1 I wish that my eyes
were fountains of tears,
so I could cry day and night
for my people
who were killed.
2 I wish I could go into the desert
and find a hiding place
from all who are treacherous
and unfaithful to God.
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
3 The Lord replied:
Lies come from the mouths
of my people,
like arrows from a bow.
With each dishonest deed
their power increases,
and not one of them will admit
that I am God.
4 Jeremiah, all your friends
and relatives
tell lies about you,
so don't trust them.
5 They wear themselves out,
always looking for a new way
to cheat their friends.
6 Everyone takes advantage
of everyone else,
and no one will admit
that I am God.
7 And so I will purify
the hearts of my people
just as gold is purified
in a furnace.
I have no other choice.
8 They say they want peace,
but this lie is deadly,
like an arrow that strikes
when you least expect it.
9 Give me one good reason
not to punish them
as they deserve.
I, the Lord All-Powerful,
have spoken.
Jeremiah Weeps for His People
10 I weep for the pastureland
in the hill country.
It's so barren and scorched
that no one travels there.
No cattle can be found there,
and birds and wild animals
have all disappeared.
11 I heard the Lord reply,
“When I am finished,
Jerusalem and the towns of Judah
will be piles of ruins
where only jackals live.”
Why the Land Was Destroyed
12 I said to the Lord, “None of us can understand why the land has become like an uncrossable desert. Won't you explain why?”
13 The Lord said:
I destroyed the land because the people disobeyed me and rejected my laws and teachings. 14 They were stubborn and worshiped Baal, just as their ancestors did. 15 So I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, promise them poison to eat and drink. 16 I'll scatter them in foreign countries that they and their ancestors have never even heard of. Finally, I will send enemy soldiers to kill every last one of them.
The Women Who Are Paid To Weep
17 The Lord All-Powerful said,
“Make arrangements now
for the women who are paid
to weep at funerals,
especially the women
who can cry the loudest.”
18 The people answered,
“Let them come quickly
and cry for us,
until our own eyes
are flooded with tears.
19 Now those of us on Zion cry,
‘We are ruined!
We can't stand the shame.
Our homes have been destroyed,
and we must leave our land.’
20 “We ask you women
to pay attention
to what the Lord says.
We will teach you a funeral song
that you can teach
your daughters and friends:
21 ‘We were in our fortress,
but death sneaked in
through our windows.
It even struck down
children at play
and our strongest young men.’
22 “The Lord has told us
the ground will be covered
with dead bodies,
like ungathered stalks of grain
or manure in a field.”
What the Lord Likes Best
23 The Lord says:
Don't brag about your wisdom
or strength or wealth.
24 If you feel you must brag,
then have enough sense
to brag about worshiping me,
the Lord.
What I like best
is showing kindness,
justice, and mercy
to everyone on earth.
25-26 Someday I will punish the nations of Egypt, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, and the tribes of the desert. The men of these nations are circumcised, but they don't worship me. And it's the same with you people of Judah. Your bodies are circumcised, but your hearts are unchanged.
1 Ami me zeri kutja andakuzu otjiuru
tjandje ombu yomeva,
nomeho wandje andakuzu
otuharwi twomahoze,
kokutja mbi yenene okurira omutenya nouṱuku
mena rotjiwaṋa tjandje tji tja ṱa.
2 Me zeri kutja andakuzu mbi nopoṋa
pomasuviro mokuti onguza,
etje zapo potjiwaṋa tjandje.
Owo avehe kava ṱakame,
owo otjira tjovanauvi.
3 Owo aruhe ve rirongerera okukora ovizeze;
ouhaṱakama moruveze rwouatjiri
ombu honaparera ehi.
Muhona ma tja nai:
“Otjiwaṋa tjandje tji kara pokutjita ouvi,
nu katji ndji zemburuka
otja ngu mbi ri Ndjambi watjo.”
4 Omundu auhe ma sokuritjevera kepanga re;
nu kape na umwe ngu
nongamburiro momukwao;
orondu omuzamumwe auhe u wovisa
nu auhe u yamba omapanga we.
5-6 Owo avehe ve tikura omapanga wawo,
nu kape na umwe ngu hungira ouatjiri.
Owo va iririra okukora ovizeze,
nu kave isa okutjita omauvi wawo.
Aruhe ve tjita ozondjito zoutwe,
novitjitwa avihe vyovineya vi kongorerasana.
Muhona opu ma tjere nai:
“Otjiwaṋa tjandje tji ndji nyengwa.
7 Nu ami ngu mbi ri
Muhona Omunamasaaehe
me zuzura otjiwaṋa tjandje tjimuna otjitenda,
nu me tji roro.
Otjiwaṋa tjandje tja tjita ouvi;
hi tji tjite vi?
8 Omaraka watjo ye ri otja oviku ovizepe;
aruhe ye kora ovizeze.
