Yeremia 10
1 Muntie nea Awurade ka kyerɛ mo, Israelfi.
Listen to the message the Lord is sending to you, people of Israel.
2 Sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Munnsua amanaman no akwan anaa momma wim nsɛnkyerɛnne mmɔ mo hu, ɛwɔ mu sɛ wɔbɔ amanaman no hu.
This is what the Lord says: Don't adopt the practices of other nations. Don't be terrified as they are by signs in the heavens that they interpret as predicting disaster.
3 Na nkurɔfo no amanne nka hwee; wotwa dua fi kwae mu, na odwumfo de ne fitii asen.
The religious beliefs of the peoples are pointless. They chop down a tree in the forest and a craftsman carves the wood with a tool to make an idol.
4 Wɔde dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ hyehyɛ no; wɔde nnadewa ne asae bobɔ si hɔ sɛnea ɛrenhwe fam.
They decorate it with silver and gold, and nail it down with a hammer so it won't fall over.
5 Ɛte sɛ kaakaabotoni a esi ɛfere mfikyifuw mu, wɔn ahoni no ntumi nkasa; ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsoa wɔn efisɛ wontumi nnantew. Munnsuro wɔn; wɔrentumi nhaw mo na wɔrentumi nyɛ ade pa biara nso.”
Just like a scarecrow in a field of cucumbers, their idols can't speak. They have to be carried around because they can't walk. You don't have to be afraid of them because they can't hurt you—and they can't do you any good either.
6 Obiara nte sɛ wo, Awurade; woyɛ ɔkɛse na wo din so wɔ tumi mu.
There's no one like you, Lord! You are so great! You are incredibly powerful!
7 Hena na ɛnsɛ sɛ odi wo ni, Amansanhene? Eyi na ɛfata wo. Amanaman no so anyansafo nyinaa mu ne wɔn ahenni nyinaa mu, obiara ne wo nsɛ.
Everyone should respect you, King of the nations. This is how you should be treated. There's no one like you among all the wise men of every nation and kingdom.
8 Wɔn nyinaa yɛ adwenharefo ne nkwaseafo; dua ahoni a so nni mfaso na ɛma wɔn nkyerɛkyerɛ.
Yet these “wise men” are completely foolish and stupid, because they think they can be taught by useless idols made of wood!
9 Wɔde dwetɛ a wɔaboro fi Tarsis ba, ne sikakɔkɔɔ nso fi Ufas ba. Ɛyɛ nea odwumfo ne sika dwumfo ayɛ a wɔde ntama bibiri ne beredum afura no, ne nyinaa yɛ adwumfo anyansafo nsa ano nnwuma.
Sheets of hammered silver are shipped in from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, to be used by craftsmen and metalworkers. These idols are dressed in clothes of blue and purple made by experts.
10 Nanso Awurade ne nokware Onyankopɔn no; ɔno ne Onyankopɔn teasefo, daapem Hene no. Sɛ ne bo fuw a asase wosow; na amanaman no ntumi nnyina nʼabufuwhyew ano.
But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and eternal King. The earth shakes when he is angry; the nations can't withstand his fury.
11 “Ka eyi kyerɛ wɔn: ‘Saa anyame a ɛnyɛ wɔn na wɔyɛɛ ɔsoro ne asase no bɛyera afi asase so ne ɔsorosoro ase.’”
This is what you are to tell the nations: “These gods, who didn't make either the heavens or the earth, will be wiped out from this earth and from under these heavens.”
12 Nanso Onyankopɔn de ne tumi bɔɔ asase; ɔtoo wiase fapem wɔ ne nyansa mu, na ɔde ne nhumu trɛw ɔsorosoro mu.
It was God who made the earth by his power. He created the world by his wisdom and by his understanding he put the heavens in place.
13 Sɛ ɔpaapae aprannaa a ɔsorosoro nsu bobɔ mu; ɔma omununkum ma ne ho so fi nsase ano. Ɔde anyinam ka osu ho ba, na ogyaa mframa mu fi nʼadekoradan mu.
