How Israel Can Return to the Lord
1 The Lord said:
Israel, if you really want
to come back to me, get rid
of those disgusting idols.
2 Make promises only in my name,
and do what you promise!
Then all nations will praise me,
and I will bless them.
3 People of Jerusalem and Judah,
don't be so stubborn!
Your hearts have become hard,
like unplowed ground
where thornbushes grow.
4 With all your hearts,
keep the agreement
I made with you.
But if you are stubborn
and keep on sinning,
my anger will burn like a fire
that cannot be put out.
Disaster Is Coming
The Lord said:
* 5 “Sound the trumpets, my people.
Warn the people of Judah,
‘Run for your lives!
6 Head for Jerusalem
or another walled town!’
“Jeremiah, tell them I'm sending
disaster from the north.
7 An army will come out,
like a lion from its den.
It will destroy nations
and leave your towns empty
and in ruins.”
8 Then I told the people
of Israel,
“Put on sackcloth!
Mourn and cry out,
‘The Lord is still angry
with us.’ ”
9 The Lord said,
“When all this happens,
the king and his officials,
the prophets and the priests
will be shocked and terrified.”
10 I said, “You are the Lord God. So why have you fooled everyone, especially the people of Jerusalem? Why did you promise peace, when a knife is at our throats?”
The Coming Disaster
11-12 When disaster comes, the Lord will tell you people of Jerusalem,
“I am sending a windstorm
from the desert—
not a welcome breeze.
And it will sweep you away
as punishment for your sins.
13 Look! The enemy army
swoops down like an eagle;
their cavalry and chariots
race faster than storm clouds
blown by the wind.”
Then you will answer,
“We are doomed!”
14 But Jerusalem, there is still time
for you to be saved.
Wash the evil from your hearts
and stop making sinful plans,
15 before a message of disaster
arrives from the hills of Ephraim
and the town of Dan.
16-17 The Lord said,
“Tell the nations that my people
have rebelled against me.
And so an army will come
from far away
to surround Jerusalem
and the towns of Judah.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
18 “People of Judah,
your hearts will be in pain,
but it's your own fault
that you will be punished.”
Jeremiah's Vision of the Coming Punishment
19 I can't stand the pain!
My heart pounds,
as I twist and turn in agony.
I hear the signal trumpet
and the battle cry of the enemy,
and I cannot be silent.
20 I see the enemy defeating us
time after time,
leaving everything in ruins.
Even my own home
is destroyed in a moment.
21 How long will I see enemy flags
and hear their trumpets?
22 I heard the Lord say,
“My people ignore me.
They are foolish children
who do not understand
that they will be punished.
All they know is how to sin.”
23 After this, I looked around.
The earth was barren,
with no form of life.
The sun, moon, and stars
had disappeared.
24 The mountains were shaking;
25 no people could be seen,
and all the birds
had flown away.
26 Farmland had become a desert,
and towns were in ruins.
The Lord's fierce anger
had done all of this.
The Death of Jerusalem
27-28 The Lord said:
I have made my decision,
and I won't change my mind.
This land will be destroyed,
although not completely.
The sky will turn dark,
and the earth will mourn.
29 Enemy cavalry and archers
shout their battle cry.
People run for their lives
and try to find safety
among trees and rocks.
Every town is empty.
30 Jerusalem, your land
has been wiped out.
But you act like a prostitute
and try to win back your lovers,
who now hate you.
You can put on a red dress,
gold jewelry, and eye shadow,
but it's no use—
your lovers are out to kill you!
31 I heard groaning and crying.
Was it a woman giving birth
to her first child?
No, it was Jerusalem,
gasping for breath
and begging for help.
“I'm dying!” she said.
“They have murdered me.”
1 Muhona ma tja: “Tjiwaṋa tja Israel, tji movanga okuritanaura, kotoka ku ami. Tji mo isa po oviserekarera vyovisenginina mbi mbi nyengwa, ko nokuhepa okuhumburuka na ami. 2 Tji mo yana mouatjiri na mousemba na mouṱakame mena randje, oviwaṋa avihe mavi ndji ningire kutja mbi vi sere ondaya, novyo mavi rihivire ami.”
3 Muhona ma tja nai kotjiwaṋa tja Juda na kovature va Jerusalem: “Taureye omahi weṋu womakunino nge hiya taurwa; amu kunu ko ozondwi zeṋu mokati komakuiya. 4 Ṱakamiseye omerikutiropamwe weṋu na ami, Muhona weṋu, nu riyapureye oveni, oweṋe tjiwaṋa tja Juda novature va Jerusalem. Amu ha tjitire nao, omazenge wandje maye yaka tjimuna omuriro mena roviṋa ovivi, mbi mwa tjita; owo maye surumuka nu kape na ngu me ye wisa pehi.”
Juda ma tandwa okurwisiwa
5 Toneye ohiva mehi arihe!
Ravaereye nomasa nongahukiro!
Tjiviseye otjiwaṋa tja Juda novature va Jerusalem
kutja ve tupuke kovihuro mbya zeuparisiwa.
6 Tweye po otjiraisiro tjondjira yokuyenda kOsion!
Taurireye kondjamo!
Amu wombo!
Muhona ma eta oumba nomanyoneno omanene
okuza komukuma wokokunene kweyuva.
