Yeremia 51
1 Sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Monhwɛ, mɛkanyan ɔsɛefo bi honhom atia Babilonia ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Leb Kamai.
This is what the Lord says: Look! I'm going to stir up a destructive wind against Babylon and against the people of Babylonia.
2 Mɛsoma ananafo akɔ Babilonia sɛ wonkohuhuw ne so na wɔnsɛe nʼasase; wobetia no wɔ afanan nyinaa wɔ nʼamanehunu da no.
I will send foreign soldiers to attack Babylon to winnow her and turn her country into a wasteland—they will attack her from all directions when her time of trouble comes.
3 Mma agyantowni pema nʼagyan, mma ɔnhyɛ ne nkatabo. Mma ne mmerante mfa wɔn ho nni; sɛe nʼasraafo no pasaa.
The archer doesn't need to use his bow; the infantryman doesn't need to put on his armor. Don't spare her young soldiers; set apart her whole army for destruction!
4 Wɔbɛhwehwe ase a wɔatotɔ wɔ Babilonia, a wɔapirapira yiye wɔ ne mmɔnten so.
They will fall down wounded in her streets, killed in the country of Babylonia.
5 Na Israel Nyankopɔn, Asafo Awurade no, nnyaw Israel ne Yuda hɔ ɛ, ɛwɔ mu, afɔdi ahyɛ wɔn asase no so ma wɔ Israel Ɔkronkronni no anim.
Israel and Judah have not been deserted by their God, the Lord Almighty, even though they sinned against the Holy One of Israel everywhere in their country.
6 “Munguan mfi Babilonia! Muntu mmirika mpere mo nkwa! Mommma wɔnnsɛe mo esiane ne bɔne nti. Awurade aweretɔbere aso; ɔde nea ɛfata no betua no ka.
Escape from Babylon! Run for your lives! Don't get caught up in her punishment and die, for this is the time when the Lord pays her back for her sins.
7 Na Babilonia yɛ sikakɔkɔɔ kuruwa wɔ Awurade nsam; ɔmaa asase nyinaa bow nsa. Aman no nom ne nsa; ɛno nti, afei wɔabobɔ adam.
Once Babylon was a golden cup the Lord held in his hand. She made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine which is why they went mad.
8 Babilonia bɛhwe ase abubu mpofirim. Muntwa ne ho agyaadwo! Mompɛ ne yaw no ano aduru; ebia ne ho bɛtɔ no.
Now, all of a sudden, Babylon has fallen. She has been smashed to pieces. Weep for her; get her some treatment for her pain. Maybe she can be healed.
9 “‘Anka yɛbɛsa Babilonia yare, nanso wontumi nsa no yare; momma yennyaw no hɔ na obiara nkɔ nʼankasa asase so, efisɛ nʼatemmu du sorosoro; ɛforo soro te sɛ omununkum.’
“We tried to heal her, but she couldn't be helped. So give up on her! All of us should go home to where we came from. The news of her punishment has reached everywhere, all the way to heaven.
10 “‘Awurade abu yɛn bem. Mommra, momma yɛnka wɔ Sion, nea Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn ayɛ.’
The Lord has encouraged and supported us. Come on, let's tell people here in Jerusalem what the Lord has done for us!”
11 “Monsew agyan no ano! Momfa nkatabo no! Awurade ahwanyan Mede ahemfo no, efisɛ ne botae ne sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Babilonia. Awurade bɛtɔ were, ɔbɛtɔ were ama nʼasɔrefi no.
Sharpen the arrows! Pick up the shields! The Lord has encouraged the kings of the Medes, because his plan is directed at the destruction of Babylon. The Lord is paying them back for what happened to his Temple.
12 Mompagyaw frankaa bi ntia Babilonia afasu! Mummia bammɔ mu, momma awɛmfo no nnyinagyina. Munsiesie ahintawee! Awurade bɛma nʼatirimpɔw aba mu, nea wahyɛ atia Babilonia no.
Raise the signal flag to attack the walls of Babylon; strengthen the guard; have the watchmen take their places; get the ambush ready. The Lord planned and carried out his threats against the people of Babylon.
13 Mo a motete nsuwansuwa bebree ho na nnwetɛbona abu mo so, mo awiei aba, bere a ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa mo kyene no.
You people who live beside by many waters, and have so much wealth, this is the time of your end—your life will be cut short.
