Yeremia 18
1 Yei ne Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Yeremia nkyɛn.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2 “Kɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie, na ɛhɔ na mede mʼasɛm no bɛma wo.”
“Go down at once to the potter’s house, and there I will reveal My message to you.”
3 Ɛno enti, mekɔɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie na mehunuu no sɛ, ɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ ne ntwahodeɛ so.
So I went down to the potter’s house and saw him working at the wheel.
4 Nanso kukuo a na ɔde dɔteɛ no reyɛ ho adwuma no sɛeɛ wɔ ne nsa mu; ɛno enti ɔnwomfoɔ no yɛɛ kukuo foforɔ, sɛdeɛ ɛyɛ pa ara ma no.
But the vessel that he was shaping from the clay became flawed in his hand; so he formed it into another vessel, as it seemed best for him to do.
5 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
6 “Ao, Israel fiefoɔ, merentumi nyɛ mo sɛdeɛ ɔnwomfoɔ yi yɛ anaa?” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Sɛdeɛ dɔteɛ teɛ wɔ ɔnwomfoɔ nsa mu no, saa ara na moteɛ wɔ me nsa mu, Ao Israel fiefoɔ.
“O house of Israel, declares the LORD, can I not treat you as this potter treats his clay? Just like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.
7 Sɛ ɛberɛ biara meka sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtutu ɔman bi anaa ahennie bi ase, dwerɛ wɔn, sɛe wɔn a,
At any time I might announce that a nation or kingdom will be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.
8 na sɛ ɔman a mebɔɔ no kɔkɔ no sakra firi ne bɔne ho a, mɛsesa mʼadwene na meremfa amanehunu a mesusuiɛ sɛ me de bɛba wɔn so mma bio.
But if that nation I warned turns from its evil, then I will relent of the disaster I had planned to bring.
9 Na sɛ mmerɛ foforɔ bi meka sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkyekyere ɔman anaa ahennie bi gye no si hɔ,
And if at another time I announce that I will build up and establish a nation or kingdom,
10 na sɛ ɔyɛ bɔne wɔ mʼani so na wanyɛ ɔsetie amma me a, ɛnneɛ mesane adwene papa a mepɛɛ sɛ meyɛ noɔ no ho.
and if it does evil in My sight and does not listen to My voice, then I will relent of the good I had intended for it.
11 “Na afei ka kyerɛ Yudafoɔ ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: Hwɛ! Mede amanehunu reba mo so, na mereyɛ nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛtia mo. Ɛno enti mo mu biara nnane mfiri nʼakwammɔne so na monsiesie mo akwan ne mo nneyɛɛ.’
Now therefore, tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem that this is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I am planning a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways, and correct your ways and deeds.’
12 Nanso wɔbɛbua sɛ, ‘Ɛho nni mfasoɔ. Yɛbɛkɔ so adi yɛn ara yɛn nhyehyɛeɛ so; yɛn mu biara bɛyɛ asoɔden a ɛfiri nʼakoma bɔne mu.’”
But they will reply, ‘It is hopeless. We will follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’”
13 Ɛno enti deɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “Mommisa wɔ amanaman no mu sɛ, hwan na wate biribi sɛi pɛn? Ɔbaabunu Israel ayɛ adeɛ bi a ɛyɛ hu yie.
Therefore this is what the LORD says: “Inquire among the nations: Who has ever heard things like these? Virgin Israel has done a most terrible thing.
14 Sukyerɛmma a ɛwɔ Lebanon nane firi nsaneɛ mu abotan no so anaa? Nsuo wiridudu a nʼatifi wɔ akyirikyiri gyae sene anaa?
Does the snow of Lebanon ever leave its rocky slopes? Or do its cool waters flowing from a distance ever run dry?
15 Nanso, me nkurɔfoɔ werɛ afiri me. Wɔhye nnuhwam ma ahoni huhuo, a ɛma wɔn suntisunti wɔ wɔn akwan so ne tete atempɔn so. Wɔma wɔfa akwan nkyɛn ne akwan a wɔmmɔeɛ so.
Yet My people have forgotten Me. They burn incense to worthless idols that make them stumble in their ways, leaving the ancient roads to walk on rutted bypaths instead of on the highway.
16 Wɔn asase bɛda mpan, na ayɛ adeɛ a wɔbɛbu no animtia daa; wɔn a wɔtwam hɔ no ho bɛdwiri wɔn na wɔbɛwosowoso wɔn ti.
They have made their land a desolation, a perpetual object of scorn; all who pass by will be appalled and shake their heads.
17 Mɛbɔ wɔn ahwete wɔ wɔn atamfoɔ anim te sɛ deɛ apueeɛ mframa yɛ no. Mɛdane mʼakyi akyerɛ wɔn, na ɛnyɛ mʼanim, wɔ wɔn amanehunu da no.”
I will scatter them before the enemy like the east wind. I will show them My back and not My face in the day of their calamity.”
18 Wɔkaa sɛ, “Mommra mma yɛmfa adwene ntia Yeremia; yɛremma asɔfoɔ no anaa anyansafoɔ no anaa adiyifoɔ no nkyerɛkyerɛ no nyera. Mommra na yɛntu yɛn ano ngu ne so a yɛnntie deɛ ɔbɛka biara.”
Then some said, “Come, let us make plans against Jeremiah, for the law will never be lost to the priest, nor counsel to the wise, nor an oracle to the prophet. Come, let us denounce him and pay no heed to any of his words.”
19 Yɛ aso ma me, Ao, Awurade; tie deɛ wɔn a wɔpam me tiri so reka!
Attend to me, O LORD. Hear what my accusers are saying!
20 Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde bɔne tua papa so ka anaa? Nanso wɔatu amena ama me. Kae sɛ megyinaa wʼanim na mekasa maa wɔn sɛdeɛ wobɛyi wʼabufuhyeɛ afiri wɔn so.
Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.
21 Ɛno enti, ma ɛkɔm nne wɔn mma; yi wɔn ma akofena. Ma wɔn yerenom nyɛ abonini ne akunafoɔ; ma wɔnkunkum wɔn mmarima na wɔmfa akofena nkunkum wɔn mmeranteɛ wɔ ɔko mu.
Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
22 Ma wɔnte osu wɔ wɔn afie mu ɛberɛ a atamfoɔ atu wɔn so sa mpofirim, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔatu amena ama me, na wɔasumsum me nan mfidie.
Let a cry be heard from their houses when You suddenly bring raiders against them, for they have dug a pit to capture me and have hidden snares for my feet.
23 Nanso wonim Ao, Awurade, ɛpɔ a wɔabɔ nyinaa sɛ wɔbɛkum me. Mfa wɔn nsɛmmɔne nkyɛ wɔn, na nyi wʼani mfiri wɔn bɔne so. Ma wɔnni nkoguo wɔ wʼanim; na wo ne wɔn nni wɔ wʼabofuo mu.
But You, O LORD, know all their deadly plots against me. Do not wipe out their guilt or blot out their sin from Your sight. Let them be overthrown before You; deal with them in the time of Your anger.
