1Sɛɛ na Awurade se:
“Monhwɛ, mɛkanyan ɔsɛefo bi honhom
atia Babilonia ne nnipa a wɔwɔ Leb Kamai.
2Mɛsoma ananafo akɔ Babilonia
sɛ wonkohuhuw ne so na wɔnsɛe nʼasase;
wobetia no wɔ afanan nyinaa
wɔ nʼamanehunu da no.
3Mma agyantowni pema nʼagyan,
mma ɔnhyɛ ne nkatabo.
Mma ne mmerante mfa wɔn ho nni;
sɛe nʼasraafo no pasaa.
4Wɔbɛhwehwe ase a wɔatotɔ wɔ Babilonia,
a wɔapirapira yiye wɔ ne mmɔnten so.
5Na Israel Nyankopɔn, Asafo Awurade no,
nnyaw Israel ne Yuda hɔ ɛ,
ɛwɔ mu, afɔdi ahyɛ wɔn asase no so ma
wɔ Israel Ɔkronkronni no anim.
6“Munguan mfi Babilonia!
Muntu mmirika mpere mo nkwa!
Mommma wɔnnsɛe mo esiane ne bɔne nti.
Awurade aweretɔbere aso;
ɔde nea ɛfata no betua no ka.
7Na Babilonia yɛ sikakɔkɔɔ kuruwa wɔ Awurade nsam;
ɔmaa asase nyinaa bow nsa.
Aman no nom ne nsa;
ɛno nti, afei wɔabobɔ adam.
8Babilonia bɛhwe ase abubu mpofirim.
Muntwa ne ho agyaadwo!
Mompɛ ne yaw no ano aduru;
ebia ne ho bɛtɔ no.
9“ ‘Anka yɛbɛsa Babilonia yare,
nanso wontumi nsa no yare;
momma yennyaw no hɔ na obiara nkɔ nʼankasa asase so,
efisɛ nʼatemmu du sorosoro;
ɛforo soro te sɛ omununkum.’
10“ ‘Awurade abu yɛn bem.
Mommra, momma yɛnka wɔ Sion,
nea Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn ayɛ.’
11“Monsew agyan no ano!
Momfa nkatabo no!
Awurade ahwanyan Mede ahemfo no,
efisɛ ne botae ne sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Babilonia.
Awurade bɛtɔ were,
ɔbɛtɔ were ama nʼasɔrefi no.
12Mompagyaw frankaa bi ntia Babilonia afasu!
Mummia bammɔ mu,
momma awɛmfo no nnyinagyina.
Munsiesie ahintawee!
Awurade bɛma nʼatirimpɔw aba mu,
nea wahyɛ atia Babilonia no.
13Mo a motete nsuwansuwa bebree ho
na nnwetɛbona abu mo so,
mo awiei aba,
bere a ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa mo kyene no.
14Asafo Awurade, aka ne ho ntam sɛ:
mede nnipa bɛhyɛ wo ma sɛ tɛwtɛw,
na wɔabɔ ose wɔ wo so.
15“Ɔde ne tumi bɔɔ asase;
ɔtoo wiase fapem wɔ ne nyansa mu
na ɔde ne nhumu trɛw ɔsorosoro mu.
16Sɛ ɔbobɔ mu a, ɔsoro nsu woro so;
ɔma omununkum ma ne ho so fi nsase ano.
Ɔsoma anyinam ka osu ho
na ɔma mframa bɔ fi ne koradan mu.
17“Onipa biara nnim nyansa, na onni nimdeɛ;
sikadwumfo biara anim gu ase, esiane nʼahoni nti.
Ne nsɛsode yɛ atoro;
wonni ɔhome biara wɔ wɔn mu.
18Wɔn so nni mfaso, wɔn ho yɛ serew;
sɛ wɔn atemmu du so a, wɔbɛyera.
19Nea ɔyɛ Yakob Kyɛfa no nte sɛ eyinom,
efisɛ ɔno ne ade nyinaa Yɛfo
a Israel, abusua a ɛyɛ nʼagyapade nso ka ho.
Asafo Awurade ne ne din.
