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 puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says 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 your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? You have sat waiting for them by the road, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your 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 has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.
4 Nnansa yi ara, woamfrɛ me se: ‘Mʼagya, me mmabunmmere mu adamfo,
Will you not from this time cry to me, ‘My Father, you are 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 forever? Will he keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.”
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.
Moreover, the LORD said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and has played the prostitute there.
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.
I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she didn’t return, 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.
I saw when, for this very cause, that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, had no fear, but she also went and played the prostitute.
9 Esiane sɛ Israel aguamammɔ anyɛ no asɛnhia nti, ɔde fi kaa asase no na ɔne abo ne nnua bɔɔ aguaman.
Because she took her prostitution lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood.
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.
Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretence,” says the LORD.
11 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Israel a onni nokware no teɛ sen Yuda okontomponi no.
The LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous 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 towards the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says the LORD. ‘I will not keep anger forever.
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 your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’” says 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.
“Return, backsliding children,” says the LORD, “for I am a husband to you. I will take one of you from a city, and two from 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.
I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will 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.
It will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of the LORD’s covenant!’ It will not come to mind. They won’t remember it. They won’t miss it, nor will another be made.
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 will call Jerusalem ‘The LORD’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the LORD’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness 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 will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave 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 I desire to put you amongst the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me “My Father”, and shall not turn away from following 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 departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says 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 is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, 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, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are 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 help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
24 Efi yɛn mmofraase, anyame huhuw adi yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba, wɔn nguankuw ne anantwi, wɔn mmabarima ne wɔn mmabea.
But the shameful thing has 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.”
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed the LORD our God’s voice.”
