The Lord Judges Evil Kings
1The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Announce my message there. Tell him, 2‘King of Judah, listen to the Lord’s message. You are sitting on David’s throne. You and your officials and your people come through these gates. 3The Lord says, “Do what is fair and right. Save those who have been robbed. Set them free from the people who have treated them badly. Do not do anything wrong to outsiders or widows in this place. Do not harm children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. 4Be careful to obey these commands. Then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace. They will come riding in chariots and on horses. Their officials and their people will come along with them. 5But suppose you do not obey these commands,” announces the Lord. “Then I promise you that this palace will be destroyed. You can be as sure of this promise as you are sure that I live.” ’ ”
6The Lord speaks about the palace of the king of Judah. He says,
“You are like the land of Gilead to me.
You are like the highest mountain in Lebanon.
But I will make you like a desert.
You will become like towns that no one lives in.
7I will send destroyers against you.
All of them will come with their weapons.
They will cut up your fine cedar beams.
They will throw them into the fire.
8“People from many nations will pass by this city. They will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ 9And the answer will be, ‘This happened because of what its people have done. They have turned away from the covenant the Lord their God made with them. They have worshiped other gods. And they have served them.’ ”
10Don’t weep over dead King Josiah.
Don’t be sad because he’s gone.
Instead, weep bitterly over King Jehoahaz.
He was forced to leave his country.
He will never return.
He’ll never see his own land again.
11Jehoahaz became king of Judah after his father Josiah. But he has gone away from this place. That’s because the Lord says about him, “He will never return. 12He will die in Egypt. That is where he was taken as a prisoner. He will not see this land again.”
13The Lord says, “How terrible it will be for King Jehoiakim!
He builds his palace
by mistreating his people.
He builds its upstairs rooms
with money gained by sinning.
He makes his own people work for nothing.
He does not pay them for what they do.
14He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace.
It will have large rooms upstairs.’
So he makes big windows in it.
He covers its walls with cedar boards.
He decorates it with red paint.
15“Jehoiakim, does having more and more cedar boards
make you a king?
Your father Josiah had enough to eat and drink.
He did what was right and fair.
So everything went well with him.
16He stood up for those who were poor or needy.
So everything went well with him.
That is what it means to know me,”
announces the Lord.
17“Jehoiakim, the only thing on your mind
is to get rich by cheating others.
You would even kill people who are not guilty
of doing anything wrong.
You would mistreat them.
You would take everything they own.”
18So the Lord speaks about King Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah. He says,
“His people will not mourn for him.
They will not say,
‘My poor brother! My poor sister!’
They will not mourn for him.
They will not say,
‘My poor master! How sad that his glory is gone!’
19In fact, he will be buried like a donkey.
His body will be dragged away and thrown
outside the gates of Jerusalem.”
20The Lord says, “People of Jerusalem, go up to Lebanon.
Cry out for help.
Let your voice be heard in the land of Bashan.
Cry out from the mountains of Abarim.
All those who were going to help you are crushed.
21When you felt secure, I warned you.
But you said, ‘I won’t listen!’
You have acted like that ever since you were young.
You have not obeyed me.
22The wind will drive away all your shepherds.
All those who were going to help you will be carried off as prisoners.
Then you will be dishonored and put to shame.
That will happen because you have been so sinful.
23Some of you live in Jerusalem in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
You are comfortable in your cedar buildings.
But you will groan when pain comes on you.
It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby.
24“King Jehoiachin, you are the son of Jehoiakim,” announces the Lord. “Suppose you were a ring on my right hand. And suppose the ring even had my royal mark on it. Then I would still pull you off my finger. And that is just as sure as I am alive. 25I will hand you over to those who want to kill you. I will hand you over to people you are afraid of. I will give you to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. I will hand you over to his armies. 26I will throw you out into another country. I will throw your mother out. Neither of you was born in that country. But both of you will die there. 27You will never come back to the land you long to return to.”
28This man Jehoiachin is like a broken pot.
