Yeremia 1
1 Nsɛm a efi Yeremia nkyɛn ni. Yeremia yɛ Hilkia babarima a na ɔyɛ Anatot asɔfo no mu baako wɔ Benyamin asase so.
[I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
2 Awurade asɛm baa ne nkyɛn wɔ Yosia a ɔyɛ Yuda hene Amon babarima adedi afe a ɛto so dumiɛnsa no mu.
Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
3 Ɛtoaa so wɔ Yuda hene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim bere so, kosii Yuda hene Yosia babarima Sedekia bere so a nnipa a wɔte Yerusalem kɔɔ nkoasom mu wɔ adedi no afe a ɛto so dubaako no ɔsram a ɛto so anum no mu.
Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
4 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 “Ansa na mereyɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu no na minim wo; ansa na wɔrebɛwo wo no, miyii wo sii nkyɛn; meyɛɛ wo odiyifo maa aman no.”
“I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
6 Mekae se, “Aa, Otumfo Awurade minnim kasa; meyɛ abofra.”
I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
7 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Nka se ‘meyɛ abofra.’ Ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ obiara a mɛsoma wo no nkyɛn na woka asɛm biara a mɛhyɛ wo sɛ ka no.
Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
8 Nsuro wɔn, efisɛ meka wo ho, na magye wo,” nea Awurade se ni.
And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
9 Na Awurade teɛɛ ne nsa de kaa mʼano na ɔka kyerɛɛ me se, “Mprempren mede me nsɛm ahyɛ wʼanom.
Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
10 Hwɛ, nnɛ, mede wo asi aman ne ahenni so sɛ, tutu na dwiriw gu, sɛe na tu gu, kyekyere na dua.”
Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
11 Na Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se, “Dɛn na wuhu yi, Yeremia?” Na mibuae se, “Mihu ɔsonkoran dubaa.”
Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
12 Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Wahu no yiye, na merehwɛ anim sɛ mʼasɛm bɛba mu.”
Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
13 Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio se, “Dɛn na wuhu yi?” Mibuae se, “Mihu kuku a ɛrehuru sɛ ano rekyea akyerɛ yɛn fi atifi fam.”
[Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
14 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Wobefi atifi fam de amanehunu aba wɔn a wɔte asase no so nyinaa so.
Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
15 Merebɛfrɛ atifi ahenni mu nnipa nyinaa,” nea Awurade se ni. “Wɔn ahemfo de wɔn ahengua bɛba abesisi Yerusalem kuropɔn apon ano; wɔbɛtow ahyɛ nʼafasu a atwa ahyia ne Yuda nkurow nyinaa so.
Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
16 Mebu me nkurɔfo atɛn wɔ wɔn amumɔyɛ sɛ wɔagyaw me, sɛ wɔhyew nnuhuam ma anyame afoforo na wɔkotow sɔre nea wɔde wɔn nsa ayɛ.
I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
17 “Siesie wo ho! Sɔre na ka nea mɛka akyerɛ wo biara kyerɛ wɔn. Mma wɔmmmɔ wo hu, anyɛ saa a mɛma woabɔ hu wɔ wɔn anim.
So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
18 Nnɛ, mayɛ wo kuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ, dadedum ne kɔbere fasu sɛ wobɛsɔre atia asase no nyinaa, Yuda ahemfo, nʼadwumayɛfo, asɔfo ne nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so.
But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
19 Wɔbɛko atia wo, nanso wɔrentumi nni wo so nkonim, efisɛ meka wo ho na megye wo,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
