The Linen Shorts
1 The Lord told me to go and buy myself some linen shorts and to put them on; but he told me not to put them in water. 2 So I bought them and put them on. 3 Then the Lord spoke to me again and said, 4 “Go to the Euphrates River and hide the shorts in a hole in the rocks.” 5 So I went and hid them near the Euphrates.
6 Some time later the Lord told me to go back to the Euphrates and get the shorts. 7 So I went back, and when I found the place where I had hidden them, I saw that they were ruined and were no longer any good.
8 Then the Lord spoke to me again. He said, 9 “This is how I will destroy the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 10 These evil people have refused to obey me. They have been as stubborn and wicked as ever, and have worshiped and served other gods. So then, they will become like these shorts that are no longer any good. 11 Just as shorts fit tightly around the waist, so I intended all the people of Israel and Judah to hold tightly to me. I did this so that they would be my people and would bring praise and honor to my name; but they would not obey me.”
The Wine Jar
12 The Lord God said to me, “Jeremiah, tell the people of Israel that every wine jar should be filled with wine. They will answer that they know every wine jar should be filled with wine. 13 Then tell them that I, the Lord, am going to fill the people in this land with wine until they are drunk: the kings, who are David's descendants, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem. 14 Then I will smash them like jars against one another, old and young alike. No pity, compassion, or mercy will stop me from killing them.”
Jeremiah Warns against Pride
15 People of Israel, the Lord has spoken!
Be humble and listen to him.
16 Honor the Lord, your God,
before he brings darkness,
and you stumble on the mountains;
before he turns into deep darkness
the light you hoped for.
17 If you will not listen,
I will cry in secret because of your pride;
I will cry bitterly, and my tears will flow
because the Lord's people have been taken away as captives.
18 The Lord said to me, “Tell the king and his mother to come down from their thrones, because their beautiful crowns have fallen from their heads. 19 The towns of southern Judah are under siege; no one can get through to them. All the people of Judah have been taken away into exile.”
20 Jerusalem, look! Your enemies are coming down from the north! Where are the people entrusted to your care, your people you were so proud of? 21 What will you say when people you thought were your friends conquer you and rule over you? You will be in pain like a woman giving birth. 22 If you ask why all this has happened to you—why your clothes have been torn off and you have been raped—it is because your sin is so terrible. 23 Can people change the color of their skin, or a leopard remove its spots? If they could, then you that do nothing but evil could learn to do what is right. 24 The Lord will scatter you like straw that is blown away by the desert wind. 25 He has said that this will be your fate. This is what he has decided to do with you, because you have forgotten him and have trusted in false gods. 26 The Lord himself will strip off your clothes and expose you to shame. 27 He has seen you do the things he hates. He has seen you go after pagan gods on the hills and in the fields, like a man lusting after his neighbor's wife or like a stallion after a mare. People of Jerusalem, you are doomed! When will you ever be pure?
Ekwamo rerapi
1 Muhona we ndji raera kutja mbi kerirandere ekwamo rerapi okukuta pehuri; nungwari we ndji raera kutja e he ri twa momeva. 2 Ami otji mba randa ekwamo ndi ne ri zara. 3 Muhona wa hungira ku ami rukwao a tja: 4 “Twende konḓonḓu Eufrat u kahoreke ekwamo ndi motjitoto.” 5 Ami otji mba kahoreka ro popezu nonḓonḓu Eufrat.
6 Kombunda yomayuva omengi Muhona we ndji raera kutja mbi yaruke konḓonḓu, mbi kaete ekwamo ndi. 7 Ami arire tji mba yaruka; nu tji mba kavaza poṋa pu mba horekere ro, otji mba muna kutja oro ra hahauka, nu ra rire otjiṋa uriri.