14 Asafo Awurade, aka ne ho ntam sɛ: mede nnipa bɛhyɛ wo ma sɛ tɛwtɛw, na wɔabɔ ose wɔ wo so.
The Lord Almighty vowed by his own life, saying, I'm going to make sure to fill you with so many enemy soldiers they'll be like locusts. They will shout as they celebrate their victory over you.
15 “Ɔde ne tumi bɔɔ asase; ɔtoo wiase fapem wɔ ne nyansa mu na ɔde ne nhumu trɛw ɔsorosoro mu.
It was God who made the earth by his power. He created the world by his wisdom and by his understanding he put the heavens in place.
16 Sɛ ɔbobɔ mu a, ɔsoro nsu woro so; ɔma omununkum ma ne ho so fi nsase ano. Ɔsoma anyinam ka osu ho na ɔma mframa bɔ fi ne koradan mu.
The waters of the heavens rain down with a roar at his command. He makes the clouds to rise all over the earth. He makes lightning to accompany rain, and sends the wind from his storehouses.
17 “Onipa biara nnim nyansa, na onni nimdeɛ; sikadwumfo biara anim gu ase, esiane nʼahoni nti. Ne nsɛsode yɛ atoro; wonni ɔhome biara wɔ wɔn mu.
Everyone is stupid; they don't know anything. Every metalworker is embarrassed by the idols they make. For their images made of molten metal are fraudulent—they're not alive!
18 Wɔn so nni mfaso, wɔn ho yɛ serew; sɛ wɔn atemmu du so a, wɔbɛyera.
They are useless, an object to be laughed at. They will be destroyed at the time of their punishment.
19 Nea ɔyɛ Yakob Kyɛfa no nte sɛ eyinom, efisɛ ɔno ne ade nyinaa Yɛfo a Israel, abusua a ɛyɛ nʼagyapade nso ka ho. Asafo Awurade ne ne din.
The God of Jacob is not like these idols, for he is the creator of everything, including his own people that are special to him. The Lord Almighty is his name.
20 “Woyɛ me ko abaa, mʼakode a mede kɔ sa mede wo dwerɛw amanaman, mede wo sɛe ahenni bebree,
You are my war club, the weapon I use in battle. I use you to destroy nations; I use you to destroy kingdoms.
21 mede wo bobɔ ɔpɔnkɔ ne ne sotefo, teaseɛnam ne ne kafo,
I use you to destroy horses and their riders; I use you to destroy chariots and their drivers.
22 mede wo dwerɛw ɔbarima ne ɔbea, mede wo dwerɛw akwakoraa ne ɔbabun, mede wo dwerɛw aberante ne ababaa,
I use you to destroy men and women; I use you to destroy old men and youths; I use you to destroy young men and girls.
23 mede wo dwerɛw oguanhwɛfo ne nguankuw, mede wo dwerɛw okuafo ne anantwi, mede wo dwerɛw amradofo ne adwumayɛfo.
I use you to destroy shepherds and their flocks; I use you to destroy farmers and their cattle; I use you to destroy rulers and state officials.
24 “Metua Babilonia ne wɔn a wɔtete Babilonia ka wɔ mfomso a, wɔayɛ wɔ Sion nyinaa, wɔ wʼanim,” Awurade na ose.
Right in front of you I'm going to pay back Babylon and everyone who live in Babylonia for all the evil they did to Jerusalem, declares the Lord.
25 “Bepɔw sɛefo, me ne wo anya, wo a wosɛe asase nyinaa no,” Awurade na ose. “Mɛteɛ me nsa wɔ wo so mepia wo afi abotan no so, na mayɛ wo sɛ bepɔw a ɛnka hwee.
Watch out, because I am against you, you destructive monster who devastates the whole world, declares the Lord. I will reach out to attack you; I will roll you down the cliffs; I will turn you into a mountain of ash.
26 Wɔremfa ɔbo biara mfi wo so nyɛ tweatibo anaasɛ fapem mpo, efisɛ wobɛda mpan afebɔɔ,” Awurade na ose.
Nobody will be even able to find themselves a cornerstone or a foundation stone among your ruins, because you will be so utterly destroyed, declares the Lord.
