Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, —of the priests who were in Anathoth, in the land of Benjamin:
Nsɛm a efi Yeremia nkyɛn ni. Yeremia yɛ Hilkia babarima a na ɔyɛ Anatot asɔfo no mu baako wɔ Benyamin asase so.
2 unto whom came the word of Yahweh, in the days of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, —in the thirteenth year of his reign;
Awurade asɛm baa ne nkyɛn wɔ Yosia a ɔyɛ Yuda hene Amon babarima adedi afe a ɛto so dumiɛnsa no mu.
3 it came also in the days of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, —as far as the carrying away of Jerusalem captive, in the fifth month.
Ɛtoaa so wɔ Yuda hene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim bere so, kosii Yuda hene Yosia babarima Sedekia bere so a nnipa a wɔte Yerusalem kɔɔ nkoasom mu wɔ adedi no afe a ɛto so dubaako no ɔsram a ɛto so anum no mu.
4 So then, the word of Yahweh came unto me, saying:
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se,
5 Before I formed thee at thy birth, I took knowledge of thee, And before thy nativity, I hallowed thee, —A prophet to the nations, I appointed thee.
“Ansa na mereyɛ wo wɔ awotwaa mu no na minim wo; ansa na wɔrebɛwo wo no, miyii wo sii nkyɛn; meyɛɛ wo odiyifo maa aman no.”
6 Then said I—Ah! My Lord Yahweh! Lo! I know not how to speak, —For a child, am I!
Mekae se, “Aa, Otumfo Awurade minnim kasa; meyɛ abofra.”
7 Then said Yahweh unto me, Do not say, A child, am, I,—For against whomsoever I send thee, shalt thou go, And whatsoever I command thee, shalt thou speak:
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Nka se ‘meyɛ abofra.’ Ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ obiara a mɛsoma wo no nkyɛn na woka asɛm biara a mɛhyɛ wo sɛ ka no.
8 Be not afraid of their faces, For with thee, am I, to deliver thee Declareth Yahweh.
Nsuro wɔn, efisɛ meka wo ho, na magye wo,” nea Awurade se ni.
9 Then Yahweh put forth his hand, and touched my mouth, —and Yahweh said unto me, Lo! I have put my words in thy mouth.
Na Awurade teɛɛ ne nsa de kaa mʼano na ɔka kyerɛɛ me se, “Mprempren mede me nsɛm ahyɛ wʼanom.
10 See! I have set thee in charge this day, over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and to break down, and to destroy and to tear in pieces, —To build and to plant.
Hwɛ, nnɛ, mede wo asi aman ne ahenni so sɛ, tutu na dwiriw gu, sɛe na tu gu, kyekyere na dua.”
11 Moreover the Word of Yahweh came unto me saying, What canst thou see Jeremiah? And I said, A twig of an almond-tree, can I see.
Na Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se, “Dɛn na wuhu yi, Yeremia?” Na mibuae se, “Mihu ɔsonkoran dubaa.”
12 Then said Yahweh unto me—Thou hast rightly seen, —for keeping watch, am I over my word to perform it.
Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Wahu no yiye, na merehwɛ anim sɛ mʼasɛm bɛba mu.”
13 And the word of Yahweh came unto me a second time saying, What canst thou see? And I said, A boiling caldron, can I see, with, the front thereof, on the North.
Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn bio se, “Dɛn na wuhu yi?” Mibuae se, “Mihu kuku a ɛrehuru sɛ ano rekyea akyerɛ yɛn fi atifi fam.”
14 Then said Yahweh unto me, —Out of the North, shall break forth calamity, against all the inhabitants of the land.
Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Wobefi atifi fam de amanehunu aba wɔn a wɔte asase no so nyinaa so.
15 For behold me! calling for all the families of the kingdoms of the North, Declareth Yahweh, —and they shall come, and set every one his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem and against all her walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah!
Merebɛfrɛ atifi ahenni mu nnipa nyinaa,” nea Awurade se ni. “Wɔn ahemfo de wɔn ahengua bɛba abesisi Yerusalem kuropɔn apon ano; wɔbɛtow ahyɛ nʼafasu a atwa ahyia ne Yuda nkurow nyinaa so.
16 Then will I pronounce my judgments against them, concerning all their wickedness, —in that they have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods, and have bowed down to the works of their own hands,
Mebu me nkurɔfo atɛn wɔ wɔn amumɔyɛ sɛ wɔagyaw me, sɛ wɔhyew nnuhuam ma anyame afoforo na wɔkotow sɔre nea wɔde wɔn nsa ayɛ.
17 Thou, therefore, shalt gird thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them, all that, I, command thee, —be not dismayed because of them, lest I dismay thee before their face.
“Siesie wo ho! Sɔre na ka nea mɛka akyerɛ wo biara kyerɛ wɔn. Mma wɔmmmɔ wo hu, anyɛ saa a mɛma woabɔ hu wɔ wɔn anim.
18 I, therefore—lo! I have set thee to-day as a fortified city, and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze, over all the land, —against the kings of Judah, against her princes, against her priests and against the people of the land.
Nnɛ, mayɛ wo kuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ, dadedum ne kɔbere fasu sɛ wobɛsɔre atia asase no nyinaa, Yuda ahemfo, nʼadwumayɛfo, asɔfo ne nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so.
19 And they will fight against thee but shall not prevail against thee, —for with thee, am I, Declareth Yahweh, to deliver thee.
Wɔbɛko atia wo, nanso wɔrentumi nni wo so nkonim, efisɛ meka wo ho na megye wo,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
