The Land Dries Up
1 When there had been no rain for a long time, the Lord told me to say to the people:
2 Judah and Jerusalem weep
as the land dries up.
3 Rulers send their servants
to the storage pits for water.
But there's none to be found;
they return in despair
with their jars still empty.
4 There has been no rain,
and farmers feel sick
as they watch cracks appear
in the dry ground.
5 A deer gives birth in a field,
then abandons her newborn fawn
and leaves in search of grass.
6 Wild donkeys go blind
from starvation.
So they stand on barren hilltops
and sniff the air,
hoping to smell green grass.
The Lord's People Pray
7 We rejected you and did evil,
so we deserve to be punished.
But if you rescue us, Lord,
everyone will see
how great you are.
8 You're our only hope;
you alone can save us now.
You help us one day,
but you're gone the next.
9 Did this disaster
take you by surprise?
Are you a warrior
with your hands tied?
You have chosen us,
and your temple is here.
Don't abandon us!
The Lord's Answer
10 My people,
you love to wander away;
you don't even try
to stay close to me.
So now I will reject you
and punish you for your sins.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Lying Prophets
11 The Lord said, “Jeremiah, don't ask me to help these people. 12 They may even go without eating and offer sacrifices to please me and to give thanks. But when they cry out for my help, I won't listen, and I won't accept their sacrifices. Instead, I'll send war, starvation, and disease to wipe them out.”
13 I replied, “The other prophets keep telling everyone that you won't send starvation or war, and that you're going to give us peace.”
14 The Lord answered:
They claim to speak for me, but they're lying! I didn't even speak to them, much less choose them to be my prophets. Their messages come from worthless dreams, useless fortunetelling, and their own imaginations.
15 Those lying prophets say there will be peace and plenty of food. But I say that those same prophets will die from war and hunger. 16 And everyone who listens to them will be killed, just as they deserve. Their dead bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, because their families will also be dead, and no one will be left to bury them.
17 Jeremiah, go and tell the people how you feel about all this.
So I told them:
“Tears will flood my eyes
both day and night,
because my nation suffers
from a deadly wound.
18 In the fields I see the bodies
of those killed in battle.
And in the towns I see crowds
dying of hunger.
But the prophets and priests
go about their business,
without understanding
what has happened.”
Jeremiah Prays to the Lord
19 Have you rejected Judah, Lord?
Do you hate Jerusalem?
Why did you strike down Judah
with a fatal wound?
We had hoped for peace
and a time of healing,
but all we got was terror.
20 We and our ancestors are guilty
of rebelling against you.
21 If you save us, it will show
how great you are.
Don't let our enemies
disgrace your temple,
your beautiful throne.
Don't forget that you promised
to rescue us.
22 Idols can't send rain,
and showers don't fall
by themselves.
Only you control the rain,
so we put our trust in you,
the Lord our God.
Jeremia ta ilikanene oshiwana oshimha
1 Ondjovo yOmwene oya hanga Jeremia omolwoluteni lidjuu. 2 Juda osha nyika oluhodi, noivelo yomusho otai teka po. Vo ohava kala omutumba poshi, va nyika oufiye, nomalilaano aJerusalem taa i pombada. 3 Oidale yavo ohai tumu ovapiya vavo okuteka omeva. Vo otave uya komifima, ndelenee itava hange ko omeva, ndele tava shuna noitoo yavo ihe na sha. Ova lengaifwa nova fya ohoni, va tuvika oipala yavo. 4 Omolwomapya a tenda omifya, osheshi edu inali lokwa, ovanamapya ova haluka ashike ndele tave lituvike koipala yavo. 5 Noholongo yonghadi yo tai dalele moixwa, tai fii po okaholongwena kayo, osheshi inapa mena omwiidi. 6 Neengolo tadi kala koikulundudu ndele tadi shili omhepo ngaashi eembadje, omesho ado a twiyala, osheshi pehe nomwiidi. 7 Oilonga yetu ii nande tai tu tomhele oulunde, wanifa oshilonga shoye, Omwene, omolwedina loye, osheshi omaliteeko etu omahapu, fye twa nyona kwoove. 8 Oove eteelelo laIsrael nomuxupifi washo mefimbo loudjuu, oshike hano u li moshilongo ngaashi omunailongo nongaashi omweendanandjila, te uya meumbo a nangale ashike. 9 Oshike Ove u li ngaashi omulumenhu a haluka, ngaashi omuladi ou ita dulu okukwafa? Ndelenee Ove tuu ou li mokati ketu, Omwene, nafye otwe ku lukilwa. Ino tu efa ngaho.
