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 return, Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration—then it should be to me that you return. If you remove your detestable things from before me and do not wander from me again,
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.”
You must be truthful, just, and righteous when you swear, 'As Yahweh lives.' Then the nations will bless themselves in him, and in him they will 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 Yahweh says this to each person in Judah and Jerusalem: 'Plow your own 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 Yahweh, and remove the foreskins of your heart, men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or else my fury will break out like fire, and burn with no one to quench it, because of the wickedness of your deeds.
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!’
Report in Judah and let it be heard in Jerusalem. Say, “Blow the trumpet in the land.” Proclaim, “Gather together. Let us go to 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.”
Lift up the signal flag and point it toward Zion, and run for safety! Do not stay, for I am bringing disaster from the north and a great collapse.
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 coming out from his thicket and someone who will destroy nations is setting out. He is leaving his place to bring horror to your land, to turn your cities into ruins, where no one will live.
8 Enti fura atweaatam, di awerɛhow na twa adwo, efisɛ Awurade abufuwhyew no nnan mfii yɛn so.
Because of this, wrap yourself in sackcloth, lament and wail. For the force of Yahweh's anger has not turned away 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.”
Then it will happen in that day—this is Yahweh's declaration—that the hearts of the king and his officials will die. The priests will be appalled, and the prophets will be horrified.'”
10 Afei, mekae se, “Aa, Otumfo Awurade, woadaadaa nnipa yi ne Yerusalem, wokae se, ‘Mubenya asomdwoe,’ wɔ bere a afoa da yɛn mene mu.”
So I said, “Ah! Lord Yahweh. Surely you have completely deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, 'There will be peace for you.' Yet the sword is striking against their life.”
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;
In that time it will be said of this people and Jerusalem, “A burning wind from the plains of the desert will make its way to the daughter of my people. It will not winnow or cleanse them.
12 mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no fi me nkyɛn. Afei mepae mu ka mʼatemmu a etia wɔn.”
A wind far stronger than that will come at my command, and I will now pass sentence against them.
13 Hwɛ! ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ mfɛtɛ, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ hare sen akɔre. Yennue! Yɛawu!
See, he is attacking like clouds, and his chariots are like a storm. His horses are faster than eagles. Woe to us, for we will be devastated!
14 Yerusalem, yi bɔne fi wo koma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akosi da bɛn?
Cleanse your heart from wickedness, Jerusalem, so that you might be saved. How long will your deepest thoughts be about how to sin?
15 Nne bi rebɔ amanneɛ fi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuru fi Efraim nkoko so.
For a voice is bringing news from Dan, and the coming disaster is heard from the mountains 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.
Make the nations think about this: See, announce to Jerusalem that besiegers are coming from a distant land to shout in battle against the cities of Judah.
17 Wotwa ne ho hyia sɛ mmarima a wɔrewɛn afuw, efisɛ watew me so atua,’” sɛɛ na Awurade se.
They will be like the watchmen of a cultivated field against her all around, since she has been rebellious against me—this is Yahweh's declaration—
18 “Wo ankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛe, na ɛde eyi aba wo so. Eyi yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwen! Ɛwowɔ koma!”
and your conduct and your deeds have done these things to you. This will be your punishment. How terrible it will be! It will strike your very 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 heart! My heart! I am in anguish in my heart. My heart is turbulent within me. I cannot keep quiet for I hear the sound of the horn, an alarm for battle.
20 Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntamadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
Disaster follows after disaster; for all the land lies in ruins. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, my curtains in a moment.
21 Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na mitie torobɛnto no nnyigye kosi da bɛn?
How long will I see the standard? Will I hear the sound of the horn?
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 the foolishness of my people—they do not know me. They are idiotic people and they have no understanding. They have skill at evil, but do not know to do good.
23 Mehwɛɛ asase no, na enni bɔbea, na ɛda mpan; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.
I saw the land. Behold! It was formless and empty. For there was no light for the heavens.
24 Mehwɛɛ mmepɔw no, na wɔrewosowosow, na nkoko no nyinaa rehinhim.
I looked at the mountains. Behold, they were trembling, and all the hills were shaking about.
25 Mehwɛe, na nnipa nni hɔ; wim anomaa biara atu kɔ.
I looked. Behold, there was no one, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
26 Mehwɛe, na nsasebere no adan nweatam na ne nkurow nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuwhyew ano.
I looked. Behold, the orchards were a wilderness and all the cities had been pulled down before Yahweh, before the fury of his wrath.”
27 Sɛnea Awurade se: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa; mmom, merensɛe no korakora.
This is what Yahweh says, “All the land will become a devastation, but I will not completely destroy it.
28 Enti asase bedi awerɛhow na ɔsorosoro beduru sum, efisɛ makasa na merentwe nsan; masi gyinae na merennan no.”
For this reason, the land will mourn, and the heavens above will darken. For I have declared my intentions; I will not hold back; I will not turn from carrying them out.
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 will flee from the noise of the cavalry and the archers with a bow; they will run into the forests. Every city will climb up into the rocky places. The cities will be abandoned, for there will be no one to inhabit them.
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.
Now that you have been devastated, what will you do? For though you dress in scarlet, adorn yourself with gold jewelry, and make your eyes look bigger with paint, the men who lusted for you now reject you. Instead, they are trying to take away 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.”
So I hear the sound of anguish, distress as in the birth of a firstborn child, the sound of the daughter of Zion. She is gasping for breath. She spreads out her hands, 'Woe to me! I am fainting because of these murderers.'”
