Yeremia 44

1 Saa asɛm yi baa Yeremia nkyɛn; ɛfa Yudafo a wɔtete Misraim anafo fam wɔ Migdol, Tapanhes, Memfis ne Misraim atifi fam no ho.

The word that came through Jeremiah to all the Jews who were living in the land of Egypt, living at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Memphis, and in the land of Pathros, saying:

2 “Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, se: Muhuu amanehunu kɛse a mede baa Yerusalem ne Yuda nkurow nyinaa so no. Nnɛ wɔayeyɛ amamfo na wɔasɛesɛe

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You yourselves have seen all this evil that I have led over Jerusalem and over all the cities of Judah. And behold, they are desolate to this day, and there is no inhabitant in them,

3 esiane bɔne a wɔayɛ no nti. Wɔhyew nnuhuam, som anyame foforo a, wɔn anaa mo anaa mo agyanom nnim wɔn de hyɛɛ me abufuw.

because of the wickedness which they have done, so that they provoked me to wrath, and because they went to offer sacrifice and worship to strange gods, which neither they, nor you, nor your fathers knew.

4 Mesomaa mʼasomfo adiyifo mpɛn pii a wɔkae se, ‘Monnyɛ saa atantanne a mikyi no!’

And I sent to you all my servants, the prophets, rising in the night, and sending, and saying: ‘Do not choose to do this abominable word, which I hate.’

5 Nanso wɔantie, wɔamfa anyɛ asɛm, na wɔannan amfi wɔn amumɔyɛsɛm no ho na wɔannyae hyew a wɔhyew nnuhuam ma anyame foforo no.

But they did not listen, nor did they incline their ear, so that they would convert from their evil, and so that they would not sacrifice to strange gods.

6 Enti mihwiee mʼabufuw gui, na ɛdɛw kɔɔ Yuda nkurow ne Yerusalem mmɔnten so ma ɛsɛesɛe na ɛdedaa mpan sɛnea ɛtete nnɛ yi.

And so my indignation and my fury was fanned and kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. And they have been turned into desolation and devastation, just as it is this day.

7 “Na mprempren, nea Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn, Israel Nyankopɔn se ni: Adɛn nti na mode amanehunu kɛse aba mo ho so, sɛ muyii mmarima ne mmea, mmofra ne mmotafowa fii Yuda a moannyaw nkae biara amma mo ho.

And now, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Why do you commit this great evil against your own souls, so that, among you, man and woman, child and infant would pass away from the midst of Judah, and so that no remnant at all would be left behind of you?

8 Adɛn nti na mode nea mo nsa ayɛ hyɛ me abufuw, na mohyew nnuhuam ma anyame foforo wɔ Misraim, baabi a moabɛtena hɔ no? Mobɛsɛe mo ho, na moayɛ nnome ne nsopa wɔ asase so amanaman nyinaa mu.

For you have provoked me by the works of your hands, by sacrificing to strange gods in the land of Egypt, into which you have entered in order to live there, and so that you would perish and become a curse and a disgrace before all the nations of the earth.

9 Mo werɛ afi amumɔyɛsɛm a mo agyanom, Yuda ahemfo ne ahemmea yɛe, na mo ne mo yerenom nso yɛɛ wɔ Yuda asase ne Yerusalem mmɔnten so no ana?

How could you have forgotten the evils of your fathers, and the evils of the kings of Judah, and the evils of their wives, and your own evils, and the evils of your own wives, which they have done in the land of Judah and in the regions of Jerusalem?

10 Ebesi nnɛ yi, wɔmmrɛɛ wɔn ho ase, wɔnnaa nidi adi na wonnii me mmara ne ahyɛde a mede maa mo ne mo agyanom no so.

They have not been cleansed, even to this day. And they have not feared, and they have not walked in the law of the Lord and in my precepts, which I have given before you and before your fathers.

11 “Enti nea Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, se ni: Masi mʼadwene pi sɛ mede amanehunu bɛba mo so na masɛe Yuda nyinaa.

For this reason, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set my face upon you for evil. And I will disperse all of Judah.