7 Otja ongeyama punga aya zu pomaṱarero wayo,
omunyone woviwaṋa opunga a piti moye.
Eye meya okunyona Juda.
Ovihuro vya Juda mavi isiwa omatundu,
nu kape na ngu ma tura mu vyo.
8 Otji mamu sokuzara omakutu namu riri nokutjema,
orondu omazenge omandandi wa Muhona
kayeya za ko kotjiwaṋa tja Juda.
9 Muhona wa tja nai: “Eyuva ndo ozombara novahongore mave mumapara, novapristeri mave handuka, novaprofete mave kumwa.”
10 Ami mba tja: “Muhona Ndjambi, ove wa wovisa ovandu va Jerusalem oparukaze, amo tja: ‘Mamu kara nohange’, nungwari nambano engaruvyo ondi ri pomiriu vyawo.”
11 Omayuva maye ya ovature va Jerusalem mu mave raerwa kutja ombepo ombyu mai hingi okuza mokuti onguza, nu mai ya ku wo. Oyo kai nokurira ombepo ondarazu, ndji mai hingi ovisisiro; 12 nungwari indji ombepo, ndji mai zu momarakiza wa Muhona, mai rire onamasa tjinene pu indjina. Eye onguri Muhona omuini ngu ma pangura otjiwaṋa tje.
Juda makoverwa i ovanavita
13 Tara, omunavita meya otja ovikamba. Omatemba we wovita ye ri otja orukumbambura, noukambe we u notjikara pozonguvi. Owee ku eṱe mbu twa pandjara!
14 Jerusalem, isa mo ourunde momutima woye, kokutja u yamwe. Mo kara pokuripura nourunde nga ruṋe?
15 Ovatumwa votjihuro Dan novozondundu za Efraim mave tjivisa ombuze ombi. 16 Owo ve ya okuronga oviwaṋa nokuyekuraera Jerusalem kutja ovanavita mave ya okuza kehi rokokure. Ovanavita mba mave tonene ovihuro vya Juda ombimbi, 17 nu mave kovere Jerusalem tjimuna ovandu mbu mave tjevere ehi rotjikunino, ovature vatjo tjinga ava pirukira Muhona. Muhona ongwa hungire.
18 Juda, ove we riyetera oviṋa mbi kombanda yoye momuhingo mbu we ritjinda, na moviṋa, mbi wa tjita. Ourunde woye ombwa eta omihihamo mbi; owo we ku twera okutuvakaṋa momutima woye.
Jeremia ma ṱoruhoze novandu ve
19 Mbi nomuhihamo! Ami hi nokusora okutjinda omuhihamo!
Omutima wandje! Omutima wandje mau tono nomasa!
Ami hi nokusora okumwina;
me zuu ozohiva
nondokohero yovita.
20 Oviwonga mavi kongorerasana;
ehi arihe mari isiwa etundu.
Mokamanga ozondanda zetu maze nyonwa;
omarapi wawo omakutjire maye nyondororwa.
21 Me munu ovita mbya handja nai nga ruṋe;
nu me zuu ombosiro yozohiva nga ruṋe?
22 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Otjiwaṋa tjandje otjiyova;
katji ndji i.
Tja sana kovanatje omayova;
katji nozondunge.
Otjo tji nounongo mokutjita ouvi,
nungwari katji nokutjiwa okutjita ouwa.”
Otjirimunikise tja Jeremia tjomayandekero ngu maye ya
23 Ami mba tara ehi,
oro ra ri ongaango nu ra ri tjo;
mba tara keyuru,
nu kakwa ri ondjerera.
24 Ami mba tara kozondundu,
ozo aaze nyinganyinga,
nozondunda azehe aaze kurakura.
25 Mba tara, nu kamwa ri omundu nangarire umwe;
nandarire ozonḓera tjandje za tuka za ya.
26 Mba tara, nehi ehapise ra rira orunguza;
ovihuro vyaro vya rira omatundu
mena romazenge omandandi wa Muhona.
27 Orondo Muhona wa tja ehi arihe mari rire onguza, nungwari eye ke nokuriyandeka ko okumana.
28 Ehi mari ṱoruhoze;
evaverwa mari zorere.
Muhona wa hungire,
nu ke nokurundurura ko omeripuriro we.
Eye we ye zikamisa,
nu ke nokuyaruka ombunda.
29 Omundu auhe ma tupuka tji ma zuu
orurokoho rwovakavire novanamauta.
Tjiva mave tupuka komahwa,
tjiva mave rondo kombanda yotuuwa.
Otjihuro atjihe matji isiwa tjo,
nu kape na ngu ma tura mu tjo rukwao.
30 Jerusalem, ove wa sengwa.
Mo rihwikikire tjike ombanda oserarovazu?
Mo riharekere tjike noviwerawere ovingoldo
nokurihwa omeho woye?
Ove mo ripwisa omungandjo uriri,
ozombarise zoye ze ku imbirahi,
nu maze vanga okukuzepa.
31 Ami mba zuva omaririro tjimuna
owomukazendu pombandukiro,
nondjuriro tjimuna
oyomukazendu ngu me riveripa.
Oyo ya ri ondjuriro ya Jerusalem,
omusuko wa Sion,
tji ma hekana ama roporora
omake we nu ama tja:
“Ami mba sengwa!
Owo ve ya okundjizepa!”
