Yeremia 4

1 “Sɛ wo, Israel, wobɛsan wʼakyi a, san bra me nkyɛn,” sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Sɛ wuyi wʼahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwade fi mʼani so na sɛ woamman bio,

"If you will return, Israel," says YHWH, "if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you shall not be removed;

2 na sɛ wufi nokware, pɛpɛyɛ ne trenee mu ka ntam se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ a afei wobehyira aman no na ne mu na wobenya anuonyam.”

and you shall swear, 'As YHWH lives,' in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory."

3 Eyi ne asɛm a, Awurade ka kyerɛ Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalem: “Munsiesie mo asase a womfuntum da, na munnnua wɔ nsɔe mu.

For thus says YHWH to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up your fallow ground, and do not sow among thorns.

4 Muntwitwa mo ho twetia mma Awurade muntwitwa mo koma twetia, mo Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalemfo, anyɛ saa a mʼabufuwhyew bɛsɔre na adɛw sɛ ogya mo bɔne a moayɛ nti, ɛbɛhyew a obiara rennum.”

Circumcise yourselves to YHWH, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

5 “Bɔ nkae wɔ Yuda na pae mu ka wɔ Yerusalem se ‘Hyɛn torobɛnto no wɔ asase no nyinaa so!’ Teɛ mu dennen se: ‘Mommoaboa mo ho ano! Momma yenguan nkɔ nkuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no mu!’

Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, 'Blow the trumpet in the land.' Cry aloud and say, 'Assemble yourselves. Let us go into the fortified cities.'

6 Momma frankaa so na monkɔ Sion munguan nkɔbɔ mo ho aguaa! Efisɛ mede amanehunu fi atifi fam reba, ɔsɛe a ɛyɛ hu.”

Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety. Do not wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction."

7 Gyata bi afi ne tu mu; ɔbɔɔaman bi asi mu. Wafi ne tenabea sɛ ɔrebɛsɛe wʼasase. Wo nkurow bebubu na ada mpan.

A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.

8 Enti fura atweaatam, di awerɛhow na twa adwo, efisɛ Awurade abufuwhyew no nnan mfii yɛn so.

For this clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of YHWH hasn't turned back from us.

9 “Saa da no,” Awurade na ose, “ɔhene no ne adwumayɛfo no bɛbɔ hu, asɔfo no bo betu, na adiyifo no ho bedwiriw wɔn.”

"It shall happen at that day," says YHWH, "that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the officials; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder."

10 Afei, mekae se, “Aa, Otumfo Awurade, woadaadaa nnipa yi ne Yerusalem, wokae se, ‘Mubenya asomdwoe,’ wɔ bere a afoa da yɛn mene mu.”

Then I said, "Ah, Lord YHWH. Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'You shall have peace;' whereas the sword reaches to the heart."

11 Saa bere no wɔbɛka akyerɛ nnipa yi ne Yerusalem se, “Mframa a emu yɛ hyew bɛbɔ afi nkoko wosee a ɛwɔ nweatam so aba me nkurɔfo so, ɛnyɛ nea ɛpo ho anaa ehuhuw so;

At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, "A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse;

12 mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no fi me nkyɛn. Afei mepae mu ka mʼatemmu a etia wɔn.”

a full wind from these shall come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them."

13 Hwɛ! ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ mfɛtɛ, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ hare sen akɔre. Yennue! Yɛawu!

Look, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as the whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us. For we are ruined.

14 Yerusalem, yi bɔne fi wo koma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akosi da bɛn?

Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?

15 Nne bi rebɔ amanneɛ fi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuru fi Efraim nkoko so.

For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:

16 “Monka eyi nkyerɛ aman no, mommɔ no dawuru nkyerɛ Yerusalem se, ‘Atuafo dɔm fi akyirikyiri asase bi so reba, wɔma ɔko nteɛmu so de tia Yuda nkuropɔn.

"Tell the nations; look, publish against Jerusalem, 'Besiegers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.

17 Wotwa ne ho hyia sɛ mmarima a wɔrewɛn afuw, efisɛ watew me so atua,’” sɛɛ na Awurade se.

As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,'" says YHWH.

18 “Wo ankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛe, na ɛde eyi aba wo so. Eyi yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwen! Ɛwowɔ koma!”

"Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness; for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart."

19 Ao, mʼahoyeraw, mʼahoyeraw! midi me mu yaw. Me koma mu yawdi! Me koma bɔ kitirikitiri wɔ me mu, mintumi nyɛ komm. Efisɛ, mate torobɛnto no nnyigye; mate ɔko frɛ no.

My anguish, my anguish. I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I can't hold my peace; because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

20 Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntamadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.

Destruction on destruction is proclaimed; for the whole land is laid waste: suddenly are my tents destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.

21 Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na mitie torobɛnto no nnyigye kosi da bɛn?

How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

22 “Me nkurɔfo yɛ nkwaseafo; wonnim me. Wɔyɛ mma a wonni adwene; wɔnte hwee ase. Wɔwɔ bɔneyɛ ho nyansa; na wonnim sɛnea wɔyɛ papa.”

"For my people are foolish, they do not know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."

23 Mehwɛɛ asase no, na enni bɔbea, na ɛda mpan; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.

I saw the earth, and, look, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

24 Mehwɛɛ mmepɔw no, na wɔrewosowosow, na nkoko no nyinaa rehinhim.

I saw the mountains, and look, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.

25 Mehwɛe, na nnipa nni hɔ; wim anomaa biara atu kɔ.

I saw, and look, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.

26 Mehwɛe, na nsasebere no adan nweatam na ne nkurow nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuwhyew ano.

I saw, and look, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of YHWH; before his fierce anger they were destroyed.

27 Sɛnea Awurade se: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa; mmom, merensɛe no korakora.

For thus says YHWH, "The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.

28 Enti asase bedi awerɛhow na ɔsorosoro beduru sum, efisɛ makasa na merentwe nsan; masi gyinae na merennan no.”

For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not relented, neither will I turn back from it."

29 Apɔnkɔsotefo ne agyantowfo nnyigyei ma kurow biara sofo guan. Ebinom kɔhyɛ nkyɛkyerɛ mu, ebinom foro kɔ abotan mu. Nkurow no nyinaa so adeda mpan; na obiara nte so.

Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers; they go into caves, and they hide themselves in the thickets, and climb up on the rocks; every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells in it.

30 Dɛn na woreyɛ, wo a wɔasɛe wo? Adɛn na wufura ɔkɔben de sikakɔkɔɔ agude asiesie wo ho? Adɛn na wode nnuru keka wʼani? Wohyehyɛ wo ho kwa. Wʼadɔfo bu wo animtiaa; wɔrehwehwɛ wo akum wo.

You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you dress yourselves with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with paint, in vain do you make yourself beautiful; your lovers despise you, they seek your life.

31 Mete osu bi te sɛ ɔbea a ɔwɔ awoko mu, apinisi te sɛ ɔbea a ɔrewo nʼabakan, Ɔbabea Sion resu te sɛ nea osi apini, ɔtrɛw ne nsa mu na ɔreka se, “Afei de meretɔ piti; wɔde me nkwa ama awudifo.”

For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, "Woe is me now. For my soul faints before the murderers."