Yeremia 31
1 “Saa ɛberɛ no,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “Mɛyɛ Israel mmusuakuo no nyinaa Onyankopɔn, na wɔbɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ.”
Yahweh says that at that time, he will be the God [who is worshiped by] all the clans in Israel, and they will be his people.
2 Deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Nnipa a wɔntotɔ wɔ akofena ano no bɛnya adom wɔ anweatam so; mede ahomegyeɛ bɛbrɛ Israel.”
This is what Yahweh says: “Those [people] who remained alive and were not killed by [their enemies’] swords were blessed [by me even] in the desert; I enabled them to have peace.
3 Awurade daa ne ho adi kyerɛɛ yɛn kane no na ɔkaa sɛ, “Mede ɔdɔ a ɛnsa da adɔ mo mede adɔeɛ atwe mo.
Long ago [I, ] Yahweh, said to [your ancestors, ] the Israeli people, ‘I have loved you and I will continue to love you forever. By faithfully loving you, I have brought you close to myself.’
4 Mede wo bɛsi hɔ bio na wɔbɛsane de wo asi hɔ, Ao Israel babunu. Wobɛfa wʼakasaeɛ bio na wafiri adi ne anigyefoɔ akɔsa.
And [now I tell you], my Israeli people whom I love [MET], that I will cause you to be a nation again. You will [joyfully] dance as you play your tambourines.
5 Bio, mobɛyɛ bobe nturo wɔ Samaria nkokoɔ so; akuafoɔ no bɛdua na wɔadi so aba.
Again you will plant your vineyards on the hills of Samaria, and you will eat the grapes [that grow there].
6 Ɛda bi bɛba a, awɛmfoɔ bɛteam wɔ Efraim nkokoɔ so sɛ, ‘Mommra momma yɛnforo nkɔ Sion nkɔ Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn nkyɛn.’”
There will be a time when watchmen will call out from the hills of Samaria [MTY], ‘Come, let’s go up to Jerusalem to [worship] Yahweh, our God!'”
7 Deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Momfa ahosɛpɛ nto nnwom mma Yakob; Monteam mma amanaman mu dikanfoɔ. Momma wɔnte mo ayɛyie na monka sɛ, ‘Ao Awurade gye wo nkurɔfoɔ, Israel nkaeɛfoɔ no.’
And now Yahweh also says this: “Sing joyfully about [what I have done for] the people of Israel! Shout about [your nation, ] the greatest nation! Shout joyfully, praising me and saying, ‘Yahweh, rescue your people, the ones who are still alive!’
8 Hwɛ, mede wɔn bɛfiri atifi fam asase so aba na maboa wɔn ano afiri nsase ano. Wɔn mu bi bɛyɛ anifirafoɔ, mpakye, apemfoɔ ne mmaa a wɔwɔ awokoɔ mu. Ɛdɔm kɛseɛ bɛsane aba.
Do that [because] I will bring them back from the northeast, from the most distant places on the earth. Among them will be blind people and lame people, women who are pregnant and women who are (having labor pains/about to give birth to babies). They will be a huge group of people!
9 Wɔde esu na ɛbɛba; wɔbɛbɔ mpaeɛ ɛberɛ a mede wɔn resane aba. Mede wɔn bɛfa nsuwa ho, ɛkwan tamaa a wɔrensunti wɔ so, ɛfiri sɛ mɛyɛ Israel agya, na Efraim yɛ me babarima piesie.
They will be crying as they return, and they will be praying [to me]. I will guide them along streams of water, on level paths where they will not stumble. [I will do this] because I am [like] a father to the Israeli people; [it is as though] Israel is my oldest son.”
10 “Montie Awurade asɛm, Ao amanaman; mommɔ no dawuro wɔ mpoano nsase a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri so sɛ, ‘Deɛ ɔbɔɔ Israel peteeɛ no bɛboaboa wɔn ano na wahwɛ ne nnwankuo so sɛ odwanhwɛfoɔ.’
Yahweh says, “[You people in the] nations of the world, listen to this message from me. Then proclaim it to [people who live along] the coasts far away. I scattered my people, but I will gather them [again] and will take care of them like [SIM] a shepherd takes care of his sheep.
