Yeremia 42

1 Afei, asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ no nyinaa a Karea babarima Yohanan ne Hosaia babarima Yesania ka ho ne nnipa no nyinaa, ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so kɔɔ

Then Johanan and Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the [other] leaders of the [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia], and many [HYP] [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important, came

2 odiyifoɔ Yeremia nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Yɛsrɛ wo, tie yɛn adesrɛ yi na bɔ Awurade wo Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ ma saa nkaeɛfoɔ yi nyinaa. Sɛdeɛ wohunu no, kane no na yɛdɔɔso nanso afei yɛaka kakraa bi.

to me. They said, “Please listen to our request and pray to Yahweh our God for all of us. Although we were previously a huge number of people, you can see that now we are only a small number of people [who have survived].

3 Bɔ mpaeɛ sɛdeɛ Awurade wo Onyankopɔn bɛkyerɛ yɛn baabi a ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkɔ ne deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ.”

[Pray] that Yahweh our God will show us what we should do and where we should go.”

4 Yeremia buaa wɔn sɛ, “Mate mo asɛm no, na ɛkwan biara so mɛbɔ Awurade mo Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ sɛdeɛ mo asrɛ no; mɛka deɛ Awurade bɛka biara akyerɛ mo na meremfa hwee nsie mo.”

I replied, “Okay, I will pray to Yahweh our God, like you have requested, and I will tell you what he says. I will (tell you everything/not hide anything from you).”

5 Na afei, wɔka kyerɛɛ Yeremia sɛ, “Sɛ yɛanyɛ deɛ Awurade wo Onyankopɔn soma wo sɛ ka kyerɛ yɛn no a, ma ɔnyɛ ɔdanseni nokwafoɔ ntia yɛn.

They replied to me, “We hope/wish that Yahweh our God will be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to do everything that he tells us to do.

6 Sɛ yɛpɛ o, sɛ yɛmpɛ o, yɛbɛyɛ ɔsetie ama Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn a yɛresoma wo wɔ ne nkyɛn no, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛsi yɛn yie, na yɛbɛdi Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn asɛm so.”

We are requesting you to ask Yahweh our God what we should do. [When he replies], we will obey him, whether we like what he says or not. We will do that because [we know that] things will go well for us if we obey him.”

7 Dadu akyi no, Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia hɔ.

[So I prayed] to Yahweh, and ten days later he gave me his reply.

8 Enti, ɔfrɛɛ Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafoɔ mpanimfoɔ a wɔka ne ho ne nnipa no nyinaa; ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so.

So I summoned Johanan and all his [other] soldiers and all the [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important.

9 Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Yei ne deɛ Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn a mosomaa me sɛ memfa mo adesrɛ nkɔto nʼanim no seɛ:

I said to them, “You told me to tell Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], what you were requesting. This is what he replied:

10 ‘Sɛ motena asase yi so a, mɛsiesie mo na merensɛe mo, mɛdua mo na merentu mo ase, ɛfiri sɛ me werɛ aho wɔ amanehunu a mama aba mo so no ho.

‘You [should] stay here in this land. If you do that, I will cause your [nation] to be strong and not be weak. I will cause you to prosper and not be exiled [again]. I am sorry about the disasters that I [was forced to] cause you to experience.

11 Monnsuro Babiloniahene a seesei mosuro noɔ no. Monnsuro no, Awurade na ɔseɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, me ne mo wɔ hɔ, mɛgye mo, na mayi mo afiri ne tumi ase.

But do not be afraid of the king of Babylon [any more], because I will (be with/help) you. I will rescue you [DOU] from his power [MTY].

12 Mɛhu mo mmɔbɔ na ɔno nso ahu mo mmɔbɔ na ɔde mo asane aba mo asase so.’

I will be merciful to you by causing him to act kindly toward you. So as a result, he will allow you to stay here in your land.’