27 “Momma frankaa so wɔ asase no so! Monhyɛn torobɛnto no wɔ amanaman no mu! Munsiesie amanaman no mma wontu no so sa; Momfrɛfrɛ saa ahenni ahorow yi mma wɔnko ntia no: Ararat, Mini ne Askenas. Munnyi ɔsahene ntia no; momfa apɔnkɔ manyamanya te sɛ tɛwtɛw mmra.
Raise a signal flag in the country! Blow the trumpet call to war among the nations! Get the nations ready to attack her; Summon the kingdoms to march against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Choose a commander to lead the armies to attack her; send into battle cavalry like a swarm of locusts.
28 Munsiesie amanaman no mma wontu no so sa, mo Mede ahemfo, wɔn amradofo ne wɔn adwumayɛfo nyinaa, ne aman a wodi so nyinaa.
Have the armies of the nations prepare for battle against her. This applies to the kings of the Medes, their leaders and all their officers, and every country they rule.
29 Asase no wosow, na onukunuku ne mu, efisɛ Awurade atirimpɔw a etia Babilonia sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Babilonia asase a obiara rentumi ntena so no nsakraa ɛ.
The earth quakes and trembles because the Lord is determined to carry out what he threatened against Babylon—to turn Babylonia into a wasteland where no one lives.
30 Babilonia dɔmmarima agyae ko wɔhyehyɛ wɔn aban mu. Wɔn ahoɔden asa; wɔayɛ sɛ mmea. Wɔatoto nʼatenae ahorow no mu gya, na wɔabubu nʼapon akyi adaban.
Babylon's defenders have given up fighting—they're just sitting in their fortresses. They're worn out; they've become like frightened women. Babylon's houses are burning; the bars securing her gates have been smashed.
31 Abɔfo didi so na asomafo didi so a wɔrekɔbɔ Babiloniahene amanneɛ se, wɔafa ne kuropɔn no,
A runner hands his message over to another to carry; one messenger follows another messenger, all of them alerting the king of Babylon to the news that his city has been completely conquered,
32 wɔagye asutwabea ahorow a ɛdeda asubɔnten no ano no afa, na wɔde ogya ato ɔwora no mu, na asraafo no abɔ huboa.”
the river crossings have been captured, the marshlands set on fire and his soldiers are panicking.
33 Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, se: “Babilonia Babea ayɛ sɛ, awiporowbea wɔ bere a wɔretiatia hɔ. Aka kakraa bi, na bere a ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa no sɛ nnɔbae no adu.”
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: The people of Babylon are like a threshing floor when the grain is trampled out. Her time of harvest will come very soon.
34 “Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar adwerɛw yɛn, ɔde yɛn ato ɔhaw mu, wayɛ yɛn sɛ ahina a hwee nni mu. Wamene yɛn sɛ ɔwɔ no na ɔde yɛn nneɛma a ɛyɛ dɛ ahyɛ ne yafunu ma, na wapuw yɛn afi nʼanom agu.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon chewed me up and sucked me dry, making me as empty as a jar with nothing in it. He swallowed me down as if he were some monster, filling himself with the tastiest parts of me and throwing the rest away.
35 Ma ayakayakade a wɔde dii yɛn honam no mmra Babilonia so,” nnipa a wɔtete Sion na wɔka. “Ma yɛn mogya ngu wɔn a wɔtete Babilonia so,” Yerusalem na ɔka.
“Babylon must bear the responsibility for the violent attacks on us,” say the inhabitants of Zion. “The people of Babylonia must bear the responsibility for the blood shed in my city,” says Jerusalem.
36 Enti sɛɛ na Awurade se: “Hwɛ, medi mo asɛm ama mo na matɔ were ama mo; Mɛma po a ɛyɛ ne de no ayow na mama ne nsubɔnten ayoyow.
This is what the Lord says: Watch as I present your case for you and make your enemies pay for what they did to you. I'm going to dry up her river and her springs.
37 Babilonia bɛyɛ mmubui siw, sakraman atu ahodwiriwde ne fɛwdi, baabi a obiara nte.
Babylon will be turned into a pile of rubble, a home for jackals, a place that horrifies people, a place they jeer at, a place where no one lives.
38 Ne nkurɔfo nyinaa bobɔ mu sɛ gyata, wɔbobɔ mu te sɛ gyatamma.
The Babylonians will roar together like powerful lions and growl like lion cubs.
