Yeremia 6
1 “Benyaminfoɔ monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Monnwane mfiri Yerusalem! Monhyɛne totorobɛnto no wɔ Tekoa! Monsi frankaa no wɔ Bet-Hakerem! Ɛfiri sɛ amanehunu bobɔ firi atifi fam, ɔsɛeɛ bi a ɛyɛ hu.
“O sons of Benjamin, be strengthened in the midst of Jerusalem, and sound the trumpet in Tekoa, and lift up a banner over the house of Haccherem. For an evil has been seen from the north, with great destruction.
2 Mɛsɛe Ɔbabaa Sion ɔhoɔfɛfoɔ sɔɔnɔ no.
I have compared the daughter of Zion to a beautiful and delicate woman.
3 Atamfoɔ bɛba abɛtwa ne ho ahyia te sɛ nnwanhwɛfoɔ; wɔbɛsisi wɔn ntomadan atwa ne ho ahyia na wɔn mu biara bɛhwɛ ne kyɛfa so.”
The pastors will come to her with their flocks. They have pitched their tents against her all around. Each one will feed those who are under his hand.
4 “Monsiesie mo ho ne no nkɔko! Monsɔre, momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so owigyinaeɛ! Nanso, hwɛ, onwunu redwo, na anwummerɛ sunsumma reyɛ tenten.
‘Sanctify a war against her! Rise up together, and let us ascend at midday.’ ‘Woe to us! For the day has declined; for the shadows of the evening have grown longer.’
5 Enti, monsɔre momma yɛnkɔto nhyɛ ne so anadwo na yɛnsɛe nʼaban hodoɔ!”
‘Rise up, and let us ascend in the night, and let us destroy her houses.’”
6 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Montwitwa nnua no ngu fam na monsisi epie ntia Yerusalem. Ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtwe kuropɔn yi aso; nhyɛsoɔ ahyɛ no ma.
For thus says the Lord of hosts: “Cut down her trees, and build a rampart around Jerusalem. This is the city of visitation! Every kind of false claim is in her midst.
7 Sɛdeɛ abura pu ne nsuo no, saa ara nso na ɔpu nʼamumuyɛ. Wɔte awurukasɛm ne ɔsɛeɛ nka wɔ ne mu; ne yadeɛ ne nʼapirakuro wɔ mʼanim daa.
Just as a cistern makes its water cold, so has she made her wickedness cold. Iniquity and devastation will be heard in her; sickness and wounds will be ever before me.
8 Fa kɔkɔbɔ, Ao Yerusalem, anyɛ saa a metwe me ho afiri wo ho na mama wʼasase ada mpan a obiara ntumi ntena soɔ.”
O Jerusalem, accept instruction, lest perhaps my soul may withdraw from you; lest perhaps I may set you in a desert, in an uninhabitable land.”
9 Deɛ Asafo Awurade seɛ nie: “Ma wɔnyiyi Israel nkaeɛfoɔ no mu yie sɛdeɛ wɔyiyi bobe mu; fa wo nsa fa mman no so bio, sɛ obi a ɔretete bobe aba.”
Thus says the Lord of hosts: “They will gather the remnant of Israel, even as a single cluster of grapes is gathered from a vine. Direct your hand, as a grape-gatherer directs his hand to the basket.
10 Hwan na mɛtumi akasa akyerɛ no na mabɔ no kɔkɔ? Hwan na ɔbɛtie me? Wɔn aso asisi enti wɔnte asɛm. Awurade asɛm yɛ akyiwadeɛ ma wɔn na wɔn ani nnye ho.
To whom should I speak, and to whom should I testify, so as to be heard? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised, and so they are unable to hear. Behold, for them, the word of the Lord has become a disgrace. And so they will not accept it.
11 Nanso Awurade abufuhyeɛ ahyɛ me ma, na mentumi nkora so. “Hwie gu mmɔfra a wɔwɔ mmɔntene so ne mmaranteɛ a wɔahyia; ɛbɛka okunu ne ɔyere, mmasiriwa ne wɔn a onyini adoko wɔn.
For this reason, I have been filled with the fury of the Lord. I labor to bear it. Let it be poured out upon the child outside, or upon a group of young men meeting together. For a man will be taken captive with a woman, an elder will be taken captive with one who is full of days.
12 Sɛ metene me nsa wɔ wɔn a wɔte asase no so a wɔbɛdane wɔn afie ama afoforɔ, na wɔn mfuo ne wɔn yerenom bɛka ho,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
And their houses will be given over to others, with both their lands and their wives. For I will extend my hand over the inhabitants of the earth, says the Lord.
13 “Ɛfiri akumaa so kɔsi ɔkɛseɛ so, wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfoɔ de pɛ ahonya; adiyifoɔ ne asɔfoɔ te saa, wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifoɔ.
Certainly, from the least of them even to the greatest, all of them practice greed. And from the prophet even to the priest, all of them act with deceit.
14 Wɔmia me nkurɔfoɔ apirakuro te sɛ deɛ ɛnyɛ hu. Wɔka sɛ, ‘Asomdwoeɛ, asomdwoeɛ’ wɔ mmerɛ a asomdwoeɛ nni hɔ.
And they healed the destruction of the daughter of my people with disgrace, by saying: ‘Peace, peace.’ And there was no peace.
15 Wɔn ani wu wɔ wɔn animguaseɛ nneyɛɛ no ho anaa? Dabi, wɔn ani nnwu koraa; wɔnnim fɛreɛ mpo. Enti sɛ metwe wɔn aso a, wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfoɔ mu; wɔbɛhwehwe ase,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
They were confounded, because they committed an abomination. Or rather, they were not confounded with shame, because they did not know how to blush. For this reason, they will fall among those who are being destroyed. In the time of their visitation, they will fall, says the Lord.”
