Jeremiah 5
1 [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.
“Mizɔ to Yerusalem ƒe kpɔdomewo, mitsa ŋku le teƒeteƒewo ne miabu eŋuti eye miatsa to eƒe ablɔwo dzi. Ne miate ŋu akpɔ ame ɖeka teti si awɔ nu anukwaretɔe eye wòati nyateƒe ko yome la, matsɔe ake du sia.
2 But when people there say, ‘I solemnly declare that as surely as Yahweh lives, [I will do what he says],’ they are lying.”
Togbɔ be wogblɔ be, ‘Meta Yehowa ƒe agbe’ hã la, wole nu tam alakpatɔe kokoko.”
3 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.
O Yehowa, ɖe wò ŋkuwo mele nyateƒe ŋu oa? ȃo wo gake womese veve o, ègbã wo nyanyanya gake womese veve o, ègbã wo nyanyanya gake wogbe ɖɔɖɔɖowɔwɔ. Wowɔ woƒe mo wòsẽ wu kpe eye wogbe dzimetɔtrɔ.
4 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.
Mebui be, “Ame siawo la, ame dahewo ko wonye. Wonye movitɔwo hã elabena womenya Yehowa ƒe mɔ kple woƒe Mawu la ƒe didiwo o.
5 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.
Eya ta mayi ɖe woƒe kplɔlawo gbɔ, aƒo nu na wo; woawo ya nya Yehowa ƒe mɔ kple woƒe Mawu la ƒe didiwo godoo.” Gake woawo hã tsɔ lɔlɔ̃nu ɖeka ŋe kɔkuti la ɖa eye wotu kɔsasawo.
6 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.
Eya ta dzata ado tso ave me ava dze wo dzi, amegaxi ado tso gbegbe avuvu wo, eye lãkle ava de xa ɖe woƒe duwo ƒe gbɔto, be wòavuvu ame si ake atse ado go la ʋayaʋaya, elabena woƒe aglãdzedze lolo, eye woƒe megbededewo sɔ gbɔ.
7 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.
“Nu ka ta matsɔe ake mi ɖo? Mia viwo gbem, eye wota mawu siwo menye mawu o togbɔ be mekpɔ woƒe hiahiãwo katã gbɔ na wo hã la, wogayi ɖawɔ ahasi, eye woƒo ta kpli ɖe gboloxɔwo me.
8 [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.
Woɖi ƒo nyuie abe sɔtsu siwo le asi yɔm la ene, ɖe sia ɖe le gbe tem ɖe ame bubu srɔ̃ ŋu.
9 (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!
Ɖe mele be mahe to na wo ɖe esia ta oa? Ɖe nyemabia hlɔ̃ dukɔ sia tɔgbi oa?” Yehowae gblɔe.
10 [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.
“Mige ɖe eƒe waingblewo me eye mialã woƒe wainkawo. Ke migagblẽ wo gbidigbidi o. Milã alɔwo elabena dukɔ sia menye Yehowa tɔ o.
11 The people of Israel and Judah have turned away from me completely.’
Israel kple Yuda ƒe aƒewo meto nyateƒe nam kura o.” Yehowae gblɔe.
12 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!
Woda alakpa tso Yehowa ŋu hegblɔ bena, “Mawɔ naneke o! Vɔ̃ aɖeke mawɔ mí o eye míakpɔ dɔwuame alo yi ƒe ŋkume gbeɖe o.
13 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!’”
Nyagblɔɖilawo la, ya ko wonye eye nya la mele wo me o, eya ta, na woawɔ nu si wogblɔ la na wo.”
14 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.
Eya ta ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: “Esi dukɔ la gblɔ nya siawo ta la, mawɔ nye nya la wòazu dzo bibi anɔ wò nu me eye dukɔ la anye nake si wòabi.”
15 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.
Yehowa be, “O Israel ƒe aƒe, mele dukɔ aɖe kplɔ ge atso didiƒe ava ƒo ɖe dziwò, blemadukɔ si li tegbee, dukɔ si ƒe gbegbɔgblɔ mènya o, eye mèse egɔme hã o.