20“Woyɛ me ko abaa,
mʼakode a mede kɔ sa
mede wo dwerɛw amanaman,
mede wo sɛe ahenni bebree,
21mede wo bobɔ ɔpɔnkɔ ne ne sotefo,
teaseɛnam ne ne kafo,
22mede wo dwerɛw ɔbarima ne ɔbea,
mede wo dwerɛw akwakoraa ne ɔbabun,
mede wo dwerɛw aberante ne ababaa,
23mede wo dwerɛw oguanhwɛfo ne nguankuw,
mede wo dwerɛw okuafo ne anantwi,
mede wo dwerɛw amradofo ne adwumayɛfo.
24“Metua Babilonia ne wɔn a wɔtete Babilonia ka wɔ mfomso a, wɔayɛ wɔ Sion nyinaa, wɔ wʼanim,” Awurade na ose.
25“Bepɔw sɛefo, me ne wo anya,
wo a wosɛe asase nyinaa no,”
Awurade na ose.
“Mɛteɛ me nsa wɔ wo so
mepia wo afi abotan no so,
na mayɛ wo sɛ bepɔw a ɛnka hwee.
26Wɔremfa ɔbo biara mfi wo so nyɛ tweatibo
anaasɛ fapem mpo,
efisɛ wobɛda mpan afebɔɔ,”
Awurade na ose.
27“Momma frankaa so wɔ asase no so!
Monhyɛn torobɛnto no wɔ amanaman no mu!
Munsiesie amanaman no mma wontu no so sa;
Momfrɛfrɛ saa ahenni ahorow yi mma wɔnko ntia no:
Ararat, Mini ne Askenas.
Munnyi ɔsahene ntia no;
momfa apɔnkɔ manyamanya te sɛ tɛwtɛw mmra.
28Munsiesie amanaman no mma wontu no so sa,
mo Mede ahemfo,
wɔn amradofo ne wɔn adwumayɛfo nyinaa,
ne aman a wodi so nyinaa.
29Asase no wosow, na onukunuku ne mu,
efisɛ Awurade atirimpɔw a etia Babilonia
sɛ ɔbɛsɛe Babilonia asase a
obiara rentumi ntena so no nsakraa ɛ.
30Babilonia dɔmmarima agyae ko
wɔhyehyɛ wɔn aban mu.
Wɔn ahoɔden asa;
wɔayɛ sɛ mmea.
Wɔatoto nʼatenae ahorow no mu gya,
na wɔabubu nʼapon akyi adaban.
31Abɔfo didi so
na asomafo didi so a
wɔrekɔbɔ Babiloniahene amanneɛ se,
wɔafa ne kuropɔn no,
32wɔagye asutwabea ahorow a ɛdeda asubɔnten no ano no afa,
na wɔde ogya ato ɔwora no mu,
na asraafo no abɔ huboa.”
33Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, se:
“Babilonia Babea ayɛ sɛ, awiporowbea
wɔ bere a wɔretiatia hɔ.
Aka kakraa bi, na bere a ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa no sɛ nnɔbae no adu.”
34“Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar adwerɛw yɛn,
ɔde yɛn ato ɔhaw mu,
wayɛ yɛn sɛ ahina a hwee nni mu.
Wamene yɛn sɛ ɔwɔ no
na ɔde yɛn nneɛma a ɛyɛ dɛ ahyɛ ne yafunu ma,
na wapuw yɛn afi nʼanom agu.
35Ma ayakayakade a wɔde dii yɛn honam no mmra Babilonia so,”
nnipa a wɔtete Sion na wɔka.
“Ma yɛn mogya ngu wɔn a wɔtete Babilonia so,”
Yerusalem na ɔka.
36Enti sɛɛ na Awurade se:
“Hwɛ, medi mo asɛm ama mo
na matɔ were ama mo;
Mɛma po a ɛyɛ ne de no ayow
na mama ne nsubɔnten ayoyow.
37Babilonia bɛyɛ mmubui siw,
sakraman atu
ahodwiriwde ne fɛwdi,
baabi a obiara nte.
38Ne nkurɔfo nyinaa bobɔ mu sɛ gyata,
wɔbobɔ mu te sɛ gyatamma.
39Nanso bere a wɔahwanyan wɔn ho no,
mɛto pon ama wɔn
na mama wɔabobow nsa,
sɛnea wɔde nteɛteɛmu bedi ahurusi,
na wɔadeda a wɔrennyan bio,”
Awurade na ose.
