Amos 5
1 Tie asɛm yi, mo Israelfo, saa adwotwa yi fa mo ho:
Listen to the words of the funeral song I am singing for you, Israel:
2 “Ɔbabun Israel ahwe ase a ɔrensɔre bio, wɔapo no wɔ nʼankasa asase so, na onni obi a ɔbɛma no so.”
Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin Israel! Hurled down upon her own soil she lies, with no one to lift her up!
3 Nea Otumfo Awurade se ni: “Kuropɔn a ɔde mmarima ahoɔdenfo apem ko ma Israel no, mu ɔha pɛ na wɔbɛka; Kurow a ɔde ahoɔdenfo ɔha no, mu du pɛ na wɔbɛka.”
For the Lord God says this: The city that marches out with a thousand soldiers has only a hundred left, and the one that marches out with a hundred has only ten left.
4 Nea Awurade ka kyerɛ Israelfo ni: “Monhwehwɛ me na munnya nkwa;
For the Lord says this to Israel: Seek me and live,
5 Monnhwehwɛ Bet-El, monnkɔ Gilgal, na munntu kwan nkɔ Beer-Seba nso. Ampa ara Gilgal bɛkɔ nnommum mu na wɔbɛhwe Bet-El ase koraa.”
But do not seek Bethel, do not enter Gilgal, do not go over to Beer-sheba. For Gilgal will enter exile, and Bethel will go to destruction.
6 Monhwehwɛ Awurade na munnya nkwa, anyɛ saa a ɔbɛpra Yosef fi te sɛ ogya; ɛbɛhyew, na Bet-El rennya obi anum no.
Seek the Lord and live, or he will cast fire on the house of Joseph, and it will devour and there will be no one to quench it for Bethel.
7 Mo a moma atemmu yɛ nwen na mototo trenee ase.
You who turn judgment to bitter wormwood, and cast righteousness into the dirt:
8 Nea ɔbɔɔ nsoromma, Akokɔbeatan ne ne mma, nea ɔdan sum yɛ no adekyee na ɔma awia dan adesae. Nea ɔboaboa po mu nsu ano na ohwie gu asase so, ne din ne Awurade.
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns deep darkness into dawn, who darkens day again into night, who summons the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the earth’s surface, the Lord is his name!
9 Ɔsɛe abandennen ntɛm so na obubu kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban nso,
He causes destruction to burst over the strong. He brings devastation on the fortress.
10 motan nea ɔteɛteɛ wɔ asennii na mubu nea ɔka nokware animtiaa.
You who hate the arbiters at the city gate, and abhor anyone who speaks the truth:
11 Mutiatia ohiani so na mohyɛ no gye aduan fi ne nkyɛn. Enti ɛwɔ mu sɛ mode abo a wɔatwa asisi afi akɛse de, nanso morentena mu; ɛwɔ mu sɛ moayɛ bobe nturo a ɛyɛ fɛ de nanso morennom mu nsa.
Because you trample on the weak, and tax their grain, although you have built houses of hewn stone, you will not live in them, although you have planted charming vineyards, you will not drink their wine.
12 Na minim mo mmarato dodow ne mo bɔne akɛse no. Mohyɛ atreneefo so na mugye adanmude mubu ahiafo ntɛnkyew wɔ asennii.
For I know how many are your crimes, and how great are your sins! You persecutors of the righteous, takers of bribes! You deny the poor their justice at the city gate.
13 Ɛno nti, onyansafo yɛ komm saa mmere yi mu, efisɛ ɛyɛ mmere bɔne.
It would be wise to keep quiet in such an evil time.
14 Monhwehwɛ papa, na moanya nkwa na ɛnyɛ bɔne. Na Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn bɛka wo ho, sɛnea moka sɛ ɔyɛ no.
Seek good and not evil, that you may live, so the Lord, God of hosts, may be with you, as you have claimed he is.
15 Munkyi bɔne, na monnɔ papa; Mummu atɛntrenee wɔ asennii. Ebia, Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn benya ahummɔbɔ ama Yosef nkae no.
Hate evil and love good, establish justice at the city gate. Perhaps the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to a surviving remnant of Joseph.
16 Enti nea Awurade, Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn se ni: “Adwotwa bɛba mmorɔn nyinaa so na ɔyaw ne apinisi bɛba mmɔnten so. Wɔbɛfrɛ akuafo ama wɔabesu na agyamfo abetwa adwo.
Therefore the Lord, the God of hosts, says: In all the public squares there will be wailing, in every street the sound of mourning. They will summon the farmers to mourning, and professional mourners to wailing.
17 Wobetwa adwo wɔ bobeturo nyinaa mu, efisɛ mɛnantew mo mu,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
In all vineyards there will be lamenting, when I pass through your midst, says the Lord.
18 Nnome nka wɔn a wɔpɛ sɛ Awurade da no ba! Dɛn nti na mopɛ sɛ Awurade da no ba? Saa da no bɛyɛ sum, na ɛnyɛ hann.
Fools who long for the day of the Lord! What does the day of the Lord mean to you? It is darkness, and not light.
19 Ɛbɛyɛ te sɛ onipa a oguan fi gyata anim na okohyia sisi, sɛnea owura ne fi de ne nsa to ɔfasu so, na ɔwɔ ka no.
It is as when one flees from a lion, and is attacked by a bear, as when one reaches home, leans his hand on the wall, and a snake bites him.
20 Na Awurade da no bɛyɛ sum; ɛrenyɛ hann, ɛbɛyɛ sum kabii a hann nsinsan biara nni mu.
Won’t the Lord’s day be darkness and not light, murky darkness without a ray of light in it?
21 “Mikyi na mepo mo nyamesom mu aponto; mʼani nnye mo afahyɛ nhyiamu ho.
I hate, I despise your feasts, I will not smell the savour of your festivals,
22 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ mode ɔhyew afɔre ne aduan afɔre brɛ me de, nanso merennye. Mode asomdwoe afɔre brɛ me nanso mʼani rensɔ.
I will not be pleased with your burnt offerings, your grain offerings, I will not accept the peace offerings of your fattened calves.
23 Momfa mo nnwonto gyegyeegye no mfi me so! Merentie mo asankuten so nnwom.
Spare me the noise of your songs, I will not listen to the melody of your lyres.
24 Mmom, momma atɛntrenee nteɛ sɛ asubɔnten, na trenee nyɛ sɛ asuten a ɛrenyow da!
But let justice roll on as a flood of waters, and righteousness like an unfailing stream.
25 “Israelfo, ɛnyɛ me na mode afɔrebɔde ne ayɛyɛde brɛɛ me mfe aduanan wɔ sare so ana?
Was it only sacrifices and grain offerings you brought me during the forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
26 Mode mo ho nyinaa ato Molok nyame, ne mo honi Rɛfan so; wɔyɛ ahoni a moayɛ sɛ mobɛsom wɔn.
But now you will lift up your “king” Sikkuth and “star god” Kiyyun, your idols which you have made for yourselves,
27 Ɛno nti, metwa mo asu akɔ Damasko nohɔ,” sɛnea Awurade a ne din ne Asafo Onyankopɔn se ni.
as I drive you into exile beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.
