< Yeremia 18 >

1 Yei ne Awurade asɛm a ɛbaa Yeremia nkyɛn.
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 “Kɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie, na ɛhɔ na mede mʼasɛm no bɛma wo.”
“Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear my words.”
3 Ɛno enti, mekɔɔ ɔnwomfoɔ no efie na mehunuu no sɛ, ɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ ne ntwahodeɛ so.
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making something on the wheels.
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.
When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
5 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn sɛ:
Then the LORD’s word 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.
“House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.
7 Sɛ ɛberɛ biara meka sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtutu ɔman bi anaa ahennie bi ase, dwerɛ wɔn, sɛe wɔn a,
At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it,
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.
if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.
9 Na sɛ mmerɛ foforɔ bi meka sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkyekyere ɔman anaa ahennie bi gye no si hɔ,
At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,
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.
if they do that which is evil in my sight, that they not obey my voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would benefit them.
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, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, ‘The LORD says: “Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a plan against you. Everyone return from his evil way now, and amend your ways and your doings.”’
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 say, ‘It is in vain; for we will walk after our own plans, and we will each follow 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 the LORD says: “Ask now amongst the nations, ‘Who has heard such things?’ The virgin of Israel has done a very horrible thing.
14 Sukyerɛmma a ɛwɔ Lebanon nane firi nsaneɛ mu abotan no so anaa? Nsuo wiridudu a nʼatifi wɔ akyirikyiri gyae sene anaa?
Will the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of the field? Will the cold waters that flow down from afar be dried up?
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.
For my people have forgotten me. They have burnt incense to false gods. They have been made to stumble in their ways in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up,
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.
to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished, and shake his head.
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 as with an east wind before the enemy. I will show them the back, and not the 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 they said, “Come! Let’s devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law won’t perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let’s strike him with the tongue, and let’s not give heed to any of his words.”
19 Yɛ aso ma me, Ao, Awurade; tie deɛ wɔn a wɔpam me tiri so reka!
Give heed to me, LORD, and listen to the voice of those who contend with me.
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 evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember how I stood before you to speak good for them, to turn away 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 deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives become childless and widows. Let their men be killed and their young men struck 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 bring a troop suddenly on them; for they have dug a pit to take me and 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.
Yet, LORD, you know all their counsel against me to kill me. Don’t forgive their iniquity. Don’t blot out their sin from your sight, Let them be overthrown before you. Deal with them in the time of your anger.

< Yeremia 18 >