1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon; 2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem;) 3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying, 4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon; 5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; 6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished. 7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
8 ¶ For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed. 9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
10 ¶ For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13 And ye shall seek me, and find me , when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
15 ¶ Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon; 16 Know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity; 17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. 18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them: 19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
20 ¶ Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes; 22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire; 23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.
24 ¶ Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying, 25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying, 26 The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks. 27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you? 28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 ¶ Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, 31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie: 32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.
Orutuu rwa Jeremia kOvajuda mObabilon
1 Ami mba tjanga orutuu kovapristeri novaprofete novanane votjiwaṋa na kovandu avehe, mba twarerwe i Nebukadnesar otja ovahuurwa kObabilon okuza kOjerusalem. 2 Ami mbe ru tjanga indu ombara Jekonia na ina novahongore vondjuwo youhona, novanane va Juda nova Jerusalem, novahambure novaungure ozonongo tji va zire nokutwarewa kouhuura. 3 Orutuu ndwi mbe ru yandja ku Elasa, omuzandu wa Safan, na ku Gemarja, omuzandu wa Hilkija, mba tumwa i Sidkija, ombara ya Juda, ku Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon. Norutuu rwa tja nai:
4 “Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, ma tja nai kovandu avehe, mba twarewa i Nebukadnesar otja ovahuurwa okuza mOjerusalem nokuyenda kObabilon: 5 ‘Tungeye ozondjuwo mu ture mo. Kuneye ovikunino nu mu rye imbi mbi mavi hapa mu vyo. 6 Kupeye nu mu kwate ovanatje. Kupiseye ovanatje veṋu kutja owo wina ve kwate ovanatje. Takavareye, amu heṋuka motjivaro. 7 Ungurireye ouwa wehi ku mbe mu twara otja ovahuurwa. Kumbireye ro ku ami, orondu oro tji mari ṋingapara, eṋe wina mamu ṋingapara. 8 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, me mu rongo kutja amu ha wovisiwa i ovaprofete mbe tura mokati keṋu poo i ngamwa varwe mbe tja ve zuvarisa oviṋa vyoruveze ndu maru ya. Amu puratene ko ku ngamwa oturoto twawo. 9 Owo ve mu raera ovizeze mena randje, nu hi ve hindire. Ami, ngu, mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.’
10 “Muhona ma tja nai: ‘Ozombura omirongo hambombari zouhona wa Babilon tji za kapita, me rikendere eṋe nu me yenenisa omakwizikiro wandje wokumukotora konganda. 11 Ami me tjiwa omeripuriro ngu mbi na wo otja ku eṋe, omeripuriro wohange, nu nge he ri wotjiwonga, omeripuriro wokumupa oruveze ndu maru ya rwomaundjiro norwouṋingandu. 12 Tji mamu ku ku ami namu kumbu ku ami, ami me mu zuvire. 13 Nu tji mamu ndji paha, mamu ndji munu, tjinga amamu ndji paha nomitima vyeṋu avihe. 14 Ii, ami me tja mamu ndji munu, nami me mu yarura ko mehi reṋu. Me mu wongo moviwaṋa na movirongo avihe mu mbe mu rimba, nu me mu kotora kehi mu mbe mu rambera kouhuura. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.’
15 “Eṋe mamu tja Muhona we mu pendurira ovaprofete mObabilon wina. 16 Purateneye ku imbi Muhona mbi ma hungirire ombara, ndji mai honaparere ouhona wa David, na mbi ma hungirire ovandu votjihuro hi, okutja imba ovazamumwe veṋu mbe ha twarerwe otja ovahuurwa puna eṋe. 17 Muhona Omunamasaaehe ma tja nai: ‘Ami me eta ovita nondjara nomutjise omuzeu ku wo, nu meve sanisa komakuyu nga wora nga tji ye hi nokusora okuriwa. 18 Ami meve tezere novita nondjara nomutjise omuzeu, noviwaṋa avihe mouye mavi urumisiwa i imbi mbi mavi munu. Akuhe ami ku meve rimbire, ovandu mave handuka nu mave urumisiwa i imbi mbya tjitwa ku wo. Ovandu mave ve nyekerere, ave ve sengi nave ve hembe. 19 Ihi matji tjitwa ku wo tjinga ave ha karere nonḓuviro kombuze, ndji mba kara pokuhinda ku wo novinyo vyovakarere vandje, imba ovaprofete. Owo va panḓa okupuratena. 20 Amuhe mbu mba hinda kouhuura okuza kOjerusalem nokuyenda kObabilon, purateneye ku imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, mbi me hungire.’
21 “Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, wa hungirira Ahab, omuzandu wa Kolaja, na Sidkija, omuzandu wa Maaseja, mbe mu ukira ovizeze mena re. Eye wa tja meve yandja mouvara wa Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, ngu meve zepere momeho weṋu. 22 Novandu mba mba twarewa otja ovahuurwa okuza kOjerusalem okuyenda kObabilon, tji mave vanga okusenga omundu ngamwa auhe, mave tja nai: ‘Muhona nge ku tjite otja tja tjita ku Sidkija na Ahab, mba ningiririsiwa nomuinyo i ombara ya Babilon!’ 23 Ihi matji rire otjiwonga tjawo, orondu owo va tura ondjo youvi ounene, owo va katuka otukupo, nu va hungira ovizeze mena ra Muhona. Inga kaya ri omarakiza wa Muhona; eye omuhongonone wawo. Muhona ongwa hungire.”
Orutuu rwa Semaja
24-25 Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, we ndji pa ombuze ku Semaja, Omunehelam, ngwa hindire orutuu mena re omuini kovandu avehe va Jerusalem na komupristeri Sefanja, omuzandu wa Maaseja, na kovapristeri avehe ovakwao. Morutuu ndwi Semaja wa tjanga nai ku Sefanja: 26 “Muhona we ku zika omupristeri moruveze rwa Jojada, nu nambano oove ngu u ri omunane omunene otjiuru mondjuwo ya Muhona. Ihi otjiungura tjoye okongwi okumuna kutja omundu woviyoze ngamwa auhe ngu me ritjindi aayo omuprofete, a pandekwe nouketanga na tuwe ko otjipandeke tjotjitenda tjomosengo. 27 Okutjavi tji u ha tjitire nai ku Jeremia wa Anatot nguye ritjindi aayo omuprofete motjiwaṋa? 28 Eye ma sokutjaerwa tjinga a raera ovahuurwa mObabilon kutja owo mave kara mouhuura mo oruveze orure, nokutja mave sokutunga ozondjuwo, ave tura mo, ave kunu ovikunino nave ri imbi mbi mave kondo.”
29 Omupristeri Sefanja we ndji resera orutuu ndwi, 30 nu tjazumba Muhona we ndji raera 31-32 kutja mbi hinde ombuze ndji kovahuurwa avehe mObabilon, ndja hungirirwa Semaja, nu ndji mai tja nai: “Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, me vere Semaja nozondekurona ze azehe. Ami hi mu hindire, nungwari eye wa hungira ku eṋe aayo eye omuprofete, neye we mu pukisa kutja mu riyameke kovizeze. Eye ke nokukara nozondekurona mokati keṋu, nu ke nokuhupa kutja a mune oviṋa oviwa mbi me ka tjitira otjiwaṋa tjandje, orondu eye we tji raera kutja tji ndji pirukire. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
