1Ao, sɛ me ti yɛ asuti,
na mʼaniwa yɛ nusu abura a!
Mɛtew nusu awia ne anadwo
ama me nkurɔfo a wɔakunkum wɔn no.
2Ao, sɛ mewɔ akwantufo asoɛe
wɔ nweatam no so a
anka megyaw me nkurɔfo hɔ
na mafi wɔn nkyɛn;
efisɛ wɔn nyinaa yɛ nguaman,
nnipakuw a wonni nokware.
3“Wosiesie wɔn tɛkrɛma
te sɛ agyan de di atoro;
Ɛnyɛ nokware so na wɔnam
di yiye wɔ asase yi so.
Wɔyɛ bɔne toatoa so;
na wonnye me nto mu,”
Awurade na ose.
4“Monhwɛ yiye wɔ mo nnamfonom ho;
munnye obiara nni wɔ mo abusua mu.
Efisɛ wɔn mu biara yɛ ɔdaadaafo,
na adamfo biara yɛ ɔsɛefo.
5Adamfo daadaa adamfo,
na wɔn mu biara nka nokware.
Wɔn tɛkrɛma akokwaw atorodi mu,
wɔde bɔneyɛ haw wɔn ho.
6Wote nnaadaa mfimfini;
na wɔn nnaadaa mu wɔmpɛ sɛ wogye me to mu,”
sɛnea Awurade se ni.
7Ɛno nti, sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se,
“Hwɛ, mɛnan wɔn asɔ wɔn ahwɛ,
na dɛn bio na metumi ayɛ
esiane me nkurɔfo yi bɔne nti?
8Wɔn tɛkrɛma yɛ agyan a ano wɔ bɔre;
ɛka nnaadaasɛm.
Obiara kasa asomdwoe mu kyerɛ ne yɔnko,
nanso ne koma mu de, osum no afiri.
9Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ eyi ho?”
Sɛɛ na Awurade se.
“Ɛnsɛ sɛ mʼankasa metɔ
ɔman a ɛte sɛɛ so were ana?
10Mesu na metwa adwo ama mmepɔw no,
mɛbɔ abubuw a ɛfa nweatam adidibea ho.
Ayɛ fo na obi mfa hɔ bio,
na wɔnte anantwi su wɔ hɔ.
Wim nnomaa no atutu kɔ
na mmoa no nso aguan kɔ.
11“Mɛyɛ Yerusalem mmubui siw,
sakraman atu;
na mɛma Yuda nkurow ada mpan
sɛnea obiara ntumi ntena hɔ.”
12Onipa bɛn na onim nyansa ara sɛ ɔbɛte eyi ase? Hena na Awurade akyerɛkyerɛ no a obetumi akyerɛ ase? Adɛn nti na wɔasɛe asase no ama ada mpan sɛ nweatam a obiara ntumi mfa so?
13Awurade kae se, “Esiane sɛ wɔapo me mmara a mehyɛ maa wɔn no nti, wɔanyɛ osetie amma me na wɔanni me mmara so. 14Mmom, wɔadi wɔn koma asoɔden akyi, wɔadi Baalnom akyi sɛnea wɔn agyanom kyerɛɛ wɔn no.” 15Ɛno nti, nea Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn no se ni: “Hwɛ, mɛma saa nnipa yi adi aduan a ɛyɛ nwen na wɔanom nsu a wɔde awuduru afra. 16Mɛbɔ wɔn ahwete amanaman a wɔn anaa wɔn agyanom nnim so no so, na mede afoa bɛtaa wɔn kosi sɛ mɛsɛe wɔn.”
17Sɛnea Awurade tumfo se ni:
“Dwene ho! Frɛ mmea agyaadwotwafo no,
frɛ wɔn a wɔakwadaw mu pa ara.
18Ma wɔmmra ntɛm
mmesu ngu yɛn so
kosi sɛ yɛn ani so bɛtaa nusu
na nusu aguare yɛn.
19Wɔte agyaadwotwa nnyigyei fi Sion se,
‘Wɔasɛe yɛn!
Yɛn anim agu ase yiye!
Ɛsɛ sɛ yetu fi yɛn asase so
efisɛ yɛn afi abubu.’ ”
20Afei, mo mmea, muntie Awurade asɛm;
monyɛ aso mma nsɛm a efi nʼanom.
Monkyerɛ mo mmabea sɛnea wotwa dwo;
monkyerɛ mo ho mo ho abubuwbɔ.
21Owu aforo afa yɛn mfɛnsere mu
ahyɛn yɛn aban mu;
apam mmofra afi mmɔnten so
ne mmerante afi ɔman aguabɔbea.
22Ka se, “Sɛɛ Na Awurade se,
“ ‘Nnipa afunu bɛdeda hɔ
te sɛ sumina a egugu petee mu,
te sɛ aburow a nnɔbaetwafo atwa agu nʼakyi
a obiara mmoaboaa ano.’ ”
23Eyi ne nea Awurade se:
“Mma onyansafo mfa ne nyansa nhyehyɛ ne ho
anaa ɔhoɔdenfo mfa nʼahoɔden nhyehyɛ ne ho
anaa ɔdefo mfa nʼahonya nhyehyɛ ne ho.
24Mmom ma nea ɔhyehyɛ ne ho nhyehyɛ ne ho sɛ
ɔwɔ nhumu, na onim sɛ,
me ne Awurade a ɔyɛ adɔe,
na obu atɛntrenee na ɔyɛ adetrenee wɔ asase so,
efisɛ eyinom na ɛsɔ mʼani,”
sɛnea Awurade se ni.
25“Nna no reba,” Awurade na ose, “A mɛtwe wɔn a wɔatwa twetia wɔ honam fam nko ara no nyinaa aso: 26Misraimfo, Yudafo, Edomfo, Amonfo, Moabfo ne wɔn a wɔtete nweatam a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri nsase so nyinaa. Na nokware, saa aman yi nyinaa yɛ momonotofo na mpo Israelfi nyinaa yɛ koma mu momonotofo.”
1Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!9.1 Oh…: Heb. Who will give my head, etc 2Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 3And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD. 4Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.9.4 neighbour: or, friend 5And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.9.5 deceive: or, mock 6Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the LORD. 7Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people? 8Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.9.8 in heart: Heb. in the midst of him9.8 his wait: or, wait for him
9¶ Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this? 10For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.9.10 habitations: or, pastures9.10 burned up: or, desolate9.10 both…: Heb. from the fowl even to, etc 11And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.9.11 desolate: Heb. desolation
12¶ Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? 13And the LORD saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; 14But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:9.14 imagination: or, stubbornness 15Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. 16I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.
17¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come: 18And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters. 19For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out. 20Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation. 21For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets. 22Speak, Thus saith the LORD, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.
23¶ Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
25¶ Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;9.25 punish: Heb. visit upon 26Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.9.26 in the utmost…: Heb. cut off into corners, or, having the corners of their hair polled
