Yeremia 5
1 “Monni akɔneaba wɔ Yerusalem mmɔntene so, monhwɛ mo ho nhyia nhwɛ, monhwehwɛ adwaberem nyinaa. Sɛ mohunu onipa baako mpo a ɔyɛ pɛ na ɔdi nokorɛ a, mede kuropɔn yi ho bɛkyɛ no.
“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem. Look now and take note; search her squares. If you can find a single person, anyone who acts justly, anyone who seeks the truth, then I will forgive the city.
2 Ɛwom sɛ wɔka sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ nanso wɔda so ka ntam hunu.”
Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
3 Ao Awurade, wopɛ nokorɛ enti wobɔɔ wɔn hwee fam, nanso wɔante yea biara; wodwerɛɛ wɔn, nanso wɔpoo ntenesoɔ. Wɔyɛɛ wɔn anim denden kyenee ɔboɔ na wɔpoo ahunu.
O LORD, do not Your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain. You finished them off, but they refused to accept discipline. They have made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.
4 Mesusuu sɛ, “Yeinom nko ara ne ahiafoɔ no; wɔyɛ nkwaseafoɔ nso, ɛfiri sɛ wɔnnim Awurade akwan, deɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ.
Then I said, “They are only the poor; they have played the fool, for they do not know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.
5 Enti mɛkɔ ntuanofoɔ no nkyɛn akɔkasa akyerɛ wɔn; ampa ara wɔnim Awurade akwan deɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ.” Nanso wɔn nso de adwene korɔ abubu kɔnnua no atete nkyehoma no mu.
I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.
6 Ɛno enti gyata bi a ɔfiri kwaeɛm bɛto ahyɛ wɔn so, pataku bi a ɔfiri anweatam so bɛtete wɔn mu. Ɔsebɔ bi bɛtɛ wɔn abɛn wɔn nkuro na obiara a ɔbɛyi ne ti no ɔbɛtete ne mu nketenkete, ɛfiri sɛ wɔn adɔnyɛ no ano yɛ den na wɔn akyirisane aboro so.
Therefore a lion from the forest will strike them down, a wolf from the desert will ravage them. A leopard will lie in wait near their cities, and everyone who ventures out will be torn to pieces. For their rebellious acts are many, and their unfaithful deeds are numerous.
7 “Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ mede mo ho kyɛ mo? Mo mma apo me wɔde anyame a wɔnyɛ anyame aka ntam. Memaa wɔn deɛ wɔhia nyinaa, nanso, wɔbɔɔ adwamam na wɔbɔɔ yuu kɔɔ adwamanfoɔ afie mu.
“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
8 Mpɔnkɔnini aniberefoɔ a wɔhwɛ wɔn yie, wɔn mu biara su di ne yɔnko yere akyi.
They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ yei ho?” Sei na Awurade seɛ. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sei so were anaa?
Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
10 “Momfa ne bobe nturo no mu na monsɛe no, nanso monnsɛe no koraa. Mompempan ne mman no, ɛfiri sɛ saa nnipa yi nyɛ Awurade dea.
Go up through her vineyards and ravage them, but do not finish them off. Strip off her branches, for they do not belong to the LORD.
11 Israel fiefoɔ ne Yuda fiefoɔ anni me nokorɛ koraa,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,”
12 Wɔadi atorɔ afa Awurade ho, wɔkaa sɛ, “Ɔrenyɛ hwee! Ɔhaw biara remma yɛn so; yɛrenhunu akofena anaa ɛkɔm da.
They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
13 Adiyifoɔ no yɛ mframa bi kɛkɛ na asɛm no nte wɔn mu; enti momma deɛ wɔka no mmra wɔn so.”
The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.”
14 Enti yei ne deɛ Asafo Awurade, Onyankopɔn seɛ: “Esiane sɛ nnipa no aka saa nsɛm yi enti, mɛyɛ me nsɛm a ɛwɔ wʼanomu no ogya na saa nnipa yi ayɛ nnyina a ogya no bɛhye.
Therefore this is what the LORD God of Hosts says: “Because you have spoken this word, I will make My words a fire in your mouth and this people the wood it consumes.
