The Lord Talks about Idols
1-2 The Lord said:
Listen to me,
you people of Israel.
Don't follow the customs
of those nations
who become frightened
when they see something strange
happen in the sky.
3 Their religion is worthless!
They chop down a tree,
carve the wood into an idol,
4 cover it with silver and gold,
and then nail it down
so it won't fall over.
5 An idol is no better
than a scarecrow.
It can't speak,
and it has to be carried,
because it can't walk.
Why worship an idol
that can't help or harm you?
Jeremiah Praises the Lord
6 Our Lord, great and powerful,
you alone are God.
7 You are King of the nations.
Everyone should worship you.
No human anywhere on earth
is wiser than you.
8 Idols are worthless,
and anyone who worships them
is a fool!
9 Idols are made by humans.
A carver shapes the wood.
A metalworker hammers out
a covering of gold from Uphaz
or of silver from Tarshish.
Then the idol is dressed
in blue and purple clothes.
10 You, Lord, are the only true
and living God.
You will rule for all time.
When you are angry
the earth shakes,
and nations are destroyed.
11 You told me to say
that idols did not create
the heavens and the earth,
and that you, the Lord,
will destroy every idol.
12 With your wisdom and power
you created the earth
and spread out the heavens.
13 The waters in the heavens roar
at your command.
You make clouds appear—
you send the winds
from your storehouse
and make lightning flash
in the rain.
14 People who make idols
are so stupid!
They will be disappointed,
because their false gods
are not alive.
15 Idols are merely a joke,
and when the time is right,
they will be destroyed.
16 But you, Israel's God,
created all things,
and you chose Israel
to be your very own.
Your name is the Lord
All-Powerful.
Judah Will Be Thrown from Its Land
17 I said to the people of Judah,
“Gather your things;
you are surrounded.
18 The Lord said these troubles
will lead to your capture,
and he will throw you
from this land
like a rock from a sling.”
19 The people answered,
“We are wounded
and doomed to die.
Why did we say
we could stand the pain?
20 Our homes are destroyed;
our children are dead.
No one is left
to help us find shelter.”
21 But I told them,
“Our leaders were stupid failures,
because they refused
to listen to the Lord.
And so we've been scattered
like sheep.
22 “Sounds of destruction
rumble from the north
like distant thunder.
Soon our towns will be ruins
where only jackals live.”
Jeremiah Prays
23 I know, Lord, that we humans
are not in control
of our own lives.
24 Correct me, as I deserve,
but not in your anger,
or I will be dead.
25 Our enemies refuse
to admit that you are God
or to worship you.
They have wiped out our people
and left our nation
lying in ruins.
So get angry
and sweep them away!
Iimenka naKalunga kashili
1 Aaisraeli ne, pulakeneni kelaka ndyoka Omuwa te mu lombwele. 2 Ota ti:
“Inamu landula omikalo dhiigwana yaapagani;
inamu haluthwa komandhindhiliko gokeyalelo,
nando ohaga halutha iigwana mbyoka.
3 Eitaalo lyaantu mboka olyowala.
Tala, omuti otagu komangelwa mokuti,
onkulungu otayi gu mbunzu nawa nekuya lyayo,
4 notagu tulwa uulenga woshisiliveli nowoshingoli.
Otagu kwatelwa peha lyagwo noomboha,
dhi gu koleke gwaa gwe po.
5 Iimenka ya tya ngaaka oya fa enduguya mepya lyomatanga.
Itayi vulu okupopya;
ohayi humbatwa, oshoka kayi shi kweenda.
Inamu yi tila; itayi mu ningi sha,
oshiwanawa nenge oshiwinayi.”
6 Omuwa, kaku na ngoka e ku fa;
ongoye omunankondo,
nedhina lyoye enene noli na oonkondo.
7 Olye ando itee ku simaneke,
omukwaniilwa gwiigwana ayihe?
