Hope for the Future
1 How terrible will be the Lord's judgment on those rulers who destroy and scatter his people! 2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the rulers who were supposed to take care of his people: “You have not taken care of my people; you have scattered them and driven them away. Now I am going to punish you for the evil you have done. 3 I will gather the rest of my people from the countries where I have scattered them, and I will bring them back to their homeland. They will have many children and increase in number. 4 I will appoint rulers to take care of them. My people will no longer be afraid or terrified, and I will not punish them again. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
5 The Lord says, “The time is coming when I will choose as king a righteous descendant of David. That king will rule wisely and do what is right and just throughout the land. 6 When he is king, the people of Judah will be safe, and the people of Israel will live in peace. He will be called ‘The Lord Our Salvation.’
7 “The time is coming,” says the Lord, “when people will no longer swear by me as the living God who brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt. 8 Instead, they will swear by me as the living God who brought the people of Israel out of a northern land and out of all the other countries where I had scattered them. Then they will live in their own land.”
Jeremiah's Message about the Prophets
9 My heart is crushed,
and I am trembling.
Because of the Lord,
because of his holy words,
I am like a man who is drunk,
someone who has had too much wine.
10 The land is full of people unfaithful to the Lord;
they live wicked lives and misuse their power.
Because of the Lord's curse the land mourns
and the pastures are dry.
11 The Lord says,
“The prophets and the priests are godless;
I have caught them doing evil in the Temple itself.
12 The paths they follow will be slippery and dark;
I will make them stumble and fall.
I am going to bring disaster on them;
the time of their punishment is coming.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 I have seen the sin of Samaria's prophets:
they have spoken in the name of Baal
and have led my people astray.
14 But I have seen the prophets in Jerusalem do even worse:
they commit adultery and tell lies;
they help people to do wrong,
so that no one stops doing what is evil.
To me they are all as bad
as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
15 “So then, this is what I, the Lord Almighty, say about the prophets of Jerusalem:
I will give them bitter plants to eat
and poison to drink,
because they have spread ungodliness throughout the land.”
16 The Lord Almighty said to the people of Jerusalem, “Do not listen to what the prophets say; they are filling you with false hopes. They tell you what they have imagined and not what I have said. 17 To the people who refuse to listen to what I have said, they keep saying that all will go well with them. And they tell everyone who is stubborn that disaster will never touch them.”
18 I said, “None of these prophets has ever known the Lord's secret thoughts. None of them has ever heard or understood his message, or ever listened or paid attention to what he said. 19 His anger is a storm, a furious wind that will rage over the heads of the wicked, 20 and it will not end until he has done everything he intends to do. In days to come his people will understand this clearly.”
21 The Lord said, “I did not send these prophets, but even so they went. I did not give them any message, but still they spoke in my name. 22 If they had known my secret thoughts, then they could have proclaimed my message to my people and could have made them give up the evil lives they live and the wicked things they do.
23 “I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only. 24 No one can hide where I cannot see them. Do you not know that I am everywhere in heaven and on earth? 25 I know what those prophets have said who speak lies in my name and claim that I have given them my messages in their dreams. 26 How much longer will those prophets mislead my people with the lies they have invented? 27 They think that the dreams they tell will make my people forget me, just as their ancestors forgot me and turned to Baal. 28 The prophet who has had a dream should say it is only a dream, but the prophet who has heard my message should proclaim that message faithfully. What good is straw compared with wheat? 29 My message is like a fire and like a hammer that breaks rocks in pieces. 30 I am against those prophets who take each other's words and proclaim them as my message. 31 I am also against those prophets who speak their own words and claim they came from me. 32 Listen to what I, the Lord, say! I am against the prophets who tell their dreams that are full of lies. They tell these dreams and lead my people astray with their lies and their boasting. I did not send them or order them to go, and they are of no help at all to the people. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
The Lord's Burden
33 The Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, when one of my people or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the Lord's message?’ you are to say, ‘You are a burden to the Lord, and he is going to get rid of you.’ 34 If any of my people or a prophet or a priest even uses the words ‘the Lord's burden,’ I will punish them and their families. 35 Instead, each one of them should ask their friends and their relatives, ‘What answer has the Lord given? What has the Lord said?’ 36 So they must no longer use the words ‘the Lord's burden,’ because if any of them do, I will make my message a real burden to them. The people have perverted the words of their God, the living God, the Lord Almighty. 37 Jeremiah, ask the prophets, ‘What answer did the Lord give you? What did the Lord say?’ 38 And if they disobey my command and use the words ‘the Lord's burden,’ then tell them that 39 I will certainly pick them up and throw them far away from me, both them and the city that I gave to them and their ancestors. 40 I will bring on them everlasting shame and disgrace that will never be forgotten.”
