< Yeremia 22 >
1 Sɛɛ na Awurade se, “Sian kɔ Yudahene ahemfi na kɔpae mu ka saa asɛm yi:
Thus said Jehovah, 'Go down [to] the house of the king of Judah, and thou hast spoken there this word, and hast said,
2 ‘Tie Awurade asɛm, Yudahene, wo a wote Dawid ahengua so, wo, wʼakannifo ne wo nkurɔfo a wɔfa apon yi mu.
Hear a word of Jehovah, O king of Judah, who art sitting on the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people, who are coming in at these gates,
3 Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Monyɛ nea ɛteɛ na ɛnam kwan mu. Munnye nea wɔabɔ no korɔn mfi ne hyɛsofo nsam. Monnyɛ ɔhɔho, ayisaa ne okunafo bɔne na monnyɛ wɔn basabasa nso, na munnhwie mogya a edi bem ngu wɔ ha.
Thus said Jehovah: Do ye judgment and righteousness, And deliver the plundered from the hand of the oppressor, And sojourner, orphan, and widow, ye do not oppress nor wrong, And innocent blood ye do not shed in this place.
4 Sɛ moyɛ ahwɛyie na mudi saa ahyɛde yi so a, ɛno de ahemfo a wɔte Dawid ahengua so ne wɔn adwumayɛfo ne wɔn nkurɔfo bɛfa saa ahemfi apon yi mu, a wɔtete nteaseɛnam mu ne apɔnkɔ so.
For, if ye certainly do this thing, Then come in by the gates of this house Have kings sitting for David on his throne, Riding on chariot, and on horses, He, and his servants, and his people.
5 Enti sɛ moanni saa nhyehyɛe yi so a, Awurade na ose, “Meka me ho ntam sɛ, saa ahemfi yi bɛdan ofituw.”’”
And if ye do not hear these words, By myself I have sworn — an affirmation of Jehovah, That this house is for a desolation.
6 Nea Awurade ka fa Yudahene ahemfi ho ni: “Ɛwɔ mu wote sɛ Gilead ma me, te sɛ Lebanon mmepɔw atifi, nokware, mɛyɛ wo sɛ nweatam, sɛ nkurow a obiara nte mu.
For thus said Jehovah, Concerning the house of the king of Judah: Gilead [art] thou to Me — head of Lebanon, If not — I make thee a wilderness, Cities not inhabited.
7 Mɛsoma asɛefo abɛtoa mo, obiara ne nʼakode, wobetwitwa mo sida mpuran fɛfɛ no mu na wɔatow agu ogya no mu.
And I have separated for thee destroyers, Each with his weapons, And they have cut down the choice of thy cedars, And have cast them on the fire.
8 “Nnipa a wofifi aman bebree so betwa mu wɔ kuropɔn yi so, na wobebisabisa wɔn ho wɔn ho se, ‘Adɛn nti na Awurade ayɛ saa kuropɔn kɛse yi sɛɛ?’
And many nations have passed by this city, And they have said, each to his neighbour, For what hath Jehovah done thus to this great city?
9 Na mmuae no bɛyɛ sɛ, ‘Efisɛ wɔagyaw Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn apam no akɔsɔre anyame afoforo asom wɔn.’”
And they have said, 'Because that they have forsaken The covenant of Jehovah their God, And bow themselves to other gods, and serve them.'
10 Munnsu ɔhene a wafi mu, na munni ne ho awerɛhow; mmom, munsu dennen mma nea ɔkɔ nnommum mu, efisɛ ɔrensan nʼakyi na ɔrenhu asase a wɔwoo no wɔ so no bio.
Ye do not weep for the dead, nor bemoan for him, Weep ye sore for the traveller, For he doth not return again, Nor hath he seen the land of his birth.
11 Na sɛɛ na Awurade ka faa Yosia babarima Salum a odii nʼagya ade sɛ Yudahene na wafi ha no ho: “Ɔrensan mma bio.
For thus said Jehovah concerning Shallum son of Josiah king of Judah, who is reigning instead of Josiah his father, who hath gone forth from this place: He doth not turn back hither again;
12 Obewu wɔ faako a wɔafa no nnommum kɔ hɔ; na ɔrenhu saa asase yi bio.”
For in the place whither they have removed him he dieth, And this land he doth not see again.
13 “Nnome nka nea ɔmfa ɔkwan trenee so nsi nʼahemfi, ɔde asisi si nʼabansoro, ɔma ne manfo yɛ adwuma kwa, ontua wɔn apaade so ka.
Woe to him who is building his house by unrighteousness, And his upper chambers by injustice, On his neighbour he layeth service for nought, And his wage he doth not give to him.
14 Ɔka se, ‘Mesi ahemfi kɛse ama me ho nea ɛwɔ abansoro adan a mu soso.’ Enti ɔyɛ mfɛnsere akɛse wɔ mu, ɔde sida dura mu na ɔde ahosu kɔkɔɔ hyehyɛ mu.
Who is saying, 'I build for myself a large house, And airy upper chambers,' And he hath cut out for himself its windows, Ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
15 “Wowɔ sida bebree a na ɛma woyɛ ɔhene ana? Na wʼagya nni aduan ne nsa ana? Ɔyɛɛ nea ɛfa ne kwan mu na ɛteɛ, enti esii no yiye.
