Yeremia 13

1 Yei ne deɛ Awurade ka kyerɛɛ meɛ, “Kɔ na kɔtɔ nwera abɔsoɔ bɔ wʼasene, nanso mma no nka nsuo.”

Thus says the Lord to me: “Go, and obtain for yourself a linen waistcloth. And you shall place it over your loins, and you shall not put it into water.”

2 Enti, metɔɔ abɔsoɔ sɛdeɛ Awurade kyerɛeɛ no, na mede bɔɔ mʼasene mu.

And so I obtained a waistcloth, according to the word of the Lord, and I placed it around my loins.

3 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn ne mprenu so sɛ,

And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying:

4 “Fa abɔsoɔ a, wotɔeɛ a ɛbɔ wʼasene mu no, kɔ Eufrate ho seisei ara na fa kɔsie abotan tokuro no bi mu.”

“Take the waistcloth, which you obtained, which is around your loins, and, rising up, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in an opening of the rock.”

5 Enti, mede kɔsiee Eufrate ho, sɛdeɛ Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me no.

And so I went, and I hid it by the Euphrates, just as the Lord had instructed me.

6 Nna bebree akyi no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Afei kɔ Eufrate ho na kɔfa abɔsoɔ a meka kyerɛɛ wo sɛ fa kɔsie hɔ no.”

And it happened that, after many days, the Lord said to me: “Rise up, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the waistcloth, which I instructed you to hide there.”

7 Enti, mekɔɔ Eufrate ho kɔtuu abɔsoɔ no firii beaeɛ a, na mede asie hɔ no, nanso, na asu atete a ɛho nni mfasoɔ biara.

And so I went to the Euphrates, and I dug up and took the waistcloth from the place where I had hidden it. And behold, the waistcloth had rotted, so that it was not fit for any use.

8 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

9 “Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, ‘Saa ara na mɛsɛe Yuda ahantan ne Yerusalem ahantan kyɛneɛ no.

“Thus says the Lord: In the same way, I will cause the arrogance of Judah and the arrogance of Jerusalem to rot.

10 Saa amumuyɛfoɔ yi a wɔmpɛ sɛ wɔtie mʼasɛm na wɔdi wɔn akoma den akyi na wɔdi anyame foforɔ akyi som wɔn sɔre wɔn no, wɔbɛyɛ sɛ saa abɔsoɔ yi, na wɔn ho remma mfasoɔ biara!

This most wicked people, they are not willing to listen to my words, for they walk in the depravity of their own heart, and they have gone after strange gods, so as to serve them and to adore them. And so, they will become like this waistcloth, which is not fit for any use.

11 Sɛdeɛ abɔsoɔ kyekyere onipa asene mu no saa ara na mede Israel efie ne Yudafie nyinaa bataa me ho sɛ wɔnyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ a wɔbɛma me din so, aka mʼayɛyie na wɔahyɛ me animuonyam, nanso wɔntiee me,’ deɛ Awurade seɛ nie.

For just as the waistcloth clings to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me the entire house of Israel and the entire house of Judah, says the Lord, so that they would be to me: a people, and a name, and a praise, and a glory. But they did not listen.

12 “Ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ nie, Wɔmfa nsã nhyɛ nsã kotokuo biara ma.’ Na sɛ wɔka kyerɛ wo sɛ, ‘Yɛnim sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde nsã hyɛ nsã kotokuo biara ma a,’

Therefore, you shall speak to them this word: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Every bottle will be filled with wine.’ And they will say to you: ‘Are we ignorant that every bottle will be filled with wine?’

13 afei, ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Mede nsãborɔ bɛhyɛ wɔn a wɔtete asase yi so nyinaa ma, a ahemfo a wɔte Dawid ahennwa so, asɔfoɔ, adiyifoɔ ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem nyinaa ka ho.

And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings from the stock of David who sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, unto inebriation.

14 Mɛtoto wɔn abobɔ wɔn ho wɔn ho, agyanom ne mmammarima nyinaa, Awurade na ɔseɛ. Meremma ahummɔborɔ anaa ayamyɛ anaa ayamhyehyeɛ nsi ɔsɛe a merebɛsɛe wɔn no ho ɛkwan.’”

And I will scatter them, a man from his brother, and fathers and sons similarly, says the Lord. I will not spare them, and I will not pardon them, and I will not take pity, so as not to destroy them.”