16 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).
Woƒe daku le abe yɔdo si le nuvo la ene. Wo katã wonye aʋawɔla kalẽtɔwo.
17 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.
Woava ɖu wò agblemenukuwo kple wò nuɖuɖu, woaɖu viwò ŋutsuwo kple viwò nyɔnuwo. Woaɖu wò alẽhawo kple nyihawo, eye woaɖu wò waintsetsewo kple gbotiwo. Woatsɔ yi agblẽ wò du sesẽ siwo ŋu nèle ŋu ɖom ɖo.”
18 But even when those things happen, I will not get rid of all of you.
Yehowa be, “Ke le ɣe ma ɣi hã la, nyematsrɔ̃ mi gbidigbidi o.
19 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.’”
Ale be ne amewo bia be, ‘Nu ka ta Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la wɔ esiawo ɖe mía ŋu hã?’ la, miagblɔ na wo be, ‘Esi miegbem hesubɔ dutamawuwo le wò ŋutɔ wò anyigba dzi ta la, azɔ la mianye kluviwo na dutatɔwo le anyigba si menye mia tɔ o la dzi.’
20 [Yahweh said to me], “Proclaim this to the people of Israel and Judah:
“Ɖe gbeƒã nya sia na Yakob ƒe aƒe la eye nàdo kpo le Yuda.
21 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.
‘Mise nya sia, mi bometsilawo kple susumanɔsitɔwo, ame siwo ŋku li na, gake womekpɔa nu o, ame siwo to li na, gake womesea nu o.’
22 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.
Yehowa be, ‘Ɖe mele be miavɔ̃m oa? Mewɔ ke be wòado liƒo na atsiaƒu, wòanye dɛ mavɔ si nu mate ŋu atso o. Ƒutsotsoewo aŋe aƒo ɖe eŋu gake womate ŋui o. Woadze agbo gake womate ŋui o. Woadze agbo gake womate ŋu agbɔ liƒoa ŋu o.
23 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.
Ke dukɔ sia la, dzi sesẽ, dzeaglãe li na wo. Wodze ɖe aga, eye wotra mɔ.’
24 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.’
Womegblɔna na wo nɔewo be, ‘Mina míavɔ̃ Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la, ame si naa adametsi kple kelemetsi dzana na mí le edzaɣi eye wòkana ɖe nuŋeɣi ƒe kɔsiɖawo dzi na mí’ la o.
25 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.
Miaƒe nu tovowo wɔwɔe xe mɔ na nu siawo katã, eye miaƒe nu vɔ̃wo te nu nyuiwo mi.
26 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.
“Ame vɔ̃ɖiwo le nye dukɔ me, ame siwo de xa abe ale si ŋutsu siwo trea mɔ na xeviwo wɔnɛ ene eye wole abe ŋutsu siwo trea mɔ na amewo ene.
27 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.
Abe ale si xeviwo yɔa xadzanu fũu ene la, nenema woƒe aƒewo yɔ taŋ kple beble. Ale wova zu kesinɔtɔwo kple ŋusẽtɔwo,
28 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.
eye woda ami hezrɔ̃ lãlãlã. Seɖoƒe meli na woƒe nu tovowo wɔwɔ o, womexɔa nya ɖe tsyɔ̃eviwo nu be woaɖu dzi o, eye womeʋlia ame dahewo ƒe ablɔɖevinyenye ta o.”
29 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).
Yehowa be, “Ɖe nyemahe to na wo le esia ta oa? Ɖe nyemabia hlɔ̃ dukɔ sia tɔgbi oa?
30 Very appalling/horrible and terrible [DOU] things are happening in this country:
“Ŋɔdzinu kple dzigbãnu aɖe dzɔ le anyigba dzi.
31 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]?”
Nyagblɔɖilawo gblɔ aʋatsonyawo ɖi. Nunɔlawo le nuwo wɔm le woawo ŋutɔ ƒe ŋusẽ me eye wòdze nye dukɔ ŋu alea. Ke nu ka nàwɔ le nuwuwu?”
