Yeremia 9
1 Ao, sɛ me ti yɛ asuti, na mʼaniwa yɛ nusu abura a! Mɛtew nusu awia ne anadwo ama me nkurɔfo a wɔakunkum wɔn no.
If only my head could produce water, and my eyes be a fountain of tears! For I wish to weep day and night for those among the daughter of my people who have been killed.
2 Ao, sɛ mewɔ akwantufo asoɛe wɔ nweatam no so a anka megyaw me nkurɔfo hɔ na mafi wɔn nkyɛn; efisɛ wɔn nyinaa yɛ nguaman, nnipakuw a wonni nokware.
If only someone would give me a place for travelers in the wilderness to stay, where I could go to abandon my people. If only I could leave them, since all of them are adulterers, a band of traitors!
3 “Wosiesie wɔn tɛkrɛma te sɛ agyan de di atoro; Ɛnyɛ nokware so na wɔnam di yiye wɔ asase yi so. Wɔyɛ bɔne toatoa so; na wonnye me nto mu,” Awurade na ose.
Yahweh declares, “They tread on their bows of lies with their tongues, but it is not because of any faithfulness of theirs that they grow strong on the earth. They go from one wicked act to another. They do not know me.”
4 “Monhwɛ yiye wɔ mo nnamfonom ho; munnye obiara nni wɔ mo abusua mu. Efisɛ wɔn mu biara yɛ ɔdaadaafo, na adamfo biara yɛ ɔsɛefo.
Each of you, be on guard against your neighbor and do not trust in any brother. For every brother is certainly a deceiver, and every neighbor walks in slander.
5 Adamfo daadaa adamfo, na wɔn mu biara nka nokware. Wɔn tɛkrɛma akokwaw atorodi mu, wɔde bɔneyɛ haw wɔn ho.
Each man mocks his neighbor and does not speak the truth. Their tongues teach deceitful things. They are exhausted from committing iniquity.
6 Wote nnaadaa mfimfini; na wɔn nnaadaa mu wɔmpɛ sɛ wogye me to mu,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
Your dwelling is in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
7 Ɛno nti, sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se, “Hwɛ, mɛnan wɔn asɔ wɔn ahwɛ, na dɛn bio na metumi ayɛ esiane me nkurɔfo yi bɔne nti?
Yahweh of hosts says this, “See, I am about to refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of what my people have done?
8 Wɔn tɛkrɛma yɛ agyan a ano wɔ bɔre; ɛka nnaadaasɛm. Obiara kasa asomdwoe mu kyerɛ ne yɔnko, nanso ne koma mu de, osum no afiri.
Their tongues are sharpened arrows; they speak unfaithful things. With their mouths they proclaim peace with their neighbors, but with their hearts they lie in wait for them.
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 because of these things—this is Yahweh's declaration— and should I not avenge myself on a nation that is like this?
10 Mesu na metwa adwo ama mmepɔw no, mɛbɔ abubuw a ɛfa nweatam adidibea ho. Ayɛ fo na obi mfa hɔ bio, na wɔnte anantwi su wɔ hɔ. Wim nnomaa no atutu kɔ na mmoa no nso aguan kɔ.
I will sing a song of mourning and wailing for the mountains, and a funeral song will be sung for the meadows. For they are burned so no one can pass through them. They will not hear the sound of any cattle. The birds of the skies and the animals have all fled away.
11 “Mɛyɛ Yerusalem mmubui siw, sakraman atu; na mɛma Yuda nkurow ada mpan sɛnea obiara ntumi ntena hɔ.”
So I will turn Jerusalem into piles of ruins, a hideout for jackals. I will make Judah's cities ruined places without inhabitants.”
12 Onipa bɛn na onim nyansa ara sɛ ɔbɛte eyi ase? Hena na Awurade akyerɛkyerɛ no a obetumi akyerɛ ase? Adɛn nti na wɔasɛe asase no ama ada mpan sɛ nweatam a obiara ntumi mfa so?
What man is wise enough to understand this? To whom has the mouth of Yahweh spoken, and he will declare it? Why has the land perished and been destroyed like the wilderness that no one can pass through?
13 Awurade kae se, “Esiane sɛ wɔapo me mmara a mehyɛ maa wɔn no nti, wɔanyɛ osetie amma me na wɔanni me mmara so.
Yahweh says, “It is because they have abandoned my law that I set before them, because they do not listen to my voice or walk by it.
