Otjiwaṋa tja Juda matji sengwa
1 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Nangarire kutja Moses na Samuel andakuzu va kurama mba okuriheka ku ami, ami hitje ṱotjari notjiwaṋa hi rukwao. Tji ramba tji ze mo momurungu wandje. 2 Otjo tji matji ku pura kutja ngatji yende pi, tji raera kutja ami mba tja nai:
Tjiva va sengirwa okuṱomutjise,
oko oku va tyerwa!
Ovakwao va sengirwa okuṱa movita,
oko oku va tyerwa!
Tjiva va sengirwa okuṱondjara,
oko oku va tyerwa!
Ovakwao va sengirwa okutwarewa kouhuura,
oko oku va tyerwa!
3 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, mba zikamisa kutja oviṋa vine mbi ovitirise vi tjitwe ku wo, okutja mave ṱu movita, noturova twawo matu kokozorwa i ozombwa, nozonḓera maze tu ri, novipuka vyokuti mavi sasaura itwi tu twa sewa po. 4 Ami me tjiti kutja owo ve rire otjiraisiro otjitirise komauhona aehe mouye, motjimbe tjaimbi Manasse, omuzandu wa Jehiskija, mbya tjita mOjerusalem, indu tja ri ombara ya Juda.”
5 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Owaṋi ngu ma ṱondjenda na ove,
tjiwaṋa tja Jerusalem,
nowaṋi ngu ma ṱoruhoze na ove?
Owaṋi ngu ma kondo kove
okukupura kutja u ri vi?
6 Ove we ndji imbirahi,
nu we ndji pa etambo.
Ami opu mba ropororera okuoko
kwandje okukunyanyaura,
orondu ami mba urwa nokuṱotjari na ove.
7 Movihuro avihe mehi ami mba imbirahi
ovature vavyo mombepo tjimuna oviyaya.
Ami mba yandeka otjiwaṋa tjandje,
nu mba zepa ovanatje vatjo,
tjinga atji ha isire ozondjira zatjo ozombi.
8 Novahepundu vatjo va rira
ovengi peheke rokuvare.
Ami mba zepa omitanda vyatjo ngunda avi ri ounatje,
notji mba hihamisa ooina omitima.
Ami mba harisa ooina
ondira nomburuma tjimanga.
9 Ina ngwa zepaisa ovanatje ve
hambombari wa seuka ama hekana.
Ondjerera ye yeyuva ya rira onḓorera;
eye wa yambururwa na hihamwa omutima.
Ami me yandjere ovanavita na ove ve zepe
imba oveṋu ingee mbe nomuinyo.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona,
owami ngu mba hungire.”
Jeremia ma unaunine Muhona
10 Owami omurumendu omuhumandu tjiri! Okutjavi mama tje ndji kwata? Ami mbi posa nu mbi patasana nomundu auhe mehi. Hi yazemisa nu hi yazema otjimariva, nungwari omundu ngamwa auhe u ndji senga. 11 Muhona, ozosengiro zawo ngaze yenenisiwe ami tji mbi he ku karerere nawa, nu tji mbi he riyarikaṋene kove mena rovanavita na ami, owo tji va ri moumba na mombamisiro. 12 Kape na ngu ma sora okuteya otjitenda, tjinenene ihi tji tja za komukuma wokokunene kweyuva, nu tji tja hovekwa nongoporo.
13 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Ami me hindi ovanavita kutja ve kapunde outumbe novihuze vyotjiwaṋa tjandje, kokutja mbi tji verere omauvi aehe ngu tja tjita mehi arihe. 14 Ami me tji isa po otjikarere tjovanavita na tjo mehi, ndi tji hi nokutjiwa, orondu omazenge wandje ye ri otja omuriro, nowo maye yaka nga aruhe.”