11 Na Awurade bɛgyina mu ama Yakob na wagye wɔn afiri wɔn a wɔwɔ ahoɔden sene wɔn no nsam.
I will buy [my] Israeli people back from those who [conquered them because] they were more powerful [than my people].
12 Wɔbɛba na wɔde ahurisie ateam wɔ Sion sorɔnsorɔmmea; wɔbɛsɛpɛ wɔn ho wɔ akyɛdeɛ bebrebe a ɛfiri Awurade hɔ mu, atokoɔ, nsã foforɔ ne ngo, nnwammaa ne anantwie. Wɔbɛyɛ sɛ turo a wɔagugu so nsuo yie, na wɔrenni awerɛhoɔ bio.
My people will return [to Jerusalem] and shout joyfully on the slopes of Zion Hill. They will rejoice about the things that I have abundantly given to them— grain and new wine and [olive] oil and young sheep and cattle. They themselves will be like a well-watered garden, and they will no longer be sad.
13 Afei, mmabaawa bɛsa na wɔn ani agye, mmeranteɛ ne nkɔkoraa nso. Mɛma wɔn awerɛhoɔ adane anigyeɛ; mɛma wɔn ahotɔ ne ahosɛpɛ asi awerɛhoɔ anan mu.
The young women will dance joyfully, and [all] the men, young ones and old ones, will join with them. I will cause them to rejoice instead of mourning; I will comfort them and cause them to be happy instead of being sad.
14 Mɛma asɔfoɔ no deɛ ɛhia wɔn ama abu so, na mama mʼakyɛdeɛ bebrebe amee me nkurɔfoɔ,” Awurade, na ɔseɛ.
The priests will have plenty of things to eat and drink, and [all] my people will be filled with the good things that I give them. [That will certainly happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
15 Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: “Wɔte nne bi wɔ Rama, awerɛhoɔ ne agyaadwotwa bebree, Rahel resu ne mma na ɔmpɛ sɛ wɔkyekyere ne werɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, ne mma nni hɔ bio.”
Yahweh [also] says this: “Women were weeping in Ramah [town on the border between Israel and Judah]; they were mourning and crying very loudly. [The women who were the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two grandsons of] Rachel [the wife of Jacob], were weeping about their children, and no one could comfort them because their children were [all] dead.
16 Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: “Hyɛ wo ho so na woansu mia wʼani na woante nisuo, ɛfiri sɛ wɔbɛtua wʼadwumayɛ so ka,” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Wɔbɛsane afiri atamfoɔ no asase so aba.
[But now] this is what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘Do not cry [any more], because I will reward you [for the good things you have done for your children]. Your children will return from the land where their enemies [have taken them].
17 Enti anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma wo daakye.” Awurade na ɔseɛ. Wo mma bɛsane aba wɔn ankasa asase so.
[I], Yahweh, am telling you that there are things that you can confidently expect [me to do for you] in the future. Your children will return to their own land.’
18 “Ampa ara mate sɛ Efraim resu sɛ, ‘Wotenetenee me so sɛ nantwie ba a nʼani yɛ den, na woatwe me mʼaso. Gye me bio, na mɛsane aba, ɛfiri sɛ wo ne Awurade, me Onyankopɔn.
I have heard [the people of] Israel grieving very much [and saying to me], ‘You punished us severely, like [SIM] calves are beaten [by their owners to train them for pulling a plow]. [So] bring us back [to obey/worship you again], because we are ready to return to you, because you [alone] are Yahweh, our God.
19 Memaneeɛ akyi no, menyaa adwensakyera; na akyire a menyaa nteaseɛ no, mede awerɛhoɔ boroo me koko so. Mʼanim guu ase na mefɛreeɛ ɛfiri sɛ me mmabunu mu animguaseɛ da so so me.’
We turned away [from you], but we repented; [after you] caused us to realize [that we were guilty]. We beat our chests to show that we were very ashamed [DOU] of the sins that we committed when we were young.’