39 Nanso bere a wɔahwanyan wɔn ho no, mɛto pon ama wɔn na mama wɔabobow nsa, sɛnea wɔde nteɛteɛmu bedi ahurusi, na wɔadeda a wɔrennyan bio,” Awurade na ose.
But while their passions are aroused, I will serve them a banquet and get them drunk. They'll celebrate so much that they'll pass out and won't ever wake up, declares the Lord.
40 “Mede wɔn bɛba te sɛ nguantenmma a wɔrekokum wɔn, te sɛ adwennini ne mpapo.
I will take them down like lambs to be slaughtered, like rams and goats.
41 “Sɛnea wɔbɛfa Sesak, wɔbɛfa asase nyinaa so ahohoahoa! Babilonia bɛyɛ ahodwiriwde wɔ amanaman no mu!
How could it be? Babylon has fallen! The most famous city in the world has been conquered! What a horrible sight Babylon has become to everyone watching!
42 Po bebunkam afa Babilonia so; na nʼasorɔkye bɛkata ne so.
It's as if the sea has flooded over Babylon, covering her in crashing waves.
43 Ne nkurow bɛda mpan, nweatam a so awo, asase a obiara nte so, na obiara ntu kwan mfa so.
The towns of Babylonia are in ruins, turned into a dry desert wasteland where no one lives—no one even passes by.
44 Mɛtwe Bel aso wɔ Babilonia na mama wapuw nea wamene agu. Amanaman no rento santen nkɔ ne nkyɛn bio. Na Babilonia fasu bebubu.
I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will force him to spit out what he swallowed. People of other nations won't run to worship him anymore. Even Babylon's wall has fallen.
45 “Me nkurɔfo, mumfi ne mu! Muntu mmirika mpere mo nkwa! Munguan mfi Awurade abufuwhyew ano.
My people, come out of her! Each one of you, save yourselves from the Lord's furious anger.
46 Mommma mo koma ntu na munnsuro sɛ mote huhuhuhu wɔ asase no so a; huhuhuhu ba afe yi na foforo ba afe a ɛbɛba, basabasayɛ ho huhuhuhu wɔ asase no so ɛfa ɔhene a ɔsɔre tia ɔfoforo ho.
Don't lose courage, and don't be afraid when you hear different rumors going around the country. There'll be one rumor one year, and another one the next, talking about violent revolution, of one ruler fighting against another.
47 Na ampa ara bere no bɛba a mɛtwe Babilonia ahoni aso; nʼasase no nyinaa anim begu ase na nʼatɔfo nyinaa bɛtotɔ ase wɔ ne so.
Look, the time is coming when I will punish Babylon's idols. The whole country will be humiliated; it will be full of the dead bodies of those who have been killed.
48 Ɔsoro ne asase ne nea ɛwɔ mu nyinaa de ahosɛpɛw bɛteɛ mu agu Babilonia so, efisɛ ɔsɛefo befi atifi fam abɛtow ahyɛ ne so,” Awurade na ose.
Then everyone in heaven and on earth will celebrate with shouts of joy at what's happened to Babylon, because the destroyers from the north will come and attack her, declares the Lord.
49 “Ɛsɛ sɛ Babilonia hwe ase, esiane Israel atɔfo nti sɛnea atɔfo a wɔwɔ wiase nyinaa ahwehwe ase esiane Babilonia nti no.
Babylon has to fall because of the Israelites and people of other nations she killed.
50 Mo a mo aguan afi afoa ano, monkɔ, na monntwentwɛn mo nan ase! Monkae Awurade wɔ akyirikyiri asase so, na munnwen Yerusalem ho.”
Those of you who have managed to escape being killed, leave now! Don't delay! Remember the Lord in this far away place; think about Jerusalem.
51 “Wɔagu yɛn anim ase, efisɛ wayeyaw yɛn na fɛre akata yɛn anim, efisɛ ananafo ahyɛn Awurade fi kronkronbea ahorow hɔ.”
“We are embarrassed because we've been mocked, and we held our heads in shame because foreigners went into the holy places of the Lord's Temple,”
52 “Nanso nna bi reba,” Awurade na ose, “a mɛtwe nʼahoni aso, na nʼasase so nyinaa apirafo besi apini.
So keep watching, declares the Lord, because the time is coming when I will punish her for worshiping idols, and the sound of wounded people moaning will be heard throughout the country.