12 Mɛfa Yuda nkae a wosii wɔn adwene pi sɛ wɔbɛkɔ Misraim akɔtena hɔ no. Wɔn nyinaa bewuwu wɔ Misraim; wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ afoa ano anaa ɔkɔm bekum wɔn. Efi akumaa so kosi ɔkɛse so, afoa ne ɔkɔm bekunkum wɔn. Wɔbɛyɛ nnome, ahodwiriwde, afɔbude ne ahohora.

And I will take the remnant of Judah, who had set their faces so that they would enter into the land of Egypt and live there, and they will all be consumed in the land of Egypt. They will fall by the sword and by famine. And they will be consumed, from the least, even to the greatest. By sword and by famine shall they die. And they will be an oath, and a wonder, and a curse, and a disgrace.

13 Mede afoa, ɔkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm bɛtwe wɔn a wɔtete Misraim no aso, sɛnea metwee Yerusalem aso no.

And I will visit against those who are living in the land of Egypt, just as I have visited against Jerusalem: with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence.

14 Yuda nkae a wɔakɔtena Misraim no mu biara renguan, na wɔremfa wɔn ho nni na wɔasan aba Yuda, asase a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔsan bɛtena so no so; wɔn mu biara remma, gye aguanfo kakraa bi.”

And there will be no one who escapes, of those who remain among the remnant of the Jews, those who have gone to sojourn in the land of Egypt. And they wish to be returned to the land of Judah, for they lift up their souls so that they might return and live there. But there will be no one who may return, except those who will flee.”

15 Afei mmarima a na wonim sɛ wɔn yerenom hyew nnuhuam ma anyame foforo, wɔne mmea a wɔwɔ hɔ no nyinaa, nnipadɔm no, ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Misraim Atifi fam ne Anafo fam ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia se,

Then all the men, knowing that their wives were sacrificing to strange gods, and all of the women, a great multitude of whom were standing there, and all of the people who were living in the land of Egypt at Pathros, responded to Jeremiah, by saying:

16 “Yɛrentie asɛm a waka akyerɛ yɛn wɔ Awurade din mu no!

“Concerning the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not heed you.

17 Ampa ara yɛbɛyɛ biribiara a yɛkae se yɛbɛyɛ: Yɛbɛhyew nnuhuam ama Ɔsoro Hemmea na yɛahwie ahwiesa ama no, sɛnea yɛne yɛn agyanom, ahemfo ne adwumayɛfo yɛɛ wɔ Yuda nkurow ne Yerusalem mmɔnten so no pɛpɛɛpɛ. Saa bere no na yɛwɔ aduan, na yedi yiye a yenni ɔhaw biara nso.

But we will continue to do every word which proceeds from our own mouth, so that we sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and we pour out libations to her, just as we and our fathers have done, our kings and our leaders, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. For we were filled with bread, and it was well with us, and we saw no evil.

18 Nanso efi bere a yegyaee nnuhuam a yɛhyew ma Ɔsoro Hemmea, na yegyaee ahwiesa a yɛde ma no no, biribiara abɔ yɛn na yɛrewuwu wɔ afoa ne ɔkɔm ano.”

But since the time that we ceased to offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and to pour out libations to her, we have been in need of all things, and we have been consumed by the sword and by famine.

19 Na mmea no ka kaa ho se, “Bere a yɛhyew nnuhuam maa Ɔsoro Hemmea, na yehwiee ahwiesa maa no no, na yɛn kununom nnim sɛ yɛto ɔfam a ɛyɛ ne sɛso, hwie ahwiesa ma no ana?”

But when we offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven and pour out libations to her, do we make cakes for her worship and offer libations to her without our husbands?”

20 Na Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa; mmarima ne mmea a wɔrebua no no se,

And Jeremiah spoke to all the people, facing the men, and facing the women, and facing all the people who had responded this word to him, saying:

21 “Mususuw sɛ, Awurade nnim sɛ, na mo ne mo agyanom, mo ahemfo, adwumayɛfo ne ɔmanfo no hyew nnuhuam ma ahoni wɔ Yuda nkurow so ne Yerusalem mmɔnten so ana?