14 Mmom, wɔadi wɔn koma asoɔden akyi, wɔadi Baalnom akyi sɛnea wɔn agyanom kyerɛɛ wɔn no.”
It is because they have walked by their stubborn hearts and have followed the Baals as their fathers taught them to do.
15 Ɛno nti, nea Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn no se ni: “Hwɛ, mɛma saa nnipa yi adi aduan a ɛyɛ nwen na wɔanom nsu a wɔde awuduru afra.
Therefore Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, says this, 'See, I am about to make this people eat wormwood and drink poisonous water.
16 Mɛbɔ wɔn ahwete amanaman a wɔn anaa wɔn agyanom nnim so no so, na mede afoa bɛtaa wɔn kosi sɛ mɛsɛe wɔn.”
Then I will scatter them among the nations that they have not known, neither they nor their ancestors. I will send out a sword after them until I have completely destroyed them.'”
17 Sɛnea Awurade tumfo se ni: “Dwene ho! Frɛ mmea agyaadwotwafo no, frɛ wɔn a wɔakwadaw mu pa ara.
Yahweh of hosts says this, “Think about this: Summon funeral singers; let them come. Send out for women skilled at lamenting; let them come.
18 Ma wɔmmra ntɛm mmesu ngu yɛn so kosi sɛ yɛn ani so bɛtaa nusu na nusu aguare yɛn.
Let them hurry and sing a mournful song over us, so our eyes may run with tears and our eyelids flow with water.
19 Wɔte agyaadwotwa nnyigyei fi Sion se, ‘Wɔasɛe yɛn! Yɛn anim agu ase yiye! Ɛsɛ sɛ yetu fi yɛn asase so efisɛ yɛn afi abubu.’”
For the sound of wailing is heard in Zion, 'How we are devastated. We are greatly ashamed, for we have abandoned the land since they tore down our houses.'
20 Afei, mo mmea, muntie Awurade asɛm; monyɛ aso mma nsɛm a efi nʼanom. Monkyerɛ mo mmabea sɛnea wotwa dwo; monkyerɛ mo ho mo ho abubuwbɔ.
So you women, hear Yahweh's word; pay attention to the messages that come from his mouth. Then teach your daughters a mourning song, and each neighbor woman a funeral song.
21 Owu aforo afa yɛn mfɛnsere mu ahyɛn yɛn aban mu; apam mmofra afi mmɔnten so ne mmerante afi ɔman aguabɔbea.
For death has come through our windows; it goes into our palaces. It destroys children from outside, and young men in the city squares.
22 Ka se, “Sɛɛ Na Awurade se, “‘Nnipa afunu bɛdeda hɔ te sɛ sumina a egugu petee mu, te sɛ aburow a nnɔbaetwafo atwa agu nʼakyi a obiara mmoaboaa ano.’”
Declare this, 'This is Yahweh's declaration—the corpses of men will fall like dung in the fields, and like grain stalks after the reapers, and there will be no one to gather them.'”
23 Eyi ne nea Awurade se: “Mma onyansafo mfa ne nyansa nhyehyɛ ne ho anaa ɔhoɔdenfo mfa nʼahoɔden nhyehyɛ ne ho anaa ɔdefo mfa nʼahonya nhyehyɛ ne ho.
Yahweh says this, “Do not let the wise man take pride in his wisdom, or the warrior in his might. Do not let the wealthy man take pride in his riches.
24 Mmom ma nea ɔhyehyɛ ne ho nhyehyɛ ne ho sɛ ɔwɔ nhumu, na onim sɛ, me ne Awurade a ɔyɛ adɔe, na obu atɛntrenee na ɔyɛ adetrenee wɔ asase so, efisɛ eyinom na ɛsɔ mʼani,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
For if a man takes pride in anything, let it be in this, that he has insight and knows me. For I am Yahweh, who acts with covenant loyalty, justice and righteousness on earth. For it is in these that I take pleasure —this is Yahweh's declaration.”
25 “Nna no reba,” Awurade na ose, “A mɛtwe wɔn a wɔatwa twetia wɔ honam fam nko ara no nyinaa aso:
“See, days are coming—this is Yahweh's declaration—when I will punish all the circumcised who are such only in their body.
26 Misraimfo, Yudafo, Edomfo, Amonfo, Moabfo ne wɔn a wɔtete nweatam a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri nsase so nyinaa. Na nokware, saa aman yi nyinaa yɛ momonotofo na mpo Israelfi nyinaa yɛ koma mu momonotofo.”
I will punish Egypt and Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all the people who cut the hair on their heads very short. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel has an uncircumcised heart.”