20 Efraim nyɛ me babarima dɔfoɔ anaa? Efraim nyɛ ɔba a ɔsɔ mʼani anaa? Ɛwom sɛ metaa kasa tia no deɛ, nanso meda so kae no. Enti mʼakoma pere hwehwɛ no; mewɔ ayamhyehyeɛ ma no,” sei na Awurade seɛ.
But [I], Yahweh, say this: The Israeli people certainly are [RHQ] still my dear children [DOU]. It is often necessary for me to threaten [to punish] them, but I still love them. That is why I have not forgotten them, and I will certainly act mercifully toward them.
21 “Momfa ahyɛnsodeɛ nsisi ɛkwan ho; monsisi akwankyerɛ afadum. Monhyɛ ɛkwantempɔn no nso ɛkwan a monam so ba. Sane wakyi, Ao ɔbabunu Israel, sane bra wo nkuro so.
[You Israeli people, ] set up road signs; put up posts [along the roads] to mark the road on which you walked [when you were taken from Jerusalem]. My precious/beloved Israeli people, come back to your towns here.
22 Wobɛkyinkyini akɔsi da bɛn, Ao, ɔbabaa ɔsesafoɔ? Awurade bɛyɛ ade foforɔ wɔ asase so, ɔbaa bɛbɔ ɔbarima ho ban.”
You people who have been like [MET] daughters who have forsaken their parents, how long will you continue to wander [away from me] [RHQ]? I, Yahweh, will cause something to happen on the earth that (is new/has not happened before): The women of Israel will be protecting their husbands as they travel [back here]!”
23 Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn no seɛ: “Sɛ mesane de wɔn firi nnommumfa mu ba a, nnipa a wɔwɔ Yuda asase ne nkuro so bɛsane aka saa nsɛm yi bio sɛ, ‘Awurade nhyira wo, Ao, tenenee atenaeɛ, Ao, bepɔ kronkron.’
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says: “When I bring them back from the countries to which they have been exiled, all the people from the towns in Judah will again say, [‘I hope that] Yahweh will bless this my home, the holy place where righteous [people will live]!’
24 Nnipa bɛbom atena ase wɔ Yuda ne ne nkuro nyinaa so, akuafoɔ ne wɔn a wɔde wɔn nnwankuo nenam.
[The people of] Judah [who live in] the towns, including the farmers and the shepherds, will all live together [peacefully].
25 Mɛma deɛ wabrɛ no anya ahoɔden foforɔ, na deɛ watɔ baha no nso mɛma no amee.”
I will enable weary people to rest, and enable people who are very exhausted to become strong again.”
26 Ɛha na menyaneeɛ, na mehwɛɛ me ho hyiaeɛ. Me nna no kɔɔ me yie.
I, [Jeremiah], woke up [after dreaming all those things], and I looked [around]. I had slept [very] delightfully!
27 “Nna bi reba,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “a mede nnipa mma ne mmoa mma bɛdua Israel ne Yuda efie.
[Then] Yahweh said [to me], “There will be a time when I will greatly increase [MET] the number of people and the number of livestock here in Israel and Judah.
28 Sɛdeɛ mehwɛ ma wɔtutuiɛ, wɔdwiriiɛ, wɔbubuiɛ, wɔsɛeɛ na wɔde amanehunu baeɛ no, saa ara na mɛhwɛ ama wɔasi na wɔadua,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
[Previously], I caused [their enemies to] remove the people from their land and to destroy their land and to cause them to experience many disasters [DOU]. But in the future, I will enable them to build houses and to plant crops [here in Israel again]. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.
29 Saa nna no mu, nnipa renka bio sɛ, “‘Agyanom adi bobe a ɛkeka, na mma se afem.’
[Previously the people often said, ] ‘The parents have eaten sour grapes, but it is the children’s teeth that ache.’ [They meant that it was not fair for them to be punished for their ancestors’ sins]. But [when I bring them back to their land], they will no longer say that.
30 Ɛno enti, obiara bɛwu wɔ ɔno ara bɔne ho; deɛ ɔbɛdi bobe a ɛkeka no, ɔno na ne se bɛfem.
But now all people will die because of the sins that they themselves have committed.
31 “Ɛberɛ no reba,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “a me ne Israel efie ne Yuda efie bɛyɛ apam foforɔ.
