< Yeremia 3 >

1 “Sɛ ɔbarima gyaa ne yere na ɔbaa no kɔware ɔbarima foforɔ a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no sane kɔ ɔbaa no nkyɛn anaa? Ɛremma asase no ho ngu fi koraa anaa? Nanso, wo ne adɔfoɔ bebree abɔ adwaman, na seesei deɛ wobɛsane aba me nkyɛn anaa?” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
They say, If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and become another man's, will he return to her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou have played the harlot with many lovers. Yet return again to me, says Jehovah.
2 “Ma wʼani so hwɛ nkokoɔ no so. Baabi wɔ hɔ a wɔntoo wo monnaa da anaa? Wotenaa kwankyɛn twɛnee adɔfoɔ, wotenaa sɛ mmoahwɛfoɔ a wɔdi atutena wɔ anweatam so. Woagu asase no ho fi wode wʼadwamammɔ ne wʼamumuyɛ na ayɛ.
Lift up thine eyes to the bare heights, and see. Where have thou not been lain with? By the ways thou have sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness, and thou have polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
3 Enti wɔatwe obosuo asan, na osutɔberɛ nsuo antɔ. Nanso wʼanim ayɛ sɛ odwamanfoɔ a ɔmfɛre hwee; wʼani nwu hwee.
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there has been no latter rain. Yet thou have a harlot's forehead; thou refused to be ashamed.
4 Nanso, woka kyerɛ me sɛ: ‘Mʼagya, mʼadamfo firi me mmabunuberɛ mu,
Will thou not from this time cry to me, My Father, thou are the guide of my youth?
5 wobo bɛfu biribiara anaa? Wʼabofuhyeɛ no bɛkɔ so daa anaa?’ Sei na wokasa, nanso woyɛ bɔne nyinaa sɛdeɛ wotumi.”
Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou have spoken, and have done evil things, and have had thy way.
6 Ɔhene Yosia adedie berɛ so no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Woahunu deɛ Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no ayɛ? Wakɔ nkokoɔ nyinaa so ne dua adendan nyinaa ase akɔsɛe awadeɛ wɔ hɔ.
Moreover Jehovah said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have thou seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot.
7 Mesusuu sɛ, anka wayɛ yeinom nyinaa akyi no, ɔbɛsane aba me nkyɛn, nanso wamma, na ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔno nso nka nokorɛ no hunuiɛ.
And I said after she had done all these things, She will return to me, but she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 Memaa Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no awaregyaeɛ nwoma na mepamoo no ɛsiane nʼawaresɛe abrabɔ. Nanso mehunuu sɛ ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔnni nokorɛ no ansuro; ɔno nso kɔbɔɔ awaresɛeɛ bra.
And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not, but she also went and played the harlot.
9 Esiane sɛ Israel adwamammɔ anyɛ no asɛm hia enti, ɔde efi kaa asase no na ɔne aboɔ ne nnua bɔɔ adwaman.
And it came to pass through the frivolity of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
10 Yeinom nyinaa akyi no, ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔnni nokorɛ no ansane nʼakyi nokorɛm amma me nkyɛn. Ɔde nʼanim na ɛkyerɛeɛ,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not returned to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says Jehovah.
11 Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no tene sene Yuda nkontompo ni.
And Jehovah said to me, Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
12 Kɔ, fa wʼani kyerɛ atifi fam kɔka saa nsɛm yi kyerɛ wɔn: “‘Sane wʼakyi, Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ,’ Sei na Awurade seɛ, ‘Meremmuna nkyerɛ wo bio, ɛfiri sɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufoɔ,’ sei na Awurade seɛ, ‘Me bo renfu afebɔɔ.
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, says Jehovah, I will not look in anger upon you, for I am merciful, says Jehovah. I will not keep anger forever.
