Jeremiah Complains to the Lord
1 Whenever I complain
to you, Lord,
you are always fair.
But now I have questions
about your justice.
Why is life easy for sinners?
Why are they successful?
2 You plant them like trees;
you let them prosper
and produce fruit.
Yet even when they praise you,
they don't mean it.
3 But you know, Lord,
how faithful I've always been,
even in my thoughts.
So drag my enemies away
and butcher them like sheep!
4 How long will the ground be dry
and the pasturelands parched?
The birds and animals
are dead and gone.
And all of this happened because
the people are so sinful.
They even brag, “God can't see
the sins we commit.”
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
5 Jeremiah, if you get tired
in a race against people,
how can you possibly run
against horses?
If you fall in open fields,
what will happen in the forest
along the Jordan River?
6 Even your own family
has turned against you.
They act friendly,
but don't trust them.
They're out to get you,
and so is everyone else.
The Lord Is Furious with His People
7 I loved my people and chose them
as my very own.
But now I will reject them
and hand them over
to their enemies.
8 My people have turned against me
and roar at me like lions.
That's why I hate them.
9 My people are like a hawk
surrounded and attacked
by other hawks.
Tell the wild animals
to come and eat their fill.
10 My beautiful land is ruined
like a field or a vineyard
trampled by shepherds
and stripped bare
by their flocks.
11 Every field I see lies barren,
and no one cares.
12 A destroying army
marches along desert roads
and attacks everywhere.
They are my deadly sword;
no one is safe from them.
13 My people, you planted wheat,
but because I was furious,
I let only weeds grow.
You wore yourselves out
and gained only shame!
The Lord Will Have Pity on Other Nations
14 The Lord said:
I gave this land to my people Israel, but enemies around it have attacked and robbed it. So I will uproot them from their own countries just as I will uproot Judah from its land. 15 But later, I will have pity on these nations and bring them back to their own lands. 16 They once taught my people to worship Baal. But if they admit I am the only true God, and if they let my people teach them how to worship me, these nations will also become my people. 17 However, if they don't listen to me, I will uproot them from their lands and completely destroy them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
Kung'ong'ola kwa Jeremiya
1 Imwi Yahwe mogala makalulwama,
ha nding'ong'ola ku muli.
Koga ndoshakabhuzwa ngekwe ndebo yangu nditi,
Ini babiibi bebhudilila kene?
Ini basina bugalimoyo bali gele bakashalanduka?
2 Makabadzwala bakamela midzi,
banokula bakazwala mitjelo.
Mogala muli pa milomo yabo,
koga muli kule ne mimoyo yabo.
3 Koga mundiziba imi Yahwe,
mondibona mukalika mikumbulo yangu nge kwenyu.
Mubakwebele kutjena se pkhwizi inonobhayiwa.
Mubabigile ntome mubabigila zhuba le kubhayiwa.
4 Kowotola tjibaka tjingapani shango ili mu tjililo,
ne bushwa gwe shango yose gubuna kene?
Ngoti ibabo banogala muili babiibi,
phuka ne nyuni dzakafa.
Ngoti bathu banoti, “Aatobona bhelelo ledu.”
5 “Ha wakatongo phikidzana ngo labuka ne bathu,
bakamusiya mungaphikidzana ne mbizi tjini wali?
Ha mu shango yakabakililika musakadzikama,
mungatubula tjini mu ishaka tje Jorodani wali?
6 Nanga hama dzenyu iyo ng'umba ya tate benyu,
bakamuthamila bupitipiti,
banolila nge kwenyu,
musitongo bagalabgwe,
nenguba bangamuleba bubuya.
7 “Ndakafupatila ng'umba yangu.
Ndakalasha thaka yangu.
Ndakalonga tjido tje moyo wangu,
mu maboko e zwita zwizwe.
8 Thaka yangu yatjindishandukila,
yonga shumba mu ishaka,
inondibombela,
ndizo ndotjibenga.
9 Apa thaka yangu yotjinga phele kundili,
apa nyuni dzakagupoteleka kugunginilila kene?
Yendani munokubunganya phuka dze shango,
mudzizhise kuti dzowoja.
10 Balisi banjinji bakakolomola nnda wangu we mizhambi,
bakakanyangila pasi gobe langu,
bakathama gobe langu lakanaka
tjilambanyika tjakathukudzika.
11 Bakalithama likathukudzika kwakabangalala,
lolilila kundili.
Shango yose yakathukudzika,
ngono nthu aana hanya nge kwako.
12 Pezhugwi kwe matuthu asina miti mu tjilambanyika,
bakolomoli bazha,
ngoti thumo la Yahwe loja,
akuna nthu wakabakililika.
13 Banowodzwala korong ngono bakavuna mmihwa,
banozwinyadzila suli ngono bakasivune tjimwe.
Banowobhakhwa nge shoni ngekwe zwawavuna,
ngekwe kugwadzamoyo kukulu kwa Yahwe.”
14 Yahwe banoleba ngekwe babakidzani bangu babiibi, ibo banobhatabhata thaka yandakapa bathu bangu Iziraela kuti ibe yabo beti, “Bonani, ndowobadzikunula mu shango yabo ne ng'umba ye Juda ndowoidzikunula pakati kwabo. 15 Ndowoti ndisinokubadzikunula ndowoti kakale abahwila ngoni, abgwiliza mmwe ne mmwe ku thaka iye ne mmwe ne mmwe ku shango iye. 16 Ngono banowoti bezwidiya zila dze bathu bangu, betuna nge zina langu beti, ‘Nge malebeswa Yahwe banotjila,’ sekwa bakadiya bathu bangu kutuna na Bhaale ipapo banowodzikamisiwa pakati kwe bathu bangu. 17 Koga ha itjaba tjimwe tjisingandihwilile ipapo ndowotjidzikunula tjoselele atjikolomodza, kojalo Yahwe.”