1“Sɛ ɔbarima gyaa ne yere
na ɔbea no kɔware ɔbarima foforo a,
ɛsɛ sɛ ɔbarima no san kɔ ɔbea no nkyɛn ana?
Ɛremma asase no ho ngu fi koraa ana?
Nanso wo ne adɔfo bebree abɔ aguaman,
na mprempren de wobɛsan aba me nkyɛn ana?”
Awurade na ose.
2“Ma wʼani so hwɛ nkoko no so.
Baabi wɔ hɔ a wɔntoo wo mmonnaa da ana?
Wotenaa kwankyɛn twɛn adɔfo,
wotenaa sɛ mmoahwɛfo a wodi atutena wɔ nweatam so.
Woagu asase no ho fi,
wode wʼaguamammɔ ne wʼamumɔyɛ na ayɛ.
3Enti wɔatwe obosu asan,
na asusowbere su antɔ.
Nanso wʼanim ayɛ sɛ oguamanfo a ɔmfɛre hwee;
wʼani nwu hwee.
4Nnansa yi ara, woamfrɛ me se:
‘Mʼagya, me mmabunmmere mu adamfo,
5wo bo befuw biribiara ana?
Wʼabufuwhyew no bɛkɔ so daa ana?’
Sɛɛ na wokasa,
nanso woyɛ bɔne nyinaa sɛnea wutumi.”
Israel A Onni Nokware
6Ɔhene Yosia adedi bere so no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Woahu nea Israel a onni nokware no ayɛ? Wakɔ nkoko nyinaa so ne dua a adennan biara ase akɔsɛe aware wɔ hɔ. 7Misusuwii sɛ anka wayɛ eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ɔbɛsan aba me nkyɛn nanso wamma, na ne nuabea Yuda a ɔno nso nka nokware no hui. 8Memaa Israel a onni nokware no awaregyae nhoma na mepam no esiane nʼawaresɛe abrabɔ nti. Nanso mihuu sɛ ne nuabea Yuda a onni nokware no ansuro; ɔno nso kɔbɔɔ aguaman bra. 9Esiane sɛ Israel aguamammɔ anyɛ no asɛnhia nti, ɔde fi kaa asase no na ɔne abo ne nnua bɔɔ aguaman. 10Eyinom nyinaa akyi no, ne nuabea Yuda amfi ne koma nyinaa mu ansan amma me nkyɛn, ɔyɛ de kyerɛɛ kɛkɛ,” sɛnea Awurade se ni.
11Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Israel a onni nokware no teɛ sen Yuda okontomponi no. 12Kɔ, fa wʼani kyerɛ atifi fam kɔka saa nsɛm yi kyerɛ wɔn:
“ ‘San wʼakyi, Israel a onni nokware,’ Sɛɛ na Awurade se,
‘Meremmuna nkyerɛ wo bio,
efisɛ meyɛ mmɔborɔhunufo,’ sɛɛ na Awurade se,
‘Me bo remfuw afebɔɔ.
13Gye wo afɔdi to mu,
woatew Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn anim atua,
woakyekyɛ wʼadɔe mu ama ananafo anyame
wɔ dua biara a adennan ase,
na woanyɛ osetie amma me,’ ”
sɛnea Awurade se ni.
14“Monsan mo akyi, mo akyirisanfo,” sɛnea Awurade se ni, “efisɛ meyɛ mo kunu. Meyi wo; ɔbaako befi kurow mu na baanu afi abusuakuw mu, na mede mo aba Sion. 15Afei mɛma mo nguanhwɛfo a wɔda me koma so, wɔn a wɔde nimdeɛ ne ntease bɛkyerɛ mo ɔkwan. 16Saa nna no mu, sɛ mo dɔɔso bebree wɔ asase no so a,” Awurade na ose, “nnipa renka bio se, ‘Awurade apam adaka no.’ Ɛremma wɔn adwene mu anaa wɔrenkae da; wɔn kɔn rennɔ na wɔrenyɛ foforo nso. 17Saa bere no wɔbɛfrɛ Yerusalem Awurade Ahengua, na amanaman nyinaa behyia wɔ Yerusalem abɛkamfo Awurade din. Na wɔrenni wɔn koma bɔne a ɛma wɔyɛ asoɔden no akyi bio. 18Saa nna no mu, Yuda fi bɛka Israelfi ho, na wɔabɔ mu afi atifi fam asase bi so aba asase a mede maa mo agyanom sɛ agyapade no so.