15 Montie na monyɛ aso, na monnyɛ ahantan, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade akasa.

Hear and pay close attention. Do not choose to lift yourself up, for the Lord has spoken.

16 Monhyɛ Awurade mo Onyankopɔn, animuonyam ansa na wama esum aduru, ansa na mo nan asuntisunti wɔ nkokoɔ a ɛso reduru sum no so. Mo ani da hann so, nanso ɔbɛdane no esum kusuu na wɔasesa ayɛ no esum kabisii.

Give glory to the Lord your God, before darkness falls, and before your feet stumble on the darkened mountains. You will expect light, but he will turn it into the shadow of death and into utter darkness.

17 Nanso sɛ moantie a, mɛsu wɔ kɔkoam ɛsiane mo ahantan nti; mʼani bɛtetɛ nisuo, na nisuo adware me, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔbɛfa Awurade nnwankuo no akɔ nnommum mu.

But if you will not listen to this, then my soul will weep in secret before the face of your pride. It will weep bitterly, and my eyes will flow with tears, because the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.

18 Monka nkyerɛ ɔhene ne ɔhemmaa sɛ, “Momfiri mo ahennwa so nsi fam, na mo animuonyam ahenkyɛ bɛfiri mo tiri so.”

“Say to the king and to the female ruler: Humble yourselves, sit down. For the crown of your glory has gone down from your head.

19 Wɔbɛtoto Negeb nkuropɔn apono mu, na obiara nni hɔ a ɔbɛbuebue. Wɔbɛsoa Yudafoɔ akɔ sɛ atukɔfoɔ, wɔbɛtwa wɔn asuo koraa.

The cities of the south have been closed, and there is no one who may open them. All of Judah has been taken away into complete captivity.

20 Mo mpagya mo ani nhwɛ wɔn a wɔfiri atifi fam reba no. Nnwankuo a wɔde hyɛɛ mo nsa no, nnwan a mode wɔn hoahoaa mo ho wɔ he?

Lift up your eyes and see, you who are arriving from the north. Where is the flock that was given to you, your famous cattle?

21 Sɛ Awurade de wɔn a motetee wɔn sɛ mo apamfoɔ yɛ mo so atitire a ɛdeɛn na mobɛka? Na ɛrenyɛ mo yea sɛ ɔbaa a ɔreko awoɔ anaa?

What will you say when he visits upon you? For you have taught them against you, and you have instructed them with your own head. Will not pains take hold of you, as with a woman in labor?

22 Na sɛ wobɛbisa wo ho sɛ, “Adɛn enti na yei aba me so” a na ɛfiri wʼamumuyɛ bebrebe no. Ɛno enti na wɔatete wo fam atadeɛ mu ayɛ wo onipadua basaa no.

But if you say in your heart, ‘Why have these things happened to me?’ it is because of the greatness of your iniquity that your shame has been uncovered and the soles of your feet have been defiled.

23 Etiopiani bɛtumi asesa nʼahosuo anaa? Na ɔsebɔ nso bɛtumi asesa ne ho nsisimu no? Saa ara na worentumi nyɛ papa, wo a bɔneyɛ akokwa wo.

If the Ethiopian is able to change his skin, or the leopard is able to change his spots, then you also may be able to do well, though you have learned evil.

24 “Mɛbɔ mo ahwete sɛ ntɛtɛ a anweatam so mframa rebɔ no.

And I will scatter them like chaff, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.

25 Yei ne deɛ mobɛnya, mo kyɛfa a mahyɛ ama mo,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “ɛfiri sɛ, mo werɛ afiri me na mo de mo ho ato anyame huhuo so.

This is your lot, and this is the portion of your measure from me, says the Lord, because you have forgotten me, and you have had confidence in what is false.

26 Mɛpagya mo fam ntadeɛ abua mo anim na wɔahunu mo ahohora.

Therefore, I have even bared your thighs before your face, and your shame has been seen.

27 Mahunu mo awaresɛeɛ ne mo akɔnnɔ bɔne ne mo adwamammɔ a momfɛre ho! Mahunu mo akyiwadeɛ nneyɛeɛ wɔ nkokoɔ ne ɛserɛ so. Due Ao Yerusalem! Mmerɛ bɛn na wo ho bɛte?”

For I have seen your adulteries, and your neighing for the wickedness of your fornication, and your abominations upon the hills in the field. Woe to you, Jerusalem! How much longer before you will be made clean after me?”