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.”
Oshiwana tashi ka nyonaunwa po molwokuhelidilulula kwasho
1 MuJerusalem djeni onhapo, onye Ovakwabenjamin! Shikeni enghuma muTekoa, nye mu dikile muBet-Hakerem edidiliko lomundilo, osheshi koumbangalanhu otaku di oshiponga nehanauno lidjuu! 2 Omona okakadona kaSion muwa, ye a yakulwa unene, ohandi mu hanauna po. 3 Otapa ka dja ovafita noimuna yavo tave uya kuye, ndele tava ongo eenhanda, tava lifa keshe tuu umwe ponhele yaye. 4 Lilongekideni, va kuwileni onghuwo, fikameni tu ka fike ko pokati komutenya! Woo, osheshi etango otali toka nokuli. Omididimbe donguloshi tadi i kokule. 5 Fikameni, tu ka fike ko oufiku, tu ka xwike po eengulu daye doupuna. 6 Osheshi Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ota ti ngaha: Ka keni omiti nye mu umbe ongubu ya dingilila Jerusalem! Oshilando osho tuu osho oshi nokuhandukilwa, sho shi yadi oukolokoshi meni lasho. 7 Ngaashi ondungu hai fuluka omeva ayo mawa, osho yo nasho hashi fuluka owii washo. Omahepeko nomahanauno haa udika nomayehamo noipute oku li alushe koshipala shange. 8 Jerusalem, dulika nokulidilulula, opo omwenyo wange uhe ku liteeke, opo ndihe ku shitukife eputu, edu lihe novanhu. 9 Omwene womatanga ovakwaita osho ta ti: Ekongololo loixupe ngaashi omuviinyu tau endululwa pekolo, osho tashi kala oixupe yomuIsrael. Kumifa eke loye komashila ngaashi omukoli ha ningi. 10 Olyelye ngeno ndi tonge sha kuye noolyelye ava ndi va londwele ngeno va ude ko? Tala, omatwi avo inaa pitifwa etanda, vo ihava dulu okuuda. Tala, ondjovo yOmwene oya ninga oiyolifa yavo inave i hala. 11 Opo nee ame onda yada oupyuhandu wOmwene, itandi dulu oku u kelela. U tila hano kombada younona vomomapandavanda nokombada yeengudu dovanyasha, kombada yaaveshe, osheshi omulumenhu nomukainhu ove nokukwatwa, nomunyeumbo pamwe nomukulunhu weenghwakutoka. 12 Omaumbo avo otaa ningi ovanhu vamwe, omapya novakainhu vavo yo, osheshi Ame ohandi aneke eke lange nokuhanyena oonakukalamo moshilongo, Omwene osho ta ti. 13 Osheshi vo aveshe, ounona vavo novakulunhu, ve hole eliko loipupulu, ovaxunganeki novapristeli aveshe ve nekonda. 14 Ndele vo ova hala okuhakula noupu oshiponga shomona okakadona koshiwana shange, eshi tava ti: Ombili, ombili. Nande kape nombili. 15 Vo otava ka fifwa ohoni, shaashi ova longa oixuna, voovene inava shiiva okufya ohoni, vehe neudito lohoni, onghee ove nokufila pamwe noonakudipawa. Pomafiku enya nge handi va handukile, otava ka xutuka, Omwene osho ta ti.
16 Omwene osho okwa popya: Indeni ko keendjila, nye mu tale, mu pule omalila enya oshito, a endwa nale, oo okwa li ondjila yelao, nye mu ende nayo, ndele nye otamu ka monena eemwenyo deni etulumuko. Ndelenee vo ova nyamukula: Inatu hala okweenda nado. 17 Ndele Ame onde mu nangekela ovanangeli, onda tya: Pwilikineni oshihomo shomanghuma. Ndelenee vo ova nyamukula, Inatu hala okupwilikina. 18 Onghee hano pwilikineni, onye oiwana! Neongalo kala u shi shii, eshi tashi ka ningwa mokati kavo! 19 Edu pwilikina! Tala, ovanhu ava ohandi va umbu omupya, owo oshiimati shomadiladilo avo, osheshi vo inava pwilikina eendjovo dange nomhango yange ve i ekelashi! 20 Hano etwimino loimbodi tali di kuSheba, otali kwafa nge shike, nolumbungu lakalmus tali di koilongo yokokule? Omaxwikiloyambo eni inandi a hokwa nomatomenoyambo eni inaa wapalela nge. 21 Onghee Omwene ota ti: Oshili, ovanhu ava onda hala okuumba emanya lepundukifo mondjila yavo, tava pundukile ko, ooxe novana mumwe, omushiinda nomushiinda tava nyonauka po.
22 Omwene osho ta ti: Otapa di ovanhu kedu lokoumbangalanhu, noshiwana shinene tashi djuuka, tashi di kominghulo dedu. 23 Ove nomauta nomaonga, ovapwidi, vehe nonghenda. Eweelelo lavo ongaashi engungumo lefuta ndele tava londo eenghambe, ve lilongekida ngaashi ovakwaita, ve ku tondokele, ove omona okakadona kaSion. 24 Eenghundana dasho otwe di uda, omaoko etu okwa wa, oumbada we tu kwata, tu nouyehame ngaashi omudali. 25 Ino ya nande okokule moixwa, ove ino enda momalila, osheshi eongamukonda lomutondadi oli li ko, oixuna yongaho keembinga adishe! 26 Akutu, omona okakadona, oshiwana shange! Lidika oikutu yeefya, ove u alangate momute. Shiva eenghali, ove u lile ngaashi ewifa hali lilwa eenghali nokulililila, osheshi omuhanauni ote ku faukile diva.
27 Ame onde ku tula mokati kovanhu vange omupashukili nepopilohote, opo u shiive ndele u yeleke okweenda kwavo. 28 Aveshe ovanandubo ve dule ovanandubo vamwe. Ve hole omalundilo. Vo oshikushu noivela, aveshe va nyonauka. 29 Omupepo tau pepele neenghono momundilo tau di oholo aike, ndele ya hemunwa nokuhemununwa oshimha, ndelenee oyo ii oyo anya okutongoka mo. 30 Vo otava ka ifanwa oshisiliveli kashi noshilonga, sha ekelwashi, osheshi Omwene okwe va ekelashi.
