1“Judah’s sin is carved with an iron tool.
It is written with the flint point of the tool.
It is carved on the tablets of their hearts.
It is written on the horns that stick out
from the corners of their altars.
2Even their children offer sacrifices
to other gods on those altars.
They use the poles that were made
to worship the female god named Asherah.
They worship strange gods beside the green trees
and on the high hills.
3I will give away my holy Mount Zion to the Babylonians.
Your enemies will carry off your wealth
and all your treasures.
I will give away your high places.
That will happen because you have sinned.
You have done it throughout your country.
4You will lose the land I gave you.
And it will be your own fault.
I will make you slaves to your enemies.
You will serve them in a land you didn’t know about before.
You have set my anger on fire.
It will burn forever.”
5The Lord says,
“Those who trust in human beings are under my curse.
They depend on human strength.
Their hearts turn away from me.
6They will be like a bush in a dry and empty land.
They will not enjoy success when it comes.
They will live in dry places in the desert.
It is a land of salt where no one else lives.
7“But I will bless anyone who trusts in me.
I will do good things for the person who depends on me.
8They will be like a tree planted near water.
It sends out its roots beside a stream.
It is not afraid when heat comes.
Its leaves are always green.
It does not worry when there is no rain.
It always bears fruit.”
9A human heart is more dishonest than anything else.
It can’t be healed.
Who can understand it?
10The Lord says, “I look deep down inside human hearts.
I see what is in people’s minds.
I reward each person in keeping with their conduct.
I bless them based on what they have done.”
11Some people get rich by doing sinful things.
They are like a partridge that hatches eggs it didn’t lay.
When their lives are half over, their riches will desert them.
In the end they will prove how foolish they have been.
12Our temple is where the Lord’s glorious throne is.
From the beginning it has been high and lifted up.
13Lord, you are Israel’s only hope.
Everyone who deserts you will be put to shame.
The names of those who turn away from you will be listed among the dead.
Lord, they have deserted you.
You are the spring of water that gives life.
14Lord, heal me. Then I will be healed.
Save me from my enemies. Then I will be saved.
You are the one I praise.
15They keep saying to me,
“What has happened to the message the Lord gave you?
Let it come true right now!”
16I haven’t run away from being the shepherd of your people.
You know I haven’t wanted the day of Jerusalem’s fall to come.
You are aware of every word that comes from my lips.
17Don’t be a terror to me.
When I’m in trouble, I go to you for safety.
18Let those who attack me be put to shame.
But keep me from shame.
Let them be terrified.
But keep me from terror.
Bring the day of trouble on them.
Destroy them once and for all.
Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
19The Lord said to me, “Go. Stand at the city gate called the Gate of the People. That is where the kings of Judah go in and out. Then stand at all the other gates of Jerusalem. 20Say, ‘Listen to the Lord’s message, you kings of Judah and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem. You always come through these gates. 21The Lord says, “Make sure you do not carry a load on the Sabbath day. Do not bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. 22Do not bring a load out of your houses on the Sabbath day. Do not do any work on that day. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do as I commanded your people of long ago. 23But they did not listen. They did not pay any attention to me. They were stubborn. They would not listen or pay attention when I corrected them. 24Be careful to obey me,” announces the Lord. “Do not bring a load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day. Instead, keep the Sabbath day holy. Do not do any work on it. 25Then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this city. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses. The people of Judah and Jerusalem will come along with them. And this city will always have people living in it. 26Some will come from the towns of Judah. And some will come in from the villages around Jerusalem. Others will come from the territory of Benjamin. And others will come in from the western hills. Still others will come from the central hill country and the Negev Desert. All of them will bring burnt offerings and sacrifices. They will come bringing grain offerings, incense and thank offerings. They will take all these offerings to my house. 27But what if you do not obey me? Suppose you do not keep the Sabbath day holy. And suppose you carry a load through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. Then I will start a fire that can’t be put out. It will begin at the gates of Jerusalem. It will destroy its mighty towers.” ’ ”
1“Wɔde dade kyerɛwdua akrukyerɛw Yuda bɔne,
dade kyerɛwdua a ano te sɛ kyerɛwbo,
wɔ wɔn koma apon so
ne wɔn afɔremuka mmɛn so.
2Mpo, wɔn mma kae
wɔn afɔremuka ne Asera nnua
a ɛwɔ nnua a adennan no nkyɛn
ne nkoko atenten no so.
3Me mmepɔw a ɛwɔ asase no so,
mo ahonyade ne mo nnwetɛbona nyinaa
mede bɛma sɛ asade,
ɛne mo sorɔnsorɔmmea nso,
esiane mo man no so bɔne nti.
4Mo ankasa mfomso nti mobɛhwere
agyapade17.4 agyapade—Kanaan asase. a mede maa mo no.
Mede mo bɛyɛ nkoa ama mo atamfo
wɔ asase a munnim so so,
efisɛ moahwanyan mʼabufuw,
na ɛbɛtena hɔ daa.”