Dost thou reign, because thou art fretting thyself in cedar? Thy father — did he not eat and drink? Yea, he did judgment and righteousness, Then [it is] well with him.
16 Odii mmɔborɔfo ne ahiafo nsɛm maa wɔn, enti biribiara yɛɛ yiye maa no. Na ɛnyɛ eyi na ɛkyerɛ sɛ obi nim me ana?” Awurade na ose.
He decided the cause of the poor and needy, Then [it is] well — is it not to know Me? An affirmation of Jehovah.
17 “Mo ani ne mo koma wɔ mfaso bɔne nko ara so, sɛ muhwie mogya a edi bem gu na moyɛ nhyɛso ne asisi nso.”
But thine eyes and thy heart are not, Except on thy dishonest gain, And on shedding of innocent blood, And on oppression, and on doing of violence.
18 Ɛno nti, sɛɛ na Awurade ka fa Yudahene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim ho: “Wɔrensu no: ‘A, me nuabarima! A, me nuabea!’ Wɔrensu no: ‘A, me wura! A, nʼahoɔfɛ!’
Therefore, thus said Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: They do not lament for him, Ah, my brother, and Ah, sister, They do not lament for him, Ah, lord, and Ah, his honour.
19 Wobesie no sɛ afurum, wɔbɛtwe nʼase na wɔatow no akyene Yerusalem apon akyi.”
The burial of an ass — he is buried, Dragged and cast out thence to the gates of Jerusalem.
20 “Monkɔ Lebanon nkosu, momma wɔnte mo nne wɔ Basan, munsu mfi Abarim, efisɛ wɔadwerɛw mo dɔm nyinaa.
Go up to Lebanon, and cry, And in Bashan give forth thy voice, And cry from Abarim, For destroyed have been all loving thee.
21 Mebɔɔ wo kɔkɔ, bere a na ɛyɛ wo sɛ wʼasom adwo wo no, nanso wokae se, ‘Merentie!’ Eyi ne ɔkwan a wonam so fi wo mmerantebere mu; woanyɛ osetie amma me.
I have spoken unto thee in thine ease, Thou hast said, 'I do not hearken,' This [is] thy way from thy youth, For thou hast not hearkened to My voice.
22 Mframa bɛbɔ wo nguanhwɛfo nyinaa akɔ, na wʼapamfo nyinaa bɛkɔ nnommum mu. Afei wʼani bewu na wʼanim agu ase esiane wʼamumɔyɛ nyinaa nti.
All thy friends consume doth wind, And thy lovers into captivity do go, Surely then thou art ashamed, And hast blushed for all thy wickedness.
23 Mo a mote Lebanon, na modeda sida adan mu, sɛnea mubesi apini wɔ ɔyaw mu, ɔyaw ɛte sɛ ɔbea a ɔreko awo de.
O dweller in Lebanon, making a nest among cedars, How gracious hast thou been when pangs come to thee, Pain — as of a travailing woman.
24 “Nokware, sɛ mete ase yi,” Awurade na ose, “Mpo sɛ wo Yehoiakin, Yudahene Yehoiakim babarima yɛ me nsa nifa so nsɔwano kaa a, anka mɛworɔw wo.
I live — an affirmation of Jehovah, Though Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah Were a seal on My right hand, Surely thence I draw thee away,
25 Mede wo bɛma wɔn a wɔrehwehwɛ wo kra, wɔn a wusuro wɔn no; Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar ne Babiloniafo.
And I have given thee into the hand of those seeking thy life, And into hands of which thou art afraid, Into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 Mɛpam wo ne ɛna a ɔwoo wo no akogu ɔman foforo so, baabi a ɛnyɛ hɔ na wɔwoo mo mu biara, hɔ na mo baanu bewuwu.
And I have cast thee, And thy mother who bore thee, unto another country, Where ye were not born, and there do ye die.
27 Morensan mma asase a mo kɔn dɔ sɛ mobɛsan aba so no so bio.”
And to the land whither they are lifting up their soul to return, Thither they do not return.
28 Saa ɔbarima Yehoiakin yi yɛ asɛnka a abɔ ade a obiara mpɛ ana? Adɛn nti na wɔbɛpam ɔne ne mma, akogu asase a wonnim so no so?
A grief — a despised broken thing — is this man Coniah? A vessel in which there is no pleasure? Wherefore have they been cast up and down, He and his seed, Yea, they were cast on to a land that they knew not?
29 Ao, asase, asase, asase! Tie Awurade asɛm!
Earth, earth, earth, hear a word of Jehovah,
30 Sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Monkyerɛw ɔbarima yi ho asɛm nto hɔ te sɛ obi a onni ba, ɔbarima a ɔrennya nkɔso ne nkwa nna nyinaa na nʼasefo mu biara rennya nkɔso, na wɔn mu biara rentena Dawid ahengua so na wɔrenni Yuda so hene bio.”
Thus said Jehovah: Write ye this man childless, A man — he doth not prosper in his days, For none of his seed doth prosper, Sitting on the throne of David, And ruling again in Judah!