40“Mede wɔn bɛba
te sɛ nguantenmma a wɔrekokum wɔn,
te sɛ adwennini ne mpapo.
41“Sɛnea wɔbɛfa Sesak,
wɔbɛfa asase nyinaa so ahohoahoa!
Babilonia bɛyɛ ahodwiriwde
wɔ amanaman no mu!
42Po bebunkam afa Babilonia so;
na nʼasorɔkye bɛkata ne so.
43Ne nkurow bɛda mpan,
nweatam a so awo,
asase a obiara nte so,
na obiara ntu kwan mfa so.
44Mɛtwe Bel aso wɔ Babilonia
na mama wapuw nea wamene agu.
Amanaman no rento santen nkɔ ne nkyɛn bio.
Na Babilonia fasu bebubu.
45“Me nkurɔfo, mumfi ne mu!
Muntu mmirika mpere mo nkwa!
Munguan mfi Awurade abufuwhyew ano.
46Mommma mo koma ntu na munnsuro
sɛ mote huhuhuhu wɔ asase no so a;
huhuhuhu ba afe yi na foforo ba afe a ɛbɛba,
basabasayɛ ho huhuhuhu wɔ asase no so
ɛfa ɔhene a ɔsɔre tia ɔfoforo ho.
47Na ampa ara bere no bɛba
a mɛtwe Babilonia ahoni aso;
nʼasase no nyinaa anim begu ase
na nʼatɔfo nyinaa bɛtotɔ ase wɔ ne so.
48Ɔsoro ne asase ne nea ɛwɔ mu nyinaa
de ahosɛpɛw bɛteɛ mu agu Babilonia so,
efisɛ ɔsɛefo befi atifi fam
abɛtow ahyɛ ne so,”
Awurade na ose.
49“Ɛsɛ sɛ Babilonia hwe ase, esiane Israel atɔfo nti
sɛnea atɔfo a wɔwɔ wiase nyinaa ahwehwe ase
esiane Babilonia nti no.
50Mo a mo aguan afi afoa ano,
monkɔ, na monntwentwɛn mo nan ase!
Monkae Awurade wɔ akyirikyiri asase so,
na munnwen Yerusalem ho.”
51“Wɔagu yɛn anim ase,
efisɛ wayeyaw yɛn
na fɛre akata yɛn anim,
efisɛ ananafo ahyɛn
Awurade fi kronkronbea ahorow hɔ.”
52“Nanso nna bi reba,” Awurade na ose,
“a mɛtwe nʼahoni aso,
na nʼasase so nyinaa
apirafo besi apini.
53Sɛ Babilonia kɔka soro mpo,
na omiamia nʼaban tenten bammɔ mu a,
mɛsoma ɔsɛefo ne no abedi asi,”
Awurade na ose.
54“Osu nnyigyei bi fi Babilonia,
ɔsɛe kɛse bi nnyigyei
fi Babiloniafo asase so.
55Awurade bɛsɛe Babilonia;
ɔbɛma nʼasotuatua nnyigyei no agyae.
Atamfo a wɔte sɛ ahum betu sɛ nsu akɛse;
wɔn mmubomu bɛyɛ gyegyeegye.
56Ɔsɛefo bi bɛsɔre atia Babilonia;
wɔbɛfa ne dɔmmarima nnommum
na wobebubu wɔn tadua mu.
Efisɛ Awurade yɛ Onyankopɔn a ɔhyɛ anan mu;
obetua so ka pɛpɛɛpɛ.
57Mɛma nʼadwumayɛfo ne nʼanyansafo abow nsa
nʼamradonom, ne mpanyimfo ne dɔmmarima nso saa ara;
wɔbɛdeda afebɔɔ a wɔrennyan,”
sɛɛ na ɔhempɔn a ne din ne Asafo Awurade, no se.
58Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, se:
“Wobedwiriw Babilonia afasu a ɛtrɛw no agu fam
na wɔbɛto nʼapon atenten no mu gya;
nnipa no haw wɔn ho kwa,
ɔman no adwumayɛ ma ogya no dɛw mmom.”
