Is Anyone Honest and Faithful?
The Lord said to me:
1 “Search Jerusalem
for honest people
who try to be faithful.
If you can find even one,
I'll forgive the whole city.
2 Everyone breaks promises
made in my name.”
3 I answered, “I know
that you look for truth.
You punished your people
for their lies,
but in spite of the pain,
they became more stubborn
and refused to turn back
to you.”
4 Then I thought to myself,
“These common people
act like fools,
and they have never learned
what the Lord their God
demands of them.
5 So I'll go and talk to the leaders.
They know what God demands.”
But even they had decided
not to obey the Lord.
6 The people have rebelled
and rejected the Lord
too many times.
So enemies will attack
like lions from the forest
or wolves from the desert.
Those enemies will watch
the towns of Judah,
and like leopards
they will tear to pieces
whoever goes outside.
Enemies Will Punish Judah
The Lord said:
7 People of Judah,
how can I forgive you?
I gave you everything,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped idols.
You men go to prostitutes
and are unfaithful
to your wives.
8 You are no better than animals,
and you always want sex
with someone else's wife.
9 Why shouldn't I punish
the people of Judah?
10 I will tell their enemies,
“Go through my vineyard.
Don't destroy the vines,
but cut off the branches,
because they are the people
who don't belong to me.”
11 In every way, Judah and Israel
have been unfaithful to me.
* 12 Their prophets lie and say,
“The Lord won't punish us.
We will have peace
and plenty of food.”
13 They tell these lies in my name,
so now they will be killed in war
or starve to death.
14 I am the Lord God All-Powerful.
Jeremiah, I will tell you
exactly what to say.
Your words will be a fire;
Israel and Judah
will be the fuel.
15 People of Israel,
I have made my decision.
An army from a distant country
will attack you.
I've chosen an ancient nation,
and you won't understand
their language.
16 All of them are warriors,
and their arrows bring death.
17 This nation will eat your crops
and livestock;
they will leave no fruit
on your vines or fig trees.
And although you feel safe
behind thick walls,
your towns will be destroyed
and your children killed.
Israel Refused To Worship the Lord
18 The Lord said:
Jeremiah, the enemy army won't kill everyone in Judah. 19 And the people who survive will ask, “Why did the Lord our God do such terrible things to us?” Then tell them:
I am the Lord,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped other gods
in your own land.
Now you will be slaves
in a foreign country.
20 Tell these things to each other,
you people of Judah,
you descendants of Jacob.
21 You fools! Why don't you listen
when I speak?
Why can't you understand
22 that you should worship me
with fear and trembling?
I'm the one who made the shore
to hold back the ocean.
Waves may crash on the beach,
but they can come no farther.
23 You stubborn people have rebelled
and turned your backs on me.
24 You refuse to say,
“Let's worship the Lord!
He's the one who sends rain
in spring and autumn
and gives us a good harvest.”
25 That's why I cannot bless you!
* 26 A hunter traps birds
and puts them in a cage,
but some of you trap humans
and make them your slaves.
27 You are evil, and you lie and cheat
to make yourselves rich.
You are powerful
28 and prosperous,
but you refuse to help the poor
get the justice they deserve.
29 You need to be punished,
and so I will take revenge.
30 Look at the terrible things
going on in this country.
I am shocked!
31 Prophets give their messages
in the name of a false god,
my priests don't want
to serve me,
and you—my own people—
like it this way!
But on the day of disaster,
where will you turn for help?
Oshiwana she liteeka Omwene, otashi ka handukilwa
1 Indeni momapandavanda aJerusalem, mu tale nye mu kundane nokupulapula momapandavanda avo, ngeenge tamu mono mo umwe, ngeenge mu na nando umwe ta wanifa ouyuki ndele ta kongo oshili, opo nee ohandi shi file onghenda. 2 Ndele nande vo aveshe tava ti: Oshili, ngaashi Omwene e nomwenyo, otava ane oipupulu. 3 Omwene, omesho oye inaa tala tuu oudiinini? Ove owe va denga ndele vo ova kala kave udite ouyehame. Ove owe va teya po, ndelenee vo ova anya okudulika. Oshipala shavo ove shi kukutika shi dule emanya, ndelenee inava tambula ehandupukululo. 4 Ndelenee Ame onda tya: Eehepele osho ve li ovashima, osheshi inava shiiva ondjila yOmwene neyukifo laKalunga kavo. 5 Nandi ye hano kovanamadina, ndi va popife, osheshi ovo va shiiva ondjila yOmwene neyukifo laKalunga kavo. Ndelenee vo aveshe ova teya ondjoko, ndele va tokola eestropa. 6 Onghee hano onghoshi yomofuka otai va nyanyaula, ombidi yomombuwa otai va hanauna po; ongwe tai hondjaunine oilando yavo. Keshe umwe ta di mo, ota ka pombaulwa, osheshi omanyonauno avo omahapu nokuliteeka kwavo okuhapu. 7 Ondi ku diminine po shike? Oludalo loye ola efa nge ndele ola ana kwaau ehe fi Kalunga. Ame onde va kutifa, ndelenee vo ova teya omahombolo ndele va ongala eengudu neengudu meumbo lombwada. 8 Ove li ngaashi eenghambe deemhedi da ondoka, tava tondauka ndele tava kwena keshe umwe omukainhu womukwao. 9 Ame ondi va tale nondihe va handukile ngeno molwaasho? Omwene ta ti; ile omwenyo wange itau kala nokuhandukila ngeno oshiwana sha tya ngaha? 10 Londeni kohotekuma yasho nye mu shi hanaune po, ndelenee inamu shi teyaula po sheke. Teteni po omashila omiviinyu, osheshi kae fi Omwene. 11 Osheshi eumbo laJuda neumbo laIsrael okwe liteeka nge, Omwene osho ta ti. 12 Ove lidimbika Omwene ndele va tya: Haye, nokape noshiponga tashi ke tu hanga. Neongamukonda nondjala itatu ke i mona! 13 Ndele ovaxunganeki ovo eemhepo dongaho, Omwene ou ta popi, ke mo muvo. Voovene osho nava ningwe!
