1“ ‘At that time, declares the Lord, the bones of the kings and officials of Judah, the bones of the priests and prophets, and the bones of the people of Jerusalem will be removed from their graves. 2They will be exposed to the sun and the moon and all the stars of the heavens, which they have loved and served and which they have followed and consulted and worshiped. They will not be gathered up or buried, but will be like dung lying on the ground. 3Wherever I banish them, all the survivors of this evil nation will prefer death to life, declares the Lord Almighty.’
Sin and Punishment
4“Say to them, ‘This is what the Lord says:
“ ‘When people fall down, do they not get up?
When someone turns away, do they not return?
5Why then have these people turned away?
Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit;
they refuse to return.
6I have listened attentively,
but they do not say what is right.
None of them repent of their wickedness,
saying, “What have I done?”
Each pursues their own course
like a horse charging into battle.
7Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know
the requirements of the Lord.
8“ ‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the law of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
9The wise will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed and trapped.
Since they have rejected the word of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom do they have?
10Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
11They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
“Peace, peace,” they say,
when there is no peace.
12Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when they are punished,
says the Lord.
13“ ‘I will take away their harvest,
declares the Lord.
There will be no grapes on the vine.
There will be no figs on the tree,
and their leaves will wither.
What I have given them
will be taken from them.8:13 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.’ ”
14Why are we sitting here?
Gather together!
Let us flee to the fortified cities
and perish there!
For the Lord our God has doomed us to perish
and given us poisoned water to drink,
because we have sinned against him.
15We hoped for peace
but no good has come,
for a time of healing
but there is only terror.
16The snorting of the enemy’s horses
is heard from Dan;
at the neighing of their stallions
the whole land trembles.
They have come to devour
the land and everything in it,
the city and all who live there.
17“See, I will send venomous snakes among you,
vipers that cannot be charmed,
and they will bite you,”
declares the Lord.
18You who are my Comforter8:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain. in sorrow,
my heart is faint within me.
19Listen to the cry of my people
from a land far away:
“Is the Lord not in Zion?
Is her King no longer there?”
“Why have they aroused my anger with their images,
with their worthless foreign idols?”
20“The harvest is past,
the summer has ended,
and we are not saved.”
21Since my people are crushed, I am crushed;
I mourn, and horror grips me.
22Is there no balm in Gilead?
Is there no physician there?
Why then is there no healing
for the wound of my people?
1“ ‘Saa bere no, sɛnea Awurade se ni, wobeyiyi Yuda ahemfo ne adwumayɛfo nnompe, asɔfo ne adiyifo nnompe ne Yerusalemfo nnompe afi wɔn nna mu. 2Wɔbɛsɛw no kɛtɛ wɔ owia ne ɔsram ne ɔsorosoro nsoromma nyinaa a wɔdɔe, na wɔsomee, na wodii akyi kɔɔ so abisa na wɔsɔree no ase. Wɔremmoa wɔn ano na wɔrensie wɔn; mmom, wɔbɛyɛ sɛ sumina a egugu fam. 3Baabiara a metwa saa ɔman bɔne yi nkae no asu akɔ no, wɔbɛpɛ sɛ wobewu sen sɛ wɔbɛtena nkwa mu, sɛnea Asafo Awurade se ni.’
Bɔne Ne Asotwe
4“Ka kyerɛ wɔn se, ‘Nea Awurade se ni:
“ ‘Sɛ nnipa hwe ase a, wɔnsɔre ana?
Sɛ onipa dan ne ho a, ɔnsan nʼakyi ana?
5Afei adɛn nti na saa nnipa yi adan wɔn ho?
Adɛn nti na Yerusalem dan ne ho daa yi?
Wokura nnaadaa mu pintinn;
na wɔmpɛ sɛ wɔsan wɔn akyi.
6Mawɛn mʼaso atie,
nanso wɔnnka nea ɛteɛ.
Wɔn mu biara nnu ne ho wɔ nʼamumɔyɛ ho,
na ɔka se, “Dɛn na mayɛ?”
Obiara fa ne kwan
te sɛ ɔpɔnkɔ a ɔrepem akɔ akono.