Omundu auhe u hungira omambo
wohange komuraranganda na ye,
nungwari eye tjandje momutima we
we mu twira po ombate.
9 Ami hi nokuveverera oviṋa mbi are?
Ami, hi nokusutisa otjiwaṋa otja ihi are?
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona,
owami ngu mba hungire.”
10 Ami mba tja nai:
“Ami me ṱire ozondundu oruhoze,
nu me ririre omaryo,
orondu owo ya kukuta,
nu kape na umwe ngu ma
ryanga okutuurunga wo.
Omavandarero wozongombe
kaye tji zuvaka rukwao;
ozonḓera novipuka vyokuti vya taura,
nu vya pizuka.”
11 “Muhona ma tja nai:
Ami me tjiti Jerusalem tji rire otjitambatundu,
moṋa mu mu tura ozombandje;
ovihuro vya Juda mavi rire okuti onguza,
moṋa mu mu ha tura omundu.”
12 Ami mba pura e tja: “Muhona, okutjavi ehi tji ra ṱukuṱuka nu tji ra rira ekukutu tjimuna okuti onguza, nga tji pe hi nomundu ngu ma ryanga okutuurunga ro? Owaṋi ngu nozondunge nḓa yenene okutjiwa otjiṋa hi? Ove we tji handjaurira uṋe, kokutja eye a sore okutjivisa ku varwe?”
13 Muhona wa zira a tja: “Otjiṋa hi tja tjitwa mena rokutja otjiwaṋa tjandje tja isa omahongero ami ngu mbe tji pa. Otjo katji karere nonḓuviro ku ami, nu katji tjitire imbi ami mbi mbe tji raera. 14 Moruveze rwanao otjo tja ri otjirangaranga, nu tje rikotamena koviserekarera vya Baal otja ooihe mukururume pu ve tji hongere okutjita. 15 Nambano, purateneye ku imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, mbi me tjiti: Ami me yandja omiti omiruru kotjiwaṋa tjandje kutja tji rye, nomeva wouanga kutja tji nwe. 16 Ami meve rimbi mokati koviwaṋa, owo poo ooihe mukururume mbi ve hi na va zuvire, nu meve hindire ovanavita okuverwisa, nga tji mbe ve yandeke okumana.”
Otjiwaṋa tja Jerusalem matji ku ombatero
17 Muhona Omunamasaaehe wa tja nai:
“Ripureye na imbi mbi mavi tjitwa!
Isaneye ovakazendu vomutambo kutja ve ye;
kaisaneye ovakazendu ozonongo,
ngave ye nguno.”
18 Ovandu va tja nai:
“Ve raereye kutja ve hakahane,
ve yekututangununina omiṱanḓu vyomutambo,
ngandu omeho wetu tji ye ura nomahoze,
nomikova vyomeho tji vya
ningenisiwa i omahoze nga.”
19 Purateneye kombosiro yomutambo mOsion, ndji mai tja:
“Owee ku eṱe mbu twa yandekwa!
Eṱe twa yambururwa oparukaze!
Matu sokuisa ehi retu;
ozondjuwo zetu za haṋewa.”
20 Ami mba tja:
“Purateneye ku Muhona, oweṋe vakazendu,
nomatwi weṋu ngaye zuve omambo we.
Hongeye ovasuko veṋu omitambo,
nomapanga weṋu omiṱanḓu vyomutambo wina.
21 Onḓiro ya rondere motuiho twetu
nu ya hiti mozondjuwo zetu zouhona;
oyo ya zepa ovanatje momivanda,
novarumendu omitanda
pomarandisiro wotjihuro.
22 Oturova matu rimbara apehe
tjimuna ombumbi mokuti,
tjimuna omikuta vyovikokotwa mbya isiwa i omukonde,
nu mbi hi nomuwonge.
Imbi Muhona ombye ndji raera okuhungira.”
23 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Ovandu ozonongo ave he rihivire ounongo wawo,
novandu ovanamasa ave he rihivire omasa wawo,
novatumbe wina ave he ritongamisire outumbe wawo.
24 Omundu auhe tji ma vanga okurihiva,
u sokurihiva kutja u nondjiviro
nu u ndji tjiwa kutja owami Muhona,
ngu mbi honaparisa ouwa womutima
nouṱakame nousemba kombanda yehi.
Imbi ombi ri oviṋa mu mbi nonyuṋe.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
25 Muhona ma tja nai: “Tareye, omayuva maye ya ami mu me vere avehe mba sukarekwa, 26 okutja otjiwaṋa tja Engipte notja Juda notja Edom notja Amon notja Moab na ihi tjokuti onguza tji tji henya ozondjise zatjo. Oviwaṋa avihe mbi, notjiwaṋa tja Israel wina, me vi vara otja mbi ha sukarekerwe mena rokutja kavi ṱakamisire omerikutiropamwe wandje.”
