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.
Oluteni olululu
1 Oohapu ndhika dhOmuwa dha lombwelwa Jeremia, otadhi popi oluteni:
2 “Juda ota lilagana;
iilando ye oya shunduka,
aantu ye oya mbwata pevi moluhodhi,
naJerusalem ta kugu onkugo.
3 Aanamadhina taa tumu aapiya ya ka teke omeya.
Otaa yi kiitentemba, ihe itaa mono ko omeya.
Otaa galuka niiyuma yi li owala.
Oya tyololoka yo ya ngwangwana,
otaa holeke iipala yawo.
4 Evi olya kalanda, oshoka oshilongo inashi lokwa.
Aanamapya naaniimuna oya haluka
notaa holeke iipala yawo.
5 Oholongo onyali otayi thigi po okanimona kayo
molwoluhepo lwomwiidhi.
6 Uusinokuti owa lontomana koondungu dhoondundu
tau fudhagana wa fa oombandje.
Owa tsika oshitanana, oshoka kau na uunapelo.
7 Aantu yandje otaa kugile ndje taa ti:
‘Nando uulunde wetu u tu tompe,
Omuwa, tu kwatha, ngaashi wa uvaneka.
Otwe ku pilamene olwindji;
otwa yono kungoye.
8 Omuwa, ongoye etegameno lyaIsrael;
ongoye omuhupithi gwetu methimbo lyiiponga.
Omolwashike wa fa omukwiilongo mevi lyetu,
wa fa omweendanandjila ngoka to penduka mo esiku limwe?
9 Omolwashike wa fa omuntu a haluka,
wa fa omukwiita kee na oonkondo dhokukwatha?
Oshili, ongoye Omuwa to kala pamwe natse!
Otse aantu yoye;
ino tu thiga po nando.’ ”
10 Aantu mbaka Omuwa ote ya popi ta ti: “Oye hole okunyekuka po pungame notaa nyengwa okwiipangela. Onkee ano inandi ya hokwa. Otandi dhimbulukwa omayono gawo notandi ya geele moluulunde wawo.”
11 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Ino galikana ndje nando, ndi kwathe aantu mbaka. 12 Nokuli nando naa idhilike iikulya, itandi ka pulakena onkugo yawo, nonando ya yambele ndje omafikilondjambo noondjambo dhiikulya, itandi ya hokwa nando. Otandi ke ya dhipagela miita, mondjala nomelega.”
13 Ngame onda ti: “Omuwa Omupangelinkondoawike, owa tseya aahunganeki mboka taa lombwele aantu kutya itaku kala iita nenge ondjala, oshoka owu uvaneke kutya moshilongo otamu ka kala ombili.”
14 Omuwa okwa yamukula a ti: “Aahunganeki mboka otaa popi iifundja medhina lyandje; ngame inandi ya tuma, inandi ya lombwela nenge ndi popye nayo. Omamoniko gawo inaga za kungame. Omahunganeko gawo kage na oshilonga, ogo omafafaeko gawo yene. 15 Ongame Omuwa tandi ku lombwele shoka tandi ka ninga aahunganeki mboka inaandi ya tuma, ihe otaa hunganeke medhina lyandje kutya iita nondjala itayi ke ya mo moshilongo shika — otandi ke ya dhipagela miita nomondjala. 16 Aantu mboka ye ya lombwele iinima mbika, otaa dhipagwa pahedhi ya faathana. Omidhimba dhawo otadhi ka umbilwa momapandaanda gaJerusalem, noitaku ka kala mboka taye dhi fumvike. Ayehe osho taa ka ningilwa ngaaka — aakiintu yawo, oyana aamati naakadhona. Otandi ke ya futithitha uulunde wawo.”
17 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje, ndi hokololele aantu oluhodhi lwandje ndi tye:
“Omeho gandje otaga pononoka omahodhi uusiku nomutenya.
Itandi etha okulila, oshoka aantu yandje oya tosholwa nayi
noya hendagulwa nayi.
18 Nge te piti mo, ndi ye komalundu,
ote tala omidhimba dhaantu ya sile miita.
Nge tandi ya miilando, ote tala aantu ya sa kondjala.
Aahunganeki naayambi otaa yi koshilongo kaaye shi ko.”
Aantu taa galikana Omuwa
19 Omuwa, owe ekelahi shilishili Juda?
Owa tonda nduno Aasioni?
Omolwashike we tu hende nayinayi ngeyi,
notatu nyengathana okupangwa?
Otwa tegelele ombili, ihe inatu yi mona;
otwa tegelele ealudho, ihe uumbanda wowala we ya po.
20 Omuwa, tse otwa yona kungoye,
otatu hempulula oondjo dhetu nomayono gootatekulu.
21 Molwedhina lyoye ino tu etha.
Ino sitha Jerusalem ohoni;
osho oshipangelapundi shoye shesimano.
Ino teya po ehangano we li hangana natse.
22 Kaku na oshikalunga shaapagani
tashi vulu okulokitha omvula;
newangandjo lyo lyene ihali lokitha nando oshihomo shimwe.
Otwe ku inekela, Omuwa Kalunga ketu,
oshoka ongoye awike to longo mbika.
