Jeremiah 15 – NIRV & ASCB

New International Reader’s Version

Jeremiah 15:1-21

1Then the Lord said to me, “Suppose Moses and Samuel were standing in front of me. Even then my heart would not feel sorry for these people. Send them away from me! Let them go! 2Suppose these people ask you, ‘Where should we go?’ Then tell them, ‘The Lord says,

“ ‘ “Those I have appointed to die will die.

Those I have appointed to be killed by swords

will be killed by swords.

Those I have appointed to die of hunger

will die of hunger.

Those I have appointed to be taken away as prisoners

will be taken away.” ’

3“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” announces the Lord. “Swords will kill them. Dogs will drag them away. Birds will eat them up. And wild animals will destroy them. 4I will make all the kingdoms on earth hate them. That will happen because of what Manasseh did in Jerusalem. He was king of Judah and the son of Hezekiah.

5“Jerusalem, who will have pity on you?

Who will mourn for you?

Who will stop to ask how you are doing?

6You have said no to me,”

announces the Lord.

“You keep on turning away from me.

So I will reach out and destroy you.

I am tired of showing you pity.

7I will stand at the city gates of the land.

I will separate the straw from the grain.

I will destroy my people. I will bring great sorrow on them.

They have not changed their ways.

8I will increase the number of their widows.

There will be more of them than the grains of sand on the seashore.

At noon I will bring a destroyer

against the mothers of the young men among my people.

All at once I will bring down on them

great suffering and terror.

9Mothers who have many children will grow weak.

They will take their last breath.

The sun will set on them while it is still day.

They will be dishonored and put to shame.

All those who are left alive I will kill by swords.

I will have their enemies do this,”

announces the Lord.

10My mother, I wish I had never been born!

The whole land opposes me.

They fight against me.

I haven’t made loans to anyone.

And I haven’t borrowed anything.

But everyone curses me anyway.

11The Lord said,

“Jeremiah, I will keep you safe for a good purpose.

I will make your enemies ask you to pray for them.

They will make their appeal to you

when they are in great trouble.

12“People of Judah, the armies of Babylon

will come from the north.

They are as strong as iron and bronze.

Can anyone break their power?

13I will give away your wealth and your treasures.

Your enemies will carry off everything.

And they will not pay anything for it.

That will happen because you have sinned so much.

You have done it throughout your country.

14I will make you slaves to your enemies.

You will serve them in a land

you have not known about before.

My anger will start a fire

that will burn you up.”

15Lord, you understand how much I’m suffering.

Show concern for me. Take care of me.

Pay back those who are trying to harm me.

You are patient. Don’t take my life away from me.

Think about how much shame I suffer because of you.

16When I received your words, I ate them.

They filled me with joy.

My heart took delight in them.

Lord God who rules over all,

I belong to you.

17I never sat around with those who go to wild parties.

I never had a good time with them.

I sat alone because you had put your powerful hand on me.

Your anger against sin was burning inside me.

18Why does my pain never end?

Why is my wound so deep?

Why can’t I ever get well?

To me you are like a stream that runs dry.

You are like a spring that doesn’t have any water.

19So the Lord says to Jeremiah,

“If you turn away from your sins, I will heal you.

And then you will be able to serve me.

Speak words that are worthy, not worthless.

Then you will be speaking for me.

Let these people turn to you.

But you must not turn to them.

20I will make you like a wall to them.

I will make you like a strong bronze wall.

The people will fight against you.

But they will not overcome you.

I am with you.

I will save you,”

announces the Lord.

21“I will save you from the hands of evil people.

I will set you free from those who treat you badly.”

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Yeremia 15:1-21

1Afei, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me sɛ, “Sɛ mpo, Mose ne Samuel15.1 Mose ne Samuel. Wɔgyee din ɛfiri sɛ wɔdii ntam maa Israel nnebɔneyɛfoɔ no wɔ Awurade anim. (2 Mose 32.11-14,30-34; 4 Mose 14.13-23; 5 Mose 9.18-20,25-29; 1 Sam 7.5-9; 12.19-25; Nnw 99.6-8). bɛgyinaa mʼanim a, mʼakoma rentɔ nkɔ saa nnipa yi so. Ma wɔmfiri mʼani so! Ma wɔnkɔ! 2Na sɛ wɔbisa wo sɛ, ‘Ɛhe na yɛnkorɔ’ a, ka kyerɛ wɔn sɛ, ‘Sei na Awurade seɛ:

“ ‘Wɔn a wɔahyɛ owuo ama wɔn no bɛkɔ owuom;

wɔn a wɔahyɛ akofena ama wɔn no bɛtotɔ akofena ano;

wɔn a wɔahyɛ ɛkɔm ama wɔn no, ɛkɔm bɛde wɔn;

wɔn a wɔahyɛ nnommumfa ama wɔn no bɛkɔ nnommumfa mu.’