Everyone hates him. No one wants him.
Why will he and his children be thrown out of this land?
Why will they be sent to a land
they don’t know about?
29Land, land, land,
listen to the Lord’s message!
30The Lord says,
“Let the record say that this man did not have any children.
Let it report that he did not have any success in life.
None of his children will have success either.
None of them will sit on David’s throne.
None of them will ever rule over Judah.
Atemmuo A Ɛtia Ahemfo Amumuyɛfoɔ
1Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ, “Siane kɔ Yudahene ahemfie na kɔpae mu ka saa asɛm yi: 2‘Tie Awurade asɛm, Ao, Yudahene, wo a wote Dawid ahennwa so, wo, wʼadwumayɛfoɔ ne wo nkurɔfoɔ a wɔfa apono yi mu. 3Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ: Monyɛ deɛ ɛtene na ɛda ɛkwan mu. Monnye deɛ wɔabɔ no korɔno mfiri ne hyɛsofoɔ nsam. Monnyɛ ɔhɔhoɔ, awisiaa ne okunafoɔ bɔne na monnyɛ wɔn basabasa nso, na monnhwie mogya a ɛdi bem ngu wɔ ha. 4Sɛ moyɛ ahwɛyie na modi saa ahyɛdeɛ yi so a, ɛnneɛ ahemfo a wɔte Dawid ahennwa so ne wɔn adwumayɛfoɔ ne wɔn nkurɔfoɔ bɛfa saa ahemfie apono yi mu, a wɔtete nteaseɛnam mu ne apɔnkɔ so. 5Enti sɛ moanni saa nhyehyɛeɛ yi so a, Awurade na ɔseɛ, Meka me ho ntam sɛ, saa ahemfie yi bɛdane fituo.’ ”
6Deɛ Awurade ka fa Yudahene ahemfie ho nie:
“Ɛwom sɛ medɔ wo te sɛ Gilead
na wote sɛ Lebanon mmepɔ atifi,
nanso, mɛyɛ wo sɛ anweatam,
sɛ nkuro a obiara nte mu.
7Mɛsoma asɛefoɔ abɛtoa mo,
obiara ne nʼakodeɛ,
wɔbɛtwitwa mo ntweneduro mpunan fɛfɛ no mu
na wɔato agu ogya no mu.
8“Nnipa a wɔfifiri aman bebree so bɛtwam wɔ kuropɔn yi so, na wɔbɛbisabisa wɔn ho wɔn ho sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na Awurade ayɛ saa kuropɔn kɛseɛ yi sei?’ 9Na mmuaeɛ no bɛyɛ sɛ, ‘Ɛfiri sɛ, wɔagya Awurade, wɔn Onyankopɔn apam no akɔsɔre anyame foforɔ asom wɔn.’ ”
10Monnsu ɔhene a wafiri mu, na monni ne ho awerɛhoɔ;
mmom, monsu denden mma deɛ ɔkɔ nnommumfa mu,
ɛfiri sɛ ɔrensane nʼakyi
na ɔrenhunu asase a wɔwoo no wɔ so no bio.
11Na yei ne deɛ Awurade ka faa Yosia babarima Salum a ɔdii nʼagya adeɛ sɛ Yudahene na wafiri ha no ho: “Ɔrensane mma bio. 12Ɔbɛwu wɔ baabi a wɔafa no nnommum akɔ hɔ; na ɔrenhunu saa asase yi bio.”
13“Nnome nka deɛ ɔmfa ɛkwan tenenee so nsi nʼahemfie,
na ɔde nsisie si nʼabansoro.
Nnome nka deɛ ɔma ne ɔmanfoɔ yɛ adwuma kwa,
na ɔntua wɔn apaadie so ka.
14Ɔka sɛ, ‘Mɛsi ahemfie kɛseɛ ama me ho
deɛ ɛwɔ abansoro adan a emu soso.’
