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 tashi kondekwa kaatondi
1 Aabenjamin ne, tembukii mo, mu ka holame! Zii mo muJerusalem! Hikeni enkuma muTekoa! Dhikeni endhindhiliko muBetakerem! Oshiponga nehanagulo otali ziilile kuumbangalantu. 2 Oshilando Sion osho opala, ihe otashi ka hanagulwa po. 3 Aakwaniilwa pamwe nomatangakwiita gawo otaa ka yungila ko oontanda. Taa dhike omatsali gawo ya kunduka oshilando, noshaa ngoka ote li dhike mpoka a hala. 4 Otaa ka tya: “Ilongekidheni, mu ponokele Jerusalem! Langeleni komauta! Tu shi matukileni moshanga shomutenya!” Ihe otaa ti ishewe: “Okwa fa kwa toko, etango lya peguka, omizile dha ningi omile. 5 Thikameni utale tu shi ponokele uusiku; tu kumunii po omankolokuma goshilando.”
6 Omuwa, Omunankondoawike okwa lombwele aakwaniilwa mbaka ya ke po omiti noya tungile Jerusalem omutuni gwekondekela. Okwa ti: “Otandi geele oshilando shika, oshoka oshu udha uukolokoshi. 7 Otashi zi uuwinayi sha fa omuthima tagu vile omeya. Ondu uvite omayugathano nomahanagulo moshilando nondi wete mo ashike uuwehame niilalo. 8 Aajerusalem ne, uudhigu mbuka nau kale elondodho kune; ngele hasho, otandi mu thigi po; oshilando sheni otandi shi shitukitha ombuga, ehala lyaa na aantu.”
9 Omuwa Omunankondoawike ota ti: “Israel ota ka toononwa thilu a fa omuviinu gwa kekwa omahila agehegehe. Osho u na okumangulula shaa ngoka, manga ku na ethimbo.”
10 Onda yamukula: “Olye ta pulakene ndje, sho te popi ndi ya londodhe? Oya tangalala notaa tindi okupulakena elaka lyoye; otaa yolo shoka to lombwele ndje ndi shi tye. 11 Omuwa, ondjahi yoku ya geela otayi lilima mungame wo; itandi vulu oku yi idhidhimikila.”
Omuwa okwa ti kungame: “Yi tilila maanona ye li momapandaanda nomaalumentu aagundjuka ya gongala pamwe; maasamane nomaakulukadhi ongashikwawo; nando oya kulupa, itaa hupu ko. 12 Omagumbo gawo otaga ka gandjwa po kuyalwe, nosho wo omapya gawo naakiintu yawo. Otandi ka geela aantu yoshilongo shika. 13 Ayehe, aagundjuka naakuluntu, oye hole eliko lyiifundja. Nokuli aahunganeki naayambi otaa kotokele aantu. 14 Iilalo yaantu yandje otaa hala oku yi panga taa ti: ‘Oku na ombili,’ ko kwaa na nando ombili. 15 Oya li tuu ya sa ohoni, sho ya longo iihuna mbika? Aawoo, inaa sa nando ohoni; inaa tseya nokuli shoka tayi ti. Otaa ka nganyukila po pamwe naambeyaka yalwe ya pundukila po nale; sho tandi ya geele, otali ka ninga ehulilo lyawo. Ongame Omuwa nda popi.”
Israel te ekelehi ondjila yOmuwa
16 Omuwa ota ti: “Ka thikameni poompagiila mu tale. Puleni omapola goshitonale, puleni ondjila ombwanawa mu ende mo notamu kala nombili.”
Ihe oya ti: “Itatu ende mo.” 17 Omuwa okwa langeke aalangeli ya pulakene elondodho lyenkuma. Ihe oya ti: “Itatu pulakene.”
18 Onkee ano Omuwa okwa ti: “Pulakeneni, ne iigwana, konekeni shoka tashi ka ningilwa aantu yandje. 19 Ngoye evi, pulakena! Aantu mbaka otandi ya undulile oshiponga, iiyimati yiineya yawo, oshoka inaa pulakena oohapu dhandje. 20 Ondi na shike niitsinino taye yi eta tayi zi kuSheba nenge iizimba tayi zi koshilongo shokokule? Itandi ka taamba nando omafikilondjambo gawo nenge ndi mbilipalithwe koontselelandjambo dhawo. 21 Otandi ka teleganitha aantu mbaka e taa punduka. Oohe noyanamati otaa ka sa, nosho tashi ningilwa ookuume naashiinda.”
Ehomono tali zi kuumbangalantu
22 Omuwa ota ti: “Aantu otaa ya taa zi koshilongo shokuumbangalantu; oshigwana oshinankondo tashi zi kokule, oshi ilongekidhila olugodhi. 23 Oye na omatati nomagonga; oyo aageyentu ye na onyanya. Otaa kugu ya fa efuta tali pupu, sho ya kayila uukambe wawo. Oyi ilongekidhila olugodhi ya kondjithe Sion.”
24 Aajerusalem oya ti: “Otu uvu onkundana, nomaako getu oga lemanekwa; otwa kwatwa kehaluko nokuuwehame twa fa omukiintu e na oshitheta. 25 Inamu pita mo, mu ye komapya nenge mu ka ende momapola, oshoka omutondi oku na egongamwele, naakuhe oku na iihuna yowala.”
26 Omuwa ota ti: “Aantu yandje ne, zaleni omahahi ne mu gwaye omutoko. Lileni omahodhi omapyu mwa fa tamu lili omumati epona, oshoka ngoka te ya e mu hanagule po, ota homona mbala. 27 Jeremia, onde ku langeke u ninge omuyeleki gwaantu yandje; ya yeleka nokukonakona iikala yawo. 28 Oyo ayehe aanamanganga, aakukutu ya fa osheela oshikushu nosheela oshiluudhe. Oyo ayehe yo ola, taye endagula taa popi oluhoko. 29 Omupepo otagu pepele, ihe osheela itashi hemuka shi ze omange. Itashi kwatha sha, aantu yandje ya yelithwe, oshoka mboka haa longo uuwinayi, inaa kuthwa mo. 30 Otaa ka lukwa omange, uutale waa na oshilonga, oshoka ongame Omuwa nde ya ekelehi.”
