Yeremia 29

1 Yei ne krataa mu nsɛm a odiyifoɔ Yeremia twerɛ firii Yerusalem kɔmaa nnommumfoɔ no mu mpanimfoɔ nkaeɛ, asɔfoɔ, adiyifoɔ ne nnipa a wɔaka nyinaa a Nebukadnessar afa wɔn nnommum afiri Yerusalem akɔ Babilonia.

This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

2 (Yei yɛ ɛberɛ a ɔhene Yehoiakin ne ɔhemmaa no, asɛnniiɛ adwumayɛfoɔ, Yuda ne Yerusalem ntuanofoɔ, adwumfoɔ ahodoɔ nyinaa afiri Yerusalem akɔ nnommumfa mu no akyi.)

(This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)

3 Ɔde krataa no hyɛɛ Safan babarima Elasa ne Hilkia babarima Gemaria nsa, wɔn na Yudahene Sedekia somaa wɔn kɔɔ Ɔhene Nebukadnessar nkyɛn wɔ Babilonia. Krataa no mu nsɛm nie:

The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:

4 Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, ka kyerɛ wɔn a mema wɔfaa wɔn nnommum firi Yerusalem kɔɔ Babilonia no nyinaa:

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 “Monsisi afie, na momfa mmɔ atenaseɛ; monyɛ nturo na monni mu aba.

“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.

6 Monwareware, na monwowo mmammarima ne mmammaa. Monhwehwɛ yerenom mma mo mmammarima na momfa mo mmammaa nso mma awadeɛ, na wɔn nso nwowo mmammarima ne mmammaa. Monnɔre wɔ hɔ na mo so ante.

Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.

7 Afei, monhwehwɛ kuropɔn a mema wɔtuu mo kɔtenaa so no asomdwoeɛ ne yiedie. Mommɔ Awurade mpaeɛ mma no, ɛfiri sɛ ne yiedie mu na mo nso mobɛdi yie.”

Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

8 Aane, yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ: “Mommma adiyifoɔ ne nkɔmhyɛfoɔ a wɔwɔ mo mu no nnaadaa mo. Monntie wɔn adaeɛ a mohyɛ wɔn nkuran ma wɔsoso no.

For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.

9 Wɔhyɛ nkɔntorɔ wɔ me din mu. Mensomaa wɔn,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”

10 Deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Sɛ mosom Babilonia mfeɛ aduɔson a, mɛba abɛhwɛ mo na mɛma mʼadom mu bɔhyɛ sɛ mede mo bɛba ha bio no aba mu.

For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.

11 Menim nhyehyɛeɛ a mewɔ ma mo,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “Nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛde mo bɛsi yie na ɛrenha mo, nhyehyɛeɛ a ɛbɛma mo anidasoɔ ne awieeɛ pa.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.

12 Afei mobɛfrɛ me na moaba abɛbɔ me mpaeɛ, na mɛtie mo.

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

13 Mobɛhwehwɛ me na mobɛhunu me, sɛ mode mo akoma nyinaa hwehwɛ me dea.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

14 Mobɛhunu me,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “na mɛyi mo afiri nkoasom mu de mo asane aba. Mɛboaboa mo ano afiri amanaman ne beaeɛ a mepamoo mo kɔɔ so no nyinaa,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “na mede mo bɛsane aba baabi a metuu mo firi kɔɔ nnommum mu no bio.”

I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”

15 Mobɛka sɛ, “Awurade ama yɛn adiyifoɔ wɔ Babilonia,”

Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”

16 nanso, sei na Awurade ka fa ɔhene a ɔte Dawid ahennwa so ne nnipa a wɔaka wɔ kuropɔn no mu nyinaa, mo manfoɔ a wɔne mo ankɔ nnommumfa mu no,

this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—

17 aane, yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ: “Mɛma akofena, ɛkɔm ne yaredɔm aba wɔn so, na wɔayɛ sɛ borɔdɔma a asɛeɛ enti wɔntumi nni.

this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.

18 Mede akofena, ɛkɔm ne yaredɔm bɛti wɔn, na mɛyɛ wɔn atantanneɛ ama ahennie a ɛwɔ asase no so nyinaa, ne nnome ne ahodwiredeɛ, fɛdideɛ ne animtiabudeɛ wɔ amanaman a mepamoo wɔn kɔɔ so no mu.

I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.

19 Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔantie me nsɛm,” sei na Awurade seɛ, “nsɛm a mede somaa mʼasomfoɔ adiyifoɔ mpɛn bebree baa mo nkyɛn. Na mo nnommumfoɔ nso antie,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”

20 Afei montie Awurade asɛm, mo nnommumfoɔ a mama mo afiri Yerusalem akɔ Babilonia no nyinaa.

So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn ka fa Kolaia babarima Ahab ne Maaseia babarima Sedekia a wɔde me din rehyɛ mo nkɔmtorɔ no ho nie: “Mede wɔn bɛhyɛ Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar nsa, na wakum wɔn wɔ mo anim.

This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.

22 Esiane wɔn enti, Yuda nnommumfoɔ a wɔwɔ Babilonia nyinaa de saa nnome yi bɛdome sɛ: ‘Awurade nyɛ wo sɛ, Sedekia ne Ahab a Babiloniahene hyee wɔn wɔ ogya mu no.’

Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’

23 Na wɔayɛ akyiwadeɛ a ɛboro so wɔ Israel: wɔne wɔn yɔnkonom yerenom adeda de asɛe awadeɛ, na wɔde me din adi atorɔ a mennka nkyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnyɛ. Menim na medi ho adanseɛ,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”

24 Ka kyerɛ Nehelamni Semaia sɛ,

You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that

25 “Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ: Watwerɛ krataa wɔ wo din mu akɔma nnipa a wɔwɔ Yerusalem nyinaa, ɔsɔfoɔ Maaseia babarima Sefania, ne asɔfoɔ a aka no nyinaa. Woka kyerɛɛ Sefania sɛ,

this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:

26 ‘Awurade ahyɛ wo ɔsɔfoɔ asi Yehoiada anan mu sɛ hwɛ Awurade efie no so; Ɛsɛ sɛ wode nkɔnsɔnkɔnsɔn ne dadeɛ kɔnnua gu obiara a wabɔ dam na ɔyɛ ne ho sɛ odiyifoɔ.

‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.

27 Afei adɛn enti na wontwi Yeremia a ɔfiri Anatot a ɔyɛ ne ho sɛ odiyifoɔ wɔ mo mu no anim?

So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?

28 Ɔde saa nkra yi abrɛ yɛn wɔ Babilonia: Ɛbɛkyɛ. Ɛno enti monsisi afie mfa mmɔ atenaseɛ; monyɛ nturo na monni emu aba.’”

For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”

29 Ɔsɔfoɔ Sefania kenkanee krataa no kyerɛɛ odiyifoɔ Yeremia.

(Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)

30 Na Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia nkyɛn sɛ,

Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

31 “Fa saa nkra yi kɔma nnommumfoɔ no nyinaa sɛ, ‘Yei ne deɛ Awurade ka fa Nehelamni Semaia ho: Esiane sɛ wahyɛ mo nkɔm a mpo mansoma no, na wama moagye atorɔ adi enti,

“Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,

32 deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: Nokorɛm, mɛtwe Nehelamni Semaia ne nʼasefoɔ aso. Ɔrennya obiara a ɔbɛka wɔ saa nkurɔfoɔ yi mu, na ɔrenhunu nneɛma pa a mɛyɛ ama me nkurɔfoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ waka atuateɛ nsɛm atia me,’” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”