Yeremia 16
1 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
A message from the Lord that came to me, saying,
2 “Ɛnsɛ sɛ woware na wowo mmabarima anaa mmabea wɔ ha.”
Don't marry or have children here.
3 Sɛɛ na Awurade ka fa mmabarima ne mmabea a wɔwo wɔn asase yi so; mmea a wɔyɛ wɔn nanom ne mmarima a wɔyɛ wɔn agyanom no ho:
This is what the Lord says about children born here, and about their mothers and fathers—their parents here in this country:
4 “Owuyare bekunkum wɔn. Wɔrensu wɔn na wɔrensie wɔn, mmom wɔbɛyɛ sɛ sumina a egugu fam. Wɔbɛtotɔ afoa ano na ɔkɔm bekunkum wɔn na wɔn afunu bɛyɛ aduan ama wim nnomaa ne asase so mmoa.”
They will die from fatal diseases. No one will mourn for them. Their bodies won't be buried, but will lie on the ground like manure. They will be destroyed by war and famine, and their bodies will be food for birds of prey and wild animals.
5 “Nhyɛn ofi a ayiyɛ aponto wo mu; nkosu wɔn abia, na mma wɔn hyɛden, efisɛ mayi me nhyira, me dɔ ne mʼahummɔbɔ afi saa nnipa yi so,” Awurade na ose.
This is what the Lord says: Don't enter a home where people are having a funeral meal. Don't visit them to mourn or to offer condolences, for I have taken away my peace, my trustworthy love, and my mercy from these people, declares the Lord.
6 Atitiriw ne mpapahwekwa bewuwu wɔ asase yi so. Wɔrensie wɔn na wɔrensu wɔn na obiara remmɔ ne ho kam, na ɔrenyi ne ti wɔ wɔn nti.
Everyone, from the most important to the least, will die in this country. They will not be buried or mourned; there will be no rites for the dead such as cutting oneself or shaving of heads.
7 Obiara remma wɔn a wodi awufo no ho awerɛhow no aduan mfa nkyekye wɔn werɛ, owufo no agya anaa ne na mpo, obiara remma wɔn nsa mfa nkyekye wɔn werɛ.
No funeral receptions will be held to comfort those who mourn—not even a comforting drink is to be offered at the loss of a father or mother.
8 “Na nhyɛn ofi a aponto kɔ so wɔ mu nkɔtena ase, nnidi na nnom.
Don't go into a house where people are celebrating and sit down with them to eat and drink.
9 Na sɛɛ na Awurade Tumfo, Israel Nyankopɔn no se: Wo nkwanna mu a wʼani tua no, mede ahosɛpɛw ne anigye nnyigyei, ayeforokunu ne ayeforo ahosɛpɛw nne a ɛwɔ ha no bɛba awiei.
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am going to put a stop right here, while you watch, to any sounds of celebration and joy, the happy voices of the groom and bride.
10 “Sɛ woka eyinom nyinaa kyerɛ saa nnipa yi na wobisa wo se, ‘Adɛn nti na Awurade abɔ atoyerɛnkyɛm a ɛyɛ hu sɛɛ atia yɛn? Dɛn mfomso na yɛayɛ? Bɔne bɛn na yɛayɛ atia Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn’ a,
When you explain all this to them they'll ask you, “Why has the Lord ordered that such a terrible disaster should happen to us? What did we do wrong? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?”
11 ɛno de ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Efisɛ mo agyanom gyaw me hɔ kodii anyame foforo akyi, kɔsom wɔn sɔree wɔn, Awurade asɛm ni. Wogyaw me na wɔanni me mmara so.
Answer them: It's because your forefathers deserted me, declares the Lord. They went and followed other gods, serving them and worshiping them. They abandoned me and didn't keep my laws.
12 Na mo de, moayɛ amumɔyɛsɛm asen mo agyanom. Monhwɛ sɛnea mo mu biara di ne koma bɔne asoɔden akyi wɔ bere a anka ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ osetie ma me.
You however have done even more evil than your forefathers. Look at how all of you followed your own stubborn evil thinking instead of obeying me.
13 Ɛno nti, metu mo afi saa asase yi so de mo akɔ asase a, mo anaasɛ mo agyanom nnim so, na mobɛsom anyame foforo wɔ hɔ awia ne anadwo, na merenhu mo mmɔbɔ.’
So I'm going to throw you out of this country and exile you in a country unfamiliar to you and your forefathers. There you'll serve other gods day and night, because I won't help you at all.
14 “Nanso nna no reba,” Awurade na ose, “a nnipa renka bio se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi, nea oyii Israelfo fii Misraim,’
But listen! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when people won't any longer make vows, saying. “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites out of Egypt.”
15 mmom, wɔbɛka se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi nea oyii Israelfo fii atifi fam asase ne aman a otuu wɔn kɔɔ so nyinaa.’ Efisɛ mɛsan de wɔn aba asase a mede maa wɔn tete agyanom no no so.
Instead they'll say, “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites back from the northern country and all the other countries where he had exiled them.” I'm going to bring them back to the country I gave their forefathers.
16 “Na mprempren, mɛsoma apopofo bebree a wɔbɛkyere wɔn.” Awurade na ose. “Ɛno akyi, mɛsoma akɔfa abɔmmɔfo bebree a wɔbɛtaataa wɔn wɔ mmepɔw ne nkoko nyinaa so ne abotan atokuru mu.
But for the moment I'm going to send for many fishermen and they'll catch them, declares the Lord. Then I'm going to send for many hunters, and they'll hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from their hiding places in the rocks.
17 Mʼani tua wɔn akwan nyinaa; enhintaw me, na wɔn bɔne nso nhintaw wɔ mʼani so.
I see everything they're doing. They can't hide from me, and their sins aren't hidden from me either.
18 Metua wɔn amumɔyɛ ne wɔn bɔne so ka mprenu, efisɛ wɔde aniwude nsɛsode a enni nkwa ne wɔn ahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwade abɛhyɛ mʼagyapade so ma de agu mʼasase ho fi.”
First I'm going to pay them back double for their wickedness and sin, because they have made my land unclean with the lifeless bodies of their disgusting idols, filling my special country with their offensive pagan images.
19 Awurade, mʼahoɔden ne mʼabandennen, mʼahohia mu guankɔbea, wo nkyɛn na amanaman no bɛba; wobefi nsase ano aka se, “Yɛn agyanom annya biribiara sɛ anyame huhuw, ahoni a wɔn so nni mfaso na wɔammoa wɔn.
Lord, you are my strength and my fortress, my safe place in the time of trouble. Nations will come to you from all over the earth, and they will say, “The religion of our forefathers was a total lie! The idols they worshiped were useless—no good at all.
20 Nnipa yɛ wɔn ankasa anyame ana? Yiw, nanso wɔnyɛ nokware anyame!”
How can people make gods for themselves? These aren't gods!”
21 “Ɛno nti mɛkyerɛkyerɛ wɔn, saa bere yi nea mɛkyerɛ wɔn, me tumi ne mʼahoɔden. Afei wobehu sɛ me din ne Awurade.
Now they'll see! I'll show them, and then they'll recognize my power and strength. Then they'll know that I am the Lord!
