Yeremia 16

1 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:

Then the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,

2 “Ɛnsɛ sɛ wo ware na wowo mmammarima anaa mmammaa wɔ ha.”

“Do not take a wife for yourself, and do not have sons or daughters for yourself in this place.

3 Yei ne deɛ Awurade ka fa mmammarima ne mmammaa a wɔwo wɔn asase yi so mmaa a wɔyɛ wɔn maamenom ne mmarima a wɔyɛ wɔn agyanom no ho:

For Yahweh says this to the sons and daughters who are born in this place, to the mothers who bear them, and to the fathers who caused them to be born in this land,

4 “Owuyareɛ bɛkunkum wɔn. Wɔrensu wɔn na wɔrensie wɔn, mmom wɔbɛyɛ sɛ sumina a ɛgugu fam. Wɔbɛtotɔ akofena ano na ɛkɔm bɛkunkum wɔn na wɔn afunu bɛyɛ aduane ama ewiem nnomaa ne asase so mmoa.”

'They will die diseased deaths. They will not be mourned or buried. They will be like dung on the ground. For they will come to an end by sword and famine, and their corpses will be food for the birds of the skies and the beasts of the earth.'

5 “Nhyɛne efie a ayie yɛ apontoɔ wo mu; nkɔsu wɔn abia, na mma wɔn hyɛden, ɛfiri sɛ mayi me nhyira, me dɔ ne mʼahummɔborɔ afiri saa nnipa yi so,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

For the word of Yahweh came to me, saying, 'Do not enter a house where there is mourning. Do not go to mourn or to show sympathy for them, for I have taken away my peace from this people—this is Yahweh's declaration—and my steadfast love and mercy.

6 “Atitire ne mpapahwekwaa bɛwu wɔ asase yi so. Wɔrensie wɔn, na wɔrensu wɔn, na obiara remmɔ ne ho akam, na wɔn enti, obiara renyi ne ti mfa nkae wɔn.

Both the great and the small will die in this land. They will not be buried, and no one will mourn for them or cut themselves or shave their heads for them.

7 Obiara remma wɔn a wɔdi awufoɔ no ho awerɛhoɔ no aduane mfa nkyekye wɔn werɛ, owufoɔ no agya anaa ne maame mpo, na obiara mma wɔn nsã nso mfa nkyekye wɔn werɛ.

No one must share any food in mourning to comfort them because of the deaths, and none must give a comforting cup to his father or his mother in order to comfort them.

8 “Na nhyɛne efie a apontoɔ kɔ so wɔ mu nkɔtena ase, nnidi na nnom.

You must not go to a banquet house to sit with them in order to eat or drink.'

9 Na yei ne deɛ Awurade Otumfoɔ, Israel Onyankopɔn no seɛ: Wo nkwanna mu a, wʼani tua no, mede ahosɛpɛ ne anigyeɛ nnyegyeɛ, ayeforɔkunu ne ayeforɔyere ahosɛpɛ nne a ɛwɔ ha no, bɛba awieeɛ.

For Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, says this, 'See, before your eyes, in your days and in this place, I am about to put an end to the sound of joy and the sound of gladness, the sound of the groom and the sound of the bride.'

10 “Sɛ woka yeinom nyinaa kyerɛ saa nnipa yi na wɔbisa wo sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na Awurade abɔ mmɔm a ɛyɛ hu sei atia yɛn? Ɛdeɛn mfomsoɔ na yɛayɛ? Bɔne bɛn na yɛayɛ atia Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn’ a,

Then it will happen that you will report all these words to this people, and they will say to you, 'Why has Yahweh decreed all this great disaster against us? What is our iniquity and sin that we sinned against Yahweh our God?'

11 ɛnneɛ ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Ɛfiri sɛ mo agyanom gyaa me hɔ kɔdii anyame foforɔ akyi, kɔsom wɔn sɔree wɔn, Awurade asɛm nie. Wogyaa me na wɔanni me mmara so.

So say to them, 'Because your ancestors abandoned me—this is Yahweh's declaration—and they went after other gods and worshiped and bowed down to them. They abandoned me and have not kept my law.

