< Amos 7 >
1 Nea Otumfo Awurade yi kyerɛɛ me ni: na ɔreboaboa mmoadabi bebree ano. Eyi yɛ bere a wɔatwa ɔhene kyɛfa afi mfuw no so na akyiri nnɔbae no renyin no.
This is what the Lord God showed me. I saw that he was preparing a swarm of locusts just when the spring crops began to grow. (Spring crops begin to grow right after the time when the king's hay is cut.)
2 Bere a mmoadabi no awe asase no so nnɔbae nyinaa no, meteɛɛ mu se “Otumfo Awurade, mesrɛ wo, fa wo nkurɔfo bɔne kyɛ wɔn! Yakob bɛyɛ dɛn agyina? Ɔyɛ ɔman ketewa bi.”
And so when the locusts finished eating every green plant in the fields, I pleaded with the Lord God, “Please forgive your people! How can the descendants of Jacob survive? They are so weak.”
3 Ɛno nti, Awurade bo dwoe. Na ogyaee nʼatirimpɔw no. Ɔkae se, “Merenyɛ.”
So the Lord changed his mind. “It won't happen,” said the Lord.
4 Nea Otumfo Awurade yi kyerɛɛ me ni: Otumfo Awurade de ogya rebebu atɛn; ɛyow bun kɛse no, na ɛsɛee asase no.
This is what the Lord God showed me. I saw that the Lord God was calling for a judgment of fire. The fire burned up the depths of the sea and destroyed the farmland.
5 Na meteɛɛ mu se, “Otumfo Awurade, mesrɛ wo, gyae! Yakob rentumi nnyina! Ɔyɛ ɔman ketewa bi.”
I pleaded with the Lord God, “Please stop! How can the descendants of Jacob survive? They are so weak.”
6 Ɛno nti, Awurade bo dwoe na ɔkae se, “Megyae mʼatirimpɔw yi nso.”
So the Lord changed his mind. “This too won't happen,” said the Lord.
7 Eyi ne nea oyi kyerɛɛ me: Na Awurade gyina ɔfasu a wɔato no kirebenn no ho, a okita kirebennyɛ susudua no.
This is what he showed me. I saw the Lord was standing beside a wall that had been built with a plumb line. He was holding a plumb line in his hand.
8 Na Awurade bisaa me se, “Amos, dɛn na wuhu?” Mibuae se, “Kirebennyɛ susudua.” Na Awurade kae se, “Mede kirebennyɛ susudua yi reto me nkurɔfo Israelfo ho; meremfa wɔn ho nkyɛ wɔn bio.
And the Lord asked me, “Amos, what do you see?” I replied, “A plumb line.” And the Lord God said, “I am placing a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel. I won't ignore their sins anymore.
9 “Wɔbɛsɛe Isak sorɔnsorɔmmea na Israel kronkron tenabea nso wobebubu no; mede mʼafoa bɛsɔre atia Yeroboamfi.”
The high places of the descendents of Isaac will be torn down, and the holy places of Israel will be destroyed. Sword in hand, I will rise up against the house of Jeroboam.”
10 Amasia a ɔyɛ Bet-El sɔfo de nkra kɔmaa Israelhene Yeroboam se, “Amos rebɔ pɔw atia wo wɔ Israel ha yi ara! Nsɛm a ɔreka no nyɛ abodwosɛm.
Then Amaziah, priest of Bethel, sent a message to Jeroboam, king of Israel, saying, “Amos is plotting against you among the people of Israel. What he's saying is unbearable!
11 Nea Amos reka ni: “‘Yeroboam bewu wɔ afoa ano, na ɔkwan biara so Israel bɛkɔ nnommum mu, wɔ akyirikyiri asase so.’”
For he's saying Jeroboam will be killed by the sword, and the people will be taken away from their land into exile.”
12 Na Amasia ka kyerɛɛ Amos se, “Fi ha kɔ, wo ɔdehufo! San kɔ Yuda asase so na kɔtena hɔ hyɛ wo nkɔm.
Amaziah said to Amos, “Go away prophet! Run away to the land of Judah. Go and prophesy there to earn your bread.
13 Nhyɛ nkɔm bio wɔ Bet-El ha, efisɛ ha yɛ ɔhene tenabea kronkron ne ahemman no asɔredan.”
But don't ever prophesy again at Bethel, for this is where the king worships, the national Temple.”
14 Amos buaa Amasia se, “Mennyɛ odiyifo anaa odiyifo bi ba, na na meyɛ oguanhwɛfo a na mehwɛ borɔdɔma nnua nso so.
But Amos replied, “I'm not a trained prophet, or the son of a prophet. I was just a shepherd, and also took care of fig trees.
15 Nanso Awurade frɛɛ me fii nguan sohwɛ so, ka kyerɛɛ me se, ‘Kɔhyɛ nkɔm kyerɛ me nkurɔfo Israelfo.’
The Lord took me from following my flock, and the Lord told me, ‘Go, and give my message to my people of Israel.’”
16 Na afei, tie Awurade asɛm. Woka se, “‘Nhyɛ nkɔm ntia Israelfo, na gyae asɛnka a wode tia Isakfifo no.’
So now hear what the Lord is telling you: You say, “Don't prophesy against Israel, and don't preach against the descendants of Isaac.”
17 “Enti asɛm a Awurade ka ni: “‘Wo yere bɛbɔ aguaman wɔ kuropɔn yi mu, wo mmabarima ne wo mmabea bewuwu wɔ afoa ano. Wobesusuw wʼasase na wakyekyɛ mu, na wʼankasa nso, wubewu wɔ abosonsomman mu, na ɔkwan biara so Israel bɛkɔ nnommum mu, wɔ akyirikyiri asase so.’”
But this is what the Lord says: Your wife will become a prostitute in the city; your sons and daughters will be killed by the sword. Your land will be measured and divided up, and you yourself will die in a foreign land. The people of Israel will definitely be taken from the land and go into exile.