Yeremia 3

1 “Sɛ ɔbarima gyaa ne yere na ɔbea no kɔware ɔbarima foforo a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no san kɔ ɔbea no nkyɛn ana? Ɛremma asase no ho ngu fi koraa ana? Nanso wo ne adɔfo bebree abɔ aguaman, na mprempren de wobɛsan aba me nkyɛn ana?” Awurade na ose.

They say, If a man shall put away his wife, and she shall go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return to her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.

2 “Ma wʼani so hwɛ nkoko no so. Baabi wɔ hɔ a wɔntoo wo mmonnaa da ana? Wotenaa kwankyɛn twɛn adɔfo, wotenaa sɛ mmoahwɛfo a wodi atutena wɔ nweatam so. Woagu asase no ho fi, wode wʼaguamammɔ ne wʼamumɔyɛ na ayɛ.

Lift up thy eyes to the high places, and see where thou hast not been lain with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy harlotry and with thy wickedness.

3 Enti wɔatwe obosu asan, na asusowbere su antɔ. Nanso wʼanim ayɛ sɛ oguamanfo a ɔmfɛre hwee; wʼani nwu hwee.

Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst an harlot’s forehead, thou didst refuse to be ashamed.

4 Nnansa yi ara, woamfrɛ me se: ‘Mʼagya, me mmabunmmere mu adamfo,

Wilt thou not from this time cry to me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?

5 wo bo befuw biribiara ana? Wʼabufuwhyew no bɛkɔ so daa ana?’ Sɛɛ na wokasa, nanso woyɛ bɔne nyinaa sɛnea wutumi.”

Will he retain his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.

6 Ɔhene Yosia adedi bere so no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Woahu nea Israel a onni nokware no ayɛ? Wakɔ nkoko nyinaa so ne dua a adennan biara ase akɔsɛe aware wɔ hɔ.

The LORD said also to me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she hath gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

7 Misusuwii sɛ anka wayɛ eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ɔbɛsan aba me nkyɛn nanso wamma, na ne nuabea Yuda a ɔno nso nka nokware no hui.

And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou to me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

8 Memaa Israel a onni nokware no awaregyae nhoma na mepam no esiane nʼawaresɛe abrabɔ nti. Nanso mihuu sɛ ne nuabea Yuda a onni nokware no ansuro; ɔno nso kɔbɔɔ aguaman bra.

And I saw, when for all the causes by which backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

9 Esiane sɛ Israel aguamammɔ anyɛ no asɛnhia nti, ɔde fi kaa asase no na ɔne abo ne nnua bɔɔ aguaman.

And it came to pass through the lightness of her harlotry, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

10 Eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ne nuabea Yuda amfi ne koma nyinaa mu ansan amma me nkyɛn, ɔyɛ de kyerɛɛ kɛkɛ,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.

And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned to me with her whole heart, but deceitfully, saith the LORD.

11 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Israel a onni nokware no teɛ sen Yuda okontomponi no.

And the LORD said to me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

12 Kɔ, fa wʼani kyerɛ atifi fam kɔka saa nsɛm yi kyerɛ wɔn: “‘San wʼakyi, Israel a onni nokware,’ Sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Meremmuna nkyerɛ wo bio, efisɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufo,’ sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Me bo remfuw afebɔɔ.

Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever.

13 Gye wo afɔdi to mu, woatew Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn anim atua, woakyekyɛ wʼadɔe mu ama ananafo anyame wɔ dua biara a adennan ase, na woanyɛ osetie amma me,’” sɛnea Awurade se ni.

Only acknowledge thy iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.

14 “Monsan mo akyi, mo akyirisanfo,” sɛnea Awurade se ni, “efisɛ meyɛ mo kunu. Meyi wo; ɔbaako befi kurow mu na baanu afi abusuakuw mu, na mede mo aba Sion.

Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married to you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

15 Afei mɛma mo nguanhwɛfo a wɔda me koma so, wɔn a wɔde nimdeɛ ne ntease bɛkyerɛ mo ɔkwan.

And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

16 Saa nna no mu, sɛ mo dɔɔso bebree wɔ asase no so a,” Awurade na ose, “nnipa renka bio se, ‘Awurade apam adaka no.’ Ɛremma wɔn adwene mu anaa wɔrenkae da; wɔn kɔn rennɔ na wɔrenyɛ foforo nso.

And it shall come to pass, when ye shall be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall that be done any more.

17 Saa bere no wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Awurade Ahengua, na amanaman nyinaa behyia wɔ Yerusalem abɛkamfo Awurade din. Na wɔrenni wɔn koma bɔne a ɛma wɔyɛ asoɔden no akyi bio.

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

18 Saa nna no mu, Yuda fi bɛka Israelfi ho, na wɔabɔ mu afi atifi fam asase bi so aba asase a mede maa mo agyanom sɛ agyapade no so.

In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together from the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance to your fathers.

19 “Mʼankasa mekae se, ‘Anka ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mɛyɛ mo sɛ mma na mama mo asase a eye, agyapade a edi mu ma ɔman biara.’ Misusuwii sɛ mobɛfrɛ me ‘Agya’ na monnan mo ho mfi mʼakyi.

But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a beautiful heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.

20 Nanso te sɛ ɔbea a onni ne kunu nokware no, saa ara na moanni me nokware, Israelfi,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.

Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.

21 Wɔte osu bi wɔ nkoko no so, ɛyɛ Israelfo agyaadwotwa ne nkotosrɛ, efisɛ wɔakyeakyea wɔn akwan na wɔn werɛ afi Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn.

A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

22 “Monsan mmra, ɔyera mma; mɛsa mo akyirisan yare no.” “Yiw, yɛbɛba wo nkyɛn, efisɛ wo ne Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.

Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come to thee; for thou art the LORD our God.

23 Ampa, ahoni huuyɛ wɔ nkoko ne mmepɔw so no yɛ nnaadaa; nokware Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn mu na Israel nkwagye wɔ.

Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

24 Efi yɛn mmofraase, anyame huhuw adi yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba, wɔn nguankuw ne anantwi, wɔn mmabarima ne wɔn mmabea.

For shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

25 Momma yɛmfa yɛn aniwu nneda fam na yɛn ahohora nkata yɛn so. Yɛayɛ bɔne atia Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn, yɛn ne yɛn agyanom; efi yɛn mmofraase besi nnɛ yɛanyɛ osetie amma Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.”

We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.