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.

[Yahweh said to the people of Jerusalem], “Go up and down every street. Search in the marketplaces to find people who do what is fair/right, who try to be faithful to me. [If you find even one person like that], I will forgive [the people of Jerusalem and not destroy] their city.

2 Ɛwom sɛ wɔka sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ nanso wɔda so ka ntam hunu.”

But when people there say, ‘I solemnly declare that as surely as Yahweh lives, [I will do what he says],’ they are lying.”

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.

Yahweh, you are certainly [RHQ] searching for [people who tell the] truth. You struck/punished your people, but they did not pay any attention. You crushed them, but they ignored what you were telling them to do. They were extremely stubborn [IDM] and refused to return to you.

4 Mesusuu sɛ, “Yeinom nko ara ne ahiafoɔ no; wɔyɛ nkwaseafoɔ nso, ɛfiri sɛ wɔnnim Awurade akwan, deɛ wɔn Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ.

I thought, “[We cannot expect] these [people to act righteously, because they] are poor; they do not have any sense. They do not know the way Yahweh wants them to conduct their lives; they do not know what God requires them to do.

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.

So, I will go and talk to their leaders, because they [surely] know how God wants them to conduct their lives.” But they also have stopped obeying Yahweh [MET], and they will not allow him to lead them.

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.

Because of that, lions will come out of the forests and kill them; wolves from the desert will attack them; leopards that lurk/wait outside their cities will maul anyone who walks outside the cities. [Those things will happen] because the people have sinned very much against God and have turned away from him very frequently.

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.

Yahweh says, “I cannot [RHQ] forgive these people; [even] their children have abandoned me. When they solemnly declare something, they ask their gods [to show that what they say is true]. I gave my people everything that they needed, but they often went to [the shrines of their idols] and committed adultery there.

8 Mpɔnkɔnini aniberefoɔ a wɔhwɛ wɔn yie, wɔn mu biara su di ne yɔnko yere akyi.

[Just like] [MET] well-fed male horses neigh, wanting sex with female horses, each of the men desires to have sex with 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 this [RHQ]?/I will certainly get revenge on this nation for this!) I will certainly get revenge [RHQ] on this nation whose people behave like that!

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.

[I will say to your enemies], ‘The people [of Judah and Israel are like a vineyard]. Go along the rows in their vineyards and get rid of [most of] the people, but do not kill all of them. These people do not belong to me, [so get rid of them], [like a gardener] [MET] lops/cuts off branches from a vine.

11 Israel fiefoɔ ne Yuda fiefoɔ anni me nokorɛ koraa,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

The people of Israel and Judah have turned away from me completely.’

12 Wɔadi atorɔ afa Awurade ho, wɔkaa sɛ, “Ɔrenyɛ hwee! Ɔhaw biara remma yɛn so; yɛrenhunu akofena anaa ɛkɔm da.

They have lied about me and said, ‘He will not punish us! He will not cause us to experience disasters! We will not experience wars or famines!

13 Adiyifoɔ no yɛ mframa bi kɛkɛ na asɛm no nte wɔn mu; enti momma deɛ wɔka no mmra wɔn so.”

What [God’s] prophets say is nothing but hot air! They do not have messages [from God]! We would like [the disasters that they predict] to happen to 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.

So, this is what Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, has said to me: “Because my people are saying those things, I will give you a message to tell them [MTY] that will be [like] [MET] a fire, and [these people will be like] [MET] wood that the fire will burn up.

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.

Listen to this, you people of Israel: I will bring [the army of] a distant nation to attack you. It is a very powerful nation that has existed for a long time. They speak a language that you do not know and which you will not be able to understand.

16 Wɔn agyan mmɔtɔwa te sɛ damena a ano da hɔ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ nnɔmmarima.

Their soldiers are all very strong, and the arrows from their quivers [MET] will (send many Israeli men to their graves/cause many Israeli people to die).

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 eat the food that you have harvested from your fields, and eat your bread. They will kill your sons and daughters, and they will kill your flocks [of sheep] and herds [of cattle]. They will eat your grapes and your figs. They will [also] destroy your cities that have high walls around them and kill the people with their swords.

18 “Afei saa nna no mu mpo,” sei na Awurade seɛ, “Merensɛe mo korakora.

But even when those things happen, I will not get rid of all 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 survivors ask, ‘Why is Yahweh our God doing this to us?’ you will tell them, ‘You rejected him and worshiped foreign gods in your [own] land, so [now] you will become slaves of foreigners in a land that is not your land.’”

20 “Monka yei nkyerɛ Yakob fiefoɔ na mo mpae mu nka wɔ Yuda sɛ:

[Yahweh said to me], “Proclaim this to the people of Israel and Judah:

21 Montie, mo nkwaseafoɔ ne nnipa a monni adwene, mowɔ ani nso monhunu adeɛ, na mowɔ aso nso monte asɛm:

Listen to this, you people who are foolish and who do not have any sense: You have eyes, but [it is as though] you cannot see; you have ears, but [it is as though] you cannot 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.

Why do you not revere me [RHQ]? You should [RHQ] tremble when you are in my presence! I, Yahweh, am the one who put a barrier along the shores so that the waters of the ocean cannot cross it [and flood the land]. The waves roll and roar, but they cannot go past that barrier.

23 Nanso, saa nnipa yi wɔ asoɔden ne atuateɛ akoma; wɔatwe wɔn ho afiri me ho kɔ.

But you people [are not like the waves that obey me]. You people are very stubborn and rebellious. You have constantly turned away from me.

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.’

You do not say to yourselves, ‘We should revere Yahweh our God, the one who sends us rain at the times when we need it, the one who causes the grain to become ripe at the harvest season.’

25 Mo amumuyɛ abɔ yeinom agu; mo bɔne ama adepa abɔ mo.

It is because of the wrong things that you have done, that those good things have not happened; it is because of the sins that you have committed that you have been prevented from receiving those blessings.

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.

Among my people are wicked people who hide along the roads to ambush/attack people like [SIM] men who hunt birds (put out nets/set traps) to catch them.

27 Sɛdeɛ nnomaa ahyɛ kɛntɛn ma no saa ara na nsisie ahyɛ wɔn afie ma; wɔayeyɛ adefoɔ na wɔanya tumi.

Like [a hunter has] a cage full of birds [that he has captured], their homes are full of things that they have gotten by deceiving others. So now they are [very] rich and powerful.

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 are big and fat, and there is no limit to the evil things that they have done. They do not try to defend orphans in the courtrooms, and they do not help poor people to get what they have a right to receive.

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?

So I will certainly [RHQ] punish them for doing those things. I will certainly [RHQ] (get revenge on their nation/do to their nation what they deserve).

30 “Adeɛ a ɛyɛ hu ne ahodwirie asi wɔ asase no so:

Very appalling/horrible and terrible [DOU] things are happening in this country:

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?”

Prophets speak [only] lies and priests rule by their own authority, and you people like that! But when you [start to] experience disasters, what will you do [RHQ]?”