Yeremia 38

1 Matan babarima Sefatia, Pashur babarima Gedalia, Selemia babarima Yukal ne Malkia babarima Pashur tee nsɛm a na Yeremia reka kyerɛ nnipa no nyinaa sɛ,

Now Saphatias the son of Mathan, and Gedelias the son of Phassur, and Juchal the son of Selemias, and Phassur the son of Melchias heard the words that Jeremias spoke to all the people, saying:

2 “Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: Obiara a ɔbɛtena kuropɔn yi mu bɛwu wɔ akofena, ɛkɔm anaa ɔyaredɔm ano, nanso obiara a ɔbɛkɔ Babiloniafoɔ afa no bɛtena nkwa mu. Ɔbɛnya ne tiri adidi mu, ɔbɛtena nkwa mu.

Thus saith the Lord: Whosoever shell remain in this city, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: but he that shall go forth to the Chaldeans, shall live, and his life shall be safe, and he shall live.

3 Na yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, ‘Ampa ara, wɔde saa kuropɔn yi bɛhyɛ Babiloniahene akodɔm nsa, na wɔn na wɔbɛdi so.’”

Thus saith the Lord: This city shall surely be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

4 Ɛno enti adwumayɛfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ ɔhene no sɛ, “Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkum saa ɔbarima yi. Ɔde nsɛm a ɔreka no bu asraafoɔ a wɔaka wɔ kuropɔn yi mu ne nnipa no nyinaa aba mu. Saa ɔbarima yi nhwehwɛ saa nnipa yi yiedie na mmom wɔn sɛeɛ.”

And the princes said to the king: We beseech thee that this man may be put to death: for on purpose he weakeneth the hands of the men of war, that remain in this city, and the hands of the people, speaking to them according to these words: for this man seeketh not peace to this people, but evil.

5 Ɔhene Sedekia buaa sɛ, “Ɔwɔ mo nsam, ɔhene rentumi nyɛ biribiara ntia mo.”

And king Sedecias said: Behold he is in your hands: for it is not lawful for the king to deny you any thing.

6 Enti wɔfaa Yeremia de no kɔhyɛɛ ɔhene babarima Malkia abura a ɛwɔ awɛmfoɔ adihɔ no mu. Wɔde ntampehoma gyaagyaa no too abura no mu; na nsuo nni mu, mmom atɛkyɛ na na ɛwom, enti Yeremia kɔhyɛɛ atɛkyɛ no mu.

Then they took Jeremias and cast him into the dungeon of Melchias the son of Amelech, which was in the entry of the prison: and they let down Jeremias by ropes into the dungeon, wherein there was no water, but mire. And Jeremias sunk into the mire.

7 Na Ebed-Melek Kusni odwumayɛni a ɔwɔ ahemfie hɔ tee sɛ wɔde Yeremia akɔto abura no mu. Ɛberɛ a ɔhene no te Benyamin Ɛpono hɔ no,

Now Abdemelech the Ethiopian, an eunuch that was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremias in the dungeon: but the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin.

8 Ebed-Melek firii ahemfie hɔ kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ,

And Abdemelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying:

9 “Ɔdɛɛfoɔ, deɛ saa nnipa yi ayɛ nyinaa yɛ amumuyɛsɛm a ɛtia odiyifoɔ Yeremia. Wɔato no atwene abura mu, baabi a ɛkɔm bɛkum no wɔ ɛberɛ a burodo asa wɔ kuropɔn yi mu.”

My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done against Jeremias the prophet, casting him into the dungeon to die there with hunger, for there is no more bread in the city.

10 Ɛna ɔhene hyɛɛ Kusni, Ebed-Melek sɛ, “Fa mmarima aduasa firi ha ka wo ho, na monkɔyi odiyifoɔ Yeremia mfiri abura no mu, ansa na wawu.”

Then the king commanded Abdemelech the Ethiopian, saying: Take from hence thirty men with thee, and draw up Jeremias the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11 Ɛno enti, Ebed-Melek faa mmarima no kaa ne ho, na wɔkɔɔ ɛdan bi a ɛwɔ adekorabea ase, wɔ ahemfie hɔ. Ɔkɔsesaa ntomago ne ntadeɛ dada de kyekyeree ntampehoma ho, gyaa mu maa Yeremia wɔ abura no mu.

So Abdemelech taking the men with him, went into the king’s house that was under the storehouse: and he took from thence old rags, and old rotten things, and he let them down by cords to Jeremias into the dungeon.

12 Na Kusni, Ebed-Melek ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Fa ntomago ne ntadeɛ dada no hyehyɛ wo mmɔtoam, na ntampehoma no ammia wo.” Na Yeremia yɛɛ saa,

And Abdemelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremias: Put these old rags and these rent and rotten things under thy arms, and upon the cords: and Jeremias did so.

13 Wɔde ntampehoma no twetwee no de yii no firii abura no mu. Na Yeremia tenaa awɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ.

And they drew up Jeremias with the cords, and brought him forth out of the dungeon. And Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison.

14 Na Ɔhene Sedekia soma ma wɔkɔfaa odiyifoɔ Yeremia baa Awurade asɔredan ano ɛkwan a ɛtɔ so mmiɛnsa hɔ. Ɔhene ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Merebɛbisa wo asɛm bi, mfa biribiara nsie me.”

And king Sedecias sent, and took Jeremias the prophet to him to the third gate, that was in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremias: I will ask thee a thing, hide nothing from me.

