Jeremiah Stays with Gedaliah
1 The Lord spoke to me after Nebuzaradan, the commanding officer, had set me free at Ramah. I had been taken there in chains, along with all the other people from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken away as prisoners to Babylonia.
2 The commanding officer took me aside and said, “The Lord your God threatened this land with destruction, 3 and now he has done what he said he would. All this happened because your people sinned against the Lord and disobeyed him. 4 Now, I am taking the chains off your wrists and setting you free. If you want to go to Babylonia with me, you may do so, and I will take care of you. But if you don't want to go, you don't have to. You have the whole country to choose from, and you may go wherever you wish.”
5 When I did not answer, Nebuzaradan said, “Go back to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylonia has made governor of the towns of Judah. You may stay with him and live among the people, or you may go anywhere you think you should.” Then he gave me a present and some food to take with me, and let me go on my way. 6 I went to stay with Gedaliah in Mizpah and lived among the people who were left in the land.
Gedaliah, Governor of Judah
(2 Kings 25.22-24)7 Some of the Judean officers and soldiers had not surrendered. They heard that the king of Babylonia had made Gedaliah governor of the land and had placed him in charge of all those who had not been taken away to Babylonia—the poorest people in the land. 8 So Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophah, and Jezaniah from Maacah went with their men to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 9 Gedaliah said to them, “I give you my word that there is no need for you to be afraid to surrender to the Babylonians. Settle in this land, serve the king of Babylonia, and all will go well with you. 10 I myself will stay in Mizpah and be your representative when the Babylonians come here. But you can gather and store up wine, fruit, and olive oil, and live in the villages you occupy.” 11 Meanwhile, all the Israelites who were in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries, heard that the king of Babylonia had allowed some Israelites to stay on in Judah and that he had made Gedaliah their governor. 12 So they left the places where they had been scattered, and returned to Judah. They came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and there they gathered in large amounts of wine and fruit.
Gedaliah Is Murdered
(2 Kings 25.252 26)13 After this, Johanan and the leaders of the soldiers who had not surrendered came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Don't you know that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Ishmael to murder you?” But Gedaliah did not believe it. 15 Then Johanan said privately to him, “Let me go and kill Ishmael, and no one will know who did it. Why should he be allowed to murder you? That would cause all the Jews who have gathered around you to be scattered, and it would bring disaster on all the people who are left in Judah.”
16 But Gedaliah answered, “Don't do it! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true!”
Jeremia ma kara puna Gedalja
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami, indu Nebusaradan, omuhongore otjiuru, tja zire nokundjikutura mOrama. Ami mba twarerwe ngo momapando puna ovakwetu avehe, mba za mOjerusalem na Juda, nu mbaa ve twarewa otja ovahuurwa kObabilon.
2 Omuhongore otjiuru we ndji twara peke na tja: “Muhona, Ndjambi woye wa tanda okueta otjiwonga kehi ndi, 3 nu nambano eye wa yenenisa imbi mbya tja ma tjiti. Oviṋa mbi avihe vya tjitwa, orondu otjiwaṋa tjoye tja tura ondjo komurungu wa Muhona, natji ha kara nonḓuviro ku ye. 4 Nambano ami me isa ko omapando pomaoko woye nu me ku kutura. Tji movanga okuyenda kObabilon puna ami, tjita nao, nami me kemuṱakamisa. Nungwari tji u hi nokuvanga okuyenda, kara. Tara, ehi arihe ri ri kamwaha kove, nu mo i akuhe ku movanga.”
5 Tjazumba Jeremia ngunda e hiya zira, Nebusaradan wa tja nai: “Yaruka ku Gedalja, omuzandu wa Ahikam nondekurona ya Safan, ombara ya Babilon ngu ya zika okurira ongooneya yovihuro vya Juda. Ove mo yenene okutura puna ye mokati kotjiwaṋa poo okuyenda ngamwa akuhe ku movanga.” Eye we ndji pa otjiyandjewa novikurya okutwaerera, ne ndji esa kutja mbi yende. 6 Ami mba kakara puna Gedalja mOmispa, ne katura puna otjiwaṋa tji tja sewa nomuinyo mehi ndo.
Gedalja ma rire omunane omunene wokehi yombara ya Juda
(2Ozo 25:22-24)7 Ovahongore tjiva vOvajuda novarwe wovita ingee mba ri mokuti kave riyandjere. Owo va zuva kutja ombara ya Babilon ya zika Gedalja okurira ongooneya wokehi yombara mehi, nokutja ye mu zika okurira omutye wa imba avehe mbe ha twarerwe kObabilon, ihi otjiwaṋa otjisyona tjinene nai mehi. 8 OoIsmael, omuzandu wa Netanja, na Johanan, omuzandu wa Kareak, na Seraja, omuzandu wa Tanhumet, novazandu va Efai, Omunetofa, na Jaasanja, Omumaaka, otji va ire puna ovarwe wovita ku Gedalja kOmispa. 9 Gedalja we ve yanena na tja ku wo: “Kahepero eṋe okutira okuriyandja mouvara wombara ya Babilon. Tureye mehi ndi, mu karere ombara ya Babilon, notji mamu kara nawa. 10 Ami omuini me tura mOmispa nu me mu karere po, Ovababilon tji ve ya muno. Nungwari eṋe mamu sora okuworonganisa nokupwika omavinu, novihape, nomaze womiṋinga, nu wina mamu yenene okutura movihuro, mbi mamu kambura okuisapo ouini weṋu.” 11 Nu wina, Ovaisrael avehe mba ri mOmoab na mOamon na mOedom na momahi warwe aehe va zuva kutja ombara ya Babilon ya yandjere Ovaisrael tjiva okutura mOjuda, nokutja oyo ya ziki Gedalja okurira ongooneya yawo. 12 Nowo otji va za movirongo mu va rimbirwe nave yaruka kOjuda. Owo ve ya ku Gedalja mOmispa, nu imo va wonga mo omavinu novihape ovingi.
Gedalja ma ṱu
(2Ozo 25:25-26)13 Kombunda yanao, Johanan novahongore vovarwe wovita mbe he riyandjere, ve ya ku Gedalja kOmispa 14 nave pura nai ku ye: “Ko nokutjiwa kutja Baalis, ombara ya Amon, wa tuma Ismael okuyekukuzepa are?” Nungwari Gedalja ka kamburire ko. 15 Tjazumba Johanan arire tja hungire ku ye mongumumu na tja: “Ndji esa mbi kazepe Ismael, nu kape na umwe ngu ma tjiwa kutja owaṋi ngwa tjiti nao. Ma sokuyandjererwa tjike okukuzepa? Ihi matji piza Ovajuda avehe mbe ku woronganena, nu matji eta omayandekero kotjiwaṋa atjihe tji tja sewa mOjuda.”
16 Nungwari Gedalja wa zira nai ku Johanan: “O tjiti nao! Imbi mbi mo hungirire Ismael, kauatjiri!”
