Jerusalem Is Surrounded by Enemies
1 People of Benjamin, run for safety! Escape from Jerusalem! Sound the trumpet in Tekoa and build a signal fire in Beth Haccherem. Disaster and destruction are about to come from the north. 2 The city of Zion is beautiful, but it will be destroyed; 3 kings will camp there with their armies. They will pitch their tents around the city, and each of them will camp wherever they want. 4 They will say, “Prepare to attack Jerusalem! Get ready! We'll attack at noon!” But then they will say, “It's too late, the day is almost over, and the evening shadows are growing long. 5 We'll attack by night; we'll destroy the city's fortresses.”
6 The Lord Almighty has ordered these kings to cut down trees and build mounds in order to besiege Jerusalem. He has said, “I will punish this city because it is full of oppression. 7 As a well keeps its water fresh, so Jerusalem keeps its evil fresh. I hear violence and destruction in the city; sickness and wounds are all I see. 8 People of Jerusalem, let these troubles be a warning to you, or else I will abandon you; I will turn your city into a desert, a place where no one lives.”
Rebellious Israel
9 The Lord Almighty said to me, “Israel will be stripped clean like a vineyard from which every grape has been picked. So you must rescue everyone you can while there is still time.”
10 I answered, “Who would listen to me if I spoke to them and warned them? They are stubborn and refuse to listen to your message; they laugh at what you tell me to say. 11 Your anger against them burns in me too, Lord, and I can't hold it in any longer.”
Then the Lord said to me, “Pour out my anger on the children in the streets and on the gatherings of the young people. Husbands and wives will be taken away, and even the very old will not be spared. 12 Their houses will be given to others, and so will their fields and their wives. I am going to punish the people of this land. 13 Everyone, great and small, tries to make money dishonestly; even prophets and priests cheat the people. 14 They act as if my people's wounds were only scratches. ‘All is well,’ they say, when all is not well. 15 Were they ashamed because they did these disgusting things? No, they were not at all ashamed; they don't even know how to blush. And so they will fall as others have fallen; when I punish them, that will be the end of them. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Israel Rejects God's Way
16 The Lord said to his people, “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and where the best road is. Walk in it, and you will live in peace.”
But they said, “No, we will not!” 17 Then the Lord appointed sentries to listen for the trumpet's warning. But they said, “We will not listen.”
18 So the Lord said, “Listen, you nations, and learn what is going to happen to my people. 19 Listen, earth! As punishment for all their schemes I am bringing ruin on these people, because they have rejected my teaching and have not obeyed my words. 20 What do I care about the incense they bring me from Sheba, or the spices from a distant land? I will not accept their offerings or be pleased with their sacrifices. 21 And so I will make these people stumble and fall. Parents and children will die, and so will friends and neighbors.”
Invasion from the North
22 The Lord says, “People are coming from a country in the north; a mighty nation far away is preparing for war. 23 They have taken up their bows and swords; they are cruel and merciless. They sound like the roaring sea, as they ride their horses. They are ready for battle against Jerusalem.”
24 “We have heard the news,” say the people of Jerusalem, “and our hands hang limp; we are seized by anguish and pain like a woman in labor. 25 We don't dare go to the countryside or walk on the roads, because our enemies are armed and terror is all around us.”
26 The Lord says to his people, “Put on sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter tears as you would for an only child, because the one who comes to destroy you will suddenly attack. 27 Jeremiah, test my people, as you would test metal, and find out what they are like. 28 They are all stubborn rebels, hard as bronze and iron. They are all corrupt, going around and spreading gossip. 29 The furnace burns fiercely, but the waste metals do not melt and run off. It is useless to go on refining my people, because those who are evil are not taken away. 30 They will be called worthless dross, because I, the Lord, have rejected them.”
Jerusalem tja koverwa i ovanavita
1 Tjiwaṋa tja Benjamin, taurireye kondjamo! Heneye mOjerusalem! Posiseye ohiva mOtekoa, nu mu zike mo otjihako tjomuriro mObet-Hakerem! Otjiwonga nomanyoneno omanene vi ri pokuya okuza komukuma wokokunene kweyuva. 2 Otjihuro tja Sion otjiwa otjimanise, nungwari ami me tji yandeke; 3 ozombara maze ya okutura mo novimbumba vyazo vyovita. Maze tono ozondanda okukondorokisa otjihuro, nu auhe ma katura puma vanga. 4 Ozo maze tja nai: “Rirongereye, mu karwise Jerusalem! Riṱuneye! Matu ketjirwisa mutenya!” Nungwari tjazumba ozo maze tja nai: “Owee, oruveze rwa kapita, eyuva ri ri pokutoka, novizire vyomapeta mavi rire ovire. 5 Riṱuneye! Matu ketjirwisa ouṱuku; eṱe matu kahahaura ozondjuwo zatjo zouhona.”
6 Muhona Omunamasaaehe wa rakiza ozombara nḓa okuka omiti nokutunga ozondunduvahi okukovera Jerusalem. Eye wa tja nai: “Ami me vere otjihuro hi, orondu otjo tje ura nomaṋiṋikiziro. 7 Otja ondjombo punga ai ṱakamisira omeva wayo koupe, Jerusalem opunga atji ṱakamisira ouvi watjo koupe. Ami me zuu outwe nomaṋiṋikiziro motjihuro; akuhe me munu ko omitjise novirwaro porwavyo. 8 Vature va Jerusalem, oumba mbwi ngau rire omaronga ku eṋe, tjapo ami me mu pe etambo; ami me tjiti otjihuro tjeṋu okurira okuti onguza, poṋa pu pe hi na maape tura ovandu.”
