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 ta kala naGedalia
1 Omuwa okwa popi nangame, sho elenga ekuluntu lyaalangeli Nebusaradan lya mangulula ndje muRama. Onda li nda tulwa momalyenge pamwe naantu mboka ya zile kuJerusalem naJuda, oomboka ya li ye na okufalwa oonkwatwa kuBabilon.
2 Elenga ekuluntu olyi ikalekele ndje e tali ti: “Omuwa Kalunga koye okwa uthile ehala ndika oshiponga shika. 3 Ngashingeyi okwa gwanitha shoka a tile ote shi ningi. Ayihe mbika oya ningwa, oshoka aantu yoye oya yono kOmuwa noinaa vulika kuye. 4 Ngashingeyi otandi ku kutha omalyenge gomomaako e tandi ku mangulula. Ngele owa hala okuya kuBabilonia pamwe nangame, shi ninga, notandi ke ku sila oshimpwiyu. Ihe ngele ino hala okuya ko, kala po. Oto vulu okuhogolola, noto vulu okuya mpoka wa hala.”
5 Manga inaandi yamukula, Nebusaradan okwa ti: “Shuna kuGedalia yaAhikam, omutekulu gwaShafan, ngoka omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia e mu ningi omuleli gwaJuda. Oto vulu okukala naye, u kale mokati kaantu mbaka, nenge oto vulu okuya shaa mpoka pwe ku opalela.” Okwa pe ndje omagano niikulya, ndi ye nayo, nokwa laleke ndje, ndi ye nondjila yandje. 6 Onda yi ndi ka kale puGedalia muMispa mokati kaantu mboka ya thigalele moshilongo.
Gedalia, Omuleli gwaJuda
(2 Aak. 25:22-24)7 Omalenga gamwe omajuda naakwiita mboka inaayi igandja, oya kundana kutya omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia a langeke Gedalia a ninge omuleli gwoshilongo ye a tonatele ayehe mboka inaa falwa kuBabilon — oohepele dhomoshilongo. 8 Ismael yaNetania, Johanan yaKarea, Seraia yaTanhumet, aana yaEfai yokuNetofa naJaazania gwokuMaaka oya yi pamwe naantu yawo kuGedalia kuMispa. 9 Gedalia okwa ti kuyo: “Otandi mu lombwele kutya inamu tila mu igandje kAababilonia. Kaleni moshilongo shika, longeleni omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon, notamu kala nawa. 10 Ngame mwene otandi kala muMispa notandi mu kalele po, uuna Aababilonia naa ke ya huka. Ihe ne otamu vulu okugongela nokupungula omaviinu, iiyimati nomagadhi gooholivi, ne mu kale momikunda mwe dhi lala.” 11 Aaisraeli ayehe mboka ya li muMoab, Ammon, Edom nomiilongo yilwe, oyu uvu kutya omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia okwa zimine Aajuda yamwe ya kale muJuda nokwa ningi Gedalia omuleli gwawo. 12 Oya thigi po omahala ngoka ya li ya halakanene mo, e taa shuna kuJuda. Oye ya kuGedalia kuMispa, noya kolo omaviinu nokugongela iiyimati oyindji.
Gedalia ta dhipagwa
(2 Aak. 25:25-26)13 Konima yaambika Johanan yaKarea naawiliki yaakwiita mboka inaayi igandja, oye ya kuGedalia muMispa 14 e taa ti kuye: “Ou shi shi tuu kutya Baalis, omukwaniilwa gwaAmmon, okwa tuma Ismael yaNetania e ku dhipage?” Ihe Gedalia ine shi itaala. 15 Nena Johanan okwe mu lombwele muuwike ta ti: “Etha ndje, ndi ka dhipage Ismael, nokape na ngoka te shi tseya kutya olye e shi ningi. Omolwashike ta zimininwa e ku dhipage po? Shika otashi ka halakanitha Aajuda ayehe mboka ya gongala pungoye, notashi etele aantu ayehe mboka ya hupile muJuda, omupya.”
16 Ihe Gedalia okwa yamukula a ti: “Ino shi ninga! Oto lundile Ismael.”