16 Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, “Monnyina nkwantanan no so na monhwɛ; mommisa tete akwan no, mommisa baabi a ɛkwan pa no da na monnante so, na mobɛnya homeɛ ama mo akra. Nanso mokaa sɛ, ‘yɛnnante so.’
Thus says the Lord: “Stand above the ways, and see and ask, about the ancient paths, as to which is the good way, and then walk in it. And you will find refreshment for your souls. But they said: ‘We will not walk.’
17 Mede awɛmfoɔ sisii mo so na mekaa sɛ, ‘Montie totorobɛnto nnyegyeeɛ no!’ Nanso, mokaa sɛ, ‘Yɛrentie.’
And I appointed watchers over you, saying: ‘Listen for the sound of the trumpet.’ And they said: ‘We will not listen.’
18 Ɛno enti, monyɛ aso, Ao amanaman; monhwɛ, Ao adansefoɔ, deɛ ɛbɛto wɔn.
For this reason, hear, O Gentiles, and know, O congregation, how much I will do to them.
19 Yɛ aso, Ao asase: Mede amanehunu reba saa nnipa yi so, wɔn nneyɛɛ so aba, ɛfiri sɛ wɔantie me nsɛm na wɔapo me mmara.
Hear, O earth! Behold, I will lead evils over this people, as the fruits of their own thoughts. For they have not listened to my words, and they have cast aside my law.
20 Nnuhwam a ɛfiri Seba anaa ahwedeɛ pa a ɛfiri akyirikyiri asase so fa me ho bɛn? Mennye wo hyeɛ afɔdeɛ no nto mu; wʼafɔrebɔ ahodoɔ no nsɔ mʼani.”
For what reason are you bringing me frankincense from Sheba, and sweet smelling reeds from a far away land? Your holocausts are not acceptable, and your sacrifices are not pleasing to me.”
21 Ɛno enti, deɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Mede akwansideɛ bɛgu saa nkurɔfoɔ yi anim. Agyanom ne mmammarima nyinaa bɛsuntisunti wɔ so; ayɔnkofoɔ ne nnamfonom bɛyera.”
Therefore, thus says the Lord: “Behold I will bring this people to utter ruin, and they will fall, with their fathers and sons; neighbor and relative will perish together.”
22 Sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie: “Monhwɛ, akodɔm bi reba, wɔfiri atifi fam asase so; wɔrekanyane ɔman kɛseɛ bi afiri nsase ano.
Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people is coming from the land of the north, and a great nation will rise up from the ends of the earth.
23 Wɔkurakura bɛmma ne pea; wɔn tirim yɛ den, na wɔnni ahummɔborɔ. Wɔn nnyegyeeɛ te sɛ ɛpo asorɔkye. Sɛ wɔtete wɔn apɔnkɔ so a, wɔba te sɛ mmarima a wɔrekɔ ɔko. Wɔrebɛto ahyɛ wo so, Ao Ɔbabaa Sion.”
They will take hold of arrow and shield. They are cruel, and they will not take pity. Their voice will roar like the ocean. And they will climb upon horses, for they have been prepared like men for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion.
24 Yɛate wɔn ho nsɛm, na yɛn nsa sesa yɛn ho sɛ deɛ awu. Ehu akyekyere yɛn ɔyea aba wɔn so, te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔreko awoɔ.
‘We have heard of their fame. Our hands have become weakened. Tribulation has overtaken us, like the pains of a woman giving birth.’
25 Mfiri adi nkɔ wiram na nnante akwan no so, ɛfiri sɛ ɔtamfoɔ no wɔ akofena, na baabiara ayɛ hu.
Do not choose to go out into the fields, and you should not walk along the roadway. For the sword and the terror of the enemy is on every side.
26 Ao me nkurɔfoɔ, monfira ayitoma na mommunimuni nsõ mu. Momfa adwadwotwa yaaya nni awerɛhoɔ sɛdeɛ wɔsu ma ɔbabarima korɔ, ɛfiri sɛ mpofirim ara ɔsɛefoɔ no bɛba yɛn so.
Wrap yourself in haircloth, O daughter of my people. And sprinkle yourself with ashes. Make a mourning for yourself, as for an only son, a bitter lamentation: ‘for the destroyer will overwhelm us suddenly.’
27 “Mayɛ wo obi a ɔsɔ fagudeɛ hwɛ na me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ dadeben, a wobɛhwɛ wɔn na woasɔ wɔn akwan ahwɛ.
I have presented you as a strong tester among my people. And you will test and know their way.
28 Wɔn nyinaa yɛ atuatefoɔ a wɔyɛ den, wɔnenam di nsekuro. Wɔyɛ den sɛ kɔbere ne dadeɛ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ wɔn adeɛ wɔ porɔeɛ ɛkwan so.
All these leaders who are turning away and walking deceitfully, they are brass and iron; they have all been corrupted.
29 Afa no bɔ mframa denden de ogya nane sumpii no, nanso ahobereɛ no yɛ ɔkwa. Ɛntumi nyiyii bɔne no mfirii wɔn mu.
The bellows has failed; the lead has been consumed by fire; the molten metal was melted to no purpose. For their wickedness has not been consumed.
30 Mɛfrɛ wɔn dwetɛ a wɔapo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade apo wɔn.”
Call them: ‘Rejected silver.’ For the Lord has cast them aside.”
