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.”
ǃHobasens ǃoa hâ ǂgaikhâis
1 ǃKhūb ge ra mî: “ǃHobasen ǂgao du kao Israelǁaese, tita ǃoa ǃhobasen re. Tsî sadu ǁgaiǁgaisa elona du ga ti aisa xu ūbē o du ge ǀnarema tide. 2 O du ge nî nū: ‘ǃKhūb a ûitsama ǃkhais ao’ ti os ge ǁnāsa amab tsî ǂhanu-aisib ǃnâ nî ī, tsî du ge ǂhanu-aisiba nî dī tsî ǁkhāti ǂhanuse. O di ge ǁaede ǁîdi ǀkhaeba ǃKhūba xu nî ǃâubasen, ǁîb ǃnâ nî koasense.”
3 Nētib ge ǃKhūba Judab khoen tsî Jerusalems ǁanǂgāsaben ǃoa ra mî: “Sadu di ganupe ǃkhāǃkhurisa tama ǃhū-e ǃkhāǃkhuribasen, î du tā sadu ǃkhomna ǁkhūn ǃnâ tsoro. 4 ǃGaosen re ǃKhūb ǃaroma; aikhōb sadu ǂgaogu diba ūbē re, Judab khoedu tsî ǁanǂgāsabedu Jerusalems dido; îb tā ti ǁaixasib, sadu di ǂkhaba sîsengu ǃoagu ta ūhâba ǀarihe tamase nî khau ǀaes khami ī.”
ǀApasa xu hâ ǂōǂōsib
5 Xâiǁnâsa hoaraga ǃhūb ǃnâ xâi re!
ǃGari dommi ǀkha ǂgaiǂui re:
ǀHaoǀhaosen du re
î da omǂnamisa ǃādi ǁga ǃgû!
6 Sions ǃoa ǃkhauba ǃkhā re,
ǁhâ re, î tā ǁūse mâ!
Tsūǃgâba ta ra hā-ū xuige;
kai hîkākāsa ǀapasa xu.
7 Xammi gauǃkhais âba xu ra ǂoaxa
khamib ge hîkākā-aoba ǁaede xu ra ǂoaxa.
ǁÎb ge ǃkhais âba xu ra ǂoaxa
sadu ǃhūba nî ǃū-aisa xūse dīse.
8 ǁNā-amaga ǀhaosaraba ǂgaeǂgā, î ǃoa tsî ā,
ǀaexa ǁaixasib ǃKhūb dib
sada xu oa tama xuige.
9 Tsîb ge ǃKhūba ra mî: “ǁNā tsēs aib ge gao-aoba ǁkhoaǂgaosib âba nî ǂoaǃnâ; pristergu ge nî ǃhurigâ tsî kēbo-aogu ge nî burugâ.” 10 O ta ge ge mî: “ǃKhū Elotse, amasets ge nē ǁaes tsî Jerusalemsa ge ǂgaeǂhapu, ‘ǂKhîba du ge nî ūhâ’ tits ge mîo; xaweb gôaba sida ǀomdi kōse ra ǃkhā hîa.” 11 ǁNā ǁaeb ǃnâb ge ǃKhūba sadu Jerusalems dido nî mîba: “ǀGamsa ǂoab ge ǀgapi ǃkhaide xu, ti ǁaes di ôas daoba-u ra hā; ǀnupi tamas ka io ǃanuǃanu rase tama. 12 Nē xūna ǀgaidā hâ ǂoab ge tita xu nî hā. O ta ge nēsi ti ǀgoraǃgâsa ǁîn ǃoagu nî gowaǂui.”
Judab ge khākhoen xa hâǂnamihe hâ
13 Mû, ǃâudi khamib ge ra ǂoaxa tsî ǁgaoǂoas khami di ge torokunidi âba ī, tsî hān âb ge ǃariǃkhān ǃgâ-ai a ǃhae. Tsūba da, hîkākāhe da nî xui-ao.
14 “Jerusalems dido, sadu ǂgaoga ǂkhababa xu ǃanuǃanu, î du sâuhe ǁkhā. Mâ ǁaeb kōse du kha ǂkhababa sadu ǂgaogu ǃnâ nî ūhâ?
