< Yeremia 4 >

1 “Sɛ wobɛsane wʼakyi a Ao, Israel, sane bra me nkyɛn,” sei na Awurade seɛ. “Sɛ woyi wʼahoni a ɛyɛ akyiwadeɛ firi mʼani so na sɛ woammane bio,
“If you will return, Israel,” says Yahweh, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed;
2 na sɛ, nokorɛ, pɛyɛ ne tenenee mu woka ntam sɛ, ‘Sɛ Awurade te ase yi,’ a afei mobɛyɛ nhyira ama aman no na ne mu na wɔbɛnya animuonyam.”
and you will swear, ‘As Yahweh lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”
3 Yei ne asɛm a Awurade ka kyerɛ Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalem: “Monsiesie mo asase a wɔmfuntum da na monnnua wɔ nkasɛɛ mu.
For Yahweh says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow among thorns.
4 Montwitwa mo ho twetia mma Awurade montwitwa mo akoma twetia, mo Yuda mmarima ne Yerusalemfoɔ, anyɛ saa a mʼabufuhyeɛ bɛsɔre na adɛre sɛ ogya. Mo bɔne a moayɛ enti, ɛbɛhye a obiara rennum.”
Circumcise yourselves to Yahweh, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5 “Bɔ nkaeɛ wɔ Yuda na pae mu ka wɔ Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Hyɛn totorobɛnto no wɔ asase no nyinaa so!’ Team denden sɛ: ‘Mommoaboa mo ho ano! Momma yɛn nnwane nkɔ kuropɔn a wɔabɔ ho ban no so!’
Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the trumpet in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!’
6 Momma frankaa so na monkɔ Sion monnwane nkɔbɔ mo ho adwaa! Ɛfiri sɛ mede amanehunu firi atifi fam reba, ɔsɛeɛ a ɛyɛ hu.”
Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.”
7 Gyata bi afiri ne tu mu; ɔbɔaman bi asi mu. Wafiri ne tenabea sɛ ɔrebɛsɛe wʼasase. Wo nkuro bɛbubu na ada mpan.
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
8 Enti fira ayitoma, di awerɛhoɔ na twa adwo, ɛfiri sɛ Awurade abufuhyeɛ no nnane mfirii yɛn so.
For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of Yahweh hasn’t turned back from us.
9 “Saa ɛda no,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “ɔhene no ne adwumayɛfoɔ no bɛbɔ hu, asɔfoɔ no bo bɛtu, na adiyifoɔ no ho bɛdwiri wɔn.”
“It will happen at that day,” says Yahweh, “that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the princes. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will wonder.”
10 Afei, mekaa sɛ, “Aa, Otumfoɔ Awurade, woadaadaa nnipa yi ne Yerusalem. Wokaa sɛ, ‘Mobɛnya asomdwoeɛ,’ wɔ ɛberɛ a akofena da yɛn mene mu.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”
11 Saa ɛberɛ no wɔbɛka akyerɛ nnipa yi ne Yerusalem sɛ, “Mframa a emu yɛ hyeɛ bɛbɔ afiri nkokoɔ wesee a ɛwɔ anweatam so aba me nkurɔfoɔ so, ɛnyɛ deɛ ɛpɔ ho anaa ɛhuhu soɔ;
At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse.
12 mframa a ano yɛ den boro saa no firi me nkyɛn. Afei, mepae mu ka mʼatemmuo a ɛtia wɔn.”
A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them.”
13 Hwɛ! Ɔreba sɛ omununkum, ne nteaseɛnam reba sɛ, ntwahoframa, nʼapɔnkɔ ho yɛ herɛ sene akɔdeɛ. Yɛnnue! Yɛawu!
Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.
14 Ao, Yerusalem, yi bɔne firi wʼakoma mu na woanya nkwa. Wode adwemmɔne bɛhyɛ wo mu akɔsi da bɛn?
Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?
15 Ɛnne bi rebɔ kaseɛ firi Dan, ɛrebɔ amanehunu ho dawuro firi Efraim nkokoɔ so.
