Yeremia 13

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

Thus said the Lord unto me, Go and buy thee a linen girdle, and put it around thy loins, and lay it not in water.

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

So I bought the girdle, according to the word of the Lord, and put it around my loins.

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

And the word of the Lord came unto me the 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 girdle that thou hast bought, which is around thy loins; and arise, go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.

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

So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord has commanded 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 came to pass at the end of many days, that the Lord said unto me, Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from there the girdle, which I commanded thee 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 I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and took the girdle from the place where I had hidden it: and, behold, the girdle was spoiled, it was useful for nothing.

8 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ,

Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying,

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

Thus hath said the Lord, After this manner will I destroy the pride of Judah, and the pride of Jerusalem, which is great.

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!

And this bad people, who refuse to hearken to my words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and have followed other gods, to serve them, and to bow down to them, shall even be as this girdle which is useful for nothing.

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 as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so had I caused to cleave unto me all the house of Israel and all the house of Judah, saith the Lord, —to become unto me a people, and [to be] for a name, and for praise, and for honor; but they would not hear.

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 shalt thou say unto them this word, Thus hath said the Lord the God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and when they will say unto thee, Do we not know full well that every bottle shall 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.

Then shalt thou say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit after David upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.

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 dash them one against the other, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the Lord: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, so as not to destroy them.

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

Hear ye, and bend your ear: be not proud; for the Lord hath 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 unto the Lord your God glory, before he cause darkness, and before your feet strike upon the mountains of twilight, and [where], while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and change it into gross 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 ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places because of [your] pride; and my eye shall weep sorely, and run down with tears, because the flock of the Lord is driven away captive.

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

Say unto the king and to the queen-mother, Sit down very lowly; for sunk down are your head-attires, the crown of your ornament.

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 are shut up, and there is no one to open them: Judah is carried away into exile altogether, it is carried into exile completely.

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 those that are coming from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy splendid flock?

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 wilt thou say when he will punish thee? since thou hast accustomed them to be over thee captains, and chiefs? shall not pangs seize upon thee, as on a woman in travail?

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.

And if thou wilt say in thy heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts laid open, thy heels are made bare violently.

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.

Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? [then] may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

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

Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away before the wind of the wilderness.

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 thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the Lord; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

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

Therefore do I also strip up thy skirts over thy face, that thy shame may be 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?”

Thy adulteries and thy loud shoutings, the lewdness of thy incest, thy abominations on the hills in the fields have I seen. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean after ever so long a time.