A Message for Zedekiah
1 The Lord spoke to me when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army, supported by troops from all the nations and races that were subject to him, were attacking Jerusalem and its nearby towns. 2 The Lord, the God of Israel, told me to go and say to King Zedekiah of Judah, “I, the Lord, will hand this city over to the king of Babylonia, and he will burn it down. 3 You will not escape; you will be captured and handed over to him. You will see him face-to-face and talk to him in person; then you will go to Babylonia. 4 Zedekiah, listen to what I say about you. You will not be killed in battle. 5 You will die in peace, and as people burned incense when they buried your ancestors, who were kings before you, in the same way they will burn incense for you. They will mourn over you and say, ‘Our king is dead!’ I, the Lord, have spoken.”
6 Then I gave this message to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem 7 while the army of the king of Babylonia was attacking the city. The army was also attacking Lachish and Azekah, the only other fortified cities left in Judah.
Deceitful Treatment of Slaves
8 King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem had made an agreement to set free 9 their Hebrew slaves, both male and female, so that no one would have an Israelite as a slave. 10 All the people and their leaders agreed to free their slaves and never to enslave them again. They did set them free, 11 but later they changed their minds, took them back, and forced them to become slaves again.
12 Then the Lord, 13 the God of Israel, told me to say to the people: “I made a covenant with your ancestors when I rescued them from Egypt and set them free from slavery. I told them that 14 every seven years they were to set free any Hebrew slave who had served them for six years. But your ancestors would not pay any attention to me or listen to what I said. 15 Just a few days ago you changed your minds and did what pleased me. All of you agreed to set all Israelites free, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple where I am worshiped. 16 But then you changed your minds again and dishonored me. All of you took back the slaves whom you had set free as they desired, and you forced them into slavery again. 17 So now, I, the Lord, say that you have disobeyed me; you have not given all Israelites their freedom. Very well, then, I will give you freedom: the freedom to die by war, disease, and starvation. I will make every nation in the world horrified at what I do to you. 18-19 The officials of Judah and of Jerusalem, together with the palace officials, the priests, and all the leaders, made a covenant with me by walking between the two halves of a bull that they had cut in two. But they broke the covenant and did not keep its terms. So I will do to these people what they did to the bull. 20 I will hand them over to their enemies, who want to kill them, and their corpses will be eaten by birds and wild animals. 21 I will also hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to those who want to kill them. I will hand them over to the Babylonian army, which has stopped its attack against you. 22 I will give the order, and they will return to this city. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it down. I will make the towns of Judah like a desert where no one lives. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Sedekia nOvajuda tava xunganekelwa ehandu