5Sɛɛ na Awurade se,
“Nnome nka nea ɔde ne ho to onipa so,
nea ɔde ne ho to ɔhonam so pɛ nʼahoɔden
na ne koma dan fi Awurade ho.
6Ɔbɛyɛ sɛ wura a ɛwɔ nsase tamaa so;
sɛ yiyedi ba a ɔrenhu,
ɔbɛtena nweatam a awo so,
ne nkyene asase a obi nte so so.
7“Nhyira nka onipa a ɔde ne ho to Awurade so,
na nʼanidaso wɔ ne mu.
8Ɔbɛyɛ sɛ dua a wɔadua no asu ho
na ne ntin teɛ kɔ asu no mu.
Sɛ ahuhuru ba a onsuro;
ne nhaban yɛ frɔmfrɔm mmere nyinaa.
Onni ɔhaw biara wɔ afe a osu ntɔ mu
na ɛkɔ so sow aba daa.”
9Koma yɛ nnaadaa sen ade nyinaa
na ano nni aduru.
Hena na ɔbɛte nʼase?
10“Me Awurade, mepɛɛpɛɛ koma mu
na mehwehwɛ adwene mu,
gyina so de tua onipa ka sɛnea nʼabrabɔ te,
ne sɛnea ɛfata ne nneyɛe.”
11Sɛnea asɛmɛntɛ a osow nkesua a ɛnyɛ ɔno na ɔtowee no,
saa ara na onipa a onya sika a ɔmfa ɔkwan pa so no te.
Sɛ obu ne nkwa nna mu abien a wobegyaw no mu,
na awiei no, ne kwasea bɛda adi.
12Anuonyam ahengua a wɔama so fi mfiase no,
ne yɛn kronkronbea.
13Awurade, woyɛ Israel anidaso,
wɔn a wɔpa wʼakyi nyinaa ani bewu.
Wɔn a wɔtwe wɔn ho fi wo ho no, wobesie wɔn
efisɛ wɔagyaw Awurade
a ɔyɛ nkwa asuti no.
14Sa me yare Awurade, na me ho bɛtɔ me;
gye me na menya nkwa,
na wo ne ɔbaako a mekamfo wo.
15Wobisa me daa sɛ,
“Ɛhe na Awurade asɛm no wɔ?
Ma ɛmmra mu mprempren!”
16Minnguan mfii mʼadwuma sɛ wo guanhwɛfo ho;
wunim sɛ menhwehwɛɛ abasamtu da.
Nea efi mʼanom yɛ pefee wɔ wʼanim.
17Nhunahuna me;
wo ne me guankɔbea wɔ amanehunu da.
18Ma wɔn a wɔtaa me anim ngu ase,
na yi me fi ahohora mu.
Ma wɔmmɔ hu,
nanso mma me koma ntu.
Ma amanehunu da no mmra wɔn so;
fa ɔhawprenu sɛe wɔn.
Monyɛ Homeda No Kronkron
19Sɛɛ na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me, “Kɔ na kogyina nnipa no pon a Yuda ahemfo di hɔ ahyɛmfiri no; kogyina Yerusalem apon a aka no nso ano. 20Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Muntie Awurade asɛm, mo Yuda ahemfo ne Yudafo nyinaa ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem a wɔfa saa apon yi mu. 21Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Monhwɛ yiye na moansoa nnesoa Homeda anaa moamfa amfa Yerusalem apon mu. 22Monnsoa adesoa mfi mo afi mu na monnyɛ adwuma biara Homeda, na mmom monyɛ Homeda no kronkron, sɛnea mehyɛɛ mo agyanom no. 23Nanso wɔantie na wɔammu; wɔyɛɛ asoɔden, wɔantie na wɔampɛ nteɛso. 24Nanso sɛ mohwɛ yiye na moyɛ osetie ma me a, sɛɛ na Awurade se, na moamfa nnesoa amfa saa kuropɔn yi apon mu Homeda, na sɛ moyɛ Homeda no kronkron a monnyɛ adwuma biara a, 25ɛno de ahemfo a wɔte Dawid ahengua so ne wɔn adwumayɛfo bɛfa saa apon yi mu. Wɔn nyinaa bɛba a wɔtete nteaseɛnam mu ne apɔnkɔ so, a Yuda mmarima ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem ka ho, na nnipa bɛtena kuropɔn yi mu daa nyinaa. 26Nnipa befi Yuda nkurow ne nkuraa a atwa Yerusalem ho ahyia no aba, wobefi Benyamin asase ne atɔe fam nkoko so, wobefi mmepɔw, mantam ne Negeb aba a wɔde ɔhyew afɔrebɔde ne afɔrebɔ, aduan afɔrebɔde, nnuhuam ne aseda afɔrebɔde reba Awurade fi. 27Nanso sɛ moanyɛ osetie amma me, anyɛ Homeda no kronkron, na sɛ mosoa adesoa biara fa Yerusalem apon mu Homeda a, ɛno de mɛsɔ ogya a ɛrennum da wɔ Yerusalem apon mu na abɛhyew nʼaban ahorow no.’ ”
