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.

And these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah, the prophet, sent from Jerusalem to the remnant of the elders of the transmigration, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had led away 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.)

after king Jeconiah, with the queen, and the eunuchs, and the leaders of Judah and of Jerusalem, and the craftsmen and engravers, had departed 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:

It was sent by the hand of Elasah, the son of Shaphan, and by Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah, the king of Judah, sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, saying:

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

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all who have been taken away, whom I have caused to be transferred from Jerusalem to Babylon:

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

Build houses and live in them. And plant gardens, and eat from their fruit.

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 conceive sons and daughters. And give wives to your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, and let them bear sons and daughters. And be multiplied there, and do not choose to be few in number.

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.”

And seek the peace of the city, to which I have caused you to be taken away, and pray to the Lord on its behalf. For your peace will be in its peace.

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 thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not allow your prophets and your diviners, who are in your midst, to seduce you. And you should pay no attention to your dreams, which you are dreaming.

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

For they prophesy falsely to you in my name, and I have not sent them, says 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 thus says the Lord: When the seventy years will begin to be completed in Babylon, I will visit you. And I will raise up over you my good word, so that I may lead you back 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 thoughts that I think over you, says the Lord: thoughts of peace and not of affliction, so that I may give you patience and an end.

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

And you shall call upon me, and you shall go forth. And you shall pray to me, and I will heed you.

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

You shall seek me. And you will find me, when you have sought me with your whole 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.”

And I will be found by you, says the Lord. And I will lead you back from your captivity. And I will gather you from all the nations and all the places, to which I have expelled you, says the Lord. And I will return you from the place to which I sent you into captivity.

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

For you have said: ‘The Lord has raised up prophets for us 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,

For thus says the Lord, to the king who sits upon the throne of David, and to all the people who live in this city, to your brothers who have not departed with you in the transmigration:

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.

Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will send among them the sword, and famine, and pestilence. And I will make them like the bad figs, which cannot be eaten, because they are very bad.

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.

And I will pursue them with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence. And I will give them over to affliction, amid all the kingdoms of the earth: as a curse, and in stupor, and with hissing, and as a disgrace among all the nations to which I have driven them out.

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.

For they have not listened to my words, says the Lord, which I sent to them through my servants, the prophets, rising while it was still night, and sending. But you have not listened, says the Lord.

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

Therefore, listen to the word of the Lord, all you of the transmigration, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem into 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.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to Ahab, the son of Kolaiah, and to Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy falsely to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and he will strike them down before your 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.’

And a curse will be taken up about them, by all the captives of Judah that are in Babylon, saying: ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah, and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon fried 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 acted foolishly in Israel, and they have committed adultery with the wives of their friends, and they have spoken lying words in my name, which I did not command them. I am the Judge and the Witness, says the Lord.

24 Ka kyerɛ Nehelamni Semaia sɛ,

And to Shemaiah of Nehelam, you shall say:

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,

Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Similarly, you have sent letters in your name to all the people that are in Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying:

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 made you priest in place of Jehoiada, the priest, so that you would be the ruler in the house of the Lord over every man who raves and prophesies, to send him to the stocks and to prison.

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

And now why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesies to 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 about this, he has sent to us in Babylon, saying: It is a long time. Build houses and live in them. And plant gardens, and eat from their fruits.’”

29 Ɔsɔfoɔ Sefania kenkanee krataa no kyerɛɛ odiyifoɔ Yeremia.

Thus, Zephaniah, the priest, read this letter, in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Na Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia nkyɛn sɛ,

And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying:

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 to all those of the transmigration, saying: Thus says the Lord to Shemaiah of Nehelam: Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and because he has caused you to 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.

For this reason, thus says the Lord: Behold, I will visit upon Shemaiah of Nehelam, and upon his offspring. There will not be, for him, even one man sitting in the midst of this people. And he will not see the good that I will accomplish for my people, says the Lord. For he has spoken a betrayal against the Lord.”