1Then the Lord said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go! 2And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“ ‘Those destined for death, to death;
those for the sword, to the sword;
those for starvation, to starvation;
those for captivity, to captivity.’
3“I will send four kinds of destroyers against them,” declares the Lord, “the sword to kill and the dogs to drag away and the birds and the wild animals to devour and destroy. 4I will make them abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.
5“Who will have pity on you, Jerusalem?
Who will mourn for you?
Who will stop to ask how you are?
6You have rejected me,” declares the Lord.
“You keep on backsliding.
So I will reach out and destroy you;
I am tired of holding back.
7I will winnow them with a winnowing fork
at the city gates of the land.
I will bring bereavement and destruction on my people,
for they have not changed their ways.
8I will make their widows more numerous
than the sand of the sea.
At midday I will bring a destroyer
against the mothers of their young men;
suddenly I will bring down on them
anguish and terror.
9The mother of seven will grow faint
and breathe her last.
Her sun will set while it is still day;
she will be disgraced and humiliated.
I will put the survivors to the sword
before their enemies,”
declares the Lord.
10Alas, my mother, that you gave me birth,
a man with whom the whole land strives and contends!
I have neither lent nor borrowed,
yet everyone curses me.
11The Lord said,
“Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose;
surely I will make your enemies plead with you
in times of disaster and times of distress.
12“Can a man break iron—
iron from the north—or bronze?
13“Your wealth and your treasures
I will give as plunder, without charge,
because of all your sins
throughout your country.
14I will enslave you to your enemies
in15:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac (see also 17:4); most Hebrew manuscripts I will cause your enemies to bring you / into a land you do not know,
for my anger will kindle a fire
that will burn against you.”
15Lord, you understand;
remember me and care for me.
Avenge me on my persecutors.
You are long-suffering—do not take me away;
think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.
16When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
Lord God Almighty.
17I never sat in the company of revelers,
never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand was on me
and you had filled me with indignation.
18Why is my pain unending
and my wound grievous and incurable?
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
like a spring that fails.
19Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
you will be my spokesman.
Let this people turn to you,
but you must not turn to them.
20I will make you a wall to this people,
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
but will not overcome you,
for I am with you
to rescue and save you,”
declares the Lord.
21“I will save you from the hands of the wicked
and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.”
1Afei Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me se, “Sɛ mpo, Mose ne Samuel15.1 Mose ne Samuel. Wogyee din efisɛ wogyinaa mu maa Israel nnebɔneyɛfo 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). begyinaa mʼanim a anka me koma rentɔ nkɔ saa nnipa yi so. Ma womfi mʼani so! Ma wɔnkɔ! 2Na sɛ wobisa wo se, ‘Ɛhe na yɛnkɔ’ a, ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Sɛɛ na Awurade se:
“ ‘Wɔn a wɔahyɛ owu ama wɔn no, bɛkɔ owu mu;
wɔn a wɔahyɛ afoa ama wɔn no bɛtotɔ wɔ afoa ano;
wɔn a wɔahyɛ ɔkɔm ama wɔn no, ɔkɔm bɛde wɔn;
wɔn a wɔahyɛ nnommumfa ama wɔn no bɛkɔ nnommum mu.’
3“Mede adesɛefo ahorow anan bɛba wɔn so,” Awurade na ose, “afoa a ebekunkum wɔn, akraman a wɔbɛtwe wɔn ase akɔ, wim nnomaa ne asase so mmoa a wɔbɛtetew wɔn nam asɛe wɔn. 4Mɛma wɔayɛ akyiwade ama asase so ahenni nyinaa, esiane nea Yudahene Hesekia babarima Manase yɛɛ wɔ Yerusalem nti.
5“Hena na obehu wo mmɔbɔ, Yerusalem?
Hena na obegyam wo?
Hena na obegyina abisa sɛnea wo ho te?
6Woapo me,” Awurade na ose.
“Wugu akyirisan so ara.
Ɛno nti mɛteɛ me nsa wɔ wo so na masɛe wo.
Me yam renhyehye me mma wo bio.
7Mede nhuhuwso apampaa behuhuw wɔn so
wɔ asase no kuropɔn apon ano.
Mede owu ne ɔsɛe bɛba me nkurɔfo so,
efisɛ wɔnsakraa wɔn akwan ɛ.
8Mɛma wɔn akunafo adɔɔso
asen mpoano nwea.
Mede ɔsɛefo bɛba owigyinae,
abɛhaw wɔn mmerante nanom;
mpofirim mede
ɔyaw ne ehu bɛba wɔn so.
9Ɔbeatan a wawo ason bɛtɔ beraw,
na wagyaa mu.
Ne wia bɛtɔ wɔ bere a ade nsaa ɛ;
wobegu nʼanim ase abrɛ no ase.
Mede nkae no bɛma afoa
wɔ wɔn atamfo anim,”
Awurade na ose.
10Ao, me na a wowoo me,
onipa a asase no sofo nyinaa ne me ham, di aperepere!
Memfɛm obi biribi na memmɔɔ bosea mfii obi hɔ ɛ,
nanso obiara dome me.
11Awurade kae se,
“Nokware megye wo ama botae pa bi;
ampa ara mɛma wʼatamfo apa wo kyɛw
wɔ amanehunu ne ahohia mmere mu.
12“Onipa betumi abu dade mu
dade a efi atifi fam, anaa kɔbere?
13“Mo ahode ne mo nnwetɛbona
mede bɛma sɛ wɔmfom a wɔrentua ka,
esiane mo nnebɔne nyinaa
wɔ mo man no mu nti.
14Mede mo bɛyɛ nkoa ama mo atamfo
wɔ ɔman a munnim so so,
mʼabufuw bɛma ogya adɛw
na ɛbɛhyew mo.”
15Wote ase, Awurade;
kae me na hwɛ me so.
Tɔ wɔn a wɔtaa me no so were.
Wowɔ abodwokyɛre, mma me nwu;
hwɛ sɛnea wo nti wɔbɔ me ahohora.
16Wo nsɛm bae no, midii;
ɛyɛɛ mʼahosɛpɛw ne me koma apɛde,
na wo din da me so,
Ao, Asafo Awurade Nyankopɔn.
17Mantena wɔn a wogye wɔn ani fekuw mu,
ne wɔn annye wɔn ani;
metew me ho tenae, efisɛ wo nsa daa me so
na wʼabufuw hyɛɛ me ma.
18Adɛn nti na me yaw to ntwa da
na mʼapirakuru ayɛ akisikuru a ano yɛ den?
Wopɛ sɛ woyɛ sɛ nnaadaa asuwa ma me,
sɛ asuti a ɛyow ana?
19Enti sɛɛ na Awurade se,
“Sɛ wosakra wʼadwene a megye wo ato mu bio
na woasom me;
sɛ nsɛm a edi mu fi wʼanom, na ɛnyɛ nsɛm huhuw a,
wobɛyɛ me kasamafo.
Ma saa nnipa yi nnan mmra wo nkyɛn,
na wo de, ɛnsɛ sɛ wodan kɔ wɔn nkyɛn.
20Mede wo bɛyɛ ɔfasu ama saa nnipa yi,
bammɔ fasu a wɔde kɔbere ato;
wɔne wo bedi asi
nanso wɔrenni wo so nkonim,
efisɛ me ne wo wɔ hɔ
sɛ meyi wo na magye wo nkwa,”
Awurade, na ose.
21“Megye wo nkwa afi amumɔyɛfo nsam
na mayi wo afi atirimɔdenfo nsam.”