The waters of the heavens rain down with a roar at his command. He makes the clouds to rise all over the earth. He makes lightning to accompany rain, and sends the wind from his storehouses.
14 Onipa biara nnim nyansa, na onni nimdeɛ; sikadwumfo biara anim gu ase, esiane nʼahoni nti. Ne nsɛsode yɛ atoro; wonni ɔhome biara wɔ wɔn mu.
Everyone is stupid; they don't know anything. Every metalworker is embarrassed by the idols they make. For their images made of molten metal are fraudulent—they're not alive!
15 Wɔn so nni mfaso, wɔn ho yɛ serew; sɛ wɔn atemmu du so a, wɔbɛyera.
They are useless, an object to be laughed at. They will be destroyed at the time of their punishment.
16 Nea ɔyɛ Yakob Kyɛfa no nte sɛ eyinom, efisɛ ɔno ne ade nyinaa Yɛfo a Israel, abusua a ɛyɛ nʼagyapade nso ka ho, Asafo Awurade ne ne din.
The God of Jacob is not like these idols, for he is the Creator of everything, and Israel is the tribe that belongs to him. The Lord Almighty is his name.
17 Mommoaboa mo ahode ano mfi asase no so, mo a motete nkurow a wɔatua wɔn ano mu.
You people living in Jerusalem under siege, get all your things together ready to leave,
18 Na sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Saa bere yi mɛtow wɔn a wɔtete asase yi so agu; mede amanehunu bɛba wɔn so sɛnea wɔbɛfa wɔn nnommum.”
because this is what the Lord says: Look! Right now I'm about to throw out the people living in this country, bringing them trouble they will really feel.
19 Me pira yi nti minnue, mʼapirakuru yɛ akisikuru! Nanso mehyɛɛ me ho den sɛ, “Eyi ne me yare, na ɛsɛ sɛ mimia mʼani.”
The people of Jerusalem responded, “We're suffering terribly because we've been badly hurt—our injuries are really serious. We thought it wouldn't be that bad and that we could bear it.
20 Wɔasɛe me ntamadan; wɔatwitwa nʼahama nyinaa mu. Wɔafa me mma nyinaa kɔ a merenhu wɔn bio; anka obiara a obesi me ntamadan anaa obesiesie me suhyɛ.
Our tents have been destroyed; all our ropes have been broken. Our children have been taken from us and are no more. We don't have anyone left to put up our tents or hang our curtains.”
21 Nguanhwɛfo no yɛ adwenharefo wommisa Awurade akyi kwan; ɛno nti wɔnkɔ so na wɔn nguankuw no abɔ ahwete.
The “shepherds” have become stupid—they don't ask the Lord for advice. That's why they have failed, and all their flock has been scattered.
22 Muntie! Amanneɛ no reba, basabasayɛ kɛse a efi atifi fam asase bi so! Ɛbɛma Yuda nkurow ada mpan, na ayɛ sakraman atu.
Listen to the news that an noisy army is invading from a country to the north. The towns of Judah will be knocked down, they will be places where only jackals live.
23 Awurade, minim sɛ, onipa nkwa nyɛ ne de; na ɛnyɛ onipa na ɔkyerɛkyerɛ nʼanammɔntu.
I realize, Lord, that people don't control their own lives—no one really knows how to choose their way.
24 Teɛ me so, Awurade, wɔ trenee mu, mfi wʼabufuw mu nyɛ; anyɛ saa a wobɛdwerɛw me.
Please discipline me fairly, Lord—not while you're angry, otherwise you'll kill me!
25 Hwie wʼabufuwhyew no gu amanaman a wonnye wo nto mu no so, nnipa a wɔmmɔ wo din no so. Efisɛ, wɔasɛe Yakob wɔasɛe no koraa na wɔasɛe nʼasase a wɔwoo no too so no.
Pour out your fury on the nations that don't recognize you as God, and on their families that don't worship you. For they have completely destroyed the Israelites, wiping us out. They have devastated our country.
