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.
Eweelelo molwoukolokoshi woshiwana shOmwene
1 Akutu, omutwe wange ngeno omeva, nomesho ange ofifiya yomahodi, ngeno nda lila eenghali doonakudipawa vomona okakadona koshiwana shange omutenya noufiku. 2 Ngeno onda li ndi nonduda yovaendanandjila mofuka, ngeno onda fiya po ovanhu vange, ndi dje po puvo! Osheshi vo aveshe ovatei vohombo, ongudu yovalunga. 3 Ndele ohava lukile omalaka avo noipupulu, ngaashi omauta, ndele eenghono domoshilongo ihave di longifa pashili, osheshi ohava twikile mowii, ndelenee inava shiiva nge, Omwene osho ta ti. 4 Kaleni mwa lungama, keshe umwe okaume kaye, ndele inamu lineekela omukweni nande umwe, osheshi omumwanyoko ote ku kengelele nokeshe omukweni ota ende nomalundilo. 5 Ndele hava kengelele keshe umwe okaume kaye noihava popi doshili; omalaka avo ve a ikililifa okupopya oipupulu, ndele fiyo okokuloloka ova ninga eshi inashi yuka. 6 Ou li mokati koipupulu, nomoipupulu yavo inava hala okushiiva nge, Omwene osho ta ti. 7 Onghee hano Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ota ti: Tala, Ame onda hala oku va hemuna ndi va tale; osheshi molwomona okakadona koshiwana shange ondi va ninge shike vali? 8 Omalaka avo oshikuti shefyo, otaa popi ekonda. Nomakanya avo hava popifa ombili nomukwao, ndelenee momitima davo ohave va nangele. 9 Ame ondi kale ngeno inandi va handukila molwoshinima eshi, Omwene osho ta ti, ile omwenyo wange uha kale nokuhandukila oshiwana sha tya ngaha?
10 Ame ohandi ka kwena nokukema pombada omolweemhunda, nomolweehambo domofuka ohandi lili eenghali. Osheshi odo da pya komundilo nokape nomunhu ta ende ko, nongaashi ihamu udika oshikuta shoimuna. Eedila dokeulu noifitukuti oya tembuka mo, ya ya onhapo. 11 Ndele Jerusalem ohandi shi ningi onduba yomamanya shi ninge onhele yeembadje, noilando yaJuda ohandi i ningi omaputu.
12 Olyelye omulumenhu omunaendunge, ou a shiiva eshi? Nolyelye ou okanya kOmwene ke mu hepaululila opo e shi hololele? Edu ola hanauninwa po shike nola pya ngaashi ombuwa itai endwa vali komunhu? 13 Ndele Omwene okwa tya: Osheshi va ekelashi omhango yange, nde i va pele, vo inava pwilikina ondaka yange, ve i shikule, 14 ndelenee ova li hava ende moukukutu womitima davo nova shikula ooBaal, ooxe ngaashi ve va honga. 15 Onghee hano, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti ngaha: Ovanhu ava onda hala oku va lifa oshimbodi shilula nohandi va nwefa omeva oudiyo. 16 Ndele handi va halakanifile moiwana inai shiivika kuvo noya li inai shiivika kooxekulu, ndele handi va shikulifile ko eongamukonda fiyo handi va mane po sheke.
17 Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ota ti ngaha: Taleni, ifaneni ovalikadi ve shii kulila eenghali, ve uye, heeno, tumeni ko mu ifane ovalikadi ve nounongo opo ve uye, 18 va endelele ve tu lilile eenghali, opo omesho etu a tondoke omahodi, neemhafu detu di tondoke omeva. 19 Osheshi muSion omwa udika elilaano: “Otwa hanaunwa po filufilu! Fye otwa fifwa ohoni shili, osheshi fye otu nokudja mo moshilongo, osheshi omaumbo etu a hanaunwa po.” 20 Pwilikineni hano onye ovalikadi, ondjovo yOmwene, omatwi eni naa tambule ondjovo yomokanya kaye; ovana veni oukadona va longeni okulila eenghali, longafaneni omaimbilo oufiye. 21 Osheshi efyo ola londa nokupitila mo momakende etu, le uya mo meengulu detu doupuna, li lye ounona momapandavanda novanyasha moilandelo.
22 Popya, u tye: Omwene osho ta ti: Oimhu yovanhu tai ka nangala kombada yedu ngaashi oushosho mepya nongaashi eenhumbulu di li konima yomukashuli, ndele pehe nomunhu te i ongele.
23 Omwene osho ta ti: Omunaendunge ine litangela eendunge daye, omunaenghono ine litangela eenghono daye, oshipuna shiha kale nokulitangela oupuna washo, 24 ndelenee ou te litangele, ne litangele ondunge yokushiiva nge kutya, Aame Omwene, handi wanifa onghenda nouyuki nouwa kombada yedu, osheshi oinima ei onde i hokwa, Omwene ta ti. 25 Tala, omafiku otae uya, Omwene osho ta ti, Ame ohandi ka handukila aveshe va pita etanda, ndelenee ve li ngaashi inava pita etanda: 26 Egipiti naJuda muEdom nOvaammoni, naMoab naaveshe ve likulula omitwe davo omixungo, ava va kala mofuka. Osheshi oiwana aishe yovapaani inava pita etanda, ndelenee epata alishe laIsrael inava pitifwa etanda komutima.
