Yeremia 18
1 Eyi ne Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Yeremia nkyɛn.
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
2 “Kɔ ɔnwemfo no fi, na hɔ na mede mʼasɛm no bɛma wo.”
'Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words.'
3 Ɛno nti, mekɔɔ ɔnwemfo no fi na mihuu no sɛ, ɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ ne ntwahode so.
Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was at his work on the wheels.
4 Nanso kuku a na ɔde dɔte no reyɛ ho adwuma no sɛe wɔ ne nsam; ɛno nti ɔnwemfo no yɛɛ kuku foforo, sɛnea eye pa ara ma no.
And whensoever the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
6 “Israelfi, merentumi nyɛ mo sɛnea ɔnwemfo yi yɛ ana?” Awurade na ose. “Sɛnea dɔte te wɔ ɔnwemfo nsam no, saa ara na mote wɔ me nsam, Israelfi.
'O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay in the potter's hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel.
7 Sɛ bere biara meka se ɛsɛ sɛ wotutu ɔman bi anaa ahenni bi ase, dwerɛw wɔn, sɛe wɔn a,
At one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it;
8 na sɛ ɔman a mebɔɔ no kɔkɔ no sakra fi ne bɔne ho a, mɛsakra mʼadwene na meremfa amanehunu a misusuwii sɛ mede bɛba wɔn so mma bio.
but if that nation turn from their evil, because of which I have spoken against it, I repent of the evil that I thought to do unto it.
9 Na sɛ mmere foforo bi meka se, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkyekye ɔman anaa ahenni bi gye no si hɔ,
And at one instant I may speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
10 na sɛ ɔyɛ bɔne wɔ mʼani so na wanyɛ osetie amma me a, ɛno de mesan adwene papa a mepɛɛ sɛ meyɛ no no ho.
but if it do evil in My sight, that it hearken not to My voice, then I repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit it.
11 “Na afei ka kyerɛ Yudafo ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem no se, ‘Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Hwɛ! mede amanehunu reba mo so, na mereyɛ nhyehyɛe a etia mo. Ɛno nti mo mu biara nnan mfi nʼakwammɔne so na munsiesie mo akwan ne mo nneyɛe.’
Now therefore do thou speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying: Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you; return ye now every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.
12 Nanso wobebua se, ‘So nni mfaso. Yɛbɛkɔ so adi yɛn ara yɛn nhyehyɛe so; yɛn mu biara bɛyɛ asoɔden a efi ne koma bɔne mu.’”
But they say: There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will do every one after the stubbornness of his evil heart.'
13 Ɛno nti nea Awurade se ni, “Mummisa wɔ amanaman no mu se, hena na wate biribi sɛɛ pɛn? Ɔbabun Israel ayɛ ade bi a ɛyɛ hu yiye.
Therefore thus saith the LORD: Ask ye now among the nations, who hath heard such things; the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.
14 So sukyerɛmma a ɛwɔ Lebanon no yera fi nʼabotan a esian no so ana? So nʼatifi nsu wiridudu a efi akyirikyiri no gyae sen ana?
Doth the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? or are the strange cold flowing waters plucked up?
15 Nanso me nkurɔfo werɛ afi me. Wɔhyew nnuhuam ma ahoni huhuw, a ɛma wohintihintiw wɔ wɔn akwan so ne tete atempɔn so. Wɔma wɔfa kwatikwan ne akwan a wɔmmɔe so.
For My people hath forgotten Me, they offer unto vanity; and they have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in bypaths, in a way not cast up;
16 Wɔn asase bɛda mpan, na ayɛ ade a wobebu no animtiaa daa; wɔn a wotwa mu hɔ no ho bedwiriw wɔn na wobehinhim wɔn ti.
To make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.
17 Sɛnea apuei mframa te no, mɛbɔ wɔn ahwete wɔ wɔn atamfo anim; mɛdan mʼakyi akyerɛ wɔn na ɛnyɛ mʼanim wɔ wɔn amanehunu da no.”
I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will look upon their back, and not their face, in the day of their calamity.
18 Wɔkae se, “Mommra ma yɛmfa adwene ntia Yeremia; sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a asɔfo no nkyerɛkyerɛ a ɛfa mmara no ho, anyansafo no afotu anaa asɛm a efi adiyifo hɔ no renyera. Mommra na yentu yɛn ano ngu ne so a yɛrentie nea ɔbɛka biara.”
Then said they: 'Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for instruction shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.'
19 Yɛ aso ma me, Awurade; tie nea wɔn a wɔpam me ti so no reka!
Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
20 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde bɔne tua papa so ka ana? Nanso wɔatu amoa ama me. Kae sɛ migyinaa wʼanim na mekasa maa wɔn, sɛnea wubeyi wʼabufuwhyew afi wɔn so.
Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good for them, to turn away Thy wrath from them.
21 Ɛno nti, ma ɔkɔm nne wɔn mma; yi wɔn ma afoa. Ma wɔn yerenom nyɛ abonin ne akunafo; ma wonkunkum wɔn mmarima, na wɔmfa afoa nkunkum wɔn mmerante wɔ ɔko mu.
Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and hurl them to the power of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and widows; and let their men be slain of death, and their young men smitten of the sword in battle.
22 Ma wɔnte osu wɔ wɔn afi mu bere a atamfo atu wɔn so sa mpofirim, efisɛ wɔatu amoa ama me, na wɔasunsum mʼanan mfiri.
Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
23 Nanso wunim Awurade, pɔw a wɔabɔ nyinaa se wobekum me. Mfa wɔn nsɛmmɔne nkyɛ wɔn, na nyi wʼani mfi wɔn bɔne so. Ma wonni nkogu wɔ wʼanim; na wo ne wɔn nni wɔ wʼabufuw mu.
Yet, LORD, Thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from Thy sight; but let them be made to stumble before Thee; Deal Thou with them in the time of Thine anger.
