A Linen Belt
1This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and buy a linen belt and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.” 2So I bought a belt, as the Lord directed, and put it around my waist.
3Then the word of the Lord came to me a second time: 4“Take the belt you bought and are wearing around your waist, and go now to Perath13:4 Or possibly to the Euphrates; similarly in verses 5-7 and hide it there in a crevice in the rocks.” 5So I went and hid it at Perath, as the Lord told me.
6Many days later the Lord said to me, “Go now to Perath and get the belt I told you to hide there.” 7So I went to Perath and dug up the belt and took it from the place where I had hidden it, but now it was ruined and completely useless.
8Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9“This is what the Lord says: ‘In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt—completely useless! 11For as a belt is bound around the waist, so I bound all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. But they have not listened.’
Wineskins
12“Say to them: ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Every wineskin should be filled with wine.’ And if they say to you, ‘Don’t we know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’ 13then tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land, including the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets and all those living in Jerusalem. 14I will smash them one against the other, parents and children alike, declares the Lord. I will allow no pity or mercy or compassion to keep me from destroying them.’ ”
Threat of Captivity
15Hear and pay attention,
do not be arrogant,
for the Lord has spoken.
16Give glory to the Lord your God
before he brings the darkness,
before your feet stumble
on the darkening hills.
You hope for light,
but he will turn it to utter darkness
and change it to deep gloom.
17If you do not listen,
I will weep in secret
because of your pride;
my eyes will weep bitterly,
overflowing with tears,
because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive.
18Say to the king and to the queen mother,
“Come down from your thrones,
for your glorious crowns
will fall from your heads.”
19The cities in the Negev will be shut up,
and there will be no one to open them.
All Judah will be carried into exile,
carried completely away.
20Look up and see
those who are coming from the north.
Where is the flock that was entrusted to you,
the sheep of which you boasted?
21What will you say when the Lord sets over you
those you cultivated as your special allies?
Will not pain grip you
like that of a woman in labor?
22And if you ask yourself,
“Why has this happened to me?”—
it is because of your many sins
that your skirts have been torn off
and your body mistreated.
23Can an Ethiopian13:23 Hebrew Cushite (probably a person from the upper Nile region) change his skin
or a leopard its spots?
Neither can you do good
who are accustomed to doing evil.
24“I will scatter you like chaff
driven by the desert wind.
25This is your lot,
the portion I have decreed for you,”
declares the Lord,
“because you have forgotten me
and trusted in false gods.
26I will pull up your skirts over your face
that your shame may be seen—
27your adulteries and lustful neighings,
your shameless prostitution!
I have seen your detestable acts
on the hills and in the fields.
Woe to you, Jerusalem!
How long will you be unclean?”
Nwera Abɔso
1Sɛɛ na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me: “Kɔ na kɔtɔ nwera abɔso bɔ wʼasen, nanso mma no nka nsu.” 2Enti metɔɔ abɔso sɛnea Awurade kyerɛe no, na mede bɔɔ mʼasen.
3Afei, Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn ne mprenu so se, 4“Fa abɔso a wotɔe a ɛbɔ wʼasen no kɔ Eufrate ho mprempren ara na fa kosie ɔbotan tokuru bi mu.” 5Enti mede kosiee Eufrate ho, sɛnea Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me no.
6Nna bebree akyi no, Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Afei kɔ Eufrate ho na kɔfa abɔso a meka kyerɛɛ wo se fa kosie hɔ no.” 7Enti mekɔɔ Eufrate ho kotuu abɔso no wɔ beae a mede siei no, nanso na asuw atetew a so nni mfaso biara.
8Afei Awurade asɛm baa me nkyɛn se, 9“Sɛɛ na Awurade se, ‘Saa ara na mɛsɛe Yuda ahantan ne Yerusalem ahantankyɛnee no. 10Saa amumɔyɛfo yi a wɔmpɛ sɛ wotie mʼasɛm na wodi wɔn komaden akyi na wodi anyame afoforo akyi som wɔn, sɔre wɔn no, bɛyɛ sɛ saa abɔso yi, na wɔn so remma mfaso biara! 11Sɛnea abɔso kyekyere onipa asen no, saa ara na mede Israelfi ne Yudafi nyinaa bataa me ho sɛ wɔnyɛ me nkurɔfo a wɔbɛma me din so, aka mʼayeyi na wɔahyɛ me anuonyam, nanso wɔantie me,’ nea Awurade se ni.
