Ombuze ku Sidkija
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami, indu Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, notjimbumba tje tjovita tji tja vaterwa i ovira vyovita vyoviwaṋa nomihoko avihe mbya ri kehi ye, tji va rwisa Jerusalem novirongo vyopopezu na tjo. 2 Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, we ndji raera kutja mbi katje nai ku Sidkija, ombara ya Juda: “Ami, Muhona, me yandja otjihuro hi mouvara wombara ya Babilon, noyo mai tji nyosa. 3 Ove komoo poṋa; mo kamburwa no yandjewa momake wayo. Ove mo hakaene na yo omurungu nomurungu, nu mamu hungire kumwe; tjazumba ove otji mo i kObabilon. 4 Sidkija, puratena ku imbi mbi me hungirire ove. Ko nokuṱa motjirwa. 5 Mo ṱu onḓiro yohange, nu otja ovandu punga ava twimisire ovyomoro omuwa, indu tji va paka ooiho mukururume, mba ri ozombara komurungu woye, owo wina opunga amave ku twimisire ovyomoro omuwa momuhingo tjingewo. Mave ku riri amave tja nai: ‘Ombara yetu ya ṱu.’ Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
6 Tjazumba otji mba yandja ombuze ndji kombara Sidkija mOjerusalem, 7 otjimbumba tjombara ya Babilon tjovita ngunda ama tji rwisa otjihuro Jerusalem. Otjimbumba hi wina aatji rwisa Lakis na Aseka, imbi ovihuro ovikwao mbya pangininwa ovita, nu mbya sewa po mOjuda.
Ovineya mokukutura ovakarere
8 Ombara Sidkija novature va Jerusalem va tjitire omazuvasaneno 9 wokukutura ovakarere vawo Ovaheberi, ovarumendu novakazendu, kokutja ape ha ningi omundu ngu ma kara nOmuisrael omukwao otja omukarere. 10 Otjiwaṋa atjihe novanane vatjo otji va zuvasanene okukutura ovakarere vawo, nokutja kamaave ve isa po ovakarere rukwao. Owo arire tji ve ve kutura. 11 Nungwari kombunda owo va rundurura omerikutiro wawo, ave yarura ovakarere mba mbu va kuturire nave keveṋiṋikiza kutja ve rire ovakarere rukwao.
12 Tjazumba Muhona, 13 Ndjambi wa Israel, we ndji raera kutja mbi tje nai kotjiwaṋa: “Ami mba tjitire omerikutiropamwe nooiho mukururume, indu tji mbe ve yamene kOvaengipte ne ve kutura kouhuura. Ami mbe ve raerere kutja 14 aruhe kombunda yozombura hambombari ve sokukutura omukarere auhe Omuheberi ngwe ve karera oure wozombura hamboumwe. Nungwari ooiho mukururume kave ningire ko na tja na ami, nu kave puratenene ko ku imbi mbi mbe ve raerere. 15 Nambano otjikando hi eṋe mwa rundurura omeripuriro weṋu nu mwa tjita imbi mbyaa vi tjata ku ami. Eṋe amuhe mwa zuvasana okukutura Ovaisrael ovakweṋu, nu mwa tjitira omerikutiropamwe momurungu wandje, mondjuwo yandje ami mu mbi rikotamenenwa. 16 Nungwari tjazumba mwa rundurura omeripuriro weṋu rukwao, namu he ndji raisire ondengero. Eṋe amuhe mwa kotora ovakarere avehe mbu mwa kuturire otja owo pu va zerire okukuturwa, notji mwe ve ṋiṋikiza okurira ovakarere veṋu rukwao. 17 Nambano ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, otji me tja eṋe kamu karere nonḓuviro ku ami; kamu kuturire Ovaisrael ovakweṋu. Osemba, ami nambano me mu pe ongutukiro ndji: Ongutukiro yokuṱa movita, noyokuṱa i omutjise omuzeu nondjara. Me yandjere kutja oviwaṋa avihe mouye vi yaukisiwe i imbi ami mbi me tjiti ku eṋe. 18-19 Ovahongore va Juda nova Jerusalem, novahongore vondjuwo youhona, novapristeri novanane avehe va tjita omerikutiropamwe na ami mokukawondja pokati kotumbembera tuvari twondana ondume ndji va haṋa pokati. Nungwari owo va teya omerikutiropamwe nave ha ṱakamisa omambo womerikutiropamwe nga. Otji me tjiti kovandu mba ihi owo tji va tjita kondana ondume ndjo. 20 Ami meve yandja momake wovanavita na wo, nowaimba mbu mave vanga okuvezepa; noturova twawo matu riwa i ozonḓera zeyuru novipuka vyokuti. 21 Sidkija, ombara ya Juda, novahongore ve wina meve yandja momake wa imba mbu mave vanga okuvezepa. Meve yandja momake wotjimbumba tja Babilon tjovita tji tja isa nambano nai okumurwisa. 22 Tara, ami me yandja omarakiza, nowo mave kotoka kotjihuro hi. Owo mave tji rwisa, ave tji kambura nave tji nyosa. Ami me tjiti kutja ovirongo vya Juda vi rire ongaango mu mu ha tura omundu. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
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.”