[I], Yahweh, say this: ‘There will be a time when I will make a new agreement with the people of Israel and Judah.
32 Ɛrenyɛ sɛ apam a me ne wɔn agyanom yɛeɛ no ɛberɛ a mesɔɔ wɔn nsa, dii wɔn anim firii Misraim no. Saa ɛberɛ no deɛ, wɔbuu mʼapam so, wɔ ɛberɛ a na meyɛ okunu ma wɔn,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
[This new agreement will] not be like the agreement that I made with their ancestors when I took them by their hands and led them out of Egypt. They broke that agreement, even though I [loved them like] [MET] husbands love their wives.’
33 “Nanso yei ne apam a me ne Israel efie bɛyɛ saa ɛberɛ no akyi,” Awurade na ɔseɛ. “Mede me mmara bɛhyɛ wɔn adwene mu, na matwerɛ wɔ wɔn akoma so. Mɛyɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn, na wɔbɛyɛ me nkurɔfoɔ.
This is what I, Yahweh, say: ‘This is the new agreement that I will make with the people of Israel some day: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their inner beings. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 Na obiara renkyerɛkyerɛ ne yɔnko bio, anaa ne nua sɛ, ‘Hunu Awurade,’ Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔn nyinaa bɛhunu me, ɛfiri wɔn mu akumaa so, kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so,” Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie. “Na mede wɔn amumuyɛ bɛkyɛ wɔn, na merenkae wɔn bɔne bio.”
And it will not be [necessary] for them to teach their neighbors or their relatives and say, “[You need to] know Yahweh,” because everyone, including unimportant people and very important people, will [already] know me. And I will forgive them for having been very wicked, and I will never think again about the sins that they have committed.’”
35 Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, deɛ ɔma owia hyerɛn adekyeeɛ, na ɔhyɛ ɔsrane ne nsoromma sɛ wɔnhyerɛn anadwo; deɛ ɔkanyane ɛpo ma ɛbɔ asorɔkye, Asafo Awurade ne ne din.
Yahweh is the one who causes the sun to give light during the day, and who causes the moon and the stars to give light during the night. He stirs up the seas, with the result that waves roar. His name is the Commander of the armies of angels, and this is what he says:
36 “Saa ahyɛdeɛ yi twam mpo a,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “merennyaa Israel da.”
“I will not reject my Israeli people any more than I will get rid of the laws [that control the universe].
37 Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: “Sɛ wɔbɛtumi asusu ewiem ntrɛmu na wɔatumi ahwehwɛ asase ase fapem mpo a, ɛwom sɛ Israel ayɛ bɔne deɛ, nanso merempa Israel asefoɔ nyinaa da,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
And this is what I say: ‘No one can measure the sky, and no one can find out what is supporting the earth. Similarly, I cannot reject forever the descendants of Jacob because of all the [evil] things that they have done.’ [That is certain, because] I, Yahweh, have said it!
38 “Nna no reba,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “a wɔbɛkyekyere kuropɔn yi bio ama me, firi Hananel abantenten kɔsi Twɛtwɛwaso Ɛpono.
[I], Yahweh, also say that there will be a time when [everything in] Jerusalem will be rebuilt for me, from the tower of Hananel [at the northeast corner, west] to [the gate named] the Corner Gate.
39 Wɔbɛtwe susuhoma no mu, afiri hɔ de akɔsi Gareb kokoɔ so, na akontono akɔ Goa.
[Workers] will stretch a measuring line/string over Gareb Hill all the way [southwest] to Goah.
40 Bɔnhwa a wɔto afunu ne nsõ gu mu no nyinaa ne asase a ɛkɔ Kidron bɔnhwa wɔ apueeɛ fam, kɔsi apɔnkɔ ɛpono no twɛtwɛwaso bɛyɛ kronkron ama Awurade. Wɔrentutu na wɔrensɛe kuropɔn no da.”
And the whole area, including the place where corpses and ashes are thrown in the [Kidron] Valley, and all the fields to the east as far as the Horse Gate, will become set apart for me. And the city [of Jerusalem] will never again be captured or destroyed.”
