Jeremiah 5

1 “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.

“Munni akɔneaba wɔ Yerusalem mmɔnten so, monhwɛ mo ho nhyia nhwɛ, monhwehwɛ guabɔbea nyinaa. Sɛ muhu onipa baako mpo a ɔyɛ pɛ na odi nokware a, mede kuropɔn yi ho bɛkyɛ no.

2 Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”

Ɛwɔ mu wɔka se, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ nanso wɔda so ka ntam hunu.”

3 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.

Awurade, wʼani mpɛ nokware ahu ana? Wobɔɔ wɔn hwee fam, nanso wɔante yaw biara; wodwerɛw wɔn, nanso wɔpoo nteɛso. Wɔyɛɛ wɔn anim dennen sen ɔbo na wɔansakra wɔn adwene.

4 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.

Misusuw se, “Eyinom nko ara ne ahiafo no; wɔyɛ nkwaseafo nso, efisɛ wonnim Awurade akwan, nea wɔn Nyankopɔn hwehwɛ.

5 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.

Enti mɛkɔ ntuanofo no nkyɛn akɔkasa akyerɛ wɔn; ampa ara wonim Awurade akwan nea wɔn Onyankopɔn hwehwɛ.” Nanso wɔn nso de adwene koro abubu konnua no atetew nkyehama no mu.

6 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.

Ɛno nti gyata bi a ofi kwae mu bɛtow ahyɛ wɔn so, pataku bi a ofi nweatam so bɛtetew wɔn mu. Ɔsebɔ bi bɛtɛw abɛn wɔn nkurow, na obiara a obeyi ne ti no ɔbɛtetew ne mu nketenkete, efisɛ wɔn atuatew no ano yɛ den na wɔn akyirisan aboro so.

7 “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.

“Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ mede mo ho kyɛ mo? Mo mma apo me, wɔde anyame a wɔnyɛ anyame aka ntam. Memaa wɔn nea wohia nyinaa, nanso wɔbɔɔ aguaman na wɔbɔɔ yuu kɔɔ nguamanfo afi mu.

8 They are well-fed, lusty stallions, each neighing after his neighbor’s wife.

Mpɔnkɔnini aniberefo a wɔhwɛ wɔn yiye, wɔn mu biara su di ne yɔnko yere akyi.

9 Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ eyi ho?” Sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ, mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sɛɛ so were ana?

10 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.

“Momfa ne bobe nturo no mu na monsɛe no, nanso monnsɛe no koraa. Mompempan ne mman no, efisɛ saa nnipa yi nyɛ Awurade dea.

11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly unfaithful to Me,”

Israelfi ne Yudafi anni me nokware koraa,” Awurade na ose.

12 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.

Wɔadi atoro afa Awurade ho, wɔkae se, “Ɔrenyɛ hwee! Ɔhaw biara remma yɛn so; yɛrenhu afoa anaa ɔkɔm da.

13 The prophets are but wind, for the word is not in them. So let their own predictions befall them.”

Adiyifo no yɛ mframa bi kɛkɛ na asɛm no nte wɔn mu; enti momma nea wɔka no mmra wɔn so.”

14 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.

Enti eyi ne nea Asafo Awurade, Nyankopɔn se: “Esiane sɛ, nnipa no aka saa nsɛm yi nti, mɛyɛ me nsɛm a ɛwɔ wʼanom no ogya na saa nnipa yi ayɛ nnyina a ogya no bɛhyew.

15 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.

Israelfi,” Awurade na ose, “Mede ɔman bi a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri rebetia wo, tete man a ɛyɛ ɔmantease, nnipa a munnim wɔn kasa, na monnte wɔn kasa ase.

16 Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men.

Wɔn agyan mmɔtɔwa te sɛ ɔda a ano da hɔ; wɔn nyinaa yɛ dɔmmarima.

17 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.”

Wɔbɛsɛe mo nnɔbae ne mo nnuan, asɛe mo mmabarima ne mo mmabea; wɔbɛsɛe mo nguankuw ne mo anantwikuw, asɛe mo bobe ne mo mmrɔdɔma. Wɔde afoa bɛsɛe nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ a mode mo werɛ ahyɛ mu no.

18 “Yet even in those days,” declares the LORD, “I will not make a full end of you.

“Afei saa nna no mu mpo,” sɛɛ na Awurade se, “Merensɛe mo korakora.

19 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.’”

Na sɛ nnipa no bisa se, ‘Adɛn nti na Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn, ayɛ yɛn sɛɛ’ a, mobɛka akyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛnea moagyaw me hɔ akɔsom ananafo anyame wɔ mo ankasa mo asase so no, saa ara na mprempren mobɛsom ananafo wɔ asase a ɛnyɛ mo dea no so.’

20 Declare this in the house of Jacob and proclaim it in Judah:

“Monka eyi nkyerɛ Yakobfi na mo mpae mu nka wɔ Yuda se:

21 “Hear this, O foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear.

Muntie, mo nkwaseafo ne nnipa a munni adwene, mowɔ ani nso munhu ade, na mowɔ aso nso monte asɛm:

22 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.

Ɛnsɛ sɛ musuro me ana?” Sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ mo ho popo wɔ mʼanim ana? Mede nwea ato ɔhye ama po, ɔhye a ɛwɔ hɔ daa a ɛrentumi ntra. Asorɔkye bɛbɔ nanso ɛrentumi mmu mfa so; ebehuru so nanso ɛrentumi ntra.

23 But these people have stubborn and rebellious hearts. They have turned aside and gone away.

Nanso saa nnipa yi wɔ asoɔden ne atuatew koma; wɔatwe wɔn ho afi me ho kɔ.

24 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.’

Wɔnnka nkyerɛ wɔn ho wɔn ho se, ‘Momma yensuro Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn, a ɔma osu tɔ wɔ ne mmere mu, nea ɔma yɛn awerehyɛmu wɔ otwabere nnapɛn a wahyɛ no ho.’

25 Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.

Mo amumɔyɛ abɔ eyinom agu; mo bɔne ama ade pa abɔ mo.

26 For among My people are wicked men; they watch like fowlers lying in wait; they set a trap to catch men.

“Amumɔyɛfo bi wɔ me nkurɔfo yi mu a wɔtɛw sɛ nnipa a wosum nnomaa afiri, na wɔte sɛ wɔn a wosum mfiri yi nnipa.

27 Like cages full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become powerful and rich.

Sɛnea nnomaa ahyɛ kɛntɛn ma no saa ara na asisi ahyɛ wɔn afi amaama; wɔayeyɛ adefo anyinya tumi,

28 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.

na wɔadodɔ srade ama wɔn ho ayɛ hanahana. Wɔn amumɔyɛsɛm no nni awiei; wɔnnka ayisaa asɛm mma wonni bem, na wɔmmɔ ahiafo tumi ho ban.

29 Should I not punish them for these things?” declares the LORD. “Should I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?

Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ eyinom ho ana?” Sɛɛ na Awurade se. “Ɛnsɛ sɛ, mʼankasa metɔ ɔman a ɛte sɛɛ so were ana?

30 A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land.

“Ade a ɛyɛ hu ne ahodwiriw asi wɔ asase no so:

31 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?

Adiyifo no hyɛ akɔntoro, asɔfo no de wɔn dibea di tumi, na me nkurɔfo no pɛ no saa ara. Nanso awiei no dɛn na wobɛyɛ?”