Enti ɔyɛ mpomma akɛseɛ wɔ mu;
ɔde ntweneduro dura mu
na ɔde ahosu kɔkɔɔ hyehyɛ mu.
15“Wowɔ ntweneduro bebree a
na ɛma woyɛ ɔhene anaa?
Na wʼagya nni aduane ne nsã anaa?
Ɔyɛɛ deɛ ɛfa ne ɛkwan mu na ɛtene,
enti ɛsii no yie.
16Ɔdii mmɔborɔni ne ohiani asɛm maa wɔn,
enti biribiara yɛɛ yie maa no.
Na ɛnyɛ yei na ɛkyerɛ sɛ obi nim me anaa?”
Awurade na ɔseɛ.
17“Mo ani ne mo akoma
wɔ mfasoɔ bɔne nko ara so,
sɛ mohwie mogya a ɛdi bem guo
na moyɛ nhyɛsoɔ ne nsisie nso.”
18Ɛno enti, yei ne deɛ Awurade ka fa Yudahene Yosia babarima Yehoiakim ho:
“Wɔrensu no sɛ:
‘Aa, me nuabarima! Aa me nuabaa!’
Wɔrensu no sɛ:
‘Aa, me wura! Aa nʼahoɔfɛ!’
19Wɔbɛsie no sɛ afunumu.
Wɔbɛtwe nʼase na wɔato no atwene
Yerusalem apono akyi.”
20“Monkɔ Lebanon nkɔ su,
momma wɔnte mo nne wɔ Basan;
monsu mfiri Abarim,
ɛfiri sɛ wɔadwerɛ mo mpamfoɔ nyinaa.
21Mebɔɔ wo kɔkɔ, ɛberɛ a na ɛyɛ wo sɛ wʼasom adwo wo,
nanso wokaa sɛ, ‘Merentie!’
Yei ne ɛkwan a wonam so firi wo mmerante berɛ mu;
woanyɛ ɔsetie amma me.
22Mframa bɛbɔ wo nnwanhwɛfoɔ nyinaa akɔ,
na wʼampamfoɔ nyinaa bɛkɔ nnommumfa mu.
Afei wʼani bɛwu na wʼanim agu ase
ɛsiane wʼamumuyɛ nyinaa enti.
23Mo a mote Lebanon,
na modeda ntweneduro adan mu,
ɛrenkyɛre koraa, sɛ ɔyea ba mo so a, mobɛsi apene
te sɛ ɔbaa a ɔreko awoɔ.
24“Nokorɛm, sɛ mete ase yi,” Awurade na ɔseɛ, “Mpo sɛ wo Yehoiakin, Yudahene Yehoiakim babarima yɛɛ me nsa nifa so nsɔano kaa a, anka mɛworɔ wo. 25Mede wo bɛma wɔn a wɔrehwehwɛ wo kra, wɔn a wosuro wɔn no; Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar ne Babiloniafoɔ. 26Mɛpam wo ne wo maame a ɔwoo wo akɔgu ɔman foforɔ so, baabi a ɛnyɛ hɔ na wɔwoo mo mu biara, ɛhɔ na mo baanu bɛwuwu. 27Morensane mma asase a mo kɔn dɔ sɛ mobɛsane aba so no bio.”
28Adɛn enti na saa ɔbarima Yehoiakin te sɛ ayowaa a abɔ,
adeɛ a obiara mpɛ anaa?
Adɛn enti na wɔbɛpam ɔne ne mma,
akɔgu asase a wɔnnim soɔ so?
29Ao, asase, asase, asase!
Tie Awurade asɛm!
30Yei ne deɛ Awurade seɛ:
“Montwerɛ ɔbarima yi ho asɛm nto hɔ te sɛ obi a ɔnni ba,
ɔbarima a ɔrennya nkɔsoɔ ne nkwa nna nyinaa
na nʼasefoɔ mu biara renya nkɔsoɔ,
na wɔn mu biara rentena Dawid ahennwa so
na wɔrenni Yuda so ɔhene bio.”