Omaundjiro woruveze ndu maru ya
1 Owee kovanane mbe yandeka nave haṋa otjiwaṋa tja Muhona! 2 Imbi Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, ombi ma hungirire ovanane mbaa ve tjevere otjiwaṋa tje ama tja: “Eṋe kamu tjevere otjiwaṋa tjandje; mwe tji piza namu tji rimbi. Tareye, nambano ami me mu verere ouvi mbu mwa tjita. 3 Ami me woronganisa otjihupe tjovandu vandje okuza komahi ku mbe ve rimba nu meve kotora kehi rawo. Owo mave kara novanatje ovengi, nu mave takavara. 4 Ami me twa po ovanane kutja ve ve tjevere. Otjiwaṋa tjandje katji nokuuhara ama tji tira nokumumapara rukwao, nu kape na umwe wawo ngu ma zengi. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
5 Muhona ma tja nai: “Oruveze maru ya ami mu me toorora ombara, ondekurona ya David, onausemba. Ombara ndji mai honapara nounongo nu ndji mai tjiti ousemba nouatjiri mehi arihe. 6 Nondekurona ndji tji ya rire ombara, otjiwaṋa tja Juda matji yamwa, nu ihi otja Israel matji kara mohange. Eye ma isanewa kutja ‘Muhona Ondjamo yetu.’ ”
7 Muhona ma tja nai: “Oruveze maru ya ovandu mu ve hi nokuuhara amave yana ku ami otja ngu mbi ri Ndjambi omunamuinyo ngu mba pitisa otjiwaṋa tja Israel mehi ra Engipte. 8 Moruveze rwanao mave yana ku ami otja ngu mbi ri Ndjambi omunamuinyo ngu mba kaeta otjiwaṋa tja Israel kehi rokokunene kweyuva, na komahi warwe aehe ku mbe tji rimbire. Nu otjo matji tura mehi ratjo otjini.”
Ondandero ya Jeremia kovaprofete
9 Omutima wandje wa nyaika,
nami me zezera omaṱupa.
Mena ra Muhona,
mena romambo we omayapuke,
ami mbi ri otja omurumendu
ngwa purukisiwa i omanuwa,
otja omurumendu ngwa ṱomavinu tjinene.
10 Ehi re ura novandu
mbe hi nouṱakame mu Muhona;
owo ve rumba mozongaro zourunde,
nu nomasa wawo ve tjita ozondjito zouvi.
Mena rosengiro ya Muhona
ehi ri noruhoze, nomaryo ya kukuta.
11 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Ovaprofete novapristeri kave tira Ndjambi;
ami mbe ve kambura amave tjitire
ouvi mondjuwo yandje oini.
12 Ondjira, ndji mave twara,
mai rire oheze,
nu mai kara nonḓorera;
ami meve putarisa, nowo mave u.
Me eta otjiwonga ku wo;
oruveze rwomberero yawo maru ya.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona,
owami ngu mba hungire.
13 Ami mba muna ouvi wovaprofete Ovasamaria:
Owo va uka na Baal,
nu ave pukisa otjiwaṋa tjandje.
14 Nungwari ami mba muna ovaprofete
mOjerusalem amave tjiti oviṋa oviyaukise;
owo ve katuka otukupo
nu ve kora ovizeze,
ve vatera ovandu okutjita ouvi
kokutja ape ha ningi omundu
ngu ma isa ozondjito ze ozombi.
Ku ami owo avehe va sana
kovature va Sodom na Gomora.
15 “Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe, opu me hungirire ovaprofete va Jerusalem nai:
Ami meve pe omiti omiruru okurya
nouanga okunwa,
owo tjinga ava rimba ouvi mehi arihe.”
16 Muhona Omunamasaaehe otja tja nai kotjiwaṋa tja Jerusalem: “Amu puratene ko komambo wovaprofete; owo mave mu wovisa nomaundjiro womungandjo. Mave mu raere ovirimunikise vyawo oveni, nungwari kavyo mbi ami mbi mba hungira. 17 Kovandu mba mbe panḓa okupuratena ku imbi mbi mba hungira, ovaprofete mba aruhe ve tja owo ve nombwiro moviṋa avihe. Nu ku imba ovirangaranga ve tja ku wo kamaaku ya oumba.”
