Jeremiah Goes to the Pottery Shop
1 The Lord told me, 2 “Jeremiah, go to the pottery shop, and when you get there, I will tell you what to say to the people.”
3 I went there and saw the potter making clay pots on his pottery wheel. 4 And whenever the clay would not take the shape he wanted, he would change his mind and form it into some other shape.
5 Then the Lord told me to say:
6 People of Israel, I, the Lord, have power over you, just as a potter has power over clay. 7 If I threaten to uproot and shatter an evil nation, 8 and that nation turns from its evil, I will change my mind.
9 If I promise to make a nation strong, 10 but its people start disobeying me and doing evil, then I will change my mind and not help them at all.
11 So listen to me, people of Judah and Jerusalem! I have decided to strike you with disaster, and I won't change my mind unless you stop sinning and start living right.
12 But I know you won't listen. You might as well answer, “We don't care what you say. We have made plans to sin, and we are going to be stubborn and do as we please!”
13 So I, the Lord, command you to ask the nations, and find out if they have ever heard of such a horrible sin as what you have done.
14 The snow
on Lebanon's mountains
never melts away,
and the streams there
never run dry.
15 But you, my people,
have turned from me
to burn incense
to worthless idols.
You have left the ancient road
to follow an unknown path
where you stumble over idols.
16 Your land will be ruined,
and every passerby
will look at it with horror
and make insulting remarks.
17 When your enemies attack,
I will scatter you like dust
blown by an eastern wind.
Then, on that day of disaster,
I will turn my back on you.
The Plot against Jeremiah
18 Some of the people said, “Let's get rid of Jeremiah! We will always have priests to teach us God's laws, as well as wise people to give us advice, and prophets to speak the Lord's messages. So, instead of listening to Jeremiah any longer, let's accuse him of a crime.”
Jeremiah Prays about His Enemies
19 Please, Lord, answer my prayer.
Make my enemies stop
accusing me of evil.
20 I tried to help them,
but they are paying me back
by digging a pit to trap me.
I even begged you
not to punish them.
21 But now I am asking you
to let their children starve
or be killed in war.
Let women lose
their husbands and sons
to disease and violence.
22 These people have dug pits
and set traps for me, Lord.
Make them scream in fear
when you send enemy troops
to attack their homes.
23 You know they plan to kill me.
So get angry and punish them!
Don't ever forgive
their terrible crimes.
Jeremia ta yi monzimbogo
1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 2 “Kulukila monzimbogo yomuhongi gwiiyuma, omo tandi ku lombwelele oohapu.”Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Kulukila monzimbogo…” 3 Onda yi mo nonda adha omuhongi gwiiyuma ta longele poshidhingolokitaafula she. 4 Oshihongwa ngele osha yonuka, ngaashi hashi ningwa olwindji, okwe shi mbumbinga nokwa hongo oshiyuma shilwe shi ili.
5 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 6 “Kandi na uuthemba okuninga aantu yandje Aaisraeli, ngaashi omuhongi gwiiyuma ta ningi neloya? Omu li miikaha yandje ngashika eloya li li miikaha yomuhongi gwiiyuma. 7 Ngele nda ti, otii ka tudha mo oshigwana nenge oshilongo, ndi shi teyagule noku shi hanagula po, 8 ihe oshigwana shoka ngele oshi itedhulula she etha uuwinayi washo, itandi ka ninga we, ngaashi nda tile. 9 Kombinga onkwawo ngele tandi ti, otandi ka tsika nenge ndi tunge po oshigwana nenge oshilongo, 10 ihe oshigwana shoka itashi vulika kungame e tashi kolokosha, itii ka ninga shoka nda tile. 11 Onkee ano lombwela Aajuda nAajerusalem kutya otandi ya dhiladhilile omageelo. Ya lombwela, ya tule po uulunde wawo — ya ethe oondjila dhawo oombwinayi nokwoopaleka iikala niilonga yawo. 12 Otaa ka yamukula taa ti: ‘Aawe, omolwashike tu na oku shi ninga? Otatu kala twa tangalala notatu ningi naanaa ngaashi twa hala, kehe ngoka meikukutiko lyomwenyo gwe.’ ”
Oshigwana tashi ekelehi Omuwa
13 Omuwa ota ti:
“Ka puleni utale koshigwana kehe,
ngele oshinima sha tya ngaaka osha ningilwe nale.
Aaisraeli oya hunu!
14 Oondundu dhaLibanon otadhi kala tuu dhaa na olumi?
Omalunza gomeya koondungu dhadho otaga pwine po tuu,
uupompolonga waahwiyaka waa pompolokithe omeya omatalala?
15 Ihe aantu yandje oya dhimbwa ndje;
otaa fikile iimenka iitsinino.
Oya puka mo mondjila ndjoka ya li ye na okweenda nayo,
itaa landula we ondjila yandje;
otaa ende nomapola inaaga palwa.
16 Oya ningi evi lyawo eha lyehalutho, li dhinike sigo aluhe.
Ayehe mboka taa piti po, otaa pukapuka komitse;
otaa haluka ya kumwa.
17 Aantu yandje otandi ya halakanithile komeho gaatondi yawo,
ya fa ontsi tayi pepwa po kombepo yokuuzilo.
Otandi ya pilamene;
itandi ya kwatha mesiku lyuudhigu wawo.”
Jeremia ta tsilwa ondumbo
18 Aantu oya ti: “Jeremia natu mu ninge sha! Oshoka aayambi ohaye tu longo aluhe ompango, aanandunge ohaye tu tsu omayele, naahunganeki ohaa uvitha oohapu dhaKalunga. Natu mu nukileni nomalaka getu, tse twaa pulakene we shoka ta popi.”
19 Onda galikana nda ti: “Omuwa, uva shoka tandi ti nou pulakene shoka aatondi yandje taa popi ndje. 20 Uuwinayi otau ningi tuu ondjambi yuuwanawa? Oya fulile ndje ekelo, ndi gwile mo. Dhimbulukwa, nkene nde ya kungoye notandi ya popile, opo waaye ya geele. 21 Ihe ngashingeyi, Omuwa oyana naa se kondjala; ya dhipagela miita. Aakiiintu yawo naa ninge aaselekadhi yaa na oluvalo; aalumentu naa se po kelega, aalumentu aagundjuka naa sile miita. 22 Tuma ongundu yaayugi yi hanagule po omagumbo gawo pwaa na elondodho; ya halutha, ya lilagane muumbanda. Oya fulile ndje ekelo, ndi gwile mo, noya lukilile ndje omwigo gu yule ndje. 23 Ihe, Omuwa, oto tseya iipotha yawo yokudhipaga ndje. Ino ya kuthila po uuwinayi wawo nenge u dhime po uulunde mboka ye u ningi. Ya hata pevi, ngoye u ya tamaneke esiku lyondjahi yoye.”
