A Message of Hope
The Lord said:
1 You leaders of my people are like shepherds that kill and scatter the sheep. 2 You were supposed to take care of my people, but instead you chased them away. So now I'll punish you severely and make you pay for your crimes!
3 I will bring the rest of my people home from the lands where I have scattered them, and they will grow into a mighty nation. 4 I promise to choose leaders who will care for them like real shepherds. All of my people will be there, and they will never again be frightened.
5 Someday I will appoint
an honest king
from the family of David,
a king who will be wise
and rule with justice.
6 As long as he is king,
Israel will have peace,
and Judah will be safe.
The name of this king will be
“The Lord Gives Justice.”
7 A time will come when you will again worship me. But you will no longer call me the Living God who rescued Israel from Egypt. 8 Instead, you will call me the Living God who rescued you from the land in the north and from all the other countries where I had forced you to go. And you will once again live in your own land.
Jeremiah Thinks about Unfaithful Prophets
9 When I think of the prophets,
I am shocked, and I tremble
like someone drunk,
because of the Lord
and his sacred words.
10 Those unfaithful prophets
misuse their power
all over the country.
So God turned the pasturelands
into scorching deserts.
The Lord Will Punish Unfaithful Prophets
11 The Lord told me to say:
You prophets and priests
think so little of me, the Lord,
that you even sin
in my own temple!
12 Now I will punish you
with disaster,
and you will slip and fall
in the darkness.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 The prophets in Samaria
were repulsive to me,
because they preached
in the name of Baal
and led my people astray.
14 And you prophets in Jerusalem
are even worse.
You're unfaithful in marriage
and never tell the truth.
You even lead others to sin
instead of helping them
turn back to me.
You and the people of Jerusalem
are evil like Sodom
and Gomorrah.
15 You prophets in Jerusalem
have spread evil everywhere.
That's why I, the Lord, promise
to give you bitter poison
to eat and drink.
The Lord Gives a Warning
The Lord said:
16 Don't listen to the lies
of these false prophets,
you people of Judah!
The message they preach
is something they imagined;
it did not come from me,
the Lord All-Powerful.
17 These prophets go to people
who refuse to respect me
and who are stubborn
and do whatever they please.
The prophets tell them,
“The Lord has promised
everything will be fine.”
18 But I, the Lord, tell you
that these prophets
have never attended a meeting
of my council in heaven
or heard me speak.
19 They are evil! So in my anger
I will strike them
like a violent storm.
20 I won't calm down,
until I have finished
what I have decided to do.
Someday you will understand
exactly what I mean.
21 I did not send these prophets
or speak to them,
but they ran to find you
and to preach their message.
22 If they had been in a meeting
of my council in heaven,
they would have told
you people of Judah
to give up your sins
and come back to me.
23 I am everywhere—
both near and far,
24 in heaven and on earth.
There are no secret places
where you can hide from me.
25 These unfaithful prophets claim that I have given them a dream or a vision, and then they tell lies in my name. 26 But everything they say comes from their own twisted minds. How long can this go on? 27 They tell each other their dreams and try to get my people to reject me, just as their ancestors left me and worshiped Baal. 28 Their dreams and my truth are as different as straw and wheat. But when prophets speak for me, they must say only what I have told them. 29 My words are a powerful fire; they are a hammer that shatters rocks.
30-32 These unfaithful prophets claim I give them their dreams, but it isn't true. I didn't choose them to be my prophets, and yet they babble on and on, speaking in my name, while stealing words from each other. And when my people hear these liars, they are led astray instead of being helped. So I warn you that I am now the enemy of these prophets. I, the Lord, have spoken.
News and Nuisance
The Lord said to me:
33 Jeremiah, when a prophet or a priest or anyone else comes to you and asks, “Does the Lord have news for us?” tell them, “You people are a nuisance to the Lord, and he will get rid of you.”
34 If any of you say, “Here is news from the Lord,” I will punish you and your families, even if you are a prophet or a priest. 35 Instead, you must ask your friends and relatives, “What answer did the Lord give?” or “What has the Lord said?” 36 It seems that you each have your own news! So if you say, “Here is news from the Lord,” you are twisting my words into a lie. Remember that I am your God, the Lord All-Powerful.
