Amos 5
1 Tie asɛm yi, mo Israelfo, saa adwotwa yi fa mo ho:
You people [MTY] of Israel, listen to this funeral song that I will sing about you:
2 “Ɔbabun Israel ahwe ase a ɔrensɔre bio, wɔapo no wɔ nʼankasa asase so, na onni obi a ɔbɛma no so.”
“You are like [MET] a young woman, but in spite of that, you will certainly be struck down and you will never get up again! You will lie on the ground, abandoned, and there will be no one to help you stand 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.”
This is what Yahweh the Lord says to the people [MTY] of Israel: [“When your enemies attack you, ] and when 1,000 [of your soldiers] will go [to a battle], there will be only 100 who will survive. When 100 soldiers march out [from a city to fight], there will be only ten who will remain alive.”
4 Nea Awurade ka kyerɛ Israelfo ni: “Monhwehwɛ me na munnya nkwa;
Yahweh continues to say to the people [MTY] of Israel: “You Israeli people, return to me! If you do that, you will continue to remain alive.
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.”
Do not go to Bethel to seek [my help]; do not go to Gilgal [to worship]; do not [even] go to Beersheba, because [your enemies] will drag away [the people of] Gilgal to other countries, and Bethel will be completely destroyed.”
6 Monhwehwɛ Awurade na munnya nkwa, anyɛ saa a ɔbɛpra Yosef fi te sɛ ogya; ɛbɛhyew, na Bet-El rennya obi anum no.
So, come to Yahweh; if you do that, you will remain alive. If you do not do that, Yahweh will descend on you descendants [MTY] of Joseph like [SIM] a fire; that fire will burn everything in Bethel, and (nothing/no one) will be able to save that town.
7 Mo a moma atemmu yɛ nwen na mototo trenee ase.
You people distort what is fair/right and cause [people to think that] it is something that is very bitter; you treat good things as though they are evil.
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.
[Do you know who] created all the groups of stars and put them in their places? [Each morning] he causes the darkness to become the dawn, and [each evening] he causes the daylight to become darkness. He scoops up water from the oceans [to become clouds], and then he dumps the water [from the clouds] onto the earth. The one who does those things is named Yahweh.
9 Ɔsɛe abandennen ntɛm so na obubu kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban nso,
He causes strong [soldiers] to be killed, and causes the (high walls around/fortresses of) cities to be torn down.
10 motan nea ɔteɛteɛ wɔ asennii na mubu nea ɔka nokware animtiaa.
[He is the one who will punish you] because you hate those who challenge anyone who tries to make unjust decisions, and you hate those who tell the truth in your courts.
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.
You oppress poor people and force them to pay big taxes. You have built big stone mansions [for yourselves], but you will not be able to live in them. You have planted vineyards, but there will not be any [grapes for you to harvest to make] wine.
12 Na minim mo mmarato dodow ne mo bɔne akɛse no. Mohyɛ atreneefo so na mugye adanmude mubu ahiafo ntɛnkyew wɔ asennii.
I know all of your sins and the terrible crimes that you have committed. You oppress righteous/honest people, and you accept bribes. You do not allow judges to treat poor people justly.
13 Ɛno nti, onyansafo yɛ komm saa mmere yi mu, efisɛ ɛyɛ mmere bɔne.
This is a time when [many people do] evil things, so people who have good sense say nothing [when they hear about such things being done].
14 Monhwehwɛ papa, na moanya nkwa na ɛnyɛ bɔne. Na Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn bɛka wo ho, sɛnea moka sɛ ɔyɛ no.
In order to remain alive, you must stop doing what is wrong, and start doing what is right. If you do that, the Commander of the armies of angels will be with you like you claim [that he always is].
15 Munkyi bɔne, na monnɔ papa; Mummu atɛntrenee wɔ asennii. Ebia, Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn benya ahummɔbɔ ama Yosef nkae no.
Love what is good, and hate what is evil! Try to cause [judges] in your courts to make decisions that are right/fair! If you do those things, perhaps the Commander of the armies of angels will act mercifully toward [you descendants of] Joseph who are still alive.
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.
“Because I, Yahweh, [will punish you for your sins], this is what I have solemnly declared: People will be wailing loudly in every street, and people will be very sorrowful in every plaza. Farmers will be summoned to [come and] weep, along with the other official mourners who will wail [for those who have died].
17 Wobetwa adwo wɔ bobeturo nyinaa mu, efisɛ mɛnantew mo mu,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
People will be wailing in your vineyards, because I will punish you [IDM] severely. [That will surely happen because] I, Yahweh, have said it!”
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.
Terrible things will happen to you who desire that it will soon be the day when Yahweh [will punish your enemies], because that will be a day of darkness, not of 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.
[At that time, ] when you try to run from a lion, you will face a bear. When you run into your house [to be safe], and you put your hand on a wall, it will be bitten by a snake.
20 Na Awurade da no bɛyɛ sum; ɛrenyɛ hann, ɛbɛyɛ sum kabii a hann nsinsan biara nni mu.
That day, [when he punishes people], will certainly be [RHQ] a very dark day [MET], without even a little bit of light.
21 “Mikyi na mepo mo nyamesom mu aponto; mʼani nnye mo afahyɛ nhyiamu ho.
[Yahweh says], “I hate your religious celebrations and the times when you gather to worship me; I detest them [DOU].
22 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ mode ɔhyew afɔre ne aduan afɔre brɛ me de, nanso merennye. Mode asomdwoe afɔre brɛ me nanso mʼani rensɔ.
Even if you bring me offerings that will be completely burned [on the altar] and offerings of grain, I will no longer accept them. Even if you bring me offerings to renew/maintain fellowship with me, I will not pay any attention to them.
23 Momfa mo nnwonto gyegyeegye no mfi me so! Merentie mo asankuten so nnwom.
So, stop singing noisy/loud songs! I will not listen when you play harps.
24 Mmom, momma atɛntrenee nteɛ sɛ asubɔnten, na trenee nyɛ sɛ asuten a ɛrenyow da!
Instead, your continually acting justly/fairly and righteously should be [never stop, ] like [SIM] [the water in] a river that never stops flowing.
25 “Israelfo, ɛnyɛ me na mode afɔrebɔde ne ayɛyɛde brɛɛ me mfe aduanan wɔ sare so ana?
You Israeli people [MTY], your [ancestors] wandered through the desert for 40 years; and during that time, they never brought any sacrifices and offerings to me!
26 Mode mo ho nyinaa ato Molok nyame, ne mo honi Rɛfan so; wɔyɛ ahoni a moayɛ sɛ mobɛsom wɔn.
But they carried the two idols that they had made— the idols of Succoth, the god [that they considered to be] their king, and Kaiwan, [the image of the] star [that they worshiped].
27 Ɛno nti, metwa mo asu akɔ Damasko nohɔ,” sɛnea Awurade a ne din ne Asafo Onyankopɔn se ni.
Therefore, now I will force you to go to [a country that is] far beyond Damascus! [That will surely happen because] I, the Commander of the armies of angels, have said it!”