15 Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Sedekia sɛ, “Sɛ mema wo mmuaeɛ a, worenkum me anaa? Mpo sɛ metu wo fo a, worentie me.”

Then Jeremias said to Sedecias: If I shall declare it to thee, wilt thou not put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken to me.

16 Nanso ɔhene Sedekia kaa saa ntam yi kɔkoam kyerɛɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Sɛ Awurade a ɔma yɛn nkwa no te ase yi, merenkum wo, na meremfa wonhyɛ wɔn a wɔpɛ sɛ wɔkum wo no nsa.”

Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremias, in private, saying: As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.

17 Afei Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Sedekia sɛ, “Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade Onyankopɔn, Israel Onyankopɔn, no seɛ: ‘Sɛ wode wo ho ma Babiloniahene adwumayɛfoɔ a, wɔrenkum wo na wɔrenhye kuropɔn yi, wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ bɛtena nkwa mu.

And Jeremias said to Sedecias: Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel: If thou wilt take a resolution and go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire: and thou shalt be safe, and thy house.

18 Na sɛ woremfa wo ho mma Babiloniahene adwumayɛfoɔ a, wɔde saa kuropɔn yi bɛma Babiloniafoɔ, na wɔbɛhye no dwerɛbee; na wʼankasa rentumi nnwane mfiri wɔn nsam.’”

But if thou wilt not go out to the princes of the king of Babylon, this city shall be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire: and thou shalt not escape out of their hands.

19 Ɔhene Sedekia ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Mesuro Yudafoɔ a wɔkɔ Babiloniafoɔ afa no, ɛfiri sɛ, ebia Babiloniafoɔ no de me bɛma wɔn na wɔayɛ me ayakayakadeɛ.”

And king Sedecias said to Jeremias: I am afraid because of the Jews that are fled over to the Chaldeans: lest I should be delivered into their hands, and they should abuse me.

20 Yeremia buaa sɛ, “Wɔremfa wo mma wɔn. Tie Awurade asɛm na yɛ deɛ meka kyerɛ woɔ. Ɛno na ɛbɛma asi wo yie na woanya nkwa.

But Jeremias answered: They shall not deliver thee: hearken, I beseech thee, to the word of the Lord, which I speak to thee, and it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

21 Nanso sɛ woamfa wo ho amma Babiloniafoɔ no de a, deɛ Awurade ayi akyerɛ me nie:

But if thou wilt not go forth, this is the word which the Lord hath shewn me:

22 Mmaa a wɔaka wɔ Yudahene ahemfie hɔ nyinaa no, wɔde wɔn bɛfiri adi abrɛ Babiloniahene adwumayɛfoɔ no. Saa mmaa no bɛka akyerɛ wo sɛ, “‘Wɔdaadaa wo na wɔdii wo so wo nnamfonom a wogye wɔn die no. Wo nan amem wɔ atɛkyɛ mu; wo nnamfonom agya wo hɔ kɔ.’

Behold all the women that are left in the house of the king of Juda, shall be brought out to the princes of the king of Babylon: and they shall say: Thy men of peace have deceived thee, and have prevailed against thee, they have plunged thy feet in the mire, and in a slippery place, and they have departed from thee.

23 “Wɔde wo yerenom nyinaa ne wo mma bɛbrɛ Babiloniafoɔ no. Wo deɛ worentumi nnwane mfiri wɔn nsam, na mmom Babiloniahene bɛkye wo, na wɔbɛhye saa kuropɔn yi.”

And all thy wives, and thy children shall be brought out to the Chaldeans, and thou shalt not escape their hands, but thou shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall burn this city with fire.

24 Na Sedekia ka kyerɛɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Mma obiara nte saa nkɔmmɔdie yi, anyɛ saa a, wobɛwu.

Then Sedecias said to Jeremias: Let no man know these words, and thou shalt not die.

25 Sɛ adwumayɛfoɔ no te sɛ me ne wo kasaeɛ, na wɔbɛbisa wo sɛ, ‘Ma yɛnte deɛ woka kyerɛɛ ɔhene ne deɛ ɔhene nso ka kyerɛɛ woɔ; mfa nsie yɛn anyɛ saa a yɛbɛkum wo a,’

But if the princes shall hear that I have spoken with thee, and shall come to thee, and say to thee: Tell us what thou hast said to the king, hide it not from us, and we will not kill thee: and also what the king said to thee:

26 ɛnneɛ ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Na meresrɛ ɔhene sɛ ɔmmfa me nsane nkɔ Yonatan efie mma me nkɔwu wɔ hɔ.’”

Thou shalt say to them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not command me to be carried back into the house of Jonathan, to die there.

27 Adwumayɛfoɔ no nyinaa baa Yeremia hɔ bɛbisaa no, na ɔkaa deɛ ɔhene hyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnka no nyinaa. Enti, wɔanka hwee ankyɛre no bio, ɛfiri sɛ obiara ante ɔne ɔhene nkɔmmɔdie no.

So all the princes came to Jeremias, and asked him: and he spoke to them according to all the words that the king had commanded him: and they left him: for nothing had been heard.

28 Na Yeremia tenaa ɔwɛmfoɔ adihɔ hɔ kɔsii da a wɔfaa Yerusalem. Sɛdeɛ wɔfaa Yerusalem nie:

But Jeremias remained in the entry of the prison, until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and it came to pass that Jerusalem was taken.