Yeremia 35

1 Yei ne asɛm a ɛfiri Awurade nkyɛn baa Yeremia hɔ ɛberɛ a na Yudahene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim di adeɛ no:

[Several years earlier, ] when Jehoiakim was the King of Judah, Yahweh gave me this message:

2 “Kɔ Rekabfoɔ abusua no nkyɛn, na to nsa frɛ wɔn na wɔmmra Awurade efie no mpia baako mu, na ma wɔn nsã nnom.”

“Go to the place where families of the Rechab clan live. Invite them to my temple. [When they arrive, ] take them into one of the inside rooms and offer them [some] wine.”

3 Enti, mekɔpɛɛ Habasinia babarima Yeremia babarima Yaasania ne ne nuammarima ne ne mmammarima nyinaa, Rekabfoɔ abusuadɔm no.

So I went to see Jaazaniah and all his brothers and sons who represented the Rechab clan. Jaazaniah was the son of [another man named] Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah.

4 Mede wɔn baa Awurade efie, na mede wɔn kɔɔ Onyame onipa Yigdalia babarima Hanan mmammarima dan mu. Ɛno na ɛdi adwumayɛfoɔ dan a ɛsi ɔpono ano hwɛfoɔ Salum babarima Maaseia dan atifi no so.

I took them to the temple, [and we went] into the room where the sons of Igdaliah’s son Hanan, who was a prophet, stayed. That room was next to the room that was used by the men who were in charge of the entrances to the temple. It was above the room that belonged to Maaseiah, who was the temple gatekeeper and the son of Shallum.

5 Afei mede nkuruwa ne nkora a nsã wɔ mu bɛsisii Rekabfoɔ abusua mma no anim na meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monnom nsã kakra.”

I set jugs of wine in front of them and urged them to drink some,

6 Nanso wɔbuaa sɛ, “Yɛnnom nsã, ɛfiri sɛ yɛn nana Rekab babarima Yehonadab maa yɛn ɔhyɛ nsɛm yi sɛ, ‘Ɛnsɛ sɛ mo anaa mo asefoɔ nom nsã.

but they refused. They said, “We do not drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, commanded us, saying ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.

7 Na afei ɛnsɛ sɛ mosisi afie, modua anaa moyɛ bobe nturo, ɛnsɛ sɛ moyɛ yeinom mu biara, na mmom montena ntomadan mu ɛberɛ biara. Ɛno na mo nkwa nna bɛware, wɔ asase a moyɛ atutenafoɔ wɔ so no so.’

And you must not build houses or plant vineyards or [other] crops. Instead, you must always live in tents. If you obey those commands, you all will live for many years in this land.’

8 Yɛatie biribiara a yɛn nana Rekab babarima Yonadab hyɛɛ yɛn no. Na yɛn, yɛn yerenom, mmammarima ne mmammaa nnom nsã da

[So] we have obeyed him in all those matters. We have never drunk wine. Our wives and our sons and our daughters [have also never drunk wine].

9 na yɛnsisii afie ntenaa mu anaa yɛnnyaa bobe nturo anaa mfuo anaa nnɔbaeɛ.

We have not built houses or planted vineyards or [other] crops or [worked in] fields.

10 Yɛatenatena ntomadan mu, na yɛadi biribiara a yɛn nana Yehonadab hyɛɛ yɛn no so pɛpɛɛpɛ.

We have lived in tents. We have obeyed all the commands that Jehonadab, our ancestor, gave us.

11 Nanso, ɛberɛ a Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar tuu asase yi so sa no, yɛkaa sɛ, ‘Mommra, ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkɔ Yerusalem na yɛdwane firi Babiloniafoɔ ne Aramfoɔ akodɔm anim.’ Ɛno enti yɛaka Yerusalem.”

But when [the army of] King Nebuchadnezzar attacked this country, we said, ‘We must go to Jerusalem to escape from the armies of Babylonia and Syria.’ So, [we came] to Jerusalem and we are living [here].”

12 Afei, Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia nkyɛn sɛ,

Then Yahweh gave this message to me: “This is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom the Israeli [people say that they belong to], say:

13 “Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, seɛ: Kɔ na kɔka kyerɛ mmarima a wɔwɔ Yuda ne Yerusalemfoɔ sɛ, ‘Morensua biribi na morentie mʼasɛm anaa?’ Awurade na ɔseɛ.

'Go and tell this to the people in Jerusalem and in [other places in] Judah: “Why do you not [RHQ] listen to me or learn something about how to obey me?

14 ‘Rekab ba Yehonadab hyɛɛ ne mmammarima sɛ wɔnnom nsã, na wɔadi saa ɔhyɛ yi so. Ɛbɛsi ɛnnɛ wɔnnom nsã, ɛfiri sɛ wɔdi wɔn agyanom ahyɛdeɛ so. Na makasa akyerɛ mo mpɛn bebree, nanso montiee me.

The Rechab clan still do not drink wine, because their ancestor Jehonadab told them to not do that. [In contrast], I have spoken to you many times, but you refuse to obey me.

15 Mesomaa mʼasomfoɔ adiyifoɔ nyinaa baa mo nkyɛn mpɛn bebree. Wɔkaa sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ mo mu biara sesa firi nʼamumuyɛ akwan ho, na moma mo akwan tene; monni anyame foforɔ akyi na monnsom wɔn. Ɛno na mobɛtena asase a mede ama mo ne mo agyanom yi so.” Nanso mommuaa me na monntiee me.

Many times I sent prophets to you. They told you, 'Turn away from your wicked behavior, and do things that you should do. Stop worshiping other gods, in order that you will be able to live [peacefully] in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.' But you would not pay attention to what I said or obey me.

16 Rekab babarima Yehonadab asefoɔ adi ahyɛdeɛ a wɔn agyanom de maa wɔn no so, nanso saa nnipa yi ntie mʼasɛm.’

The descendants of Jehonadab have obeyed their ancestor, but you have refused to pay attention to what I told you.

17 “Ɛno enti, yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade Onyankopɔn, Israel Onyankopɔn no seɛ: ‘Montie! Mede amanehunu biara a mahyɛ ama Yuda ne obiara a ɔte Yerusalem no bɛba wɔn so. Mekasa kyerɛɛ wɔn, nanso wɔantie, mefrɛɛ wɔn nanso wɔannye so.’”

Therefore, this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom you Israeli people [say you belong to], say: 'You have refused to listen to me and you did not answer when I called you. Therefore, I will cause the people in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to experience all the disasters that I said that I would cause to happen.'” '”

18 Afei, Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Rekab abusua no sɛ, “Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn no seɛ: ‘Moayɛ ɔsetie ama mo nana Yehonadab ahyɛdeɛ no, na moadi ne nkyerɛkyerɛ so, na moayɛ biribiara a ɔhyɛɛ mo no.’

Then I turned to the Rechab clan and said, “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [say we belong to], says: ‘You have obeyed what your ancestor Jehonadab told you. You have obeyed all his instructions.

19 Ɛno enti, deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn no seɛ nie: ‘Rekab babarima Yehonadab bɛnya ɔbarima a ɔbɛsom me ɛberɛ biara.’”

Therefore, this is what I say: “There will always be descendants of Jehonadab who will do work for me.”’”