15 Ao, Israel fiefoɔ,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “Mede ɔman bi a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri rebɛtia wo, tete ɔman a ɛyɛ ɔmantease, nnipa a monnim wɔn kasa, na monnte wɔn kasa ase.
Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand.
16 Wɔn agyan mmɔtɔwa te sɛ damena a ano da hɔ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ nnɔmmarima.
Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.
17 Wɔbɛsɛe mo nnɔbaeɛ ne mo aduane, asɛe mo mmammarima ne mo mmammaa; wɔbɛsɛe mo nnwankuo ne mo anantwikuo, asɛe mo bobe ne mo mmɔrɔdɔma. Wɔde akofena bɛsɛe nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ banbɔ a mode mo werɛ ahyɛ mu no.
They will devour your harvest and food; they will consume your sons and daughters; they will eat up your flocks and herds; they will feed on your vines and fig trees. With the sword they will destroy the fortified cities in which you trust.”
18 “Afei saa nna no mu mpo,” sei na Awurade seɛ, “Merensɛe mo korakora.
“Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.
19 Na sɛ nnipa no bisa sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn, ayɛ yɛn sei’ a, mobɛka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sɛdeɛ moagya me hɔ akɔsom ananafoɔ anyame wɔ mo ankasa mo asase so no, saa ara na seesei mobɛsom ananafoɔ wɔ asase a ɛnyɛ mo dea so.’
And when the people ask, ‘For what offense has the LORD our God done all these things to us?’ You are to tell them, ‘Just as you have forsaken Me and served foreign gods in your land, so will you serve foreigners in a land that is not your own.’”
20 “Monka yei nkyerɛ Yakob fiefoɔ na mo mpae mu nka wɔ Yuda sɛ:
Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:
21 Montie, mo nkwaseafoɔ ne nnipa a monni adwene, mowɔ ani nso monhunu adeɛ, na mowɔ aso nso monte asɛm:
“Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.
22 Ɛnsɛ sɛ mosuro me anaa?” Sei na Awurade seɛ. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mo ho popo wɔ mʼanim anaa? Mede anwea ato hyeɛ ama ɛpo, ɛhyeɛ a ɛwɔ hɔ daa a ɛrentumi ntra. Asorɔkye bɛbɔ nanso ɛrentumi mmu mfa so; ɛbɛhuru so nanso ɛrentumi ntra.
Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.
23 Nanso, saa nnipa yi wɔ asoɔden ne atuateɛ akoma; wɔatwe wɔn ho afiri me ho kɔ.
But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.
24 Wɔnnka nkyerɛ wɔn ho sɛ, ‘Momma yɛnsuro Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn, a ɔma osu tɔ wɔ ne mmerɛ mu, deɛ ɔma yɛn awerɛhyɛmu wɔ ɔtwaberɛ nnapɛn a wahyɛ no ho.’
They have not said in their hearts, ‘Let us fear the LORD our God, who gives the rains, both autumn and spring, in season, who keeps for us the appointed weeks of harvest.’
25 Mo amumuyɛ abɔ yeinom agu; mo bɔne ama adepa abɔ mo.
Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.
26 “Amumuyɛfoɔ bi wɔ me nkurɔfoɔ yi mu a wɔtɛ sɛ nnipa a wɔsum nnomaa afidie, na wɔte sɛ wɔn a wɔsum mfidie yi nnipa.
For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.
27 Sɛdeɛ nnomaa ahyɛ kɛntɛn ma no saa ara na nsisie ahyɛ wɔn afie ma; wɔayeyɛ adefoɔ na wɔanya tumi.
Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.
28 Wɔadodɔre sradeɛ ama wɔn ho ayɛ srasra. Wɔn amumuyɛsɛm no nni awieeɛ; wɔnnka nwisiaa asɛm mma wɔn nni bem, na wɔmmɔ ahiafoɔ tumi ho ban.
They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy.
29 Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ yeinom ho anaa?” Sei na Awurade seɛ. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sei so were anaa?
Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?
30 “Adeɛ a ɛyɛ hu ne ahodwirie asi wɔ asase no so:
A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.
31 Adiyifoɔ no hyɛ nkɔntorɔ, asɔfoɔ no de wɔn dibea di tumi, na me nkurɔfoɔ no pɛ no saa ara. Nanso awieeɛ no, ɛdeɛn na wobɛyɛ?”
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?