Owi ilongela esimano.
Kaku na ngoka e ku fa mokati kaanandunge ayehe yomiigwana
nenge mokati kaakwaniilwa yayo.
8 Ayehe yomuyo oyo aagoya nomathethe.
Miimenka ya hongwa miiti, otaa koneke mo shike?
9 Iimenka yawo oya kolongwa noshisiliveli shokuSpania
noshingoli sha za kuUfas.
Oyo iilonga yaahambudhi oonkulungu.
Oya zala oonguwo oombulau noontiliganembwilili
dha tungika kaayogohi yoompumpo.
10 Ihe ngoye, Omuwa ongoye Kalunga kashili.
Ongoye Kalunga omunamwenyo
nomukwaniilwa gwaaluheluhe.
Nge to geye, uuyuni otau telagana;
iigwana itayi vulu okwiidhidhimikila ondjahi yoye.
11 (Ya lombwela kutya iikalunga mbyoka inayi shita egulu nevi,
otayi ka hula ko kombanda yevi alihe.)
Ondjimbo yokuhambelela
12 Omuwa okwa shiti evi koonkondo dhe;
nokuunongo we okwa umbu uuyuni
nokwa alele omagulu.
13 Okoohapu dhe omeya gomeyalelo taga ndunduma:
ote eta iikogo okuza kooha dhevi.
Ota shelitha oombadhi miikogo,
nota tumu ombepo tayi zi moompungulo dhe.
14 Omuntu kehe omugoya noke na ontseyo;
mboka haa hongo iimenka, oya thethelekwa,
oshoka iimenka mbyoka taa hambula,
oyiifundja nokayi na omwenyo.
15 Oyo iinima yowala noyi na okudhinika;
otayi ka hanagulwa po kOmuwa,
ngele te ya e yi pangule.
16 Kalunga kaJakob ine yi fa;
oye ngoka a shiti ayihe,
nokwa hogolola Israel a ninge oshigwana she mwene.
Omuwa Omunankondoawike olyo edhina lye.
Uupongekwa tau ya
17 Gongeleni iinima yeni, mu tembuke mo moshilongo, moka mwa thitikilwa. 18 Omuwa ote ke mu ekelahi mo moshilongo shika; ote ke mu nyanyagula, sigo itaaku hupu nando ogumwe gwomune. Omuwa oye a popi.
19 Aajerusalem otaa kugu taa ti:
“Otwa nyankagulwa ngiini ngeyi!
Iilalo yetu itayi aluka nando.
Otwa dhiladhila tu shi idhidhimikile!
20 Omatsali getu oga finyunwa po;
oongodhi dhago odha tokolwa.
Aanona yetu oya yiwa nayo;
inapa kala nando ogumwe, a dhike po ishewe omatsali getu;
kaku na ngoka ta yelutha omalapi gago.”
21 Onda yamukula:
“Aawiliki yetu oya ningi aagoya;
itaa pula Omuwa e ya wilike.
Omolwashoka oya ndopa,
naantu yetu oya halakanithwa po.
22 Pulakeneni! Otaku zi omulombo!
Oku na einyengo enene moshigwana shokuumbangalantu;
etangakwiita lyasho otali shitukitha iilando yaJuda ombuga,
moka tamu kala oombandje.”
23 Omuwa,
ondi shi shi kutya omuntu iha vulu okupangela shoka u uthilwa;
kaku na omuntu hu utha okukalamwenyo kwe.
24 Dhenga ndje, Omuwa,
ihe hanoshikanyauko,
ngoye ino tu geela muupyundjahi;
otashi ningi shi kale ehulilo lyetu.
25 Ondjahi yoye yi poolela miigwana mbyoka ihaayi ku longele,
omaantu mboka ihaa ithana edhina lyoye.
Oya dhipaga po aantu yoye;
oye tu hanagula po sheke
noya kumuna po oshilongo shetu.
