Yeremia 38

1 Matan babarima Sefatia, Pashur babarima Gedalia, Selemia babarima Yukal ne Malkia babarima Pashur tee nsɛm a na Yeremia reka akyerɛ nnipa no nyinaa se,

Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:

2 “Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Obiara a ɔbɛtena kuropɔn yi mu no bewu wɔ afoa, ɔkɔm anaa ɔyaredɔm ano, nanso obiara a ɔbɛkɔ Babiloniafo afa no benya nkwa. Obenya ne ti adidi mu, ɔbɛtena nkwa mu.

“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.

3 Na sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Ampa ara, wɔde saa kuropɔn yi bɛhyɛ Babiloniahene asraafo nsa, na wɔn na wobedi so.’”

This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

4 Ɛno nti adwumayɛfo no ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no se, “Ɛsɛ sɛ wokum saa ɔbarima yi. Ɔde nsɛm a ɔreka no bu asraafo a wɔaka wɔ kuropɔn yi mu ne nnipa no nyinaa aba mu. Saa ɔbarima yi nhwehwɛ saa nnipa yi yiyedi na mmom wɔn sɛe.”

Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”

5 Ɔhene Sedekia buae se, “Ɔwɔ mo nsam, ɔhene rentumi nyɛ biribiara ntia mo.”

“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”

6 Enti wɔfaa Yeremia de no kɔhyɛɛ ɔhene babarima Malkia abura a ɛwɔ awɛmfo adiwo no mu. Wɔde ntampehama gyaagyaa no too abura no mu; na nsu nni mu, mmom dontori na na ɛwɔ mu, enti Yeremia kɔhyɛɛ dontori no mu.

So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

7 Na Ebed-Melek Kusni odwumayɛni a ɔwɔ ahemfi hɔ tee sɛ wɔde Yeremia akɔto abura no mu. Bere a ɔhene no te Benyamin Pon hɔ no,

Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,

8 Ebed-Melek fii ahemfi hɔ kɔka kyerɛɛ no se,

Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,

9 “Ɔdɛɛfo, nea saa nnipa yi ayɛ nyinaa yɛ amumɔyɛsɛm a etia odiyifo Yeremia. Wɔatow no akyene abura mu, baabi a ɔkɔm bekum no wɔ bere a brodo asa wɔ kuropɔn yi mu.”

“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 Na ɔhene hyɛɛ Kusni, Ebed-Melek se, “Fa mmarima aduasa fi ha ka wo ho, na munkoyi odiyifo Yeremia mfi abura no mu, ansa na wawu.”

So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 Ɛno nti Ebed-Melek faa mmarima no kaa ne ho, na wɔkɔɔ ɔdan bi a ɛwɔ adekorabea ase, wɔ ahemfi hɔ. Ɔkɔsesaw ntamagow ne ntade dedaw de kyekyeree ntampehama ho, gyaa mu maa Yeremia wɔ abura no mu.

Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

12 Na Kusni, Ebed-Melek ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia se, “Fa ntamagow ne ntade dedaw no hyehyɛ wo mmotuam, na ntampehama no ammia wo.” Na Yeremia yɛɛ saa,

Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

13 Wɔde ntampehama no twetwee no yii no fii abura no mu. Na Yeremia tenaa awɛmfo adiwo hɔ.

and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

14 Na Ɔhene Sedekia soma ma wɔkɔfaa odiyifo Yeremia baa Awurade asɔredan ano kwan a ɛto so abiɛsa hɔ. Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia se, “Merebebisa wo asɛm bi, mfa biribiara nsie me.”

Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

15 Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Sedekia se, “Sɛ mema wo mmuae a, worenkum me ana? Mpo sɛ mitu wo fo a, worentie me.”

“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

16 Nanso ɔhene Sedekia kaa saa ntam yi kokoa mu kyerɛɛ Yeremia se, “Sɛ Awurade a ɔma yɛn nkwa no te ase yi, merenkum wo na meremfa wo nhyɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ sɛ wokum wo no nsa.”

But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

17 Afei Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Sedekia se, “Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn, Israel Nyankopɔn, no se: ‘Sɛ wode wo ho ma Babiloniahene adwumayɛfo a, wɔrenkum wo na wɔrenhyew kuropɔn yi, wo ne wʼabusuafo bɛtena nkwa mu.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.

18 Na sɛ woremfa wo ho mma Babiloniahene adwumayɛfo a, wɔde saa kuropɔn yi bɛma Babiloniafo, na wɔbɛhyew no dwerɛbee; na wo ankasa rentumi nguan mfi wɔn nsam.’”

But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

19 Ɔhene Sedekia ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia se, “Misuro Yudafo a wɔkɔ Babiloniafo afa no, efisɛ ebia Babiloniafo no de me bɛma wɔn na wɔayɛ me ayayade.”

But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

20 Yeremia buae se, “Wɔremfa wo mma wɔn. Tie Awurade asɛm na yɛ nea meka kyerɛ wo. Ɛno na ɛbɛma asi wo yiye na woanya nkwa.

“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

21 Nanso sɛ woamfa wo ho amma Babiloniafo no de a, nea Awurade ayi akyerɛ me ni:

But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

22 Mmea a wɔaka wɔ Yudahene ahemfi hɔ nyinaa no, wɔde wɔn befi adi abrɛ Babiloniahene adwumayɛfo no. Saa mmea no bɛka akyerɛ wo se, “‘Wɔdaadaa wo na wodii wo so wo nnamfonom a wugye wɔn di no. Wʼanan amem wɔ dontori mu; wo nnamfonom agyaw wo hɔ kɔ.’

All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’

23 “Wɔde wo yerenom nyinaa ne wo mma bɛbrɛ Babiloniafo no. Wo de, worentumi nguan mfi wɔn nsam, na mmom Babiloniahene bɛkyere wo, na wɔbɛhyew saa kuropɔn yi.”

All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

24 Na Sedekia ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia se, “Mma obiara nte saa nkɔmmɔdi yi, anyɛ saa a, wubewu.

Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.

25 Sɛ adwumayɛfo no te sɛ me ne wo kasae, na wobebisa wo se, ‘Ma yɛnte nea woka kyerɛɛ ɔhene ne nea ɔhene nso ka kyerɛɛ wo; mfa nsie yɛn anyɛ saa a yebekum wo a,’

If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

26 ɛno de ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Na meresrɛ ɔhene sɛ ɔmmfa me nsan nkɔ Yonatan fi mma me nkowu wɔ hɔ.’”

then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

27 Adwumayɛfo no nyinaa baa Yeremia hɔ bebisaa no, na ɔkaa nea ɔhene hyɛɛ no se ɔnka no nyinaa. Enti wɔanka hwee ankyerɛ no bio, efisɛ obiara ante ɔne ɔhene nkɔmmɔtwetwe no.

When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.

28 Na Yeremia tenaa ɔwɛmfo adiwo hɔ kosii da a wɔfaa Yerusalem. Sɛnea wɔfaa Yerusalem ni:

And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.