Nsa Kotoku
12“Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Nea Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se ni, Wɔmfa nsa nhyɛ nsa kotoku biara ma.’ Na sɛ wɔka kyerɛ wo se, ‘Yenim sɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde nsa hyɛ nsa kotoku biara ma a,’ 13afei ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Nea Awurade se ni: Mede nsabow bɛhyɛ wɔn a wɔtete asase yi so nyinaa ma, a ahemfo a wɔte Dawid ahengua so, asɔfo, adiyifo ne wɔn a wɔtete Yerusalem nyinaa ka ho bi. 14Mɛtotow wɔn abobɔ wɔn ho wɔn ho, agyanom ne mmabarima nyinaa, Awurade na ose. Meremma ahummɔbɔ anaa ayamye anaa ayamhyehye nsiw ɔsɛe a merebɛsɛe wɔn no ho kwan.’ ”
Nnommumfa Ho Ahunahuna
15Muntie na monyɛ aso,
na monnyɛ ahantan,
efisɛ Awurade akasa.
16Monhyɛ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn, anuonyam
ansa na wama sum aduru,
ansa na mo anan ahintihintiw
wɔ nkoko a ɛso reduru sum no so.
Mo ani da hann so,
nanso ɔbɛdan no sum kusuu
na wɔasesa ayɛ no sum kabii.
17Nanso sɛ moantie a,
mesu wɔ kokoa mu
esiane mo ahantan nti;
mʼani bɛtaataa nsu,
na nusu aguare me,
efisɛ wɔbɛfa Awurade nguankuw no akɔ nnommum mu.
18Monka nkyerɛ ɔhene ne ɔhemmea se,
“Mumfi mo ahengua so nsi fam,
na mo anuonyam ahenkyɛw
befi mo ti so.”
19Wɔbɛtoto Negeb nkuropɔn apon mu,
na obiara nni hɔ a obebuebue.
Wɔbɛsoa Yudafo akɔ nnommum mu
wobetwa wɔn asu koraa.
20Mo mpagyaw mo ani nhwɛ
wɔn a wofi atifi fam reba no.
Nguankuw a wɔde hyɛɛ mo nsa no,
nguan a mode wɔn hoahoaa mo ho no wɔ he?
21Sɛ Awurade de wɔn a wɔyɛ mo nnamfonom yɛ mo so atitiriw a,
dɛn na mobɛka?
Na ɛrenyɛ mo yaw
te sɛnea ɔbea ɔreko awo ana?
22Na sɛ wubebisa wo ho se,
“Adɛn nti na eyi aba me so a?”
Na efi wʼamumɔyɛ bebrebe no
nti na wɔatetew wo fam atade mu
ayɛ wo nipadua basaa no.
23Etiopiani betumi asesa nʼahosu ana?
Na ɔsebɔ nso betumi asesa ne ho nsisimu no?
Saa ara na worentumi nyɛ papa,
wo a bɔneyɛ akokwaw wo no.
24“Mɛbɔ mo ahwete sɛ ntɛtɛ a,
nweatam so mframa rebɔ no.
25Eyi ne nea mubenya,
mo kyɛfa a mahyɛ ama mo,”
Awurade na ose,
“efisɛ mo werɛ afi me
na mode mo ho ato anyame huhuw so.
26Mɛtwe mo fam ntade abua mo anim
na wɔahu mo ahohora.
27Mo aguamammɔ ne mo akɔnnɔ bɔne,
mo aguamammɔ a momfɛre ho!
Mahu mo nneyɛe bɔne no
wɔ nkoko ne sare so.
Due, Yerusalem!
Wobɛyɛ fi akosi da bɛn?”
