Jeremiah Goes to the Pottery Shop
1 The Lord told me, 2 “Jeremiah, go to the pottery shop, and when you get there, I will tell you what to say to the people.”
3 I went there and saw the potter making clay pots on his pottery wheel. 4 And whenever the clay would not take the shape he wanted, he would change his mind and form it into some other shape.
5 Then the Lord told me to say:
6 People of Israel, I, the Lord, have power over you, just as a potter has power over clay. 7 If I threaten to uproot and shatter an evil nation, 8 and that nation turns from its evil, I will change my mind.
9 If I promise to make a nation strong, 10 but its people start disobeying me and doing evil, then I will change my mind and not help them at all.
11 So listen to me, people of Judah and Jerusalem! I have decided to strike you with disaster, and I won't change my mind unless you stop sinning and start living right.
12 But I know you won't listen. You might as well answer, “We don't care what you say. We have made plans to sin, and we are going to be stubborn and do as we please!”
13 So I, the Lord, command you to ask the nations, and find out if they have ever heard of such a horrible sin as what you have done.
14 The snow
on Lebanon's mountains
never melts away,
and the streams there
never run dry.
15 But you, my people,
have turned from me
to burn incense
to worthless idols.
You have left the ancient road
to follow an unknown path
where you stumble over idols.
16 Your land will be ruined,
and every passerby
will look at it with horror
and make insulting remarks.
17 When your enemies attack,
I will scatter you like dust
blown by an eastern wind.
Then, on that day of disaster,
I will turn my back on you.
The Plot against Jeremiah
18 Some of the people said, “Let's get rid of Jeremiah! We will always have priests to teach us God's laws, as well as wise people to give us advice, and prophets to speak the Lord's messages. So, instead of listening to Jeremiah any longer, let's accuse him of a crime.”
Jeremiah Prays about His Enemies
19 Please, Lord, answer my prayer.
Make my enemies stop
accusing me of evil.
20 I tried to help them,
but they are paying me back
by digging a pit to trap me.
I even begged you
not to punish them.
21 But now I am asking you
to let their children starve
or be killed in war.
Let women lose
their husbands and sons
to disease and violence.
22 These people have dug pits
and set traps for me, Lord.
Make them scream in fear
when you send enemy troops
to attack their homes.
23 You know they plan to kill me.
So get angry and punish them!
Don't ever forgive
their terrible crimes.
Jeremia pondjuwo yomuungure wozonyungu
1 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 2 “Twende kondjuwo yomuungure wozonyungu ku me kekupera ombuze yandje.” 3 Ami otji mba ya koṋa ngo ne kamuna ko omuungure wozonyungu ama ungurire potjiunguriro tje tjozonyungu. 4 Aruhe onyungu tji i ha pwire otja kounongo we, otje toora omunoko mbwi na ungura po onyungu yarwe.
5 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 6 “Ami hi nousemba are okutjita ku eṋe, tjiwaṋa tja Israel, otja omuungure wozonyungu tje tjita nomunoko? Eṋe mu ri momake wandje tjimuna omunoko tji u ri momake womuungure wozonyungu. 7 Nu moruveze ngamwa aruhe ami tji mba tja me zukura poo me teya poo me nyono omuhoko poo ouhona ngamwa auhe, 8 nungwari tjazumba omuhoko mbo au ritanaura komauvi wawo, ami hi nokutjita imbi mbi mba tja me tjiti ku wo. 9 Potjikando tjarwe tji mba tja me tungu omuhoko poo ouhona ngamwa auhe, 10 nungwari tjazumba omuhoko mbo au kara nokuhinonḓuviro ku ami, nau tjiti ouvi, ami hi nokutjita imbi mbi mba tja me tjiti ku wo. 11 Nambano raera otjiwaṋa tja Juda novature va Jerusalem kutja meve pahere ondunge yokuvetwa moumba, nu me rirongerere okuvevera. Ve raera kutja ve ise okutjita ouvi, nokutja ve rundurure ozondjira zawo ozombi nozondjito zawo. 12 Owo mave ziri ave tja: ‘Kako, avihe omungandjo! Matu tjiti otja pu matu vanga; matu rangaranga natu tjiti ouvi.’ ”
Otjiwaṋa matji imbirahi Muhona
13 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Kakonḓononeye koviwaṋa avihe kutja
otjiṋa otja ihi tji na pu tja tjitirwe rukuru.
Otjiwaṋa tja Israel tja tjita otjiṋa otjiyaukise!
14 Ohungu yoruuwa ya Libanon
i kara nokuhinovitutukende are?
Omipupo omitarazu, mbi za mozondundu zayo,
vi pwira are?
15 Nungwari otjiwaṋa tjandje tje ndji zemba;
otjo tji twimisira oomukuru vyovisenginina
ovyomoro omuwa.
Otjo otji tja putara mozondjira zatjo azehe,
katji uhara ama tji kongorere ozondjira ozonguru;
otjo tji ka wondja mokaira ku ke hiya ungurwa.
16 Otjiwaṋa hi tja tjita ehi ndi ri rire otjiṋa otjiyaukise
kutja ri nyengwe nga aruhe.
Avehe mbu mave kapita mave
kumisiwa i imbi mbi mave munu;
owo mave taka oviuru ava temwa.
17 Ami me rimbi otjiwaṋa tjandje komurungu
wovanavita na tjo tjimuna oruuma ndu hingwa
i ombepo yokomuhuka.
Ami me tji pe etambo;
hi nokutjivatera,
otjiwonga tji tje ya.”
Okusekamena Jeremia
18 Otjiwaṋa tja tja nai: “Ngatu rikute kumwe tu sekamene Jeremia! Aruhe mape kara ovapristeri okutuhonga, novarumendu ozonongo okuturonga, novaprofete okuzuvarisa ombuze ya Ndjambi. Ngatu mu pere po ondjo momahungi we omuini, nu atu puratene ko ku imbi mbi ma hungire.”
19 Otji mba kumba e tja:
“Muhona, zuva imbi mbi me hungire
nu puratena ku imbi ovanavita
na ami mbi mave hungirire ami.
20 Ouvi ombu ri otjisuta tjouwa are?
Nungwari owo ve ndji sera oruhoro
kutja mbi wire mo.
Zemburuka indu tji mbe ya kove,
ne ve vongere po kove
kutja o he ve tjiti otjiṋa momazenge woye.
21 Nungwari nambano, Muhona,
ovanatje vawo ngave ṱondjara,
nu ngave ṱe movita.
Ovakazendu ngave zepaise
ovarumendu novanatje vawo;
ovarumendu ngave ṱe i omutjise omuzeu,
nu imba omitanda ngave ṱe motjirwa.
22 Hinda otjira tjovapunde
tji kapunde ozondjuwo zawo ohei;
tjita kutja ve ravaere nomburuma
mozondjuwo zawo.
Orondu owo ve ndji sera oruhoro
kutja mbi wire mo,
nu ve ndji twira po ongwehe okundjipata.
23 Nungwari, Muhona,
ove mo tjiwa omerikutirokumwe,
wawo wokundjizepa.
O ve isire ko ourunde nouvi wawo.
Ve vanda pehi u ve toṋe,
nu tjita ku wo ngamwa atjihe momazenge woye.”
