Jeremiah 9 – NIRV & AKCB

New International Reader’s Version

Jeremiah 9:1-26

1I wish my head were a spring of water!

I wish my eyes were a fountain of tears!

I would weep day and night

for my people who have been killed.

2I wish I had somewhere to go in the desert

where a traveler could stay!

Then I could leave my people.

I could get away from them.

All of them commit adultery by worshiping other gods.

They aren’t faithful to the Lord.

3“They get ready to use

their tongues like bows,”

announces the Lord.

“Their mouths shoot out lies like arrows.

They tell lies to gain power in the land.

They go from one sin to another.

They do not pay any attention to me.

4Be on guard against your friends.

Do not trust the members of your own family.

Every one of them cheats.

Every friend tells lies.

5One friend cheats another.

No one tells the truth.

They have taught their tongues how to lie.

They wear themselves out sinning.

6Jeremiah, you live among people who tell lies.

When they lie, they refuse to pay any attention to me,”

announces the Lord.

7So the Lord who rules over all says,

“I will put them through the fire to test them.

What else can I do?

My people are so sinful!

8Their tongues are like deadly arrows.

They tell lies.

With their mouths all of them speak kindly to their neighbors.

But in their hearts they set traps for them.

9Shouldn’t I punish them for this?”

announces the Lord.

“Shouldn’t I pay back the nation

that does these things?”

10I will cry and mourn over the mountains.

I will sing a song of sadness about the desert grasslands.

They are dry and empty. No one travels through them.

The mooing of cattle isn’t heard there.

The birds have flown away.

All the animals are gone.

11The Lord says, “I will knock down all of Jerusalem’s buildings.

I will make it a home for wild dogs.

The towns of Judah will be completely destroyed.

No one will be able to live in them.”

12Who is wise enough to understand these things? Who has been taught by the Lord? Who can explain them? Why has the land been destroyed so completely? Why has it become like a desert that no one can go across?

13The Lord answered me, “Because my people have turned away from my law. I gave it to them. But they have not kept it. They have not obeyed me. 14Instead, they have done what their stubborn hearts wanted them to do. They have worshiped the gods that are named Baal. They have done what their people have taught them to do through the years.” 15So now the Lord who rules over all speaks. He is the God of Israel. He says, “I will make these people eat bitter food. I will make them drink poisoned water. 16I will scatter them among the nations. They and their people before them didn’t know about these nations. With swords I will chase these people. I will hunt them down until I have destroyed them.”

17The Lord rules over all. He says,

“Here is something I want you to think about.

Send for the women who mourn for the dead.

Send for the most skilled among them.”

18Let them come quickly

and weep for us.

Let them cry until tears flow from our eyes.

Let them weep until water pours out of our eyes.

19People are heard weeping in Zion.

They are saying, “We are destroyed!

We are filled with shame!

We must leave our land.

Our houses have been torn down.”

20You women, hear the Lord’s message.

Listen to what he’s saying.

Teach your daughters how to mourn for the dead.

Teach one another a song of sadness.

21Death has climbed in through our windows.

It has entered our forts.

Death has removed the children from the streets.

It has taken the young men out of the market.

22Say, “The Lord announces,

“ ‘Dead bodies will be like human waste

lying in the open fields.

They will lie there like grain

that is cut down at harvest time.

No one will gather them up.’ ”

23The Lord says,

“Do not let wise people brag about how wise they are.

Do not let strong people boast about how strong they are.

Do not let rich people brag about how rich they are.

24But here is what the one who brags should boast about.

They should brag that they have the understanding to know me.

I want them to know that I am the Lord.

No matter what I do on earth, I am always kind, fair and right.

And I take delight in this,”

announces the Lord.

25“The days are coming when I will judge people,” announces the Lord. “I will punish all those who are circumcised only in their bodies. 26That includes the people of Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon and Moab. It also includes all those who live in the desert in places far away. None of the people in these nations is really circumcised. And not even the people of Israel are circumcised in their hearts.”

Akuapem Twi Contemporary Bible

Yeremia 9:1-26

1Ao, sɛ me ti yɛ asuti,

na mʼaniwa yɛ nusu abura a!

Mɛtew nusu awia ne anadwo

ama me nkurɔfo a wɔakunkum wɔn no.

2Ao, sɛ mewɔ akwantufo asoɛe

wɔ nweatam no so a

anka megyaw me nkurɔfo hɔ

na mafi wɔn nkyɛn;

efisɛ wɔn nyinaa yɛ nguaman,

nnipakuw a wonni nokware.

3“Wosiesie wɔn tɛkrɛma

te sɛ agyan de di atoro;

Ɛnyɛ nokware so na wɔnam

di yiye wɔ asase yi so.

Wɔyɛ bɔne toatoa so;

na wonnye me nto mu,”

Awurade na ose.

4“Monhwɛ yiye wɔ mo nnamfonom ho;

munnye obiara nni wɔ mo abusua mu.

Efisɛ wɔn mu biara yɛ ɔdaadaafo,

na adamfo biara yɛ ɔsɛefo.