37 If you go to a prophet, it's all right to ask, “What answer did the Lord give to my question?” or “What has the Lord said?” 38 But if you disobey me and say, “Here is news from the Lord,” 39 I will pick you up and throw you far away. And I will abandon this city of Jerusalem that I gave to your ancestors. 40 You will never be free from your shame and disgrace.
Omukwaniilwa gwokomeho
1 “Akwetse aasita mboka taa yonagula nokuhalakanitha oonzi dhuusita wandje,” Omuwa osho ta ti. 2 Onkee ano Omuwa, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota popi ta lombwele aasita mboka taa litha aantu ye ta ti: “Inamu sila nawa aantu yandje oshimpwiyu; omwe ya halakanitha nomwe ya tidha po. Ngashingeyi otandi ke mu geelela uuwinayi mboka mwe u ningi. 3 Otandi ka gongela oshihupe shaantu yandje miilongo moka nde ya halakanithile mo notandi ya eta kevi lyawo. Otaa ka kala ye na aanona oyendji notayi indjipala. 4 Otandi ka langeka aaleli ye ya sile oshimpwiyu. Aantu yandje itaa ka tila we nenge ya haluke, noitandi ke ya geela we. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
5 Omuwa ota ti: “Esiku otali ya, uuna tandi ka hogolola omukwaniilwa omuyuuki gwomoluvalo lwaDavid. Omukwaniilwa ngoka ota ka lela nowino nota longo shoka shu uka nosho opala mevi alihe. 6 Uuna ta ningi omukwaniilwa, Aajuda otaa ka kala yaa na ombudhi yasha, nAaisraeli otaa ka kala ye na ombili. Ota ka lukwa ‘Omuwa ehupitho lyetu.’ ”
7 Omuwa ota ti: “Esiku otali ya, uuna aantu itaa ka gana we medhina lyOmuwa omunamwenyo ngoka a tembudha mo Aaisraeli muEgipiti, 8 ihe otaa gana medhina lyOmuwa omunamwenyo ngoka e ya tembudha mo moshilongo shokuumbangalantu nomiilongo ayihe moka nde ya halakanithile mo. Nena otaa ka kala mevi lyawo yene.”
Aahunganeki yiifundja taa hunganekwa
9 Omutima gwandje ogwa nyanyagulwa,
nonda kwatwa kuugolwe.
OmolwOmuwa noohapu dhe oondjapuki
onda fa omuntu a kolwa,
omulumentu a dhenga omeya.
10 Evi olyu udha mboka yi iteka Omuwa;
otaa uka muuwinayi
notaa longitha oonkondo dhawo pombambo.
Molwethingano lyOmuwa oshilongo otashi lili,
nomaunapelo oga kukuta.
11 Omuwa ota ti:
“Aahunganeki naayambi oyo aakaanakalunga;
onde ya adhelele taa yonene motempeli yandje.
12 Ondjila yawo otayi ka ninga omuthenu yo yi na omilema.
Otandi ke ya tengukitha, ya gwile po.
Otandi ke ya umbila omupya;
ethimbo lyegeelo lyawo olya thikana.
Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.
13 Onda mono oshiyematitha maahunganeki yomuSamaria:
oya hunganeke medhina lyaBaal
noya pukitha aantu yandje.
14 Ihe maahunganeki yomuJerusalem onda mono mo iihuna:
otaa hondele yo taa fundju;
otaa koleke mboka taa kolokosha,
onkee ano kaku na nando ogumwe te etha uuwinayi.
Kungame oyo ayehe aawinayi,
oya fa Aasodomu nAagomorra.
15 “Onkee ano ngame, Omuwa Omunankondoawike, otandi popi aahunganeki Aajerusalem te ti: otandi ke ya litha oshigwanga oshilulu noku ya nwetha omeya guuzigo, oshoka oya taandelitha uukwaanakalunga noshilongo ashihe.”
16 Omuwa Omunankondoawike ota lombwele Aajerusalem ta ti: “Inamu pulakena shoka aahunganeki mboka taa ti! Otaye mu tula muugoya, otaye mu lombwele omafafaeko gawo yene, hangaashi nde ya lombwela. 17 Otaa dhiginine okulombwela aantu mboka haa dhini ndje kutya Omuwa ota ti: ‘Otamu kala nombili.’ Nokumboka ya tangalala koomwenyo dhawo, otaa ti: ‘Itamu adhika nando okoshiponga shasha.’ ”
18 Olye gwomuyo a kundathana nOmuwa, a pulakene nokuuva elaka lye? Olye a dhimbulula nokupupa ko koohapu dhe? 19 Ondjahi ye oyo oshikungulu, ombepo yepukutula tayi ka tukulukila komitse dhaakaanakalunga, 20 noitayi ka lota, sigo a gwanitha ayihe mbyoka a nuna okuninga. Momasiku tage ya aantu ye otaa ka uva ko nawa ayihe mbika.