59Eyi ne asɛm a Yeremia ka kyerɛɛ Neria babarima Seraia a ɔyɛ adwumayɛfo panyin na ɔyɛ Maseia nena no, bere a ɔne Yudahene Sedekia kɔɔ Babilonia wɔ nʼadedi afe a ɛto so anan no mu. 60Na Yeremia akyerɛw amanehunu a ɛbɛba Babilonia so no nyinaa agu nhoma mmobɔwee so, nea wakyerɛw a ɛfa Babilonia ho nyinaa. 61Ɔka kyerɛɛ Seraia se, “Sɛ wudu Babilonia a, hwɛ sɛ wobɛkenkan saa nsɛm yi nyinaa sɛnea obiara bɛte. 62Afei ka se, ‘Awurade, woaka se wobɛsɛe beae yi sɛnea onipa anaa aboa biara rentumi ntena so; na ɛbɛda mpan afebɔɔ.’ 63Sɛ wokenkan nhoma mmobɔwee yi wie a, kyekyere fam ɔbo ho, na tow kyene Asubɔnten Eufrate mu. 64Afei ka se, ‘Sɛɛ na Babilonia ne ne nkurɔfo bɛmem a wɔrensɔre bio, esiane amanehunu a mede bɛba ne so no nti.’ ”
Yeremia nsɛm no awiei ni.
1This is what the Lord says:
“See, I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer
against Babylon and the people of Leb Kamai.51:1 Leb Kamai is a cryptogram for Chaldea, that is, Babylonia.
2I will send foreigners to Babylon
to winnow her and to devastate her land;
they will oppose her on every side
in the day of her disaster.
3Let not the archer string his bow,
nor let him put on his armor.
Do not spare her young men;
completely destroy51:3 The Hebrew term refers to the irrevocable giving over of things or persons to the Lord, often by totally destroying them. her army.
4They will fall down slain in Babylon,51:4 Or Chaldea
fatally wounded in her streets.
5For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken
by their God, the Lord Almighty,
though their land51:5 Or Almighty, / and the land of the Babylonians is full of guilt
before the Holy One of Israel.
6“Flee from Babylon!
Run for your lives!
Do not be destroyed because of her sins.
It is time for the Lord’s vengeance;
he will repay her what she deserves.
7Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand;
she made the whole earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
therefore they have now gone mad.
8Babylon will suddenly fall and be broken.
Wail over her!
Get balm for her pain;
perhaps she can be healed.
9“ ‘We would have healed Babylon,
but she cannot be healed;
let us leave her and each go to our own land,
for her judgment reaches to the skies,
it rises as high as the heavens.’
10“ ‘The Lord has vindicated us;
come, let us tell in Zion
what the Lord our God has done.’
11“Sharpen the arrows,
take up the shields!
The Lord has stirred up the kings of the Medes,
because his purpose is to destroy Babylon.
The Lord will take vengeance,
vengeance for his temple.
12Lift up a banner against the walls of Babylon!
Reinforce the guard,
station the watchmen,
prepare an ambush!
The Lord will carry out his purpose,
his decree against the people of Babylon.
13You who live by many waters
and are rich in treasures,
your end has come,
the time for you to be destroyed.
14The Lord Almighty has sworn by himself:
I will surely fill you with troops, as with a swarm of locusts,
and they will shout in triumph over you.
15“He made the earth by his power;
he founded the world by his wisdom
and stretched out the heavens by his understanding.
16When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
17“Everyone is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
The images he makes are a fraud;
they have no breath in them.
18They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.
19He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,
including the people of his inheritance—
the Lord Almighty is his name.
20“You are my war club,
my weapon for battle—
with you I shatter nations,
with you I destroy kingdoms,
21with you I shatter horse and rider,
with you I shatter chariot and driver,
22with you I shatter man and woman,
with you I shatter old man and youth,
with you I shatter young man and young woman,
23with you I shatter shepherd and flock,
with you I shatter farmer and oxen,
with you I shatter governors and officials.
24“Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia51:24 Or Chaldea; also in verse 35 for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord.
25“I am against you, you destroying mountain,
you who destroy the whole earth,”
declares the Lord.
“I will stretch out my hand against you,
roll you off the cliffs,
and make you a burned-out mountain.
26No rock will be taken from you for a cornerstone,
nor any stone for a foundation,
for you will be desolate forever,”
declares the Lord.
27“Lift up a banner in the land!
Blow the trumpet among the nations!
Prepare the nations for battle against her;
summon against her these kingdoms:
Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz.
Appoint a commander against her;
send up horses like a swarm of locusts.