19“Mʼankasa mekae se,
‘Anka ɛbɛyɛ me anigye sɛ mɛyɛ mo sɛ mma
na mama mo asase a eye,
agyapade a edi mu ma ɔman biara.’
Misusuwii sɛ mobɛfrɛ me ‘Agya’
na monnan mo ho mfi mʼakyi.
20Nanso te sɛ ɔbea a onni ne kunu nokware no,
saa ara na moanni me nokware, Israelfi,”
sɛnea Awurade se ni.
21Wɔte osu bi wɔ nkoko no so,
ɛyɛ Israelfo agyaadwotwa ne nkotosrɛ,
efisɛ wɔakyeakyea wɔn akwan
na wɔn werɛ afi Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn.
22“Monsan mmra, ɔyera mma;
mɛsa mo akyirisan yare no.”
“Yiw, yɛbɛba wo nkyɛn,
efisɛ wo ne Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.
23Ampa, ahoni huuyɛ wɔ nkoko
ne mmepɔw so no yɛ nnaadaa;
nokware Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn mu
na Israel nkwagye wɔ.
24Efi yɛn mmofraase, anyame huhuw adi
yɛn agyanom nsa ano adwuma so aba,
wɔn nguankuw ne anantwi,
wɔn mmabarima ne wɔn mmabea.
25Momma yɛmfa yɛn aniwu nneda fam
na yɛn ahohora nkata yɛn so.
Yɛayɛ bɔne atia Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn,
yɛn ne yɛn agyanom;
efi yɛn mmofraase besi nnɛ
yɛanyɛ osetie amma Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn no.”
1“If a man divorces his wife
and she leaves him and marries another man,
should he return to her again?
Would not the land be completely defiled?
But you have lived as a prostitute with many lovers—
would you now return to me?”
declares the Lord.
2“Look up to the barren heights and see.
Is there any place where you have not been ravished?
By the roadside you sat waiting for lovers,
sat like a nomad in the desert.
You have defiled the land
with your prostitution and wickedness.
3Therefore the showers have been withheld,
and no spring rains have fallen.
Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute;
you refuse to blush with shame.
4Have you not just called to me:
‘My Father, my friend from my youth,
5will you always be angry?
Will your wrath continue forever?’
This is how you talk,
but you do all the evil you can.”
Unfaithful Israel
6During the reign of King Josiah, the Lord said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every spreading tree and has committed adultery there. 7I thought that after she had done all this she would return to me but she did not, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it. 8I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery. 9Because Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her, she defiled the land and committed adultery with stone and wood. 10In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the Lord.
11The Lord said to me, “Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah. 12Go, proclaim this message toward the north:
“ ‘Return, faithless Israel,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will frown on you no longer,
for I am faithful,’ declares the Lord,
‘I will not be angry forever.
13Only acknowledge your guilt—
you have rebelled against the Lord your God,
you have scattered your favors to foreign gods
under every spreading tree,
and have not obeyed me,’ ”
declares the Lord.
14“Return, faithless people,” declares the Lord, “for I am your husband. I will choose you—one from a town and two from a clan—and bring you to Zion. 15Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. 16In those days, when your numbers have increased greatly in the land,” declares the Lord, “people will no longer say, ‘The ark of the covenant of the Lord.’ It will never enter their minds or be remembered; it will not be missed, nor will another one be made. 17At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the Lord. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. 18In those days the people of Judah will join the people of Israel, and together they will come from a northern land to the land I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.
19“I myself said,
“ ‘How gladly would I treat you like my children
and give you a pleasant land,
the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’
I thought you would call me ‘Father’
and not turn away from following me.
20But like a woman unfaithful to her husband,
so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me,”
declares the Lord.
21A cry is heard on the barren heights,
the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel,
because they have perverted their ways
and have forgotten the Lord their God.
22“Return, faithless people;
I will cure you of backsliding.”
“Yes, we will come to you,
for you are the Lord our God.
23Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills
and mountains is a deception;
surely in the Lord our God
is the salvation of Israel.
24From our youth shameful gods have consumed
the fruits of our ancestors’ labor—
their flocks and herds,
their sons and daughters.
25Let us lie down in our shame,
and let our disgrace cover us.
We have sinned against the Lord our God,
both we and our ancestors;
from our youth till this day
we have not obeyed the Lord our God.”