14 Onghee hano Omwene, Kalunga komatanga ovakwaita ota ti: Eshi nye mu neendjovo da tya ngaha, onghee eendjovo dange otadi ningi omundilo mokanya koye, ovanhu ava otava ningi oikuni, ndele tau ke va xwika po.
15 Akutu, onye eumbo laIsrael! Taleni, Ame ohandi mu tumine oshiwana shokokule, Omwene osho ta ti, oshiwana sha pama, oshiwana sha kala nokuli nale, oshiwana elaka lasho ove uhe li shii, ndele ku udite ko eshi hava popi. 16 Eenywa davo da fa ombila ya ekama. Vo aveshe ovaladi. 17 Ndele otava ka lya po eteyo loye nomungome woye, tava ka lya po ovamwoye ovamati noukadona, tava ka lya po oikombo yoye neengobe doye, tava ka lya po omuviinyu woye nomukwiyu woye, tava ka teya po oilandohote yoye ya pama we i lineekela, tai hanaunwa po keongamukonda.
18 Ndelenee opomafiku tuu enya, Omwene osho ta ti, itandi mu mane po sheke. 19 Ndele ngeenge tamu pula: Kalunga ketu okwe tu ningila shike ngaha? Opo nee va lombwela u tye: “Ngaashi nye mwe liteeka nge nomwa fimaneka oikalunga yovanailongo medu leni, osho yo mu nokulongela ovanailongo medu lihe fi leni.”
20 Odo di lombweleni eumbo laJakob, di udifileni Juda mu tye: 21 Pwilikineni onye omalai, muhe neendunge, ve nomesho, vo ihava mono ko, nove nomatwi, vo ihava udu ko. 22 Inamu hala okutila ile okukakama koshipala shange, Omwene osho ta ti, Ame ou nda dika eheke la ninga ongaba yefuta, li ninge oshikelelifo alushe, lihe shii okutaulukwa. Nande nali undulwe komakufikufi alo, ole a nyenga, nande naa tukuluke, itaa dulu oku li tauluka. 23 Ndelenee ovanhu ava ovanashityani nove nomutima itau dulika, ova pilamena ko ndele va ya neendjila davo vene. 24 Inava tya momitima davo nokutya: Natu tileni Omwene Kalunga ketu, ou he tu lokifile odula, odula yonhemuna nodula yokulombo pefimbo layo nokwe tu tongolela oivike yeteyo. 25 Ndele omanyonauno eni okwa dongakanifa oinima ei, nomatimba eni okwe mu imba okumona ouwa. 26 Osheshi movanhu vange omu novadinikalunga; vo ohava hondjaunine ngaashi ovakongi veedila have likoko, vo ohava tele omiyo ndele hava kwata ovanhu. 27 Ngaashi omhu i yadi oudila, osho yo omaumbo avo e yadi ekonda; panghedi ei ova ninga ovanenenhu noipuna. 28 Ova ondoka, va ondokelela, va twima omaadi, ndele hava kungu eendjovo dii; vo ihava yukifa pashili eendjovo deefiye ihave di yukifa noku va popila. Eehepele yo ihave va popile va tokolwe nawa. 29 Hano ondi kale ngahelipi itandi va handukile ngeno, Omwene osho ta ti, ile omwenyo wange u kwatele ovanhu va tya ngaha onghone?
30 Oixuna, oixuna tai tumhaukifa omaxwilili, oya ningwa moshilongo. 31 Ovaxunganeki otava xunganeke oipupulu, ovapristeli ohava pangele pahalo laavenya; novanhu vange osho ve hole osho. Ndelenee hauxuuninwa otamu ka ninga ngahelipi?
