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.
Elelo lyaJuda
1 Omutse gwandje andola gwa li omuthima gwomeya,
nomeho gandje othithiya yomahodhi,
ando te lili uusiku nomutenya
omolwaantu yandje mboka ya dhipagwa po.
2 Ando onda li ndi na ehala mombuga,
moka te vulu okukala kokule naantu yandje.
Oyo ayehe aahasha, ongundu yaakengeleli.
3 Aluhe oyi ilongekidha okufundja;
oshili ihayi pangele moshilongo.
Omuwa ota popi ta ti:
“Aantu yandje otaa ningi nayi aluhe, yo inaa tseya ndje.”
4 Shaa ngoka ni iyageke kuume ke,
nokape na ngoka ti inekele mumwayina.
Oshoka omumwayina kehe omunamakoto a fa Jakob,
nokehe ngoka ota lundile ookuume ke.
5 Kuume ta kotokele kuume,
nokaku na ngoka ta popi oshili.
Oya longo omalaka gawo okufundja;
ohaa ivulitha muulunde.
6 Oye li mokati komakoto;
momakoto gawo otaa tindi okutseya ndje.
7 Molwaashika Omuwa Omunankondoawike ota ti:
“Otandi ka yelitha aantu yandje ngashika iiwengendje
notandi ke ya yeleka.
Aantu yandje ya ningi nayi —
otandi ya ningi ishewe shike?
8 Omalaka gawo ogo iikuti hayi lyana;
aluhe taa fundju.
Shaa ngoka ota popi oohapu oontalala komushiinda gwe,
ihe ote mu tegele etavu.
9 Itandi ke ya geelela andola iihuna mbika?
Itandi ka galulila andola oshigwana uuwinayi wa fa mbuka?
Ongame Omuwa nda popi.”
10 “Otandi lilile oondundu
notandi takumine omaunapelo.
Oshoka oga kukuta po,
nokape na ngoka te ende mokati kago.
Ekololoko lyoongombe itali uvika we;
oondhila niithitukuti oya yi ontuku.
11 “Jerusalem otandi shi ningi ondumba yomakulukuma,
otandi shi ningi ehala lyokukala oombandje;
iilando yomuJuda otayi ka mbugala,
ehala itaali kalwa nando okulye.”
12 Onda pula nda ti: “Omuwa, omolwashike oshilongo sha hanagulwa po nosha kukuta sha fa ombuga, nokaku na nando oongoka te yi tokola? Olye e na oondunge e shi uve ko? Owe shi fatululile lye, opo a vule okulombwela yalwe?”
13 Omuwa okwa yamukula a ti: “Osha ningwa, oshoka aantu yandje oye etha elongo ndyoka nde li ya pele. Inaa vulika kungame nenge ya ninge, ngaashi nde ya lombwele. 14 Oya kala ya tangalala noya longele iimenka yaBaal, ngaashi ya longwa koohekulu, ye shi ninge. 15 Onkee ano pulakeneni shoka ngame, Omuwa Omunankondoawike, Kalunga kaIsrael, tandi ti: Otandi ka pa aantu yandje oshigwanga oshilulu ya lye, notandi ya nwetha omeya guuzigo. 16 Otandi ke ya halakanithila mokati kiigwana mbyoka noohekulu nayo wo inaaye yi kundana nale, notandi ka tuma iita yi ya kondjithe, sigo nde ya yono po naanaa.”
Aajerusalem taa kugile ekwatho
17 Omuwa Omunankondoawike ota ti:
“Shi kuthii mo nduno!
Hiyeni aakiintu ye shi kulila,
tumeni koonkulungu dhokulila oosa.”
18 Oshigwana osha ti:
“Ya lombweleni, ya matuke ye tu lilile ko oosa,
sigo omeho getu taga udha omahodhi,
noombafu dhetu dha hipa kokulila.”
19 Oshihomo shoondila otashi uvika muSion:
“Otwa hanagulwa po ngiini!
Ohoni yetu onene ngiini!
Otatu thigi po oshilongo shetu,
oshoka omagumbo getu oga kumunwa po.”
20 Onda ti:
“Ne aakiintu, pulakeneni oohapu dhOmuwa,
mu ndhindhilike shoka ta popi.
Longeni aana yeni aakadhona okulila,
nookuume keni uunkulungu wokulila oosa.
21 Eso olye ya lya pitile momakende getu
nolya ningine moombala dhetu.
Momapandaanda olya kanyata aanona,
naagundjuka opomahala guundingosho.
22 Omidhimba odha langathana akuhe,
odha fa oondumba dhuuhoho momapya,
odha fa iilya ya teywa ya thigwa po kaateyi,
iilya mbyoka itaayi gongelwa.
Shika osho shoka Omuwa a lombwele ndje, ndi shi popye.”
23 Omuwa ota ti:
“Omunandunge ke na okwiitangela uunongo we,
omunankondo iti itangele oonkondo dhe,
nomuyamba iti itangele uuyamba we.
24 Ngoka ti itanga,
ni itangele okuuva ko nokutseya ndje,
oshoka ohole yandje kayi na ondjele,
nohandi longo shoka oshiwanawa noshu uka.
Iinima mbika otayi opalele ndje.
Ongame Omuwa nda popi.”
25-26 Omuwa ota ti: “Esiku otali ya, uuna tandi ka pangula Aayegipiti, Aajuda, Aaedom, Aayammoni, Aamoabi naantu yomombuga mboka haa ikulula omapalu. Aantu mbaka ayehe oya pita etanda, ihe inaa dhiginina ehangano; oye na owala endhindhiliko lyalyo. Kaku na nando ogumwe gwomaantu mbaka nomAaisraeli a dhiginina ehangano lyandje.”