13 “Nanso sɛ moka sɛ, ‘Yɛrentena saa asase yi so,’ na ne saa enti moanyɛ ɔsetie amma Awurade mo Onyankopɔn,

But if you refuse to obey Yahweh our God, and if you say ‘We will not stay here;

14 na moka sɛ, ‘Dabi, yɛbɛkɔ akɔtena Misraim, baabi a yɛrenhunu ɔko, na yɛrente totorobɛnto nnyegyeeɛ na aduanekɔm nne yɛn a,’

instead, we will go to Egypt. There we will not experience [any] wars, we will not hear trumpets [signaling our soldiers to prepare for battles], and we will not be hungry,’

15 ɛnneɛ tie Awurade asɛm, Ao Yuda nkaeɛfoɔ. Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ, ‘Sɛ moayɛ mo adwene sɛ mobɛkɔ akɔtena Misraim, na sɛ monya kɔtena hɔ a,

then listen to what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt, and you go and live there,

16 ɛnneɛ akofena a mosuro no bɛto mo wɔ hɔ na ɛkɔm a mo akoma tu wɔ ho no bɛdi mo akyi akɔ Misraim, na ɛhɔ na mobɛwuwu.

you will experience those wars and famines that you are afraid of, and you will [all] die there.

17 Nokorɛm, wɔn a wɔasi wɔn adwene pi sɛ wɔbɛkɔ Misraim akɔtena hɔ no bɛwuwu wɔ akofena, ɛkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm ano, na wɔn mu baako mpo renka anaa ɔrennwane mfiri amanehunu a mede bɛba wɔn so no mu.’

That is what will happen to all you who are determined to go to Egypt and live there. [Some of you] will be killed by the swords [of your enemies, and others of you will die] from famines and from diseases. None of you will escape the disasters that I will bring on you.’

18 Yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn seɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ mʼabufuo ne mʼabufuhyeɛ hwie guu nnipa a wɔwɔ Yerusalem soɔ no, saa ara na sɛ mokɔ Misraim a, mʼabufuhyeɛ bɛhwie agu mo so. Mobɛyɛ nnomedeɛ, ahodwiredeɛ, afɔbuo ne ahohora; morenhunu saa beaeɛ yi bio.’

And the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], also says this: ‘Because I was very angry, I severely punished [MTY] [all] the people of Jerusalem. I will do the same things to you when you go to Egypt. [The result will be that] people will curse you. They will be horrified about [what has happened to] you. They will make fun of you, and you will never see this land again.’

19 “Ao Yuda nkaeɛfoɔ, Awurade aka akyerɛ mo sɛ, ‘Monnkɔ Misraim.’ Mommma mo werɛ mfiri. Ɛnnɛ merebɔ mo kɔkɔ

You little group of people of Judah who are still alive, [listen to me]: Yahweh has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ [So] do not forget what I have warned you today.

20 sɛ moyɛɛ mfomsoɔ a ɛyɛ hu yie ɛberɛ a mosomaa me kɔɔ Awurade mo Onyankopɔn hɔ, na mokaa sɛ, ‘Bɔ Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ ma yɛn, na ka deɛ ɔka biara kyerɛ yɛn, na yɛbɛyɛ,’ no.

I know that you were lying when you requested me to pray to Yahweh our God.

21 Ɛnnɛ, maka akyerɛ mo, nanso monyɛɛ ɔsetie mmaa Awurade mo Onyankopɔn ara wɔ biribiara a ɔhyɛɛ me sɛ menka nkyerɛ mo no ho.

And today I have told you exactly what he said, but [I know that] you will not obey Yahweh our God now, just as you have not obeyed him previously.

22 Enti, afei mommma mo werɛ mfiri sɛ mobɛwuwu wɔ akofena, ɛkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm ano wɔ baabi a mopɛ sɛ mokɔtena hɔ no.”

You want to go to Egypt and live there. So now, you can be sure of this: [All of] you will die there. [Some of you will be killed] by the swords [of your enemies and others will die] from famines or from diseases.”