8 Tjazumba Muhona otja hungira ku ami rukwao a tja: 9 “Momuhingo tjingewo mbwi ami opunga ame yandeke omeritongamisiro wa Juda, na inga omeritongamisiro omanene wa Jerusalem wina. 10 Otjiwaṋa otjivi hi tja panḓa okukara nonḓuviro ku ami; aruhe tja kakatera kourangaranga na kouvi, nu tje rikotamena koomukuru varwe nokuvekarera. Otjiwaṋa hi otji matji sana nekwamo ndi nda rira otjiṋa uriri. 11 Otja ekwamo punga ari pama pehuri, ami opunga amba vangere kutja Ovaisrael nOvajuda wina ve kakatere nomasa ku ami. Ami mba tjita nai, kokutja owo ve rire otjiwaṋa tjandje, nondangero nondjozokiro nourenga; nungwari owo kave vangere okukara nonḓuviro ku ami.”
Otjikuve tjomavinu
12 Muhona Ndjambi wa tja ku ami: “Jeremia, raera otjiwaṋa tja Israel kutja otjikuve atjihe tjomavinu tji urisiwe nomavinu. Ovandu mave ku ziri ave tja: Matu tjiwa kutja otjikuve atjihe tjomavinu matji urisiwa nomavinu. 13 Ve raera kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, me hire ovature avehe vehi omavinu nga tji va puruka, okutja ozombara, inḓa ozondekurona za David, novapristeri novaprofete novature avehe va Jerusalem. 14 Tjazumba otji meve nyainyine kumwe tjimuna ovikuve, novanene nouṱiṱi. Kape nondjenda poo ounyaṋutima poo otjari tji matji ndji tjaere okuvezepa.”
Jeremia ma rongo otjiwaṋa atji he ritongamisa
15 Tjiwaṋa tja Israel, Muhona wa hungire!
Risusupariseye nu mu puratene ku ye.
16 Yozikeye Muhona, Ndjambi weṋu,
eye ngunda e hiya eta onḓorera,
neṋe ngunda amu hiya putara
mozondundu komuihi,
eye ngunda e hiya rundurura ondjerera
i rire onḓorera ṱukuṱuku,
okutja oyo ndji ondjerera eṋe ndji mu undja.
17 Tji mu hi nokupuratena,
ami me riri ongumumu mena
romeritongamisiro weṋu;
me riri tjinene nonyengo, nomahoze wandje aye pupu,
orondu otjiwaṋa tja Muhona tja huurwa.
18 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Raera ombara na ina ve heruke kovihavero vyawo vyouhona, orondu omakori wawo wouhona omamanise ya u koviuru vyawo. 19 Ovihuro vyehi ra Juda rokokumuho kweyuva vya koverwa; kape na umwe ngu ma yenene okukahita mu vyo. Ovajuda avehe va twarewa kouhuura.”
20 Tara, Jerusalem! Ovanavita na ove mave ya okuza komukuma wokokunene kweyuva. Ovandu, mba tuwa kehi yondjeverero yoye, nu mbu we ritongamisira, ve ri pi? 21 Ove motja tjike, imba ovandu mbu wa tjangovasi omapanga woye tji ve ku havere nave ku honaparere? Ove mo kara momihihamo tjimuna omukazendu mombandukiro. 22 Tji we ripura kutja okutjavi imbi avihe tji mavi tjitwa ku ami, tjiwa kutja omena rouvi woye ounene tjinene mbu u tjita. 23 Omuzorondu ma yenene okurundurura otjivara tjomukova we poo otjitotongwe matji yenene okuisa ko omavara watjo are? Tji mape yenene okutjitwa nao, eṋe mbu mu ha tjiti otjiṋa posi yourunde porwe, mamu sora okutjita imbi mbi ri ovisemba. 24 Muhona me mu rimbi otja ovihozu, mbi mavi hingwa i ombepo yokuti onguza. 25 Eye wa tja ihi kove matji rire omupya mbu hi nomapengero. Eye we ripura okutjita nai kove, tjinga awe mu zemba nawe riyameka koomukuru woposyo. 26 Muhona omuini me ku hukura ozombanda zoye, nove mo ṱohoṋi tjinga au ri mutundu. 27 Eye we ku muna amo tjiti oviṋa eye mbya tonda. We ku muna amo kongorere oomukuru vovisenginina kozondunda na momahi womakunino tjimuna omurumendu ngu ma nanukire omukazendu womuraranganda na ye poo tjimuna okakambe okatwezu ku make nanukire okazenḓu. Owee ku eṋe, vature va Jerusalem! Hapo mamu rire ovakohoke ruṋe?
