Jerusalem's Defeat Is Predicted
1 King Zedekiah of Judah sent to me Pashhur son of Malchiah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah with this request: 2 “Please speak to the Lord for us, because King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army are besieging the city. Maybe the Lord will perform one of his miracles for us and force Nebuchadnezzar to retreat.”
3 Then the Lord spoke to me, and I told those who had been sent to me 4 to tell Zedekiah that the Lord, the God of Israel, had said, “Zedekiah, I am going to defeat your army that is fighting against the king of Babylonia and his army. I will pile up your soldiers' weapons in the center of the city. 5 I will fight against you with all my might, my anger, my wrath, and my fury. 6 I will kill everyone living in this city; people and animals alike will die of a terrible disease. 7 But as for you, your officials, and the people who survive the war, the famine, and the disease—I will let all of you be captured by King Nebuchadnezzar and by your enemies, who want to kill you. Nebuchadnezzar will put you to death. He will not spare any of you or show mercy or pity to any of you. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
8 Then the Lord told me to say to the people, “Listen! I, the Lord, am giving you a choice between the way that leads to life and the way that leads to death. 9 Anyone who stays in the city will be killed in war or by starvation or disease. But those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians, who are now attacking the city, will not be killed; they will at least escape with their life. 10 I have made up my mind not to spare this city, but to destroy it. It will be given over to the king of Babylonia, and he will burn it to the ground. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Judgment on the Royal House of Judah
11-12 The Lord told me to give this message to the royal house of Judah, the descendants of David: “Listen to what I, the Lord, am saying. See that justice is done every day. Protect the person who is being cheated from the one who is cheating him. If you don't, the evil you are doing will make my anger burn like a fire that cannot be put out. 13 You, Jerusalem, are sitting high above the valleys, like a rock rising above the plain. But I will fight against you. You say that no one can attack you or break through your defenses. 14 But I will punish you for what you have done. I will set your palace on fire, and the fire will burn down everything around it. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Omazuvarisiro womahaverero wa Jerusalem
1 Sidkija, ombara ya Juda, wa hinda Pashur, omuzandu wa Malkija, nomupristeri Sefanja, omuzandu wa Maaseja, ku ami, Jeremia, ama ningire nai: 2 “Arikana tu purira ku Muhona, Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, notjimbumba tje tjovita tjinga amave tu sekamisire ovita. Ngahino Muhona me tu tjitire otjihimise tje tjimwe na ṋiṋikiza Nebukadnesar kutja a yaruke ombunda.”
3 Tjazumba Muhona wa hungira ku ami, nami mba raera kovarumendu, mba hindirwe ku ami, 4 ve karaere Sidkija kutja Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, wa tjere nai: “Sidkija, ami me havere otjimbumba tjoye tjovita tji matji rwisa ombara ya Babilon notjimbumba tjayo tjovita. Ami me woronganisire ovirwise vyovarwe voye wovita mokati kotjihuro. 5 Me mu rwisa nomasa wandje aehe, na wina nomazenge nomapindi wandje nomasurwazenge wandje. 6 Ami me zepa ngamwa auhe ngwa tura motjihuro hi; ovandu novinamuinyo mave ṱu i omutjise omuzeu. 7 Nungwari ove novahongore voye, novandu mba mba hupa po movita na mondjara na momitjise, amuhe me mu yandja kohuuriro yombara Nebukadnesar noyovanavita na eṋe mbe vanga okumuzepa. Nebukadnesar me mu zepa amuhe. Ke nokuhupisa umwe weṋu nokumuṱira otjari nondjenda. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
8 Muhona we ndji raera kutja mbi tje nai kotjiwaṋa: “Tareye! Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, me mu pe okutoorora ondjira, ndji twara komuinyo poo indji ndji twara konḓiro. 9 Auhe ngu ma kara motjihuro ma ṱu movita poo i ondjara poo i omutjise omuzeu. Nungwari auhe ngu ma piti motjihuro ne riyandja kOvababilon mba kovere otjihuro nambano, ke nokuṱa; eye ma yama omuinyo we. 10 Ami mba tya kutja hi nokuyama otjihuro hi, nungwari me tji yandeke. Otjo matji yandjewa kombara ya Babilon, noyo mai tji nyosa atjihe okumana. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Ombanguriro kondjuwo youhonapare wa Juda
11 Muhona we ndji raera kutja mbi yandje ombuze ndji kondjuwo youhonapare wa Juda, okutja ozo nḓa ozondekurona za David: 12 “Purateneye ku imbi, ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, mbi me hungire. Ṱakamiseye kutja ousemba u yenenisiwe eyuva arihe. Yameye omundu ngu ma tjitwa ovineya ku ingwi ngu me mu wovisa. Ape he ri nao, ourunde weṋu mau yakisa omazenge wandje otja omuriro mbu ha zemisiwa. 13 Ove, Jerusalem, wa haama kondongamo yomukutu tjimuna oruuwa ndwa tongama morutjandja. Nungwari ami me ku rwisa. Ove motja kape na umwe ngu ma yenene okukurwisa, nu ngu ma taurire momaṱarero woye. 14 Nungwari ami me ku verere imbi mbi wa tjita. Ami me nyosa otjihwa tjoye, nu imbwi omuriro mau seseta oviṋa avihe mbya kondoroka otjihuro. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
