Amos 5

1 Tie asɛm yi, mo Israelfoɔ, saa mmenabɔ yi fa mo ho:

Listen to this word which I take up for a lamentation over you, O house of Israel:

2 “Ɔbabunu Israel ahwe ase a ɔrensɔre bio, wɔapo no ɔno ara asase so, na ɔnni obi a ɔbɛpagya no.”

“The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up.”

3 Deɛ Otumfoɔ Awurade seɛ nie: “Kuropɔn a ɔde mmarima ahoɔdenfoɔ apem ko ma Israel no, emu ɔha pɛ na ɛbɛka; Kuro a ɔde ahoɔdenfoɔ ɔha no, emu edu pɛ na ɛbɛka.”

For the Lord GOD says: “The city that went out a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which went out one hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel.”

4 Deɛ Awurade ka kyerɛ Israelfoɔ nie: “Monhwehwɛ me na monnya nkwa;

For the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek me, and you will live;

5 Monnhwehwɛ Bet-El, monnkɔ Gilgal, na monntu ɛkwan nkɔ Beer-Seba nso. Ampa ara Gilgal bɛkɔ nnommumfa mu na wɔbɛhwe Bet-El ase koraa.”

but do not seek Bethel, nor enter into Gilgal, and do not pass to Beersheba; for Gilgal shall surely go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.

6 Monhwehwɛ Awurade na monnya nkwa, anyɛ saa a ɔbɛpra Yosef efie te sɛ ogya; ɛbɛhye, na Bet-El rennya obi nnum no.

Seek the LORD, and you will live, lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and it devour, and there be no one to quench it in Bethel.

7 Mo a moma atemmuo yɛ nwono na mototo tenenee ase.

You who turn justice to wormwood, and cast down righteousness to the earth!

8 Deɛ ɔbɔɔ nsoromma, Akokɔbaatan ne ne mma, deɛ ɔdane esum yɛ no adekyeeɛ na ɔma awia dane adesaeɛ. Deɛ ɔboaboa ɛpo mu nsuo ano na ɔhwie gu asase so, ne din ne Awurade.

Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns the shadow of death into the morning, and makes the day dark with night; who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name,

9 Ɔsɛe abandenden ntɛm so na ɔbubu kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban nso,

who brings sudden destruction on the strong, so that destruction comes on the fortress.

10 motane deɛ ɔtenetene wɔ asɛnniiɛ na mobu deɛ ɔka nokorɛ animtiaa.

They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

11 Motiatia ohiani so na mohyɛ no gye aduane firi ne nkyɛn. Enti, ɛwom sɛ mode aboɔ a wɔatwa asisi afie akɛseɛ deɛ, nanso morentena mu; ɛwom sɛ moayɛ bobe nturo a ɛyɛ fɛ deɛ nanso morennom emu nsã.

Therefore, because you trample on the poor and take taxes from him of wheat, you have built houses of cut stone, but you will not dwell in them. You have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.

12 Na menim mo mmarato dodoɔ ne mo bɔne akɛseɛ no. Mohyɛ teneneefoɔ so na mogye adanmudeɛ mobu ahiafoɔ ntɛnkyea wɔ asɛnniiɛ.

For I know how many are your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

13 Ɛno enti, ɔnyansafoɔ yɛ komm saa mmerɛ yi mu, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ mmerɛ bɔne.

Therefore a prudent person keeps silent in such a time, for it is an evil time.

14 Monhwehwɛ papa, na moanya nkwa na ɛnyɛ bɔne. Na Asafo Awurade Onyankopɔn bɛka wo ho, sɛdeɛ moka sɛ ɔyɛ no.

Seek good, and not evil, that you may live; and so the LORD, the God of Armies, will be with you, as you say.

15 Monkyiri bɔne, na monnɔ papa; Monni atɛn tenenee wɔ asɛnniiɛ. Ebia, Asafo Awurade Onyankopɔn bɛnya ahummɔborɔ ama Yosef nkaeɛfoɔ.

Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that the LORD, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

16 Enti deɛ Awurade, Asafo Awurade Onyankopɔn seɛ nie: “Mmenabɔ bɛba mmorɔno nyinaa so na ɔyea ne apinisie bɛba mmɔntene so. Wɔbɛfrɛ akuafoɔ ama wɔabɛsu na agyamfoɔ abɛtwa adwo.

Therefore the LORD, the God of Armies, the Lord, says: “Wailing will be in all the wide ways. They will say in all the streets, ‘Alas! Alas!’ They will call the farmer to mourning, and those who are skillful in lamentation to wailing.

17 Wɔbɛbɔ mmena wɔ bobeturo nyinaa mu, ɛfiri sɛ mɛnante mo mu,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.

In all vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through the middle of you,” says the LORD.

18 Nnome nka wɔn a wɔpɛ sɛ Awurade da no ba! Deɛn enti na mopɛ sɛ Awurade da no ba? Saa ɛda no bɛyɛ esum, na ɛnnyɛ hann.

“Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light.

19 Ɛbɛyɛ te sɛ ɔnipa a ɔdwane firi gyata anim na ɔkohyia sisire, sɛ deɛ owura ne fie de ne nsa to ɔfasuo so, na ɔwɔ ka no.

As if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall, and a snake bit him.

20 Na Awurade da no bɛyɛ esum; ɛrenyɛ hann, ɛbɛyɛ esum kabii a ɛhan nsensaneɛ biara nni mu.

Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? Even very dark, and no brightness in it?

21 “Mekyiri na mepo mo nyamesom mu apontoɔ; mʼani nnye mo afahyɛ nhyiamu ho.

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I cannot stand your solemn assemblies.

22 Ɛwom sɛ mode ɔhyeɛ afɔdeɛ ne aduane afɔdeɛ brɛ me deɛ, nanso merennye. Mode asomdwoeɛ afɔdeɛ brɛ me nanso mʼani rensɔ.

Yes, though you offer me your burnt offerings and meal offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat animals.

23 Momfa mo nnwontoɔ gyegyeegye no mfiri me so! Merentie mo asankuten so nnwom.

Take away from me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps.

24 Mmom, momma atɛntenenee ntene sɛ asubɔnten, na tenenee nyɛ sɛ asutene a ɛrenwe da!

But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.

25 “Israelfoɔ, ɛnyɛ me na mode afɔrebɔdeɛ ne ayɛyɛdeɛ brɛɛ me mfeɛ aduanan wɔ ɛserɛ so anaa?

“Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, house of Israel?

26 Mode mo ho nyinaa ato Molek nyame, ne mo honi Rɛfan so; wɔyɛ ahoni a moayɛ sɛ mobɛsom wɔn.

You also carried the tent of your king and the shrine of your images, the star of your god, which you made for yourselves.

27 Ɛno enti, mɛtwa mo asuo akɔ Damasko nohoa,” sɛdeɛ Awurade a ne din ne Onyankopɔn Otumfoɔ seɛ nie.

Therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus,” says the LORD, whose name is the God of Armies.