“Was this not the sacrifice that you offered in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers, your kings and your leaders, and the people of the land, which has been called to mind by the Lord and which has entered into his heart?

22 Bere a mo amumɔyɛ ne akyiwade a moyɛɛ no fonoo Awurade no, mo asase dannan nnomede ne amamfo a obiara nte so, sɛnea ɛte nnɛ yi.

And the Lord could no longer bear this, because of the evil of your intentions, and because of the abominations that you have done. And so, your land has become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, and it is without an inhabitant, even to this day.

23 Esiane sɛ moahyew nnuhuam, ayɛ bɔne atia Awurade, na moanyɛ osetie amma no, na moanni ne mmara, nʼahyɛde ne nʼadansesɛm so nti, amanehunu aba mo so sɛnea muhu yi.”

This is because you have sacrificed to idols, and you have sinned against the Lord. And you have not heeded the voice of the Lord, and you have not walked in his law, and in his precepts, and in his testimonies. It is for this reason that these evils have happened to you, just as it is today.”

24 Afei Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ nnipa no nyinaa a mmea no ka ho se, “Mo Yudafo a mowɔ Misraim nyinaa muntie Awurade asɛm.

Then Jeremiah said to all the people and to all the women: “Listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are in the land of Egypt:

25 Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, se: Mo ne mo yerenom de mo nneyɛe akyerɛ mo bɔ a mohyɛe se, ‘Ampa ara yebedi bɔ a yɛhyɛe sɛ, yɛbɛhyew nnuhuam ahwie ahwiesa ama Ɔsoro Hemmea no,’ no so.” Monkɔ so, munni mo bɔhyɛ ne mo ntam so!

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: You and your wives have spoken it with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hands, saying: ‘Let us perform our vows that we have made, so that we may offer sacrifice to the queen of heaven, and pour out libations to her.’ You have fulfilled your vows and accomplished their works.

26 Nanso muntie Awurade asɛm, mo Yudafo a mowɔ Misraim nyinaa. Mede me din kɛse no ka ntam se, nea Awurade se ni, obiara a ofi Yuda a ɔte Misraim asase so baabiara remmɔ me din nka ntam bio da se, “Sɛ Otumfo Awurade te ase yi.”

Because of this, listen to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah, who live in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by my great name, says the Lord, that my name will never again be invoked by the mouth of any man of Judah in the land of Egypt, saying: ‘As the Lord God lives.’

27 Na mɛhwɛ ama wɔahu amane na ɛnyɛ yiyedi; Yudafo a wɔwɔ Misraim bewuwu wɔ afoa ne ɔkɔm ano kosi sɛ wɔbɛsɛe wɔn nyinaa.

Behold, I will be vigilant over them for harm, and not for good. And all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be consumed, by the sword and by famine, until they are thoroughly consumed.

28 Wɔn a wobeguan afi afoa ano na wɔasan afi Misraim akɔ Yuda asase so no bɛyɛ kakraa bi. Afei Yuda nkae a wɔbɛtenaa Misraim no nyinaa behu nea nʼasɛm yɛ nokware; me de anaa wɔn de.

And a few men, who will flee from the sword, will return from the land of Egypt into the land of Judah. And all the remnant of Judah, who had entered into the land of Egypt so as to live there, will know whose word will be completed, mine or theirs.

29 “‘Eyi na ɛbɛyɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne ama mo sɛ mɛtwe mo aso wɔ ha, na moahu sɛ ampa ara mʼahunahuna a ɛfa ɔhaw ho no bɛba mu,’ Awurade na ose.

And this will be a sign to you, says the Lord, that I will visit against you in this place, so that truly you may know that my words will be completed against you for harm.”

30 ‘Mede Misraimhene Farao Hofra rebɛhyɛ nʼatamfo a wɔpɛ sɛ wokum no no nsa, sɛnea mede Yudahene Sedekia hyɛɛ Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar, ne tamfo a na ɔrehwehwɛ no akum no no nsa. Sɛɛ na Awurade se.’”

Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will deliver Pharaoh Hophra, the king of Egypt, into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of those who are seeking his life, just as I delivered Zedekiah, the king of Judah, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, his enemy and the one who was seeking his life.”