1 Nebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon eshi ya homona Jerusalem noilando ikwao aishe, ye mwene nomatanga aye aeshe noilongo aishe yomedu olo tali pangelwa kuye noiwana aishe, ondjovo ei yOmwene oya hanga Jeremia, tai ti: 2 “Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti ngaha: Inda u ka lombwele Sedekia, ohamba yaJuda u tye: ‘Omwene ota ti: Tala, oshilando eshi ohandi shi yandje momake ohamba yaBabilon, ndele tai shi xwike po. 3 Ndele ove mwene ito di mo onhapo momake aye, ndelenee oto kwatwa shili, ndele to yandjwa momake aye, nomesho oye otaa ka talafana nomesho ohamba yaBabilon, ndele tamu popyafana okanya nokanya, ndele ove to i kuBabilon.’ 4 Ndelenee pwilikina ondjovo yOmwene, oove Sedekia, ohamba yaJuda! Omwene ote ku popi ndele ta ti: ‘Ove ito fi keongamukonda. 5 Ove oto fi nombili nongaashi ooxokulu eehamba odo da li komesho yoye, nosho ove yo oto ka twiminwa pokufya kwoye noimbodi yedimba, ndele to lilwa eenghali tava ti: “Woo ohamba!” ’ Osheshi Ame nde di popya, Omwene osho ta ti.” 6 Ndele eendjovo odo adishe omuxunganeki Jeremia okwe di shiivifila Sedekia, ohamba yaJuda muJerusalem, 7 fimbo ovakwaita vohamba yaBabilon tava lwifa Jerusalem noilando aishe yomuJuda, ei ya fyaala po inai tewa, Lakis naAseka, osheshi oyo aike ya xupa yomoilando yomuJuda ya li ya pamekelwa oku i popila. 8 Ondjovo yOmwene oya hanga Jeremia, ohamba Sedekia eshi a ninga ehangano novanhu vaye aveshe vomuJerusalem, nokwe va ingidila emangululo, 9 nokutya, keshe umwe na lekele omupika waye omulumenhu nakeshe umwe omupika waye omukainhu; ovalumenhu Ovaheberi novakainhu Ovaheberi va efiwe, paha kale nande omunhu ta kaleke omumwaina Omujuda moupika. 10 Ndele ovalumenhu aveshe noshiwana ashishe osho sha hangika sha ya mehangano olo, osha uda kutya keshe umwe e nokumangulula omupika waye omulumenhu nomukainhu vaha kale vali ovapika nova dulika ndele tave va mangulula. 11 Ndelenee komesho ove lialuluka nova ka tala ko ovapika vavo ovalumenhu novakainhu, ve va mangululile, ndele ove va fininika vali va kale ovapika ovalumenhu novakainhu. 12 Opo nee ondjovo ei yOmwene ya dja kOmwene oya hanga Jeremia tai ti: 13 “Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti ngaha: Ame onda ninga ehangano nooxokulu, eshi nde va tembula mo medu laEgipiti nomonhele youpika nonda tya: 14 ‘Pexulilo lomudo omutiheyali, keshe umwe womunye u nokumangulula Omuheberi omukweni, ou a landifwa kwoove, ndele e ku longela omido hamano, mu efa a manguluke.’ Ndelenee ooxokulu ova li inava hala okuuda nge nokupwilikina eendjovo dange. 15 Ndelenee paife nye omwe lidilulula nomwa longa eshi sha wapala momesho ange, eshi mwa mangulula keshe umwe omupika waye, ndele mwa ninga ehangano koshipala shange motembeli ya lukilwa edina lange. 16 Ndelenee paife omwe lialuluka vali nomwa nyatekulula edina lange, eshi nye mwa alula nokufininika keshe umwe omupika waye omulumenhu nomukainhu, mwe va lekela, mwe va efa, nomwe va fininika va kale ovapika veni ovalumenhu novakainhu. 17 Onghee hano Omwene ota ti ngaha: Nye omwa kala inamu uda nge ndele inamu ingidila keshe umwe komumwaina nokomukwao emangululo. Tala, ohandi mu ingidile emanguluko. Omwene osho ta ti, mu yandjelwe eongamukonda noudu wolutapo nondjala, nohandi mu ningi oshitilifa shomoilongo aishe yokombada yedu. 18 Novalumenhu ovo va nyona ehangano lange, inava wanifa eendjovo dehangano lange, ve li ninga koshipala shange eshi va taula onhana yeyambo pokati nova enda pokati koinhimbu yayo ivali; ohandi ke va ninga ngaashi va ninga onhana; 19 ovanenenhu vomuJuda novakulunhu vomuJerusalem, omalenga omouhamba novapristeli novanhu aveshe vomoshilongo, ovo va endele mokati keenhumba donhana. 20 Ovo tuu ovo handi va yandje momake ovatondadi vavo, nomake avo va nangela eemwenyo davo, noimhu yavo otai ka ninga eendja deedila dokeulu nodoifitukuti yokombada yedu. 21 Ndele Sedekia, ohamba yaJuda, nomalenga aye ohandi ke a yandja momake ovatondadi vavo nomomake aava hava nangele eemwenyo davo, nokutya komatanga ovakwaita vohamba yaBabilon, ovovo ve mu fiya po. 22 Taleni, Omwene osho ta ti: Ame ohandi va lombwele nohandi ke va alulila koshilando eshi, ve shi lwife noku shi nangala ndele ve shi xwike po nomundilo, noilando yomuJuda ohandi i fefa ofuka ihe novanhu.”