28Prepare the nations for battle against her—
the kings of the Medes,
their governors and all their officials,
and all the countries they rule.
29The land trembles and writhes,
for the Lord’s purposes against Babylon stand—
to lay waste the land of Babylon
so that no one will live there.
30Babylon’s warriors have stopped fighting;
they remain in their strongholds.
Their strength is exhausted;
they have become weaklings.
Her dwellings are set on fire;
the bars of her gates are broken.
31One courier follows another
and messenger follows messenger
to announce to the king of Babylon
that his entire city is captured,
32the river crossings seized,
the marshes set on fire,
and the soldiers terrified.”
33This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:
“Daughter Babylon is like a threshing floor
at the time it is trampled;
the time to harvest her will soon come.”
34“Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured us,
he has thrown us into confusion,
he has made us an empty jar.
Like a serpent he has swallowed us
and filled his stomach with our delicacies,
and then has spewed us out.
35May the violence done to our flesh51:35 Or done to us and to our children be on Babylon,”
say the inhabitants of Zion.
“May our blood be on those who live in Babylonia,”
says Jerusalem.
36Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“See, I will defend your cause
and avenge you;
I will dry up her sea
and make her springs dry.
37Babylon will be a heap of ruins,
a haunt of jackals,
an object of horror and scorn,
a place where no one lives.
38Her people all roar like young lions,
they growl like lion cubs.
39But while they are aroused,
I will set out a feast for them
and make them drunk,
so that they shout with laughter—
then sleep forever and not awake,”
declares the Lord.
40“I will bring them down
like lambs to the slaughter,
like rams and goats.
41“How Sheshak51:41 Sheshak is a cryptogram for Babylon. will be captured,
the boast of the whole earth seized!
How desolate Babylon will be
among the nations!
42The sea will rise over Babylon;
its roaring waves will cover her.
43Her towns will be desolate,
a dry and desert land,
a land where no one lives,
through which no one travels.
44I will punish Bel in Babylon
and make him spew out what he has swallowed.
The nations will no longer stream to him.
And the wall of Babylon will fall.
45“Come out of her, my people!
Run for your lives!
Run from the fierce anger of the Lord.
46Do not lose heart or be afraid
when rumors are heard in the land;
one rumor comes this year, another the next,
rumors of violence in the land
and of ruler against ruler.
47For the time will surely come
when I will punish the idols of Babylon;
her whole land will be disgraced
and her slain will all lie fallen within her.
48Then heaven and earth and all that is in them
will shout for joy over Babylon,
for out of the north
destroyers will attack her,”
declares the Lord.
49“Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain,
just as the slain in all the earth
have fallen because of Babylon.
50You who have escaped the sword,
leave and do not linger!
Remember the Lord in a distant land,
and call to mind Jerusalem.”
51“We are disgraced,
for we have been insulted
and shame covers our faces,
because foreigners have entered
the holy places of the Lord’s house.”
52“But days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will punish her idols,
and throughout her land
the wounded will groan.
53Even if Babylon ascends to the heavens
and fortifies her lofty stronghold,
I will send destroyers against her,”
declares the Lord.
54“The sound of a cry comes from Babylon,
the sound of great destruction
from the land of the Babylonians.51:54 Or Chaldeans
55The Lord will destroy Babylon;
he will silence her noisy din.
Waves of enemies will rage like great waters;
the roar of their voices will resound.
56A destroyer will come against Babylon;
her warriors will be captured,
and their bows will be broken.
For the Lord is a God of retribution;
he will repay in full.
57I will make her officials and wise men drunk,
her governors, officers and warriors as well;
they will sleep forever and not awake,”
declares the King, whose name is the Lord Almighty.
58This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Babylon’s thick wall will be leveled
and her high gates set on fire;
the peoples exhaust themselves for nothing,
the nations’ labor is only fuel for the flames.”
59This is the message Jeremiah the prophet gave to the staff officer Seraiah son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went to Babylon with Zedekiah king of Judah in the fourth year of his reign. 60Jeremiah had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon Babylon—all that had been recorded concerning Babylon. 61He said to Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, see that you read all these words aloud. 62Then say, ‘Lord, you have said you will destroy this place, so that neither people nor animals will live in it; it will be desolate forever.’ 63When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates. 64Then say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.’ ”
The words of Jeremiah end here.