3“Mede adesɛefoɔ ahodoɔ ɛnan bɛba wɔn so,” Awurade na ɔseɛ: “akofena a ɛbɛkum wɔn, nkraman a ɛbɛtwe wɔn ase akɔ, ewiem nnomaa ne asase so mmoa a wɔbɛtete wɔn nam asɛe wɔn. 4Mɛma wɔn ayɛ akyiwadeɛ ama asase so ahennie nyinaa ɛsiane deɛ Yudahene Hesekia babarima Manase yɛɛ wɔ Yerusalem enti.

5“Hwan na ɔbɛhunu wo mmɔbɔ, Ao Yerusalem?

Hwan na ɔbɛgyam wo?

Hwan na ɔbɛgyina abisa sɛdeɛ wo ho teɛ?

6Woapo me,” Awurade na ɔseɛ.

“Wogu akyirisane so ara.

Ɛno enti mɛtene me nsa wɔ wo so na masɛe wo.

Me yam renhyehye me mma wo bio.

7Mede huhusoɔ apaawa bɛhuhu wɔn so

wɔ asase no kuropɔn apono ano.

Mede owuo ne adesɛeɛ bɛba me nkurɔfoɔ so,

ɛfiri sɛ wɔnsesaa wɔn akwan.

8Mɛma wɔn akunafoɔ adɔɔso

asene mpoano anwea.

Mede ɔsɛefoɔ bɛba owigyinaeɛ

abɛtia wɔn mmeranteɛ maamenom;

mpofirim mede

ɔyea ne ehu bɛba wɔn so.

9Ɔbaatan a wawo nson bɛtɔ baha,

na wagyae mu.

Nʼawia bɛtɔ ɛberɛ a adeɛ nsaeɛ;

wɔbɛgu nʼanim ase abrɛ no ase.

Mede nkaeɛfoɔ no bɛma akofena

wɔ wɔn atamfoɔ anim,”

Awurade na ɔseɛ.

10Ao, me maame a wowoo me,

anka mewuiɛ a, anka ɛyɛ.

Asase sofoɔ nyinaa ne me ham, di apereapereɛ!

Memfɛm obi adeɛ, na memmɔɔ obi hɔ bosea,

nanso obiara dome me.

11Awurade kaa sɛ,

“Nokorɛm mɛgye wo ama botaeɛ pa bi;

ampa ara mɛma wʼatamfoɔ apa wo kyɛw

wɔ amanehunu ne ahohia mmerɛ mu.

12“Onipa bɛtumi abu dadeɛ mu

dadeɛ a ɛfiri atifi fam, anaa kɔbere?

13“Mede mo ahodeɛ ne mo akoradeɛ

bɛma sɛ wɔmfom a wɔrentua ka,

ɛsiane mo nnebɔne nyinaa

wɔ mo ɔman no mu enti.

14Mede mo bɛyɛ nkoa ama mo atamfoɔ

wɔ ɔman a monnim soɔ so,

mʼabufuo bɛma ogya adɛre

na ɛbɛhye mo.”

15Wote aseɛ, Ao Awurade;

kae me na hwɛ me so.

Tɔ wɔn a wɔtaa me so awere.

Wowɔ abodwokyerɛ, mma me nwu;

hwɛ sɛdeɛ wo enti wɔbɔ me ahohora.

16Wo nsɛm baeɛ no, mediiɛ;

ɛyɛɛ mʼahosɛpɛ ne mʼakoma apɛdeɛ,

na wo din da me so,

Ao, Asafo Awurade Onyankopɔn.

17Mantena wɔn a wɔgye wɔn ani fekuo mu.

Me ne wɔn annye wɔn ani;

metee me ho tenaeɛ, ɛfiri sɛ wo nsa daa me so

na wʼabofuo hyɛɛ me ma.

18Adɛn enti na me yea to ntwa da

na mʼapirakuro ayɛ nkudaa a ano yɛ den?

Wopɛ sɛ woyɛ sɛ nnaadaa asuwa ma me,

sɛ asutire a ɛweɛ anaa?

19Enti sei na Awurade seɛ,

“Sɛ wosakyera wʼadwene a, mɛgye wo ato mu bio

na wasom me;

sɛ nsɛm a ɛdi mu firi wʼanomu, na ɛnyɛ nsɛm huhuo a,

wobɛyɛ me kasamafoɔ.

Ma saa nnipa yi nnane mmra wo nkyɛn,

na wo deɛ ɛnsɛ sɛ wodane kɔ wɔn nkyɛn.

20Mede wo bɛyɛ ɔfasuo ama saa nnipa yi,

banbɔ ɔfasuo a wɔde kɔbere ato;

wɔ ne wo bɛdi asie

nanso wɔrenni wɔ so nkonim,

ɛfiri sɛ me ne wo wɔ hɔ

sɛ mɛyi wo na magye wo nkwa,”

Awurade, na ɔseɛ.

21“Mɛgye wo nkwa afiri amumuyɛfoɔ nsam

na mayi wo afiri atirimuɔdenfoɔ nsam.”