5Adamfo daadaa adamfo,

na wɔn mu biara nka nokware.

Wɔn tɛkrɛma akokwaw atorodi mu,

wɔde bɔneyɛ haw wɔn ho.

6Wote nnaadaa mfimfini;

na wɔn nnaadaa mu wɔmpɛ sɛ wogye me to mu,”

sɛnea Awurade se ni.

7Ɛno nti, sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade se,

“Hwɛ, mɛnan wɔn asɔ wɔn ahwɛ,

na dɛn bio na metumi ayɛ

esiane me nkurɔfo yi bɔne nti?

8Wɔn tɛkrɛma yɛ agyan a ano wɔ bɔre;

ɛka nnaadaasɛm.

Obiara kasa asomdwoe mu kyerɛ ne yɔnko,

nanso ne koma mu de, osum no afiri.

9Ɛnsɛ sɛ metwe wɔn aso wɔ eyi ho?”

Sɛɛ na Awurade se.

“Ɛnsɛ sɛ mʼankasa metɔ

ɔman a ɛte sɛɛ so were ana?

10Mesu na metwa adwo ama mmepɔw no,

mɛbɔ abubuw a ɛfa nweatam adidibea ho.

Ayɛ fo na obi mfa hɔ bio,

na wɔnte anantwi su wɔ hɔ.

Wim nnomaa no atutu kɔ

na mmoa no nso aguan kɔ.

11“Mɛyɛ Yerusalem mmubui siw,

sakraman atu;

na mɛma Yuda nkurow ada mpan

sɛnea obiara ntumi ntena hɔ.”

12Onipa bɛn na onim nyansa ara sɛ ɔbɛte eyi ase? Hena na Awurade akyerɛkyerɛ no a obetumi akyerɛ ase? Adɛn nti na wɔasɛe asase no ama ada mpan sɛ nweatam a obiara ntumi mfa so?

13Awurade kae se, “Esiane sɛ wɔapo me mmara a mehyɛ maa wɔn no nti, wɔanyɛ osetie amma me na wɔanni me mmara so. 14Mmom, wɔadi wɔn koma asoɔden akyi, wɔadi Baalnom akyi sɛnea wɔn agyanom kyerɛɛ wɔn no.” 15Ɛno nti, nea Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn no se ni: “Hwɛ, mɛma saa nnipa yi adi aduan a ɛyɛ nwen na wɔanom nsu a wɔde awuduru afra. 16Mɛbɔ wɔn ahwete amanaman a wɔn anaa wɔn agyanom nnim so no so, na mede afoa bɛtaa wɔn kosi sɛ mɛsɛe wɔn.”

17Sɛnea Awurade tumfo se ni:

“Dwene ho! Frɛ mmea agyaadwotwafo no,

frɛ wɔn a wɔakwadaw mu pa ara.

18Ma wɔmmra ntɛm

mmesu ngu yɛn so

kosi sɛ yɛn ani so bɛtaa nusu

na nusu aguare yɛn.

19Wɔte agyaadwotwa nnyigyei fi Sion se,

‘Wɔasɛe yɛn!

Yɛn anim agu ase yiye!

Ɛsɛ sɛ yetu fi yɛn asase so

efisɛ yɛn afi abubu.’ ”

20Afei, mo mmea, muntie Awurade asɛm;

monyɛ aso mma nsɛm a efi nʼanom.

Monkyerɛ mo mmabea sɛnea wotwa dwo;

monkyerɛ mo ho mo ho abubuwbɔ.

21Owu aforo afa yɛn mfɛnsere mu

ahyɛn yɛn aban mu;

apam mmofra afi mmɔnten so

ne mmerante afi ɔman aguabɔbea.

22Ka se, “Sɛɛ Na Awurade se,

“ ‘Nnipa afunu bɛdeda hɔ

te sɛ sumina a egugu petee mu,

te sɛ aburow a nnɔbaetwafo atwa agu nʼakyi

a obiara mmoaboaa ano.’ ”

23Eyi ne nea Awurade se:

“Mma onyansafo mfa ne nyansa nhyehyɛ ne ho

anaa ɔhoɔdenfo mfa nʼahoɔden nhyehyɛ ne ho

anaa ɔdefo mfa nʼahonya nhyehyɛ ne ho.

24Mmom ma nea ɔhyehyɛ ne ho nhyehyɛ ne ho sɛ

ɔwɔ nhumu, na onim sɛ,

me ne Awurade a ɔyɛ adɔe,

na obu atɛntrenee na ɔyɛ adetrenee wɔ asase so,

efisɛ eyinom na ɛsɔ mʼani,”

sɛnea Awurade se ni.

25“Nna no reba,” Awurade na ose, “A mɛtwe wɔn a wɔatwa twetia wɔ honam fam nko ara no nyinaa aso: 26Misraimfo, Yudafo, Edomfo, Amonfo, Moabfo ne wɔn a wɔtete nweatam a ɛwɔ akyirikyiri nsase so nyinaa. Na nokware, saa aman yi nyinaa yɛ momonotofo na mpo Israelfi nyinaa yɛ koma mu momonotofo.”