15 “Dom-i ge Dansa xu ra ǂhôa; Efraimmi di ǃnâuxa ǀkhariba xu tsūǃōba ra ǂhôa. 16 ǁAede ǁîsa aoǁnâba! Jerusalemsa mîba re: Xāǂgā-aogu ge ǃnū ǃhūba xu ǃgoaxa. ǁÎgu ge domgu âga Judab ǃādiǀî ǃhâkhâi 17 tsî ǃhanaba ra ǃûi khoegu khami ǃāsa nî hâǂnamipe, tita ǃoagus ge khâikhâisen xui-ao,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.18 Sa daob tsî sa dīgu ge nēna sas ai ge hā-ū; sa ǂkhabaxasib ge ausiba ra hā-ūba; tsîs ge nēsa ǂgaob âs kōse ra sī.
Jeremiab ge khoen âb ǂama ra ǃoa
19 Ti ǃnātse, ti ǃnātse!
Ti ǂgaotse! Ti ǂgaob ge kaise ra ǃgui!
Tita ge a ǃnō ǁoa;
xâiǁnâs ǀōba ta ge go ǁnâu,
ǃkhams di ǀganaba.
20 Nē hîkākās ais ge nausa ra hā;
hoaraga ǃhūb ge ra hîǀhuruhe.
ǃNapetamase di ge ti tentomde ra hîkākāhe;
ǂgāmâisagu âde ra doaǃāhe.
21 Mâ ǁaeb kōse ta kha ǃkhauba mû
tsî xâiǁnâs ǀganaba nî ǁnâu?
22 Ob ge ǃKhūba ra mî: “Ti ǁaes ge a gâre
titan ge a ǀū.
ǁÎn ge gâ ǀgôan,
ǁnâuǃā-e ūhâ taman khami ī.
ǁÎn ge ǂkhabase dīs di ǂansa ūhâ,
xawen ge ǃgâise dīsa a ǀū.”
Jeremiab ge ǃgoaxa hîkākāsa ra mû
23 ǃHūba ta ge ge kō, tsîb ge ge ǃū-aisa i;
ǀhommi ǃoa ta ge ge kō, tsîb ge ǃnâb âba ge ǀkhai i.
24 ǃHomga ta ge ge kō, ǁîgu ge ge ǀkhū;
tsî hoaraga ǃnâuga, aisǀî tsî khaosǀî gu ra gonse.
25 Kō tsî ta ge ge mû, khoesib a ǀkhaisa;
ǀhomanin on ge ge ǁkhanabē.
26 ǂÛtanixa ǃhūba ta ge ge kō,
ǁîb ge ge ǃgaroǃhū kai;
hoa ǃādi ge ge khôaǁnâhe hâ i,
ǃKhūb ǃaroma tsî ǁîb di ǀaexa ǁaixasib ǃaroma.
27 (ǃKhūb ge nēti ra mî: “Hoaraga ǃhūb ge nî ǃgaroǃhū kai,
xawe ta ge ǁîba hoaragase hîkākā tide.”)
28 Nēs xab ge ǃhūbaiba nî ǃoa;
tsî ǀhomga ǀgapise nî ǃkhae.
Tita ge ǁîsa go ǃhoa,
tita ge ǁîsa go ǂâibasen
tsî ǁîsa ǀkharaǀkhara tide.
29 Hātoro-aogu tsî khāǁkhâu-aogu di ǂkhupib
ge mâ-i hoa-i ǃās di-e nî ǃkhoeni kai.
ǀNîn ge haiǀgomdi ǃnâ nî gau
tsî ǀnîna ǃhaogu ai nî ǃapa.
Tsî di ge hoaraga ǃāde ǁnāxūhe hâ;
khoe-i xare-i ge ǁîdi ǃnâ ǁan tama hâ.
30 Tsî sas hîǀhuruhe hâsa, tare-es ra dī?
Sas ge ǀaoǀapa sarana ana
tsî ǃhuniǀuri tsî ǀhaiǀuri-anixūn ǀkha ra anisen;
mûra âsas ge î-îxū-i ǀkha ra kaikai,
xawes ge ǁnāsa ǁause ra dī.
Sa ǀnamsagu ge ge ǂhara si
tsî gu ge sa ûiba ra ôa.
31 ǁOratsûba ūhâ taras di āb khami ra ǀō domma ta ge ra ǁnâu,
ǂōǂōsib di āba, ǂguro ǀgôa-e ra ǁora khoes dib khami.
ǁNāb ge Sions ôas di domma,
ǁîs ge ra ǃgae,
ǃomkha âsas ge ra ǀhōǂui:
“Tita ge ǂkhabu hâ!
ǁÎgu ge tita nî ǃgamse ǃgoaxa!”
