Jeremiah 3
1 “They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says Yahweh.
“Sɛ ɔbarima gyaa ne yere na ɔbaa no kɔware ɔbarima foforɔ a, ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no sane kɔ ɔbaa no nkyɛn anaa? Ɛremma asase no ho ngu fi koraa anaa? Nanso, wo ne adɔfoɔ bebree abɔ adwaman, na seesei deɛ wobɛsane aba me nkyɛn anaa?” Awurade na ɔseɛ.
2 “Lift up your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? You have sat waiting for them by the road, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your wickedness.
“Ma wʼani so hwɛ nkokoɔ no so. Baabi wɔ hɔ a wɔntoo wo monnaa da anaa? Wotenaa kwankyɛn twɛnee adɔfoɔ, wotenaa sɛ mmoahwɛfoɔ a wɔdi atutena wɔ anweatam so. Woagu asase no ho fi wode wʼadwamammɔ ne wʼamumuyɛ na ayɛ.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused to be ashamed.
Enti wɔatwe obosuo asan, na osutɔberɛ nsuo antɔ. Nanso wʼanim ayɛ sɛ odwamanfoɔ a ɔmfɛre hwee; wʼani nwu hwee.
4 Will you not from this time cry to me, ‘My Father, you are the guide of my youth!’?
Nanso, woka kyerɛ me sɛ: ‘Mʼagya, mʼadamfo firi me mmabunuberɛ mu,
5 “‘Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your way.”
wobo bɛfu biribiara anaa? Wʼabofuhyeɛ no bɛkɔ so daa anaa?’ Sei na wokasa, nanso woyɛ bɔne nyinaa sɛdeɛ wotumi.”
6 Moreover, Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and has played the prostitute there.
Ɔhene Yosia adedie berɛ so no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Woahunu deɛ Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no ayɛ? Wakɔ nkokoɔ nyinaa so ne dua adendan nyinaa ase akɔsɛe awadeɛ wɔ hɔ.
7 I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she didn’t return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Mesusuu sɛ, anka wayɛ yeinom nyinaa akyi no, ɔbɛsane aba me nkyɛn, nanso wamma, na ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔno nso nka nokorɛ no hunuiɛ.
8 I saw when, for this very cause, that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, had no fear, but she also went and played the prostitute.
Memaa Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no awaregyaeɛ nwoma na mepamoo no ɛsiane nʼawaresɛe abrabɔ. Nanso mehunuu sɛ ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔnni nokorɛ no ansuro; ɔno nso kɔbɔɔ awaresɛeɛ bra.
9 Because she took her prostitution lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood.
Esiane sɛ Israel adwamammɔ anyɛ no asɛm hia enti, ɔde efi kaa asase no na ɔne aboɔ ne nnua bɔɔ adwaman.
10 Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretense,” says Yahweh.
Yeinom nyinaa akyi no, ne nuabaa Yuda a ɔnni nokorɛ no ansane nʼakyi nokorɛm amma me nkyɛn. Ɔde nʼanim na ɛkyerɛeɛ,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
11 Yahweh said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ no tene sene Yuda nkontompo ni.
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says Yahweh; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says Yahweh. ‘I will not keep anger forever.
Kɔ, fa wʼani kyerɛ atifi fam kɔka saa nsɛm yi kyerɛ wɔn: “‘Sane wʼakyi, Israel a ɔnni nokorɛ,’ Sei na Awurade seɛ, ‘Meremmuna nkyerɛ wo bio, ɛfiri sɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufoɔ,’ sei na Awurade seɛ, ‘Me bo renfu afebɔɔ.
13 Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against Yahweh your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’” says Yahweh.
Gye wo afɔdie to mu, woayɛ dɔm atia Awurade, wo Onyankopɔn, woakyekyɛ wʼadɔeɛ mu ama ananafoɔ anyame wɔ dua biara a adendan ase, na woanyɛ ɔsetie amma me,’” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
14 “Return, backsliding children,” says Yahweh, “for I am a husband to you. I will take one of you from a city, and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.
“Monsane mo akyi, mo akyirisanfoɔ,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie, “ɛfiri sɛ meyɛ mo kunu. Mɛyi wo; ɔbaako bɛfiri kuro mu na mmienu afiri abusuakuo mu, na mede mo aba Sion.
15 I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Afei mɛma mo nnwanhwɛfoɔ a wɔda mʼakoma so, wɔn a wɔde nimdeɛ ne nteaseɛ bɛkyerɛ mo ɛkwan.
16 It will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says Yahweh, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of Yahweh’s covenant!’ It will not come to mind. They won’t remember it. They won’t miss it, nor will another be made.
Saa nna no mu, sɛ mo dɔɔso bebree wɔ asase no so a,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “nnipa renka bio sɛ, ‘Awurade yɛn ani agyina apam adaka no.’ Ɛremma wɔn adwene mu anaa wɔrenka saa bio; na wɔrenyɛ apam adaka foforɔ nso.
17 At that time they will call Jerusalem ‘Yahweh’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to Yahweh’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Saa ɛberɛ no, wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Awurade Ahennwa, na amanaman nyinaa bɛhyia wɔ Yerusalem abɛkamfo Awurade din. Na wɔrenni wɔn akoma bɔne a ɛma wɔn yɛ asoɔden no akyi bio.
18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to your fathers.
Saa nna no mu, Yudafie bɛka Israel efie ho, na wɔabɔ mu afiri atifi fam asase bi so aba asase a mede maa mo agyanom sɛ agyapadeɛ no so.
19 “But I said, ‘How I desire to put you among the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You shall call me “My Father”, and shall not turn away from following me.’
“Mʼankasa mekaa sɛ, ‘Anka ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mɛyɛ mo sɛ mma na mama mo asase a ɛyɛ, agyapadeɛ a ɛdi mu ma ɔman biara.’ Mesusuiɛ sɛ mobɛfrɛ me ‘Agya’ na monnane mo ho mfiri mʼakyi.
20 “Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says Yahweh.
Nanso, sɛdeɛ ɔbaa a ɔnni ne kunu nokorɛ no, saa ara na moanni me nokorɛ, Ao Israel efie,” sɛdeɛ Awurade seɛ nie.
21 A voice is heard on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because they have perverted their way, they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
Wɔte esu bi wɔ nkokoɔ no so, ɛyɛ Israelfoɔ agyaadwotwa ne nkotosrɛ, ɛfiri sɛ wɔakyeakyea wɔn akwan na wɔn werɛ afiri Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn.
22 Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are Yahweh our God.
“Monsane mmra, ɔyera mma; mɛsa mo akyirisane yadeɛ no.” “Aane, yɛbɛba wo nkyɛn, ɛfiri sɛ wo ne Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn.
23 Truly help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in Yahweh our God.
Nokorɛm, ahoni hooyɛ wɔ nkokoɔ ne mmepɔ so no yɛ nnaadaa; nokorɛm, Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn mu na Israel nkwagyeɛ wɔ.
24 But the shameful thing has devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Ɛfiri yɛn mmɔfraase, anyame huhuo adi yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba, wɔn nnwankuo ne anantwie, wɔn mmammarima ne wɔn mmammaa.
25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against Yahweh our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day. We have not obeyed Yahweh our God’s voice.”
Momma yɛmfa yɛn aniwuo nneda fam na yɛn ahohora nkata yɛn so. Yɛayɛ bɔne atia Awurade yɛn Onyankopɔn, yɛn ne yɛn agyanom; ɛfiri yɛn mmɔfraase bɛsi ɛnnɛ yɛanyɛ ɔsetie amma Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn.”
