Ovajuda vomuEgipiti tava hanyenwa
1 Ondjovo ya tuminwa Ovajuda aveshe va kala medu laEgipiti, naavo va kala muMigdol nomuTahpanhes nomuMemfis nomomukunda waPatros, oya hanga Jeremia tai ti: 2 Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti ngaha: “Oiponga inya aishe nde i undulila Jerusalem noilando yaJuda aishe, onye vene omwe i mona. Ndele tala, nena oyo omakulukuma, omo muhe novanhu, 3 omolwowii wavo ve u ninga okuhandukifa nge eshi va ya va ka xwike omayambo nokulongela oikalunga inai shiivika kuvo nokooxe. 4 Ndele Ame onde mu tumina ovapiya vange ovaxunganeki efimbo keshe ndele nda tya: Inamu longa oixuna oyo, handi i tondo. 5 Ndelenee vo inava pwilikina nongaashi inava ameka omatwi avo kwaame, va aluke kowii wavo nova efe okuxwikila oikalunga imwe omayambo. 6 Onghee oupyuhandu wange nehandu lange la tilwa ndele la xwama pombada omoilando yaJuda nomomapandavanda aJerusalem, ndele yo oya shituka omakulukuma nombuwa yongaho, ngaashi i li nonena.”
7 Hano paife Omwene Kalunga komatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti ngaha: “Omolwashike hano onye vene tamu lishilile omupya omunene, eshi tamu mane mo mokati keni ovalumenhu novakainhu nounona nouhanana vomuJuda, nye muhe lixupifile nande oshixupe. 8 Osheshi otamu handukifa nge noilonga yomake eni nokuxwikila oikalunga imwe omayambo moshilongo shaEgipiti oko mwe uya ko mu ka kale ovanailongo nosho ngaha tamu lishilile okunyonwa po, ndele tamu ningi ondjovo yefingano noyesheko mokati koiwana aishe yokombada yedu. 9 Hamba nye omwa dimbwa omawii ooxokulu nomawii eehamba daJuda nomawii ovakainhu vavo nomawii eni vene nomawii ovakainhu veni ve u ninga moshilongo shaJuda nomomapandavanda aJerusalem? 10 Fiyo onena inave lixupipika nongaashi inava tila, noinava enda pamhango yange nopamayukifo oo nde e va pa, ovo nooxekulu.” 11 Onghee hano Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael ota ti ngaha: “Taleni, oshipala shange ohandi shi mu taalelifile oiponga ndi hanaune po Juda ashishe. 12 Ndele Ame ohandi ka kufa oshixupe shomuJuda, shi noipala ya taalela kuEgipiti, va ye ko va ka kale ko ovanailongo, ndele vo aveshe otava ka xula po muEgipiti. Otava ka fya keongamukonda nokondjala. Ovanyasha novakulunhu otava fi kondjala nokeongamukonda. Ndele voovene otava ka ninga efingano netilifo nondjovo yelengaifo noyesheko. 13 Ndele Ame ohandi ka handukila ava ve li muEgipiti, ngaashi nda handukila Jerusalem neongamukonda nondjala noudu wolutapo. 14 Opo paha kale nande umwe ou ta i onhapo ile te lixupifa mokati koshixupe shaJuda, mwaava ve uya va ka kale medu laEgipiti ovanailongo. Ndele itava shuna kedu laJuda oko eemwenyo davo tadi djuulukwa, va kale ko, osheshi ovainhapo vamwe aveke tava ka shuna ko.”
