! You said, ‘We're going to keep our promise to burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink offerings to worship her.’ So go ahead! Do what you've said! Keep your promises!

26 Gake mise Yehowa ƒe nya, mi Yudatɔ siwo katã le Egiptenyigba dzi: ‘Yehowa be, meta nye ŋkɔ gã la be, Yudatɔ siwo kaka ɖe Egiptenyigba dzi ƒe ɖeke magayɔ nye ŋkɔ alo aka atam be, “Meta Aƒetɔ Yehowa ƒe agbe” o,

But even so, listen to what the Lord says, all you people from Judah living here in Egypt: I guarantee by all that I am, says the Lord, that none of you living in the Egypt will ever use my name or swear, ‘As the Lord God lives.’

27 elabena nye ŋku le wo ŋuti hena vɔ̃, menye nyui o. Yudatɔ siwo le Egipte la atsrɔ̃ ɖe yi kple dɔwuame ƒe asi me va se ɖe esime wo katã woavɔ.

I will take care of them in the bad sense, and not in the good sense. All the people from Judah who are in Egypt will die by sword or famine, until they are wiped out.

28 Ame siwo asi le yi nu le Egipte atrɔ ayi Yudanyigba dzi la anɔ ʋɛe ko, ekema Yuda ƒe ame mamlɛawo katã, ame siwo va Egipte nɔ ge la, anya ame si ƒe nya le eteƒe, tɔnye loo, alo wo tɔ.’

Those who manage to avoid being killed by the sword will go back to Judah from Egypt. But there will only be a few of them, and then all who were left from Judah and went to live in Egypt will know who's telling the truth—me or them!

29 “Yehowa be, ‘Esia anye dzesi na mi be mele to he ge na mi le teƒe sia, ale be mianya be nye atam si meka be mawɔ vɔ̃ mi la anɔ edzi godoo.’

This is your sign to prove that I'm going to punish you here, declares the Lord, so that you'll know for certain that my threats against you will really happen.

30 Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: ‘Matsɔ Farao Hofra, Egipte fia ade asi na eƒe futɔ siwo le eƒe agbe yome tim, abe ale si metsɔ Yuda fia Zedekia de asi na Babilonia fia Nebukadnezar si nye eƒe futɔ si le eƒe agbe yome tim la ene.’”

This is what the Lord says: Look! I'm going to hand over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to his enemies who are trying to kill him, in the same way that I handed over Zedekiah king of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who was trying to kill him.”