Yeremia 5

1 “Munni akɔneaba wɔ Yerusalem mmɔnten so, monhwɛ mo ho nhyia nhwɛ, monhwehwɛ guabɔbea nyinaa. Sɛ muhu onipa baako mpo a ɔyɛ pɛ na odi nokware a, mede kuropɔn yi ho bɛkyɛ no.

[Yahweh said to the people of Jerusalem], “Go up and down every street. Search in the marketplaces to find people who do what is fair/right, who try to be faithful to me. [If you find even one person like that], I will forgive [the people of Jerusalem and not destroy] their city.

2 Ɛwɔ mu wɔka se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ nanso wɔda so ka ntam hunu.”

But when people there say, ‘I solemnly declare that as surely as Yahweh lives, [I will do what he says],’ they are lying.”

3 Awurade, wʼani mpɛ nokware ahu ana? Wobɔɔ wɔn hwee fam, nanso wɔante yaw biara; wodwerɛw wɔn, nanso wɔpoo nteɛso. Wɔyɛɛ wɔn anim dennen sen ɔbo na wɔansakra wɔn adwene.

Yahweh, you are certainly [RHQ] searching for [people who tell the] truth. You struck/punished your people, but they did not pay any attention. You crushed them, but they ignored what you were telling them to do. They were extremely stubborn [IDM] and refused to return to you.

4 Misusuw se, “Eyinom nko ara ne ahiafo no; wɔyɛ nkwaseafo nso, efisɛ wonnim Awurade akwan, nea wɔn Nyankopɔn hwehwɛ.

I thought, “[We cannot expect] these [people to act righteously, because they] are poor; they do not have any sense. They do not know the way Yahweh wants them to conduct their lives; they do not know what God requires them to do.

5 Enti mɛkɔ ntuanofo no nkyɛn akɔkasa akyerɛ wɔn; ampa ara wonim Awurade akwan nea wɔn Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ.” Nanso wɔn nso de adwene koro abubu konnua no atetew nkyehama no mu.

So, I will go and talk to their leaders, because they [surely] know how God wants them to conduct their lives.” But they also have stopped obeying Yahweh [MET], and they will not allow him to lead them.

6 Ɛno nti gyata bi a ofi kwae mu bɛtow ahyɛ wɔn so, pataku bi a ofi nweatam so bɛtetew wɔn mu. Ɔsebɔ bi bɛtɛw abɛn wɔn nkurow, na obiara a obeyi ne ti no ɔbɛtetew ne mu nketenkete, efisɛ wɔn atuatew no ano yɛ den na wɔn akyirisan aboro so.

Because of that, lions will come out of the forests and kill them; wolves from the desert will attack them; leopards that lurk/wait outside their cities will maul anyone who walks outside the cities. [Those things will happen] because the people have sinned very much against God and have turned away from him very frequently.

7 “Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ mede mo ho kyɛ mo? Mo mma apo me, wɔde anyame a wɔnyɛ anyame aka ntam. Memaa wɔn nea wohia nyinaa, nanso wɔbɔɔ aguaman na wɔbɔɔ yuu kɔɔ nguamanfo afi mu.

Yahweh says, “I cannot [RHQ] forgive these people; [even] their children have abandoned me. When they solemnly declare something, they ask their gods [to show that what they say is true]. I gave my people everything that they needed, but they often went to [the shrines of their idols] and committed adultery there.

8 Mpɔnkɔnini aniberefo a wɔhwɛ wɔn yiye, wɔn mu biara su di ne yɔnko yere akyi.

[Just like] [MET] well-fed male horses neigh, wanting sex with female horses, each of the men desires to have sex with his neighbor’s wife.

9 Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ eyi ho?” Sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ, mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sɛɛ so were ana?

(Should I not punish them for this [RHQ]?/I will certainly get revenge on this nation for this!) I will certainly get revenge [RHQ] on this nation whose people behave like that!

10 “Momfa ne bobe nturo no mu na monsɛe no, nanso monnsɛe no koraa. Mompempan ne mman no, efisɛ saa nnipa yi nyɛ Awurade dea.

[I will say to your enemies], ‘The people [of Judah and Israel are like a vineyard]. Go along the rows in their vineyards and get rid of [most of] the people, but do not kill all of them. These people do not belong to me, [so get rid of them], [like a gardener] [MET] lops/cuts off branches from a vine.

11 Israelfi ne Yudafi anni me nokware koraa,” Awurade na ose.

The people of Israel and Judah have turned away from me completely.’

12 Wɔadi atoro afa Awurade ho, wɔkae se, “Ɔrenyɛ hwee! Ɔhaw biara remma yɛn so; yɛrenhu afoa anaa ɔkɔm da.

They have lied about me and said, ‘He will not punish us! He will not cause us to experience disasters! We will not experience wars or famines!

13 Adiyifo no yɛ mframa bi kɛkɛ na asɛm no nte wɔn mu; enti momma nea wɔka no mmra wɔn so.”

What [God’s] prophets say is nothing but hot air! They do not have messages [from God]! We would like [the disasters that they predict] to happen to them!’”

14 Enti eyi ne nea Asafo Awurade, Nyankopɔn se: “Esiane sɛ, nnipa no aka saa nsɛm yi nti, mɛyɛ me nsɛm a ɛwɔ wʼanom no ogya na saa nnipa yi ayɛ nnyina a ogya no bɛhyew.

So, this is what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, has said to me: “Because my people are saying those things, I will give you a message to tell them [MTY] that will be [like] [MET] a fire, and [these people will be like] [MET] wood that the fire will burn up.