21 Omuwa okwa ti: “Aahunganeki mbaka inandi ya tuma, nando oya yi. Inandi ya pa elaka lyandje, ihe otaa popi medhina lyandje. 22 Andola oya kundathana nangame, ando oyu uvithile aantu yandje oohapu dhandje noku ya galula ko koondjila dhawo oombwinayi nokiilonga yawo iiwinayi.
23 “Ongame Kalunga ndi li apehe, hapeha limwe alike. 24 Kaku na ngoka ta vulu okuholama ndje, ndaaye mu mone andola. Hangame nguka tandi udha egulu nokombanda yevi? 25 Onda tseya aahunganeki mboka, nkene taa popi iifundja medhina lyandje. Aniwa onde ya lombwela oohapu dhandje moondjodhi dhawo. 26 Sigo uunake aahunganeki mboka taa pukitha aantu yandje niilombo yawo ye yi toto? 27 Otaa dhiladhila kutya oondjodhi ndhoka taa hokololelathana, otadhi dhimbitha ndje kaantu yandje, naanaa ngaashi oohekulu ya dhimbwa ndje e taa gama kuBaal. 28 Omuhunganeki ngoka a yaguma, oku na okutya, ndjika ondjodhi yowala, ihe omuhunganeki ngoka u uvu oohapu dhandje, oku na oku dhi uvitha nuudhiginini. Etutu otali yelekwa tuu niilya? 29 Oohapu dhandje odha fa omulilo, nodha fa osilwa tayi nyanyagula omamanya. 30 Otandi kondjitha aahunganeki mboka taa taambathana oohapu yo taye dhi uvitha dha fa dhandje. 31 Otandi tsu ondumbo naahunganeki mboka taa uvitha oohapu dhawo notaa ti, odha za kungame. 32 Pulakeneni shoka ngame, Omuwa, tandi mu lombwele. Onda tsa ondumbo naahunganeki mboka taa hokolola oondjodhi dhawo dhu udha iifundja. Otaa uvitha oondjodhi dhawo e taa pukitha aantu yandje niilombo yawo nomainomo gawo. Inandi ya tuma nando nenge ndi ya lombwele ya ye, nokaye na omupondo gwasha kaantu yandje. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
Omutenge gwOmuwa
33 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Jeremia, uuna gumwe gwomaantu yandje nenge omuhunganeki nenge omuyambi te ku pula ta ti: ‘Etumwalaka lyOmuwa oshike?’ ou na oku mu lombwela to ti: ‘One omutenge gwOmuwa, note ke mu ekelahi.’ 34 Ngele gumwe gwomaantu yandje nenge omuhunganeki nenge omuyambi ta longitha iitya mbika ‘omutenge gwOmuwa’, otandi ke mu geela negumbo lye. 35 Peha lyasho shaa ngoka oku na okupula ookuume ke naakwawo ta ti: ‘Omuwa okwa gandja eyamukulo lini? Omuwa okwa ti ngiini?’ 36 Ano inaa popya we ya tye ‘omutenge gwOmuwa’, oshoka ngele oku na ngoka te shi ningi, etumwalaka lyandje otali ka ninga shili omutenge kuye. Aantu oya goyokitha oohapu dhaKalunga kawo, Kalunga omunamwenyo, Omuwa Omunankondoawike. 37 Jeremia, pula aahunganeki to ti: ‘Omuwa okwe mu pe eyamukulo lyashike? Omuwa okwa ti ngiini?’ 38 Nongele itaa vulika kelombwelo lyandje yo taa tumbula iitya ‘omutenge gwOmuwa’, nena ya lombwela kutya 39 otandi ke ya tudha mo e tandi ya umbile kokule nangame, ayehe pamwe noshilando shoka nde shi ya pele noohekulu. 40 Otandi ya undulile ohoni nesheko lyaaluhe ndyoka lyaa na mpoka nali dhimbiwa.”