15 Ndele ovalumenhu aveshe ava va li ve shi shii, kutya ovakainhu vavo tava xwikile oikalunga imwe omayambo, novakainhu aveshe ava va kala ko ofika, ongudu inene, novanhu aveshe ava va kala muEgipiti nova kala muPatros ova nyamukula Jeremia ndele tava ti: 16 Ondjovo ei we tu lombwela medina lOmwene itatu i itavele nande, itatu i itavele tu dulike kwoove. 17 Ndelenee fye ohatu ka wanifa eudaneko letu keshe olo la dja momakanya etu, fye tu xwikile ohamba omwalikadi yomeulu omayambo notu i tilile oikunwayambo ngaashi twa ninga, fye nootate, neehamba detu novakulunhu vetu moilando yaJuda nomomapandavanda aJerusalem, opo nee fye otwa li twa kuta omungome notwa li tu udite ouwa nongaashi inatu mona nande oshiponga. 18 Ndelenee eshi twa efa okuxwikifa ohamba omwalikadi yomeulu omayambo noku i tilila oikunwayambo otwa hepa oinima aishe nohatu manwa po keongamukonda nokondjala. 19 Ndele eshi hatu xwikile ohamba omwalikadi yomeulu omayambo nohatu i tilile oikunwayambo, ohatu shi ningi vati inashi shiivika kovalumenhu vetu, naashi hatu i telekele omingomeyambo da fefano layo ndele hatu i tilile oikunwayambo? 20 Opo nee Jeremia okwa lombwela ovanhu aveshe ovalumenhu novakainhu novanhu aveshe ava ve mu nyamukula eendjovo di fike opo, ndele ta ti: 21 “Heeno, exwikilo mwe li xwika onye nooxokulu neehamba deni novakulunhu veni novanhu aveshe vomoshilongo, mwe li xwika moilando yaJuda nomapandavanda aJerusalem, Omwene ine li dimbulukwa, ndele inali fika komwenyo waye? 22 Opo Omwene ina dula vali oku li lididimikila owii woilonga yeni nomolwoixuna mwe i longa, onghee oshilongo sheni osha ninga omakulukuma nomaputu nondjovo yefingano shihe novanhu, ngaashi shi li nena eli. 23 Osheshi nye omwa xwika omayambo nomwa nyona kOmwene, ndele inamu dulika kondaka yOmwene nye inamu enda pamhango, pamalombwelo nopamaufo aye, onghee hano omupya ou owe mu hanga ngaashi u li paife.”
24 Jeremia okwa lombwela vali ovanhu aveshe novakainhu aveshe ndele ta ti: “Nye Ovajuda aveshe mu li muEgipiti, udeni ondjovo yOmwene. 25 Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti ngaha: ‘Onye novakainhu veni, osho mwe shi popya nomakanya eni eshi mwe shi wanifa yo nomake eni, mwa ti: “Ohatu wanifa eudaneko letu olo twe li udanekela ohamba omwalikadi yomeulu oku i xwikila noku i tilila oikunwayambo.” Onghee diinineni hano eudaneko leni noku li wanifa. 26 Ndelenee kaleni nokuuda ondjovo yOmwene, onye Ovajuda amushe mu li muEgipiti: “Tala, Ame onda ana edina lange linene,” Omwene osho ta ti, oshili moshilongo ashishe shaEgipiti itamu ka kala vali nande omulumenhu Omujuda ta popi nokanya kaye edina lange, a tye ngeno: Oshili, ngaashi Omwene Kalunga e nomwenyo. 27 Taleni, ohandi pashuka ndelenee owii kuvo, hauwa, nOvajuda aveshe ve li muEgipiti otava nyonaunwa po keongamukonda nokondjala fiyo va hanaunwa po filufilu. 28 Ndelenee ava tava xupu po keongamukonda, otava di muEgipiti, ndele tave uya koshilongo shaJuda, okangudu kanininini. Ndele oshixupe ashishe shOvajuda osho she uya medu laEgipiti, shi kale kwinya ovanailongo, otashi ka shiiva, kutya ondjovo oyalyelye ya twa, oyange ile oyavo.