For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:
16 “Monka yei nkyerɛ aman no, mommɔ no dawuro nkyerɛ Yerusalem sɛ, ‘Atuafoɔ dɔm firi akyirikyiri asase bi so reba, wɔma ɔko nteamu so de tia Yuda nkuropɔn.
“Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 Wɔtwa kuropɔn no ho hyia sɛ mmarima a wɔrewɛn afuo, ɛfiri sɛ me nkurɔfoɔ ate me so atua,’” sei na Awurade seɛ.
As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says Yahweh.
18 “Wʼankasa abrabɔ ne nneyɛeɛ na ɛde yei aba wo so. Yei yɛ wʼasotwe. Ɛyɛ nwono! Ɛwowɔ akoma!”
“Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.”
19 Ao mʼahoyera, mʼahoyera! Mede ɔyea nukanuka me mu. Ao mʼakoma ɔyeadie! Mʼakoma bɔ paripari wɔ me mu, mentumi nyɛ komm. Ɛfiri sɛ, mate totorobɛnto no nnyegyeɛ; mate ɔko frɛ no.
My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Amanehunu di amanehunu akyi; asase no nyinaa asɛe. Wɔasɛe me ntomadan prɛko pɛ, ne me hintabea mpofirim.
Destruction on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment.
21 Ɛsɛ sɛ mehwɛ ɔko frankaa no na metie totorobɛnto no nnyegyeeɛ kɔsi da bɛn?
How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 “Me nkurɔfoɔ yɛ nkwaseafoɔ; wɔnnim me. Wɔyɛ mma a wɔnni adwen; wɔnte hwee ase. Wɔwɔ bɔneyɛ ho nyansa; na wɔnnim sɛdeɛ wɔyɛ papa.”
“For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skillful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”
23 Mehwɛeɛ asase no, na ɛnni bɔbea na hwee nni so; mehwɛɛ ɔsorosoro, na wɔn hann no nni hɔ.
I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 Mehwɛeɛ mmepɔ no, na wɔrewosowoso, na nkokoɔ no nyinaa rehinhim.
I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.
25 Mehwɛeɛ, na nnipa nni hɔ; ewiem anomaa biara atu kɔ.
I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.
26 Mehwɛeɛ, na nsasebereɛ no adane anweatam na ne nkuro nyinaa asɛe wɔ Awurade anim, wɔ nʼabufuhyeɛ anim.
I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of Yahweh, before his fierce anger.
27 Sei na Awurade seɛ: “Wɔbɛsɛe asase no nyinaa, mmom merensɛe no korakora.
For Yahweh says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
28 Enti asase bɛdi awerɛhoɔ na ɔsorosoro bɛduru sum, ɛfiri sɛ makasa na merentwe nsan. Masi gyinaeɛ na mennane no.”
For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.”
29 Apɔnkɔsotefoɔ ne agyantofoɔ nnyegyeeɛ ma kuro biara sofoɔ dwane. Ebinom kɔhyɛ nkyɛkyerɛ mu ebinom foro kɔ abotan mu. Nkuro no nyinaa so ada mpan; na obiara nte so.
Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells therein.
30 Ɛdeɛn na woreyɛ Ao wo a woasɛe woɔ? Adɛn na wofira kɔben de sikakɔkɔɔ agudeɛ asiesie wo ho? Adɛn na wode nnuro keka wʼani? Wohyehyɛ wo ho kwa. Wʼadɔfoɔ bu wo animtia; wɔrepɛ wo akum wo.
You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life.
31 Mete osu bi te sɛ ɔbaa a awoɔ aka no, mete apinisie te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔrebɔne awoɔ, Ɔbabaa Sion su te sɛ deɛ nisupɔporɔ ahini no, ɔtrɛ ne nsa mu na ɔka sɛ, “Afei deɛ, meretɔ baha; wɔde me kra ama awudifoɔ.”
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”

< Yeremia 4 >