Jeremiah at the Potter's House
1 The Lord said to me, 2 “Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message.” 3 So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel. 4 Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.
5 Then the Lord said to me, 6 “Don't I have the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands. 7 If at any time I say that I am going to uproot, break down, or destroy any nation or kingdom, 8 but then that nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would. 9 On the other hand, if I say that I am going to plant or build up any nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation disobeys me and does evil, I will not do what I said I would. 11 Now then, tell the people of Judah and of Jerusalem that I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them. Tell them to stop living sinful lives—to change their ways and the things they are doing. 12 They will answer, ‘No, why should we? We will all be just as stubborn and evil as we want to be.’”
The People Reject the Lord
13 The Lord says,
“Ask every nation if such a thing
has ever happened before.
The people of Israel have done a terrible thing!
14 Are Lebanon's rocky heights ever without snow?
Do its cool mountain streams ever run dry?
15 Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to idols.
They have stumbled in the way they should go;
they no longer follow the old ways;
they walk on unmarked paths.
16 They have made this land a thing of horror,
to be despised forever.
All who pass by will be shocked at what they see;
they will shake their heads in amazement.
17 I will scatter my people before their enemies,
like dust blown by the east wind.
I will turn my back on them;
I will not help them when the disaster comes.”
A Plot against Jeremiah
18 Then the people said, “Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him and stop listening to what he says.”
19 So I prayed, “Lord, hear what I am saying and listen to what my enemies are saying about me. 20 Is evil the payment for good? Yet they have dug a pit for me to fall in. Remember how I came to you and spoke on their behalf, so that you would not deal with them in anger. 21 But now, Lord, let their children starve to death; let them be killed in war. Let the women lose their husbands and children; let the men die of disease and the young men be killed in battle. 22 Send a mob to plunder their homes without warning; make them cry out in terror. They have dug a pit for me to fall in and have set traps to catch me. 23 But, Lord, you know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their evil or pardon their sin. Throw them down in defeat and deal with them while you are angry.”
Jeremia pondjuwo yomuungure wozonyungu
1 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 2 “Twende kondjuwo yomuungure wozonyungu ku me kekupera ombuze yandje.” 3 Ami otji mba ya koṋa ngo ne kamuna ko omuungure wozonyungu ama ungurire potjiunguriro tje tjozonyungu. 4 Aruhe onyungu tji i ha pwire otja kounongo we, otje toora omunoko mbwi na ungura po onyungu yarwe.
5 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 6 “Ami hi nousemba are okutjita ku eṋe, tjiwaṋa tja Israel, otja omuungure wozonyungu tje tjita nomunoko? Eṋe mu ri momake wandje tjimuna omunoko tji u ri momake womuungure wozonyungu. 7 Nu moruveze ngamwa aruhe ami tji mba tja me zukura poo me teya poo me nyono omuhoko poo ouhona ngamwa auhe, 8 nungwari tjazumba omuhoko mbo au ritanaura komauvi wawo, ami hi nokutjita imbi mbi mba tja me tjiti ku wo. 9 Potjikando tjarwe tji mba tja me tungu omuhoko poo ouhona ngamwa auhe, 10 nungwari tjazumba omuhoko mbo au kara nokuhinonḓuviro ku ami, nau tjiti ouvi, ami hi nokutjita imbi mbi mba tja me tjiti ku wo. 11 Nambano raera otjiwaṋa tja Juda novature va Jerusalem kutja meve pahere ondunge yokuvetwa moumba, nu me rirongerere okuvevera. Ve raera kutja ve ise okutjita ouvi, nokutja ve rundurure ozondjira zawo ozombi nozondjito zawo. 12 Owo mave ziri ave tja: ‘Kako, avihe omungandjo! Matu tjiti otja pu matu vanga; matu rangaranga natu tjiti ouvi.’ ”
Otjiwaṋa matji imbirahi Muhona
13 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Kakonḓononeye koviwaṋa avihe kutja
otjiṋa otja ihi tji na pu tja tjitirwe rukuru.
Otjiwaṋa tja Israel tja tjita otjiṋa otjiyaukise!
14 Ohungu yoruuwa ya Libanon
i kara nokuhinovitutukende are?
Omipupo omitarazu, mbi za mozondundu zayo,
vi pwira are?
15 Nungwari otjiwaṋa tjandje tje ndji zemba;
otjo tji twimisira oomukuru vyovisenginina
ovyomoro omuwa.
Otjo otji tja putara mozondjira zatjo azehe,
katji uhara ama tji kongorere ozondjira ozonguru;
otjo tji ka wondja mokaira ku ke hiya ungurwa.
16 Otjiwaṋa hi tja tjita ehi ndi ri rire otjiṋa otjiyaukise
kutja ri nyengwe nga aruhe.
Avehe mbu mave kapita mave
kumisiwa i imbi mbi mave munu;
owo mave taka oviuru ava temwa.
17 Ami me rimbi otjiwaṋa tjandje komurungu
wovanavita na tjo tjimuna oruuma ndu hingwa
i ombepo yokomuhuka.
Ami me tji pe etambo;
hi nokutjivatera,
otjiwonga tji tje ya.”
Okusekamena Jeremia
18 Otjiwaṋa tja tja nai: “Ngatu rikute kumwe tu sekamene Jeremia! Aruhe mape kara ovapristeri okutuhonga, novarumendu ozonongo okuturonga, novaprofete okuzuvarisa ombuze ya Ndjambi. Ngatu mu pere po ondjo momahungi we omuini, nu atu puratene ko ku imbi mbi ma hungire.”
19 Otji mba kumba e tja:
“Muhona, zuva imbi mbi me hungire
nu puratena ku imbi ovanavita
na ami mbi mave hungirire ami.
20 Ouvi ombu ri otjisuta tjouwa are?
Nungwari owo ve ndji sera oruhoro
kutja mbi wire mo.
Zemburuka indu tji mbe ya kove,
ne ve vongere po kove
kutja o he ve tjiti otjiṋa momazenge woye.
21 Nungwari nambano, Muhona,
ovanatje vawo ngave ṱondjara,
nu ngave ṱe movita.
Ovakazendu ngave zepaise
ovarumendu novanatje vawo;
ovarumendu ngave ṱe i omutjise omuzeu,
nu imba omitanda ngave ṱe motjirwa.
22 Hinda otjira tjovapunde
tji kapunde ozondjuwo zawo ohei;
tjita kutja ve ravaere nomburuma
mozondjuwo zawo.
Orondu owo ve ndji sera oruhoro
kutja mbi wire mo,
nu ve ndji twira po ongwehe okundjipata.
23 Nungwari, Muhona,
ove mo tjiwa omerikutirokumwe,
wawo wokundjizepa.
O ve isire ko ourunde nouvi wawo.
Ve vanda pehi u ve toṋe,
nu tjita ku wo ngamwa atjihe momazenge woye.”