7Mpo aturukuku a ɔwɔ wim
nim ne mmere a wɔahyehyɛ ama no,
na asukɔnkɔn, asomfena ne agyenkuku
hu bere a wotu kɔtena baabi,
nanso me nkurɔfo nnim
nea Awurade hwehwɛ.
8“ ‘Adɛn na mutumi ka se, “Yenim nyansa,
efisɛ yɛwɔ Awurade mmara,”
wɔ bere a akyerɛwfo kyerɛwdua torofo
de atoro adannan mu?
9Anyansafo no anim begu ase;
wɔn ho bedwiriw wɔn na afide ayi wɔn.
Sɛ wɔapo Awurade asɛm no a,
na nyansa bɛn na wɔwɔ?
10Mede wɔn yerenom bɛma mmarima afoforo
ne wɔn mfuw nso ama afoforo.
Efi akumaa so kosi ɔkɛse so,
wɔn nyinaa yɛ adifudepɛfo de pɛ ahonya;
adiyifo ne asɔfo te saa,
wɔn nyinaa yɛ asisifo.
11Wɔtoto me nkurɔfo apirakuru
te sɛnea ɛnyɛ hu.
Wɔka se, “Asomdwoe, asomdwoe”
wɔ mmere a asomdwoe nni hɔ.
12Wɔn ani wu wɔ wɔn animguase nneyɛe no ho ana?
Dabi da, wɔn ani nnwu koraa;
wonnim fɛre mpo.
Enti wɔbɛtotɔ wɔ atɔfo mu;
wɔbɛhwehwe ase, sɛ metwe wɔn aso a,
sɛnea Awurade se ni.
13“ ‘Mɛfa wɔn twabere nnɔbae akɔ,
nea Awurade se ni.
Aba biara remma bobe nnua no so.
Aba biara remma borɔdɔma nnua no so,
ɛso nhaban begunguan.
Nea mede ama wɔn no,
wobegye afi wɔn nsam.’ ”
14Adɛn nti na yɛtete ha?
Mommoaboa mo ho ano!
Momma yenguan nkɔ nkuropɔn a ɛwɔ bammɔ mu
na yenkowuwu wɔ hɔ!
efisɛ Awurade yɛn Nyankopɔn abu yɛn kumfɔ
na wama yɛn nsu a awuduru wɔ mu sɛ yɛnnom,
efisɛ yɛayɛ bɔne atia no.
15Yɛhwɛɛ kwan sɛ yebenya asomdwoe
nanso biribi pa biara amfi mu amma,
yɛhwɛɛ ayaresabere kwan
nanso ehu nko ara na ɛkaa yɛn.
16Wɔte atamfo no apɔnkɔ home
fii Dan;
na wɔn apɔnkɔnini su
ma asase no nyinaa wosow.
Wɔaba sɛ wɔrebɛsɛe
asase no ne so nneɛma nyinaa,
kuropɔn no ne wɔn a wɔtete mu nyinaa.
17“Hwɛ, mɛsoma awɔ a wɔn ano wɔ bɔre aba mo mu,
nhurutoa a wontumi nnwudwo wɔn,
na wɔbɛkeka mo,”
nea Awurade se ni.
18Wone mʼawerɛhow mu Werɛkyekyefo,
me koma abotow wɔ me mu.
19Tie me nkurɔfo sufrɛ;
a efi akyirikyiri asase so:
“Awurade nni Sion ana?
Ne Hene no nni hɔ bio ana?”
“Adɛn nti na wɔde wɔn nsɛsode ahyɛ me abufuw,
wɔn ananafo ahoni huhuw no?”
20“Otwabere no atwa mu,
ahuhuru bere no aba awiei,
na wonnnyee yɛn nkwa.”
21Sɛ wɔadwerɛw me nkurɔfo no nti, wɔadwerɛw me;
midi awerɛhow, na ahodwiriw akyekyere me.
22Aduru bi nni Gilead ana?
Ɔyaresafo bi nni hɔ ana?
Na afei adɛn nti na ayaresa nni hɔ
mma me nkurɔfo apirakuru?
