Amos 5

1 Tie asɛm yi, mo Israelfo, saa adwotwa yi fa mo ho:

Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel:

2 “Ɔbabun Israel ahwe ase a ɔrensɔre bio, wɔapo no wɔ nʼankasa asase so, na onni obi a ɔbɛma no so.”

“The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise 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: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”

4 Nea Awurade ka kyerɛ Israelfo ni: “Monhwehwɛ me na munnya nkwa;

For the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will 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 don’t seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and don’t pass to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

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 you will live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

7 Mo a moma atemmu yɛ nwen na mototo trenee ase.

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!

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.

Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,

9 Ɔsɛe abandennen ntɛm so na obubu kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban nso,

who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.

10 motan nea ɔteɛteɛ wɔ asennii na mubu nea ɔka nokware animtiaa.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

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.

Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take taxes from him of wheat, you have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall 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 offences, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

13 Ɛno nti, onyansafo yɛ komm saa mmere yi mu, efisɛ ɛyɛ mmere bɔne.

Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is 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; and so the LORD, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.

15 Munkyi bɔne, na monnɔ papa; Mummu atɛntrenee wɔ asennii. Ebia, Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn benya ahummɔbɔ ama Yosef nkae no.

Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that the LORD, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the 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 Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways. They will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skilful in lamentation to wailing.

17 Wobetwa adwo wɔ bobeturo nyinaa mu, efisɛ mɛnantew mo mu,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.

In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through the middle of you,” 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.

“Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? 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.

As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.

20 Na Awurade da no bɛyɛ sum; ɛrenyɛ hann, ɛbɛyɛ sum kabii a hann nsinsan biara nni mu.

Won’t the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

21 “Mikyi na mepo mo nyamesom mu aponto; mʼani nnye mo afahyɛ nhyiamu ho.

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can’t stand your solemn assemblies.

22 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ mode ɔhyew afɔre ne aduan afɔre brɛ me de, nanso merennye. Mode asomdwoe afɔre brɛ me nanso mʼani rensɔ.

Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.

23 Momfa mo nnwonto gyegyeegye no mfi me so! Merentie mo asankuten so nnwom.

Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 Mmom, momma atɛntrenee nteɛ sɛ asubɔnten, na trenee nyɛ sɛ asuten a ɛrenyow da!

But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

25 “Israelfo, ɛnyɛ me na mode afɔrebɔde ne ayɛyɛde brɛɛ me mfe aduanan wɔ sare so ana?

“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?

26 Mode mo ho nyinaa ato Molok nyame, ne mo honi Rɛfan so; wɔyɛ ahoni a moayɛ sɛ mobɛsom wɔn.

You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

27 Ɛno nti, metwa mo asu akɔ Damasko nohɔ,” sɛnea Awurade a ne din ne Asafo Onyankopɔn se ni.

Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of Armies.