10 Ovanhu ava, Omwene ote va tongo ta ti ngaha: Osho ve li ve hole okweelaela, ihava kelele eemhadi davo, onghee hano Omwene ine va hokwa; paife ota dimbulukwa oilonga yavo ii, ndele ta handukile omatimba avo. 11 Ndele Omwene okwa lombwela nge vali: “Ino ilikanena ovanhu ava va xupifwe. 12 Nande hava kala nokulidilika, itandi udu onghuwo yavo nonande have yambe omaxwikiloyambo neendjayambo, Ame itandi va hokwa ndelenee Ame ohandi va mane po neongamukonda nondjala noudu wolutapo.” 13 Opo nee ame onda tya: Akutu Omwene, Kalunga! Tala ovaxunganeki tave va lombwele: eongamukonda itamu ke li mona nondjala itai mu hange vali ndelenee ombili ya pama ohandi i mu pe monhele ei. 14 Ndelenee Omwene okwa lombwela nge, ta ti: Ovaxunganeki otava xunganeke oipupulu medina lange; Ame inandi va tuma nongaashi inandi va lombwela noinandi va popifa. Otave mu xunganekele omamoniko oipupulu nomaxunganeko oipupulu nomakoto omitima davo vene. 15 Onghee Omwene ota tongo ngaha: ovaxunganeki ava, tava xunganeke medina lange, nande Ame inandi va tuma, ndele tava ti oshilongo eshi itashi hangika keongamukonda ile kondjala, ovaxunganeki ava otava ka fya keongamukonda nokondjala. 16 Noshiwana osho sha xunganekelwa kuvo otashi ka nangala momapandavanda aJerusalem, sha fya kondjala nokeongamukonda, nopehe na ou te va pake, voovene novalikadi vavo novana vavo ovamati noukadona. Osho ngaha owii wavo vene ohandi u tile kombada yavo.
17 Ndele va lombwela ondjovo ei: “Omesho ange otaa tondokifa omahodi oufiku nomutenya, itaa kofa, osheshi okakadona, omona woshiwana shange okwa toshaulwa oipute, ihe shii kukumwa. 18 Ngeenge handi i moixwa, tala, ope noonakudipawa keongamukonda ngeenge handi uya moshilando, tala, omo omu noonakudinda ondjala. Heeno, novaxunganeki novapristeli vovene otava kala nokweelaela moshilongo inava shiiva sha.” 19 Ove owa ekelashi tuu shili Juda nowa loloka tuu shili Sion? Owe tu dengela shike ngaha, eshi itatu dulu okuveluka? Twa teelela ombili, ndelenee kape nouwa. Twa teelela efimbo leveluko, ndelenee tala, etilifo li li po. 20 Omwene, oudinikalunga wetu otwe u dimbulukwa nomanyonauno ootatekelu, osheshi kwoove twa nyona. 21 Ino tu ekelashi omolwedina loye! Ino fifa olukalwapangelo loshinge shoye ohoni. Dimbulukwa, ino teya ehangano loye nafye. 22 Oikalunga yongaho yoiwana otai shiiva mbela okulokifa odula, ile omu shii eulu loovene otali lokifa odula? Haave Omwene, Kalunga ketu? Ove hatu teelele! Osheshi aishe ei Ove we i ninga.