12 Na mo deɛ, moayɛ amumuyɛsɛm asene mo agyanom. Monhwɛ sɛdeɛ mo mu biara di nʼakoma bɔne asoɔden akyi wɔ ɛberɛ a anka ɛsɛ sɛ ɔyɛ ɔsetie ma me.

But you yourselves have brought about more wickedness than your ancestors, for see, each person is walking by the stubbornness of his wicked heart; there is no one who listens to me.

13 Ɛno enti, mɛtu mo afiri saa asase yi so de mo akɔ asase a, mo anaa sɛ mo agyanom nnim so, na ɛhɔ mobɛsom anyame foforɔ awia ne anadwo, na merenhunu mo mmɔbɔ.’

So I will throw you from this land to a land that you have not known, neither you nor your ancestors, and you will worship other gods there by day and night, for I will not give any favor to you.'

14 “Nanso nna no reba,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “a nnipa renka bio sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi, deɛ ɔyii Israelfoɔ firii Misraim,’

Therefore, behold, the days are coming—this is Yahweh's declaration—when it will no longer be said, 'As Yahweh lives, the one who brought up the people of Israel from the land of Egypt.'

15 mmom wɔbɛka sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi deɛ ɔyii Israelfoɔ firii atifi fam asase ne aman a ɔtuu wɔn kɔɔ so nyinaa.’ Ɛfiri sɛ mɛsane de wɔn aba asase a mede maa wɔn tete agyanom no so.

but, 'As Yahweh lives, the one who brought up the people of Israel from the land of the north and from the lands where he had scattered them.' For I will bring them back to the land that I gave to their ancestors.

16 “Na seesei, mɛsoma apofofoɔ bebree a wɔbɛkyere wɔn.” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Ɛno akyi, mɛsoma akɔfa abɔmmɔfoɔ bebree a wɔbɛtaataa wɔn wɔ mmepɔ ne nkokoɔ nyinaa so ne abotan ntokuro mu.

Behold! I will send for many fishermen—this is Yahweh's declaration—so they will fish the people out. After this I will send for many hunters so they will hunt for them among all the mountains and hills, and in rock crevices.

17 Mʼani tua wɔn akwan nyinaa; ɛnsumaa me, na wɔn bɔne nso nhintaeɛ wɔ mʼani so.

For my eye is on all their ways; they cannot be hidden from before me. Their iniquity cannot be concealed from before my eyes.

18 Mɛtua wɔn amumuyɛ ne wɔn bɔne so ka mprenu, ɛfiri sɛ wɔde aniwudeɛ nsɛsodeɛ a ɛnni nkwa ne wɔn ahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwadeɛ abɛhyɛ mʼagyapadeɛ so ma de agu mʼasase ho fi.”

I will first pay back double for their iniquity and sin for their polluting of my land with their disgusting idol figures, and for their filling my inheritance with their disgusting idols.”

19 Ao Awurade, mʼahoɔden ne mʼaban, mʼahohia mu dwanekɔbea, wo nkyɛn na amanaman no bɛba wɔbɛfiri nsase ano aka sɛ, “Yɛn agyanom annya biribiara sɛ anyame huhuo, ahoni a wɔn ho nni mfasoɔ na wɔammoa wɔn.

Yahweh, you are my stronghold and my refuge, my place of safety in the day of distress. The nations will go to you from the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our ancestors inherited deceit. They are empty; there is no profit in them.

20 Nnipa yɛ wɔn ankasa anyame anaa? Aane, nanso wɔnyɛ nokorɛ anyame!”

Do people make gods for themselves? But they are not gods.”

21 “Ɛno enti mɛkyerɛkyerɛ wɔn, saa ɛberɛ yi deɛ mɛkyerɛ wɔn me tumi ne mʼahoɔden. Afei wɔbɛhunu sɛ me din ne Awurade.

Therefore see! I will cause them to know in this time, I will cause them to know my hand and my power, so they will know that Yahweh is my name.