13 Gye wo afɔdie to mu, woayɛ dɔm atia Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, woakyekyɛ wʼadɔeɛ mu ama ananafoɔ anyame wɔ dua biara a adendan ase, na woanyɛ ɔsetie amma me,’” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou have transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and have scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, says Jehovah.
14 “Monsane mo akyi, mo akyirisanfoɔ,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “ɛfiri sɛ meyɛ mo kunu. Mɛyi wo; ɔbaako bɛfiri kuro mu na mmienu afiri abusuakuo mu, na mede mo aba Sion.
Return, O backsliding sons, says Jehovah, for I am a husband to you. And I will take you, one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
15 Afei mɛma mo nnwanhwɛfoɔ a wɔda mʼakoma so, wɔn a wɔde nimdeɛ ne nteaseɛ bɛkyerɛ mo ɛkwan.
And I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
16 Saa nna no mu, sɛ mo dɔɔso bebree wɔ asase no so a,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “nnipa renka bio sɛ, ‘Awurade yɛn ani agyina apam adaka no.’ Ɛremma wɔn adwene mu anaa wɔrenka saa bio; na wɔrenyɛ apam adaka foforɔ nso.
And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, says Jehovah, they shall no more say, The ark of the covenant of Jehovah, nor shall it come to mind. Neither shall they remember it, nor shall they miss it. Neither shall it be made any more.
17 Saa ɛberɛ no, wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Awurade Ahennwa, na amanaman nyinaa bɛhyia wɔ Yerusalem abɛkamfo Awurade din. Na wɔrenni wɔn akoma bɔne a ɛma wɔn yɛ asoɔden no akyi bio.
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem. Neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18 Saa nna no mu, Yudafie bɛka Israel efie ho, na wɔabɔ mu afiri atifi fam asase bi so aba asase a mede maa mo agyanom sɛ agyapadeɛ no so.
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.
19 “Mʼankasa mekaa sɛ, ‘Anka ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mɛyɛ mo sɛ mma na mama mo asase a ɛyɛ, agyapadeɛ a ɛdi mu ma ɔman biara.’ Mesusuiɛ sɛ mobɛfrɛ me ‘Agya’ na monnane mo ho mfiri mʼakyi.
But I said, How I will put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations! And I said, Ye shall call me My Father, and shall not turn away from following me.
20 Nanso, sɛdeɛ ɔbaa a ɔnni ne kunu nokorɛ no, saa ara na moanni me nokorɛ, Ao Israel efie,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so ye have dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, says Jehovah.
21 Wɔte esu bi wɔ nkokoɔ no so, ɛyɛ Israelfoɔ agyaadwotwa ne nkotosrɛ, ɛfiri sɛ wɔakyeakyea wɔn akwan na wɔn werɛ afiri Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn.
A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping and the supplications of the sons of Israel, because they have perverted their way; they have forgotten Jehovah their God.
22 “Monsane mmra, ɔyera mma; mɛsa mo akyirisane yadeɛ no.” “Aane, yɛbɛba wo nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ wo ne Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn.
Return, ye backsliding sons, I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we have come to thee, for thou are Jehovah our God.
23 Nokorɛm, ahoni hooyɛ wɔ nkokoɔ ne mmepɔ so no yɛ nnaadaa; nokorɛm, Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn mu na Israel nkwagyeɛ wɔ.
Truly it is in vain from the heights, the multitude on the mountains. Truly in Jehovah our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 Ɛfiri yɛn mmɔfraase, anyame huhuo adi yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba, wɔn nnwankuo ne anantwie, wɔn mmammarima ne wɔn mmammaa.
But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
25 Momma yɛmfa yɛn aniwuo nneda fam na yɛn ahohora nkata yɛn so. Yɛayɛ bɔne atia Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn, yɛn ne yɛn agyanom; ɛfiri yɛn mmɔfraase bɛsi ɛnnɛ yɛanyɛ ɔsetie amma Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn.”
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us, for we have sinned against Jehovah our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, and we have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah our God.

< Yeremia 3 >