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,

And Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah spoke unto 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: He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey, 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 given 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.”

Then the princes said unto the king: 'Let this man, we pray thee, be put to death; forasmuch as he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.'

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

Then Zedekiah the king said: 'Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.'

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 took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malchiah the king's son, that was in the court of the guard; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the pit there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in 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 when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an officer, who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the pit; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

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

Ebed-melech went forth 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 to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the pit; and he is like to die in the place where he is because of the famine; 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 Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying: 'Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, 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 Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence worn clouts and worn rags, and let them down by cords into the pit to Jeremiah.

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 Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah: 'Put now these worn clouts and rags under thine armholes under the cords.' And Jeremiah did so.

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

So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the pit; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

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.”

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that was in the house of the LORD; and the king said unto Jeremiah: '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 Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah: 'If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, thou wilt not hearken unto 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.”

So Zedekiah the king swore secretly unto Jeremiah, saying: 'As the LORD liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand 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.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah: 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: If thou wilt go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, thou, 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 forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.'

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 Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah: 'I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen away to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock 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 Jeremiah said: 'They shall not deliver thee. Hearken, I beseech thee, to the voice of the LORD, in that which I speak unto thee; so 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 refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shown 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 king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say: Thy familiar friends have set thee on, and have prevailed over thee; thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

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 they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans; and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.'

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

Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah: 'Let no man know of 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 hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee: Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee;

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

then thou shalt say unto them: I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, 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.

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him; and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not reported.

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

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the guard until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And it came to pass, when Jerusalem was taken —