Jeremiah 6

¹ Make una run for safety, people of Benjamin! Make una escape from Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet for Tekoa and make una build signal fire for Beth Haccherem. Disaster and destruction don dey come from the north.

² The city of Zion beautiful, but e go perish;

³ Kings go camp for there with their army. Dem go build their tent round the city, and dem go camp for anywhere wey dem want.

⁴ Dem go talk say, “Prepare to attack Jerusalem! Make una get read! We go attack am for afternoon!” But dem go say, “e don late, the day don almost over, and the evening shadow dey grow long.

⁵ We go attack for night; we go destroy the city strong wall,”

⁶ Almighty God don command these kings make them cut down trees and build mountain so dem fit trouble Jerusalem. He don talk say, “I go punish the city because na oppression full am.

⁷ As well dey keep hin fresh water, naso Jerusalem dey keep hin evil fresh. I dey hear violence and destruction for the city; na only sickness and wound I dey see for there.

⁸ People of Jerusalem, make this trouble be warning to una, or else I go abandon una; I go turn una city to desert, place wey nobody dey live.”

⁹ Almighty God tell me say, “I go strip Israel clean like vineyard wey dem don pick every grape wey dey there. So make you rescue anyone wey you fit rescue when time still dey.”

¹⁰ I answer say, “Who go listen to me If I speak to them and warn them? Dem stubborn and no gree listen to your message; dem laugh at wetin you tell me make I say.

¹¹ Your anger against them dey burn for inside me too, God, and I no fit hold am again.” Then God tell me say, pour my anger on children for street and on top gathering of young people. Husband and wife go be taken away and even old people no go remain.

¹² Their house go be given to other and their fields and and wives go be given to others. I go punish the people of this land.

¹³ Everybody, both small and great, dey try make money for dishonest way; even prophet and priest dey cheat people.

¹⁴ Dem dey do like say my people wound na only scratch. Dem say, ‘All go better’, when all no better.

¹⁵ Shey dem dey shame because them do this bad things? No, dem no shame at all; them no even know how to dey form. So dem go fall as others don fall; that go be end of them when I punish them. I, God, don talk.”

¹⁶ God tell him people say, “Make una stand for crossroad and look. Make una ask for the ancient path and where the best road dey. Make una walk on am, and una go live in peace.” But dem say, “No, we no go do am!”

¹⁷ Then God appoint watchman make he listen to the warning of the trumpet. But dem say, “We no go listen.”

¹⁸ So, God talk say, “Listen, you nation, and hear wetin go happen to my people.

¹⁹ Listen, earth! I dey bring destruction on these people as punishment for their plan, because dem don reject my teaching and no dey obey my word.

²⁰ Why I go care about the incense wey dem bring to me from Sheba, or the spices wey dem bring from distance land? I no go accept their offering or please with their sacrifice.

²¹ And so I go make this people stumble and fall. Parent and children go die, friends and neighbor go die too.”

²² God say, “People dey come from country for north; mighty nation far away dey prepare for war.

²³ Dem don take their bows and sword; dem wicked and them no get mercy. Dem dey sound like sea wey shout. As dem they ride their horse, dem don ready for battle against Jerusalem.”

²⁴ People of Jerusalem talk say, “We don hear the news” and “Our hands don weak; fear and pain don catch us like woman wey dey for labour.

²⁵ We no fit go countryside or walk for road, because our enemy get weapon and terror surround us.”

²⁶ God tell him people say, “Make una wear sackcloth and roll for ash. Make una mourn with bitter tears as una fit do for una only son, because the one wey dey come destroy una go attack suddenly.

²⁷ Jeremiah, test my people, as una go test metal, and see how dem be.

²⁸ All of them na stubborn rebels, wey hard like bronze and iron. Dem corrupt, and dem dey go around dey spread gossip.

²⁹ The fire dey burn, but the waste metal no melt. Na useless thing to dey refine my people, because dem no take away those wey be evil.

³⁰ Dem go dey call them trash, because I, God, don reject them.”