Israel otjiwaṋa otjipirukire
9 Muhona Omunamasaaehe wa tja nai ku ami: “Israel matji kohororwa tjimuna omuvite ku kwa nikorwa omandjembere aehe. Otji mo sokuyama auhe ngu mo sora, ngunda ape noruveze.”
10 Ami mba zira nai: “Owaṋi ngu ma puratene ku ami tji me hungire ku wo nokuveronga? Owo ovirangaranga, nu ve panḓa okuzuva ombuze yoye; owo ve yora imbi ove mbi we ndji raera kutja mbi ve tjivise, nu kave nonyuṋe mu vyo. 11 Omazenge woye ku wo ye ndji nyosa momutima wandje wina, Muhona; nu ami hi nokusora okuyeyarura pehi.”
Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Tirira omazenge wandje kovanatje momivanda na poṋa pu pe woronganena omitanda. Ovarumendu novakazendu mave huurwa, nangarire omukururume ke nokuyamwa. 12 Ozondjuwo zawo maze yandjewa ku varwe, nomahi wawo womakunino novakazendu vawo wina. Ami me kavera ovandu avehe, mba tura mehi ndi. 13 Auhe, omunene nokaṱiṱi, u kara neraru rovimariva vyouhasemba, nangarire ovaprofete novapristeri ve tikura ovandu. 14 Owo ve tjita aayo ovirwaro vyotjiwaṋa tjandje vya ri ozonganununa uriri. Owo ve tja: ‘Ohange! Ohange’, nungwari tjandje kape nohange. 15 Va ṱohoṋi mena rokutja va tjita oviṋa oviyaukise mbi are? Kako, owo kave ṱire ohoṋi oparukaze; kamaave raisa ohoṋi yawo. Nowo otji mave u otja imba ovakwao tji va wa; ami tji mbe ve vere, ma rire ondjandero yawo. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Israel ma imbirahi ondjira ya Ndjambi
16 Muhona wa tja nai kotjiwaṋa tje: “Kurameye pomahakaeneno wozondjira, nu mu yevayeve. Konḓononeye ozondjira ozonguru, na pu pe nondjira, ndji yenda kouṋingandu. Ryangeye mu yo, neṋe mamu kara norusuvo.”
Nungwari otjiwaṋa tja tja nai: “Ayee, kako, katu nokuryanga mu yo!” 17 Muhona otja zika ovatjevere kutja ovandu ve puratene kombosiro yohiva. Nungwari owo va tja: “Eṱe katu nokupuratena ko.”
18 Muhona arire tja tja: “Purateneye, eṋe viwaṋa, nu mu zuve imbi mbi mavi tjitwa kotjiwaṋa tjandje. 19 Purateneye, eṋe mahi! Ami me eta otjiwonga kotjiwaṋa hi kutja tji rire omberero komeripuriro wawo omavi aehe, owo tjinga ava imbirahi omahongero wandje nave ha karere nonḓuviro komambo wandje. 20 Mbi na ko na tja novyomoro omuwa mbi ve ndji etere okuza kOseba poo novizumba vyehi rokokure are? Ami hi nokuyakura ko ozombunguhiro zawo ozoningiririsiwa, nu hi nonyuṋe mozombunguhiro zawo zovinamuinyo. 21 Nu ami otji me putarisa otjiwaṋa hi, notjo matji u. Ooihe novanatje vawo mave ṱu, nomapanga novararanganda wina.”
Omarwisiro okuza komukuma wokokunene kweyuva
22 Muhona ma tja nai: “Otjiwaṋa matji zu kehi rokeyuva kokunene; otjiwaṋa otjinamasa tjokokure matji rirongerere ovita. 23 Owo va toora omauta nomangaruvyo wawo; owo ovanautwe, nu kave notjari. Ve hwaara tjimuna ozongazona zokuvare, tji mave kavire oukambe wawo nu ve rirongerera okurwisa Jerusalem.”
24 Ovature va Jerusalem mave tja nai: “Eṱe twa zuva ombuze ndji, narire tji twe rihahiza; eṱe twa wirwa i ombamisiro nomihihamo tjimuna ozongama zomukazendu mombandukiro. 25 Eṱe katu sokuyenda pendje mokuti poo okuryanga mozondjira, ovanavita na eṱe tjinga ave ripangaṋa novirwise, nomburuma aye tu wira.”
26 Muhona ma tja nai kotjiwaṋa tje: “Rizariseye ozombanda zomakutu nu mu rangere momutwe. Kareye noruhoze orunene otja omundu tji ma riri omuatje we omuzandu omukwatwa erike, orondu ingwi ngu meya okumuyandeka ma rwisa tjimanga. 27 Jeremia, rora otjiwaṋa tjandje otja tji mo roro otjitenda, u mune kutja otjo tja sana pi. 28 Otjo atjihe otjirangaranga otjipirukire, otjikukutu tjimuna ongoporo notjitenda. Otjo tja zunḓaka, nu tji taka omambo. 29 Omupepo u rurumisa omuriro nomasa, nungwari ovitenda mbya imbirahiwa kavi zuzuka nu kavi zu po. Kahepero okukara pokukohorora otjiwaṋa tjandje, orondu imba ovanauvi kave nokuisiwa mo mu tjo. 30 Owo mave isanewa kutja ‘Osilveri ndja imbirahiwa,’ orondu ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mbe ve imbirahi.”
