1Then all the army officers, including Johanan son of Kareah and Jezaniah42:1 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also 43:2) Azariah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest approached 2Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray to the Lord your God for this entire remnant. For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few are left. 3Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”
4“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”
5Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”
7Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 8So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest. 9He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition, says: 10‘If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you. 11Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. 12I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’
13“However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey the Lord your God, 14and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the trumpet or be hungry for bread,’ 15then hear the word of the Lord, you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die. 17Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague; not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ 18This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem, so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed. and an object of horror, a curse42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed. and an object of reproach; you will never see this place again.’
19“Remnant of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Be sure of this: I warn you today 20that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’ 21I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you. 22So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine and plague in the place where you want to go to settle.”
1Afei asraafo mpanyimfo no nyinaa a Karea babarima Yohanan ne Hosaia babarima Yesania ka ho, ne nnipa no nyinaa, efi akumaa so kosi ɔkɛse so kɔɔ 2odiyifo Yeremia nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Yɛsrɛ wo, tie yɛn adesrɛ yi na bɔ Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn mpae ma wɔn a wɔaka yi nyinaa. Sɛnea wuhu no, kan no na yɛdɔɔso nanso afei yɛaka kakraa bi. 3Bɔ mpae sɛnea Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn bɛkyerɛ yɛn faako a ɛsɛ sɛ yɛkɔ ne nea ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ.”
4Yeremia buaa wɔn se, “Mate mo asɛm no, na ɔkwan biara so mɛbɔ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn mpae sɛnea moasrɛ no; mɛka nea Awurade bɛka biara akyerɛ mo na meremfa hwee nsie mo.”
5Na afei, wɔka kyerɛɛ Yeremia se, “Sɛ yɛanyɛ nea Awurade, wo Nyankopɔn soma wo se ka kyerɛ yɛn no a, ma ɔnyɛ ɔdanseni nokwafo ntia yɛn. 6Sɛ yɛpɛ o, sɛ yɛmpɛ o, yɛbɛyɛ osetie ama Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn a yɛresoma wo wɔ ne nkyɛn no, sɛnea ebesi yɛn yiye, na yebedi Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn asɛm so.”
7Nna du akyi no, Awurade asɛm baa Yeremia hɔ. 8Enti ɔfrɛɛ Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafo mpanyimfo a wɔka ne ho ne nnipa no nyinaa; efi akumaa so kosi ɔkɛse so. 9Na ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Sɛɛ na Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn a mosomaa me sɛ memfa mo adesrɛ nkɔto nʼanim no se: 10‘Sɛ motena asase yi so a, mesiesie mo na merensɛe mo, medua mo na merentu mo ase, efisɛ me werɛ ahow wɔ amanehunu a mama aba mo so no ho. 11Munnsuro Babiloniahene a mprempren musuro no no. Munnsuro no, Awurade na ose, efisɛ mene mo wɔ hɔ, megye mo, na mayi mo afi ne tumi ase. 12Mehu mo mmɔbɔ na ɔno nso ahu mo mmɔbɔ na ɔde mo asan aba mo asase so.’
13“Nanso sɛ moka se, ‘Yɛrentena saa asase yi so,’ na ne saa nti moanyɛ osetie amma Awurade mo Nyankopɔn, 14na sɛ moka se, ‘Dabi, yɛbɛkɔ akɔtena Misraim, faako a yɛrenhu ɔko, na yɛrente akobɛn nnyigyei na aduankɔm renne yɛn a,’ 15ɛno de tie Awurade asɛm, mo Yuda nkae. Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se, ‘Sɛ moawe ahinam sɛ mobɛkɔ akɔtena Misraim, na sɛ munya kɔtena hɔ a, 16ɛno de afoa a musuro no bɛto mo wɔ hɔ na ɔkɔm a, mo koma tu wɔ ho no bedi mo akyi akɔ Misraim na hɔ na mubewuwu. 17Nokware wɔn a wɔasi wɔn adwene pi sɛ wɔbɛkɔ Misraim akɔtena hɔ no bewuwu wɔ afoa, ɔkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm ano, na wɔn mu baako po renka anaa ɔrenguan mfi amanehunu a mede bɛba wɔn so no mu.’ 18Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se, ‘Sɛnea mʼabufuw ne mʼabufuwhyew hwie guu nnipa a wɔwɔ Yerusalem so no, saa ara na sɛ, mokɔ Misraim a, mʼabufuwhyew behwie agu mo so. Mobɛyɛ nnome, ahodwiriwde, afɔbu ne ahohora; morenhu saa beae yi bio.’
19“Yuda nkae, Awurade aka akyerɛ mo se, ‘Monnkɔ Misraim.’ Mommma mo werɛ mmfi, nnɛ merebɔ mo kɔkɔ 20sɛ moyɛɛ mfomso a ɛyɛ hu yiye, bere a mosomaa me kɔɔ Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn hɔ, na mokae se, ‘Bɔ Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn mpae ma yɛn, na ka nea ɔka biara kyerɛ yɛn na yɛbɛyɛ,’ no. 21Nnɛ, maka akyerɛ mo, nanso monyɛɛ osetie mmaa Awurade mo Nyankopɔn ara wɔ biribiara a ɔhyɛɛ me sɛ menka nkyerɛ mo no ho. 22Enti afei mommma mo werɛ mfi sɛ, mubewuwu wɔ afoa, ɔkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm ano wɔ faako a mopɛ sɛ mokɔtena hɔ no.”