15 Ami mba tja nai: “Muhona, ove u tjiwa avihe. Rizemburuka na ami nu u ndji vatere. Ndji esa mbi sutise imba mbe ndji tjera okuzepa. O kara nomuretima na wo kutja ave ha toṋa mokundjizepa. Zemburuka kutja omena roye tji mbi yambururwa. 16 Ove wa hungira ku ami, nu ee puratene kembo roye arihe nonḓero nombango aihe. Ami owami owoye, Muhona Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe, nomambo woye ye urisa omutima wandje nenyando nondjoroka. 17 Ami hi haamene pamwe novandu varwe ame yoro nambi nehore na wo. Mena rokukara nonḓuviro komarakiza woye, opu mbe rikarera erike; nove we ndji rungisa. 18 Me karere tjike pokuhihamwa nai? Okutjavi ovirwaro vyandje tji vi hi nokuveruka? Mo vanga okundjihihamisa omutima otja onḓonḓu, ndji pwira mokurooro tji i tjita are?”
19 Koviṋa mbi Muhona wa zira nai: “Ove tji we ritanaurire ku ami, ami me ku yakura, nove o rire omukarere wandje rukwao. Nu tjinangara moruveze rwokuhungira oviporoporo mo zuvarisa ombuze onanḓengu, mo rire omuprofete wandje rukwao. Otjiwaṋa matji kotoka kove, nove ko nokuhepa okuyenda ku tjo. 20 Ami me ku tjiti u sane kekuma rongoporo ongukutu kotjiwaṋa hi. Owo mave ku rwisa, nungwari kave nokukuhavera. Orondu ami me kara puna ove okukuyama, nu me ku ṱakamisa kutja o ha munu oumba. 21 Ami me ku yama komasa wovanauvi, nu me ku kutura momake wovatjite woutwe. Ami ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
The People of Judah Will Die
1 The Lord said to me:
Even if Moses and Samuel were here, praying with you, I wouldn't change my mind. So send the people of Judah away. 2 And when they ask where they are going, tell them that I, the Lord, have said:
Some of you are going to die
of horrible diseases.
Others are going to die in war
or from starvation.
The rest will be led away
to a foreign country.
3 I will punish you
in four different ways:
You will be killed in war
and your bodies dragged off
by dogs,
your flesh will be eaten by birds,
and your bones will be chewed on
by wild animals.
4 This punishment will happen
because of the horrible things
your King Manasseh did.
And you will be disgusting
to all nations on earth.
5 People of Jerusalem,
who will feel sorry for you?
Will anyone bother
to ask if you are well?
6 My people, you abandoned me
and walked away.
I am tired of showing mercy;
that's why I'll destroy you
7 by scattering you like straw
blown by the wind.
I will punish you with sorrow
and death,
because you refuse
to change your ways.
8 There will be more widows
in Judah
than grains of sand on a beach.
A surprise attack at noon!
And the mothers in Jerusalem
mourn for their children.
9 A mother is in deep despair
and struggles for breath.
Her daylight has turned
to darkness—
she has suffered the loss
of her seven sons.
I will kill anyone who survives.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Jeremiah Complains
10 I wish I had never been born!
I'm always in trouble
with everyone in Judah.
I never lend or borrow money,
but everyone curses me
just the same.
11 Then the Lord replied,
“I promise to protect you,
and when disaster comes,
even your enemies
will beg you for help.”
The Enemy Cannot Be Defeated
The Lord told me to say:
12 People of Judah,
just as you can't break iron
mixed with bronze,
you can't defeat the enemies
that will attack
from the north.
13 I will give them
everything you own,
because you have sinned
everywhere in your country.
14 My anger is a fire
that cannot be put out,
so I will make you slaves
of your enemies
in a foreign land.
Jeremiah Complains Again
15 You can see how I suffer
insult after insult,
all because of you, Lord.
Don't be so patient
with my enemies;
take revenge on them
before they kill me.
16 When you spoke to me,
I was glad to obey,
because I belong to you,
the Lord All-Powerful.
17 I don't go to parties
and have a good time.
Instead, I keep to myself,
because you have filled me
with your anger.
18 I am badly injured
and in constant pain.
Are you going to disappoint me,
like a stream that goes dry
in the heat of summer?
The Lord Replies
19 Then the Lord told me:
Stop talking like a fool!
If you turn back to me
and speak my message,
I will let you be my prophet
once again.
I hope the people of Judah
will accept what you say.
But you can ignore their threats,
* 20 because I am making you strong,
like a bronze wall.
They are evil and violent,
but when they attack,
21 I will be there to rescue you.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