53 Sɛ Babilonia kɔka soro mpo, na omiamia nʼaban tenten bammɔ mu a, mɛsoma ɔsɛefo ne no abedi asi,” Awurade na ose.
Even if Babylon could climb up into the sky to strengthen her high fortresses, those I send to attack her will destroy her, declares the Lord.
54 “Osu nnyigyei bi fi Babilonia, ɔsɛe kɛse bi nnyigyei fi Babiloniafo asase so.
A cry comes from Babylon; the noise of terrible destruction comes from the country of Babylonia.
55 Awurade bɛsɛe Babilonia; ɔbɛma nʼasotuatua nnyigyei no agyae. Atamfo a wɔte sɛ ahum betu sɛ nsu akɛse; wɔn mmubomu bɛyɛ gyegyeegye.
For the Lord is going to destroy Babylon; he will put an end to her boastful talk. The waves of attacking army will roar like the crashing sea; the noise of their shouts will echo all around.
56 Ɔsɛefo bi bɛsɔre atia Babilonia; wɔbɛfa ne dɔmmarima nnommum na wobebubu wɔn tadua mu. Efisɛ Awurade yɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔhyɛ anan mu; obetua so ka pɛpɛɛpɛ.
A destroyer is coming to attack Babylon. Her soldiers will be taken prisoner, and their bows will be smashed, for the Lord is a God who punishes fairly; he will definitely pay them back.
57 Mɛma nʼadwumayɛfo ne nʼanyansafo abow nsa nʼamradonom, ne mpanyimfo ne dɔmmarima nso saa ara; wɔbɛdeda afebɔɔ a wɔrennyan,” sɛɛ na ɔhempɔn a ne din ne Asafo Awurade, no se.
I will make her leaders and wise men drunk, along with her commanders, officers, and soldiers. Then they will pass out, and won't ever wake up, declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
58 Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, se: “Wobedwiriw Babilonia afasu a ɛtrɛw no agu fam na wɔbɛto nʼapon atenten no mu gya; nnipa no haw wɔn ho kwa, ɔman no adwumayɛ ma ogya no dɛw mmom.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Babylon's massive walls will be knocked down to the ground and her high gates burned. All that the people worked for will be for nothing; other nations who came to help will wear themselves out, only to see what they've done go up in flames.
59 Eyi ne asɛm a Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Neria babarima Seraia a ɔyɛ adwumayɛfo panyin na ɔyɛ Maseia nena no, bere a ɔne Yudahene Sedekia kɔɔ Babilonia wɔ nʼadedi afe a ɛto so anan no mu.
This is the message that Jeremiah the prophet gave to Seraiah son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, when he accompanied King Zedekiah of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of Zedekiah's reign. Seraiah was the king's personal assistant.
60 Na Yeremia akyerɛw amanehunu a ɛbɛba Babilonia so no nyinaa agu nhoma mmobɔwee so, nea wakyerɛw a ɛfa Babilonia ho nyinaa.
Jeremiah had written on a scroll a description of all the disasters that would come to Babylon—all these words written here about Babylon.
61 Ɔka kyerɛɛ Seraia se, “Sɛ wudu Babilonia a, hwɛ sɛ wobɛkenkan saa nsɛm yi nyinaa sɛnea obiara bɛte.
Jeremiah told Seraiah, “When you arrive in Babylon, make sure you read out loud everything written here,
62 Afei ka se, ‘Awurade, woaka se wobɛsɛe beae yi sɛnea onipa anaa aboa biara rentumi ntena so; na ɛbɛda mpan afebɔɔ.’
and announce, ‘Lord, you have promised to destroy this place so that none will be left—no people or animals. In fact it will be deserted forever.’
63 Sɛ wokenkan nhoma mmobɔwee yi wie a, kyekyere fam ɔbo ho, na tow kyene Asubɔnten Eufrate mu.
After you finish reading this scroll out loud, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates.
64 Afei ka se, ‘Sɛɛ na Babilonia ne ne nkurɔfo bɛmem a wɔrensɔre bio, esiane amanehunu a mede bɛba ne so no nti.’” Yeremia nsɛm no awiei ni.
Then say, ‘This is how Babylon will sink and won't ever rise again, because of the disaster I'm bringing down on her. Her people will grow tired.’” This is the end of Jeremiah's messages.
