1 This book is the account of what was said by Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests of the town of Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The Lord spoke to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, 3 and he spoke to him again when Josiah's son Jehoiakim was king. After that, the Lord spoke to him many times, until the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah. In the fifth month of that year the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.
The Call of Jeremiah
4 The Lord said to me, 5 “I chose you before I gave you life, and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.”
6 I answered, “Sovereign Lord, I don't know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you to, and tell them everything I command you to say. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
9 Then the Lord reached out, touched my lips, and said to me, “Listen, I am giving you the words you must speak. 10 Today I give you authority over nations and kingdoms to uproot and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Two Visions
11 The Lord asked me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?”
I answered, “A branch of an almond tree.”
12 “You are right,” the Lord said, “and I am watching to see that my words come true.”
13 Then the Lord spoke to me again. “What else do you see?” he asked.
I answered, “I see a pot boiling in the north, and it is about to tip over this way.”
14 He said to me, “Destruction will boil over from the north on all who live in this land, 15 because I am calling all the nations in the north to come. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of Jerusalem and around its walls and also around the other cities of Judah. 16 I will punish my people because they have sinned; they have abandoned me, have offered sacrifices to other gods, and have made idols and worshiped them. 17 Get ready, Jeremiah; go and tell them everything I command you to say. Do not be afraid of them now, or I will make you even more afraid when you are with them. 18-19 Listen, Jeremiah! Everyone in this land—the kings of Judah, the officials, the priests, and the people—will be against you. But today I am giving you the strength to resist them; you will be like a fortified city, an iron pillar, and a bronze wall. They will not defeat you, for I will be with you to protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
1 Embo ndi oro omatjangwa womambo nga hungirwa i Jeremia, omuzandu wa Hilkija, omupristeri umwe wotjihuro Anatot, mehi ra Benjamin. 2 Muhona wa hungira ku Jeremia mombura oitjamurongo nandatu, Josija, omuzandu wa Amon, tja ri ombara ya Juda; 3 nu Muhona wa hungira rukwao ku ye, Jojakim, omuzandu wa Josija, tja ri ombara ya Juda. Kombunda yanao, Muhona wa hungira ku Jeremia potuingi nga mombura oitjamurongo na imwe youhona wa Sidkija, omuzandu wa Josija. Momueze outjatano wombura ndjo ovature va Jerusalem otji va twarewa kouhuura.
Omaisaneno wa Jeremia
4 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami:
5 “Ami mbe ku toorora ngunda ambi hiye ku zezenga mezumo ranyoko;
nu ngunda au hiya kwatwa,
ami mbe ku yapura kutja u rire omuprofete woviwaṋa.”
6 Ami mba zira nai: “Muhona Ndjambi, ami hi nokutjiwa okuhungira; inga owami okaṱiṱi.”
7 Nungwari Muhona wa tja nai ku ami:
“O tja ingee oove okaṱiṱi;
twende kovandu ku me ku hindi,
nu u keveraere oviṋa avihe,
mbi me ku rakiza.
8 O ve tira,
orondu ami mbi ri puna ove okukuyama.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona,
owami ngu mba hungire!”
9 Muhona wa roporora eke re, a ṱunu komiṋa vyandje na tja ku ami:
“Tara, ami me ku pe omambo ngu mo sokukahungira.
10 Ndino me ku pe ouvara kombanda yoviwaṋa nomauhona,
okuzukura nokuwisa,
okuyandeka nokuimbirahi,
okutungurura nokukuna.”
Ovirimunikise vivari
11 Muhona we ndji pura a tja: “Jeremia, mo munu tjike?”
Ami mba zira nai: “Me munu orutavi rwomuwongo.”
12 Muhona wa tja: “Ove u ri osemba, orondo ami me undju nombakatwi inga omayenenisiro wembo randje.”
13 Muhona we ndji pura rukwao a tja: “Mo munu tjike?”
Ami mba zira e tja: “Me munu onyungu, ndji mai surumuka, ndja hendama okuza komukuma wokeyuva kokunene, nu ndji ri pokutjenguka.”
14 Muhona wa tja ku ami: “Omanyoneno maye surumuka okuza komukuma wokeyuva kokunene ku avehe mba tura mehi ndi, 15 ami tjinga ame isana oviwaṋa vyokeyuva kokunene kutja vi ye. Ozombara zavyo maze twa ovihavero vyazo vyouhona pomivero vya Jerusalem nokuvikondorokisa otumbo twatjo na wina okuvikondorokisa ovihuro avihe vya Juda. 16 Ami me vere otjiwaṋa tjandje, orondu otjo tja tura ondjo tjinene; otjo tje ndji esa, atji kapunguhira oomukuru varwe ozombunguhiro natji kaungura oviserekarera vyovisenginina okurikotamena ku vyo. 17 Rirongera, Jeremia; twende u keveraere oviṋa avihe, mbi mbe ku rakiza. O ve tira nambano, tjapo ami ngee tjiti kutja u ve tire tjinene tji u ri momurungu wawo. 18 Orondu tara, ami ndinondi me ku sanisa kotjihuro otjinamasa, kongunḓe yotjitenda nekuma rongoporo kutja u sekamene ehi arihe ndi, okutja ozombara zOvajuda novaingona vazo, novapristeri vawo, notjiwaṋa atjihe tjehi. 19 Nowo mave ku rwisa, nungwari kave nokukuhavera, orondu ami mbi ri puna ove okukuyama. Ami ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
