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.

“Rush about through the streets of Jerusalem; search in her city squares, too. Then look and think about this: If you can find a man or anyone who is acting justly and trying to act faithfully, then I will forgive Jerusalem.

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

Although they say, 'As Yahweh lives,' yet they are swearing falsely.”

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, do your eyes not look for faithfulness? You struck the people, but they do not feel pain. You have completely defeated them, but they still refuse to receive discipline. They make their faces harder than rock, for they refuse to repent.

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

So I said, “Surely these are only poor people. They are foolish, for they do not know Yahweh's ways, nor their God's decrees.

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.

I will go to the important people and declare God's messages to them, for they at least know Yahweh's ways, the decrees of their God.” But they all broke their yoke together; they all tore apart the chains that bound them to God.

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.

So a lion from a thicket will attack them. A wolf from the Arabah will ruin them. A lurking panther will come against their cities. Anyone who goes outside his city will be torn apart. For their transgressions increase. Their acts of faithlessness are unlimited.

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.

Why should I pardon these people? Your sons have abandoned me and have made oaths by what are not gods. I fed them fully, but they committed adultery and walked in great numbers to the houses of prostitutes.

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

They were horses in heat. They roamed about wanting to mate. Each man neighed to 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?

So should I not punish them—this is Yahweh's declaration— and should I not avenge myself on a nation that is like this?

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.

Go up onto her vineyards' terraces and destroy. But do not bring complete destruction to them. Trim their vines, since those vines do not come from Yahweh.

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

For the houses of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me—this is Yahweh's declaration.

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

They have spoken falsely about Yahweh and they said, “He will do nothing; no harm will come upon us, and we will not see sword or famine.

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

The prophets will become wind, the word is not in them, so let what they say be done 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 Yahweh, the God of hosts says this, “Because you have said this, see, I am about to place my word in your mouth. It will be like a fire, and this people will be like wood! For it will consume them.

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.

Behold! I am about to bring a nation against you from far away, house of Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration— it is a lasting nation, an ancient nation! It is a nation whose language you do not know, nor will you understand what they say.

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

Its quiver is like an open tomb. They are all soldiers.

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.

So your harvest will be consumed, your sons and daughters also, and your food. They will eat your flocks and cattle; they will eat the fruit from your vines and fig trees. They will beat down with a sword your fortified cities that you trusted in.

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

But even in those days—this is Yahweh's declaration—I do not intend to destroy you completely.

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.’

When you, Israel and Judah, say, 'Why has Yahweh our God done all these things to us?' then you, Jeremiah, will say to them, 'Just as you abandoned Yahweh and served foreign gods in your land, so you must also serve strangers in a land that is not your own.'

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

Report this to the house of Jacob and let it be heard in Judah. Say,

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

'Hear this, you foolish people who have no understanding; who have eyes but you cannot see, and you have ears but 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.

Do you not fear me—this is Yahweh's declaration—or tremble before my face? I have placed a border of sand against the sea, an ongoing decree that it does not violate— even though the sea rises and falls, still it does not violate it. Even though its waves roar, they do not cross it.

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

But this people has a stubborn heart. It turns away in rebellion and goes away.

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.’

For they do not say in their hearts, “Let us fear Yahweh our God, the one who brings the rain —the early rain and the late rains—in their right time, keeping the fixed weeks of the harvest for us.”

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

Your iniquities kept these things from happening. Your sins have stopped good from coming to you.

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.

For wicked men are found with my people. They watch as someone crouches to capture birds; they set a trap and catch people.

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

Like a cage full of birds, their houses are full of deceit. So they grow large and become rich.

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 have become fat; they shine with well-being. They crossed over all bounds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause of the people, or the cause of the orphan. They prosper even though they have not given justice to the needy.

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?

Should I not punish them for these things—this is Yahweh's declaration— and will I not take vengeance for myself on a nation like this?

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

Atrocities and horrors have occurred in the land.

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?”

The prophets prophesy with deceit, and the priests rule with their own power. My people love it this way, but what will happen in the end?'”