15 Israelfi,” Awurade na ose, “Mede ɔman bi a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri rebetia wo, tete man a ɛyɛ ɔmantease, nnipa a munnim wɔn kasa, na monnte wɔn kasa ase.

Listen to this, you people of Israel: I will bring [the army of] a distant nation to attack you. It is a very powerful nation that has existed for a long time. They speak a language that you do not know and which you will not be able to understand.

16 Wɔn agyan mmɔtɔwa te sɛ ɔda a ano da hɔ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ dɔmmarima.

Their soldiers are all very strong, and the arrows from their quivers [MET] will (send many Israeli men to their graves/cause many Israeli people to die).

17 Wɔbɛsɛe mo nnɔbae ne mo nnuan, asɛe mo mmabarima ne mo mmabea; wɔbɛsɛe mo nguankuw ne mo anantwikuw, asɛe mo bobe ne mo mmrɔdɔma. Wɔde afoa bɛsɛe nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ a mode mo werɛ ahyɛ mu no.

They will eat the food that you have harvested from your fields, and eat your bread. They will kill your sons and daughters, and they will kill your flocks [of sheep] and herds [of cattle]. They will eat your grapes and your figs. They will [also] destroy your cities that have high walls around them and kill the people with their swords.

18 “Afei saa nna no mu mpo,” sɛɛ na Awurade se, “Merensɛe mo korakora.

But even when those things happen, I will not get rid of all of you.

19 Na sɛ nnipa no bisa se, ‘Adɛn nti na Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn, ayɛ yɛn sɛɛ’ a, mobɛka akyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛnea moagyaw me hɔ akɔsom ananafo anyame wɔ mo ankasa mo asase so no, saa ara na mprempren mobɛsom ananafo wɔ asase a ɛnyɛ mo dea no so.’

And when the survivors ask, ‘Why is Yahweh our God doing this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘You rejected him and worshiped foreign gods in your [own] land, so [now] you will become slaves of foreigners in a land that is not your land.’”

20 “Monka eyi nkyerɛ Yakobfi na mo mpae mu nka wɔ Yuda se:

[Yahweh said to me], “Proclaim this to the people of Israel and Judah:

21 Muntie, mo nkwaseafo ne nnipa a munni adwene, mowɔ ani nso munhu ade, na mowɔ aso nso monte asɛm:

Listen to this, you people who are foolish and who do not have any sense: You have eyes, but [it is as though] you cannot see; you have ears, but [it is as though] you cannot hear.

22 Ɛnsɛ sɛ musuro me ana?” Sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mo ho popo wɔ mʼanim ana? Mede nwea ato ɔhye ama po, ɔhye a ɛwɔ hɔ daa a ɛrentumi ntra. Asorɔkye bɛbɔ nanso ɛrentumi mmu mfa so; ebehuru so nanso ɛrentumi ntra.

Why do you not revere me [RHQ]? You should [RHQ] tremble when you are in my presence! I, Yahweh, am the one who put a barrier along the shores so that the waters of the ocean cannot cross it [and flood the land]. The waves roll and roar, but they cannot go past that barrier.

23 Nanso saa nnipa yi wɔ asoɔden ne atuatew koma; wɔatwe wɔn ho afi me ho kɔ.

But you people [are not like the waves that obey me]. You people are very stubborn and rebellious. You have constantly turned away from me.

24 Wɔnnka nkyerɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, ‘Momma yensuro Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn, a ɔma osu tɔ wɔ ne mmere mu, nea ɔma yɛn awerehyɛmu wɔ otwabere nnapɛn a wahyɛ no ho.’

You do not say to yourselves, ‘We should revere Yahweh our God, the one who sends us rain at the times when we need it, the one who causes the grain to become ripe at the harvest season.’

25 Mo amumɔyɛ abɔ eyinom agu; mo bɔne ama ade pa abɔ mo.

It is because of the wrong things that you have done, that those good things have not happened; it is because of the sins that you have committed that you have been prevented from receiving those blessings.

26 “Amumɔyɛfo bi wɔ me nkurɔfo yi mu a wɔtɛw sɛ nnipa a wosum nnomaa afiri, na wɔte sɛ wɔn a wosum mfiri yi nnipa.

Among my people are wicked people who hide along the roads to ambush/attack people like [SIM] men who hunt birds (put out nets/set traps) to catch them.

27 Sɛnea nnomaa ahyɛ kɛntɛn ma no saa ara na asisi ahyɛ wɔn afi amaama; wɔayeyɛ adefo anyinya tumi,

Like [a hunter has] a cage full of birds [that he has captured], their homes are full of things that they have gotten by deceiving others. So now they are [very] rich and powerful.

28 na wɔadodɔ srade ama wɔn ho ayɛ hanahana. Wɔn amumɔyɛsɛm no nni awiei; wɔnnka ayisaa asɛm mma wonni bem, na wɔmmɔ ahiafo tumi ho ban.

They are big and fat, and there is no limit to the evil things that they have done. They do not try to defend orphans in the courtrooms, and they do not help poor people to get what they have a right to receive.

29 Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ eyinom ho ana?” Sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ, mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sɛɛ so were ana?

So I will certainly [RHQ] punish them for doing those things. I will certainly [RHQ] (get revenge on their nation/do to their nation what they deserve).

30 “Ade a ɛyɛ hu ne ahodwiriw asi wɔ asase no so:

Very appalling/horrible and terrible [DOU] things are happening in this country:

31 Adiyifo no hyɛ akɔntoro, asɔfo no de wɔn dibea di tumi, na me nkurɔfo no pɛ no saa ara. Nanso awiei no dɛn na wobɛyɛ?”

Prophets speak [only] lies and priests rule by their own authority, and you people like that! But when you [start to] experience disasters, what will you do [RHQ]?”