29 “ ‘Ndele oshinima eshi tashi mu ningile edidiliko, Omwene osho ta ti, nokutya ohandi mu handukile monhele ei, opo mu shiive nokutya, eendjovo dange odo di nondubo nanye otadi wanifwa noku mu etela omupya. 30 Omwene ota ti ngaha: Taleni, Farao Hofra, ohamba yaEgipiti, ohandi mu yandje momake ovatondadi vaye nomomake aava tava nangele omwenyo waye. Ngaashi nda yandja Sedekia, ohamba yaJuda momake aNebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon, omutondadi waye nokwa li a nangela omwenyo waye.’ ”
The Lord Will Destroy the People of Judah
1 The Lord told me to speak with the Jews who were living in the towns of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis in northern Egypt, and also to those living in southern Egypt. He told me to tell them:
2 I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. You saw how I destroyed Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. They lie empty and in ruins today, 3 because the people of Judah made me angry by worshiping gods that had never helped them or their ancestors.
4 Time after time I sent my servants the prophets to tell the people of Judah how much I hated their disgusting sins. The prophets warned them to stop sinning, 5 but they refused to listen and would not stop worshiping other gods. 6 Finally, my anger struck like a raging flood, and today Jerusalem and the towns of Judah are nothing but empty ruins.
7 Why do you now insist on heading for another disaster? A disaster that will destroy not only you, but also your children and babies. 8 You have made me angry by worshiping idols and burning incense to other gods after you came here to Egypt. You will die such a disgusting death, that other nations will use the name of Judah as a curse word. 9 When you were living in Jerusalem and Judah, you followed the example of your ancestors in doing evil things, just like your kings and queens. 10 Even now, your pride keeps you from respecting me and obeying the laws and teachings I gave you and your ancestors.
11 I, the Lord All-Powerful, have decided to wipe you out with disasters. 12 There were only a few of you left in Judah, and you decided to go to Egypt. But you will die such horrible deaths in war or from starvation, that people of other countries will use the name of Judah as a curse word. 13 I punished Jerusalem with war, hunger, and disease, and that's how I will punish you. 14 None of you will survive. You may hope to return to Judah someday, but only a very few of you will escape death and be able to go back.
The People Refuse To Worship the Lord
15 A large number of Jews from both northern and southern Egypt listened to me as I told them what the Lord had said. Most of the men in the crowd knew that their wives often burned incense to other gods. So they and their wives shouted:
16 Jeremiah, what do we care if you speak in the Lord's name? We refuse to listen! 17 We have promised to worship the goddess Astarte, the Queen of Heaven, and that is exactly what we are going to do. We will burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to her, just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders did when we lived in Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah. We had plenty of food back then. We were well off, and nothing bad ever happened to us. 18 But since the time we stopped burning incense and offering wine sacrifices to her, we have been dying from war and hunger.
19 Then the women said, “When we lived in Judah, we worshiped the Queen of Heaven and offered sacrifices of wine and special loaves of bread shaped like her. Our husbands knew what we were doing, and they approved of it.”
20 Then I told the crowd:
21 Don't you think the Lord knew that you and your ancestors, your leaders and kings, and the rest of the people were burning incense to other gods in Jerusalem and everywhere else in Judah? 22 And when he could no longer put up with your disgusting sins, he placed a curse on your land and turned it into a desert, as it is today. 23 This disaster happened because you worshiped other gods and rebelled against the Lord by refusing to obey him or follow his laws and teachings.
24-25 Then I told the men and their wives, that the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, had said:
Here in Egypt you still keep your promises to burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to the so-called Queen of Heaven. 26 Keep these promises! But let me tell you what will happen. As surely as I am the Lord God, I swear that I will never again accept any promises you make in my name. 27 Instead of watching over you, I will watch for chances to harm you. Some of you will die in war, and others will starve to death. 28 Only a few will escape and return to Judah. Then everyone who went to live in Egypt will know that when I say something will happen, it will—no matter what you say.
29 And here is how you will know that I will keep my threats to punish you in Egypt. 30 I will hand over King Hophra of Egypt to those who want to kill him, just as I handed Zedekiah over to Nebuchadnezzar, who wanted to kill him.