18 Ami mba tja nai: “Kape na umwe wovaprofete mba ngwa tjivirwe omeripuriro wa Muhona womongumumu. Kape na umwe wawo ngwa zuvire poo ngwa tjivirwe ombuze ye. Kape na ngwa ninga ko na tja nomambo eye nga hungira. 19 Omazenge wa Muhona ye ri otja otjivepo otjindandi, otja orukumbambura ndu maru handjere koviuru vyovanauvi, 20 nowo kaye nokuyanda nga eye tja tjiti otjiṋa atjihe tji ma vanga okutjita. Momayuva ngu maye ya, otjiwaṋa tje matji tjiwa oviṋa avihe mbi nawa.”
21 Muhona wa tja nai: “Ami hi hindire ovaprofete mba, nungwari nangarire nai owo va ya. Ami hi ve pere ombuze ngamwa, nungwari owo ingee ve uka mena randje. 22 Andakuzu owo va tjivirwe omeripuriro wandje womongumumu, atjave zuvarisa ombuze yandje kotjiwaṋa tjandje, notjo itjatji isa ozondjira zouvi mu tji ryanga noviṋa vyouvi mbi tji tjita.
23 “Owami Ndjambi ngu mbi ri akuhe, popezu nokokure. 24 Kape na ngu ma sora okurihoreka poṋa pu mbi hi nokumumuna. Ko nokutjiwa kutja mbi ri akuhe, meyuru na kombanda yehi are? 25 Ami mba zuva imbi mbya hungirwa i ovaprofete mba mbe uka ovizeze mena randje nave tja ami mbe ve pa ombuze yandje moturoto twawo. 26 Ovaprofete mba mave pukisa otjiwaṋa tjandje orure nai novizeze, mbi ve riutira nga ruṋe? 27 Owo ve tjangovasi oturoto tu ve serekarerasana matu tjiti kutja otjiwaṋa tjandje tji ndji zembe tjimuna ooihe tji ve ndji zemba nave tanaukire ku Baal. 28 Omuprofete ngwa roto, nga tje indwi orwo oruroto uri, nungwari omuprofete ngwa zuva ombuze yandje, nge i serekarere, tjiri, mouṱakame. Pe nohepero yatjike okusasaneka ovihozu puna ovikokotwa? 29 Embo randje ri ri otja omuriro, nu ri ri otja ongowa ndji ṱukuṱura otuuwa. 30 Ami mba humisa ovaprofete mba mbe raerasana omambo nave ye serekarere aayo owo ombuze yandje. 31 Wina mba humisa ovaprofete mba mbe hungira omambo wawo oveni nave tja owo ya za ku ami. 32 Purateneye ku imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, mbi me hungire! Ami mba humisa ovaprofete mbe serekarera oturoto twawo tu twe ura novizeze. Owo ve serekarera oturoto twi, nu ve pukisa otjiwaṋa tjandje novizeze vyawo nomerihiviro wawo. Nungwari ami hi ve hindire nu hi ve rakizire okuyenda, nowo kave nombatero kotjiwaṋa tjandje oparukaze. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire!”
Omutwaro wa Muhona
33 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Jeremia, umwe wotjiwaṋa tjandje poo omuprofete poo omupristeri tje ku pura a tja: ‘Ombuze ya Muhona otjikeṋa?’ Ove mu zira nai: ‘Eṋe oweṋe omutwaro ku Muhona, neye me mu twa pehi.’ 34 Nu umwe wotjiwaṋa tjandje poo omuprofete poo omupristeri tja tja: ‘Omutwaro wa Muhona’, ami me mu vere puna eṱunḓu re. 35 Moruveze rwanao auhe ma sokupura komapanga we na kovazamumwe ve a tja: ‘Muhona wa yandja eziriro ratjike? Muhona wa tja vi?’ 36 Owo otji ve hi nokusokuuhara amave hungire embo ndi, ‘Omutwaro wa Muhona’, orondu ingwi ngwa tja nao, ami me tjiti kutja ombuze yandje i rire omutwaro, tjiri, ku ye. Ovandu va rundurura omambo wa Ndjambi wawo, Ndjambi omunamuinyo, Muhona Omunamasaaehe. 37 Jeremia, pura ovaprofete itja: ‘Muhona we mu pa eziriro ratjike? Muhona wa tja vi?’ 38 Nowo tji ve hi nokukara nonḓuviro komarakiza wandje nave tja nai: ‘Omutwaro wa Muhona’, ve raera kutja 39 ami meve toora ne ve imbirahi kokure na ami, owo notjihuro tji mba yandja ku wo na kooihe mukururume. 40 Ami me eta ohoṋi nondjambu ongarerere kombanda yawo ndji hi na maai zembwa.”
