Yeremia 34
1 Bere a Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar ne nʼakofo ne nʼahenni nyinaa ne nnipa a wɔwɔ ahemman a odi so no mu reko tia Yerusalem ne nkurow a atwa ne ho ahyia no, saa asɛm yi fi Awurade nkyɛn baa Yeremia hɔ se,
This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, along with troops from all the countries he ruled and other nations were attacking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns:
2 “Nea Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se ni: Kɔ Yudahene Sedekia nkyɛn na kɔka kyerɛ no se, ‘Sɛnea Awurade se ni: Mede kuropɔn yi rebɛhyɛ Babiloniahene nsa, na ɔbɛhyew no dwerɛbee.
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and talk to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Listen! I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it down.
3 Worenguan mfi ne nsam na nokware, wɔbɛkyere wo de wo akɔma no. Wode wʼani behu Babiloniahene na ɔne wo bɛkasa anim ne anim. Na wobɛkɔ Babilonia.
You yourself won't escape being captured by him. You will certainly be taken prisoner and brought before him to speak with him personally and see him face to face. You will be taken to Babylon.
4 “‘Nanso tie Awurade bɔhyɛ, Yudahene Sedekia. Sɛɛ na Awurade ka fa wo ho: Worennwu wɔ afoa ano;
Listen to what the Lord is telling you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You won't be killed;
5 na wubewu asomdwoe mu. Sɛnea nnipa bɔɔ ayiyɛ gyatannaa de hyɛɛ wʼagyanom anuonyam, ahemfo dedaw a wodii wʼanim no, saa ara na wɔbɛbɔ gyatannaa ahyɛ wo anuonyam na wɔadi awerɛhow se, “Ao, owura!” Mʼankasa na mehyɛ saa bɔ yi, Awurade na ose.’”
you will die in peace. You will have a proper funeral with incense burned for you as they did for your forefathers, the kings who ruled before you. They will weep for you, crying, “The king is dead.” I myself am telling you this, declares the Lord.
6 Na odiyifo Yeremia kaa eyinom nyinaa kyerɛɛ Yudahene Sedekia wɔ Yerusalem,
Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah king of Judah all this there in Jerusalem.
7 bere a Babiloniahene asraafo reko atia Yerusalem ne Yuda nkuropɔn, Lakis ne Aseka a na wogu so reko wɔ hɔ. Eyinom ne nkuropɔn a na aka wɔ Yuda a wɔwɔ bammɔ.
At this time the king of Babylon's army was attacking the city and the Judean towns of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities that had not yet been conquered in Judah.
8 Asɛm no fi Awurade hɔ baa Yeremia nkyɛn wɔ bere a ɔhene Sedekia ne Yerusalemfo ayɛ apam sɛ wɔbɛma nkoa ahofadi no akyi.
A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a agreement with everyone in Jerusalem to announce a proclamation of freedom.
9 Ɛsɛ sɛ obiara gyaa ne nkoa ne mfenaa Hebrifo; na obiara nni ho kwan sɛ ɔde ne yɔnko Yudani yɛ akoa.
This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.
10 Enti adwumayɛfo no nyinaa ne nnipa a wɔyɛɛ saa apam yi penee so sɛ wobegyaa wɔn nkoa ne mfenaa, na wɔremfa wɔn nyɛ nkoa bio. Wɔpenee so, na wogyaa wɔn.
All the officials and all the people who accepted this agreement did what they said. They freed their male and female slaves, not forcing them to remain slaves any longer. They obeyed and let them go free.
11 Nanso akyiri no, wɔsesaa wɔn adwene na wɔsan faa nnipa a wogyaa wɔn no de wɔn yɛɛ nkoa bio.
However, later on they changed their minds and took back the male and female slaves they'd freed, forcing them back into slavery.
12 Na Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia nkyɛn se,
A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
13 “Nea Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, se ni: Me ne mo agyanom yɛɛ apam bere a miyii wɔn fii Misraim, nkoasom asase so no. Mekae se,
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery, saying:
14 ‘Mfe ason biara no, ɛsɛ sɛ mo mu biara gyaa ne yɔnko Hebrini a watɔn ne ho ama no. Sɛ wasom mfe asia a gyaa no na ɔmfa ne ho nni.’ Nanso mo agyanom antie na wɔamfa mʼasɛm.
Every seventh year, each of you are to set free all fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. They can serve you for six years, but then you must set them free. But your forefathers didn't pay attention and didn't obey what I told them.
15 Ɛnkyɛe koraa, nanso munuu mo ho na moyɛɛ nea eye wɔ mʼani so: Mo mu biara paee ahofadi maa ne manmma. Mpo moyɛɛ apam wɔ mʼanim, wɔ ofi a me Din da so no mu.
A little while ago you decided to do what's right, which made me happy. You all announced that you would free your slaves. You made a agreement before me in my Temple.
16 Nanso mprempren, moadan mo ho na moahura me din ho; mo mu biara asan akɔfa nkoa ne mfenaa a mugyaa wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔ baabiara a wɔpɛ no. Moahyɛ wɔn ama wɔayɛ mo nkoa bio.
But now you've changed your minds and dishonored me. Each of you took back the male and female slaves you'd set free to do whatever they wanted. You forced them to become your slaves again.
17 “Afei nea Awurade se ni: Muntiee me na mompaee ahofadi mmaa mo ankasa nkurɔfo. Enti afei mepae ‘ahofadi’ ma mo, Awurade na ose. ‘Ahofadi’ a ebegyaa mo ama afoa, ɔyaredɔm ne ɔkɔm. Mɛma moayɛ akyiwade ama asase so ahenni ahorow nyinaa.
So this is what the Lord says: You haven't obeyed me. You haven't announced freedom for your slaves, your own people. So now I announce “freedom” for you, declares the Lord: Freedom to be killed by war, by disease, and by famine! I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by you.
18 Nnipa a wɔabu mʼapam so, na wɔanni nhyehyɛe a ɛwɔ apam a wɔayɛ wɔ mʼanim no so no, mɛyɛ wɔn sɛ nantwi ba a wɔpae ne mu abien na wɔnantew nʼafaafa no ntam no.
They have broken my agreement, and have not kept the terms of the agreement they promised before me. So I'm going to cut them up just like the calf they cut in half to pass between its two pieces.
19 Yuda ne Yerusalem ntuanofo, asennii adwumayɛfo, asɔfo ne asase no so nnipa no nyinaa a monantew faa nantwi ba no afaafa no ntam no,
I will hand them over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. This includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and everyone else who passed between the pieces of the calf.
20 mede wɔn bɛma wɔn atamfo a wɔrehwehwɛ wɔn nkwa no. Wɔn afunu bɛyɛ aduan ama wim nnomaa ne asase so mmoa.
Their dead bodies will become food for birds of prey and wild animals.
21 “Mede Yudahene Sedekia ne nʼadwumayɛfo bɛhyɛ wɔn atamfo a wɔrehwehwɛ wɔn nkwa, Babiloniahene asraafo a wɔatwe wɔn ho no nsa.
I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials to their enemies who are trying to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon which had paused its attack on you.
22 Merebɛhyɛ, Awurade asɛm ni, na mɛsan de wɔn aba kuropɔn yi mu. Wɔbɛko atia no, wɔbɛfa, na wɔahyew no dwerɛbee. Na mɛma Yuda nkurow ada mpan a obiara rentumi ntena hɔ.”
Listen! I will give the order, declares the Lord, and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it. I'm going to destroy the towns of Judah so nobody will live there.
