A Message of Hope
The Lord said:
1 You leaders of my people are like shepherds that kill and scatter the sheep. 2 You were supposed to take care of my people, but instead you chased them away. So now I'll punish you severely and make you pay for your crimes!
3 I will bring the rest of my people home from the lands where I have scattered them, and they will grow into a mighty nation. 4 I promise to choose leaders who will care for them like real shepherds. All of my people will be there, and they will never again be frightened.
5 Someday I will appoint
an honest king
from the family of David,
a king who will be wise
and rule with justice.
6 As long as he is king,
Israel will have peace,
and Judah will be safe.
The name of this king will be
“The Lord Gives Justice.”
7 A time will come when you will again worship me. But you will no longer call me the Living God who rescued Israel from Egypt. 8 Instead, you will call me the Living God who rescued you from the land in the north and from all the other countries where I had forced you to go. And you will once again live in your own land.
Jeremiah Thinks about Unfaithful Prophets
9 When I think of the prophets,
I am shocked, and I tremble
like someone drunk,
because of the Lord
and his sacred words.
10 Those unfaithful prophets
misuse their power
all over the country.
So God turned the pasturelands
into scorching deserts.
The Lord Will Punish Unfaithful Prophets
11 The Lord told me to say:
You prophets and priests
think so little of me, the Lord,
that you even sin
in my own temple!
12 Now I will punish you
with disaster,
and you will slip and fall
in the darkness.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
13 The prophets in Samaria
were repulsive to me,
because they preached
in the name of Baal
and led my people astray.
14 And you prophets in Jerusalem
are even worse.
You're unfaithful in marriage
and never tell the truth.
You even lead others to sin
instead of helping them
turn back to me.
You and the people of Jerusalem
are evil like Sodom
and Gomorrah.
15 You prophets in Jerusalem
have spread evil everywhere.
That's why I, the Lord, promise
to give you bitter poison
to eat and drink.
The Lord Gives a Warning
The Lord said:
16 Don't listen to the lies
of these false prophets,
you people of Judah!
The message they preach
is something they imagined;
it did not come from me,
the Lord All-Powerful.
17 These prophets go to people
who refuse to respect me
and who are stubborn
and do whatever they please.
The prophets tell them,
“The Lord has promised
everything will be fine.”
18 But I, the Lord, tell you
that these prophets
have never attended a meeting
of my council in heaven
or heard me speak.
19 They are evil! So in my anger
I will strike them
like a violent storm.
20 I won't calm down,
until I have finished
what I have decided to do.
Someday you will understand
exactly what I mean.
21 I did not send these prophets
or speak to them,
but they ran to find you
and to preach their message.
22 If they had been in a meeting
of my council in heaven,
they would have told
you people of Judah
to give up your sins
and come back to me.
23 I am everywhere—
both near and far,
24 in heaven and on earth.
There are no secret places
where you can hide from me.
25 These unfaithful prophets claim that I have given them a dream or a vision, and then they tell lies in my name. 26 But everything they say comes from their own twisted minds. How long can this go on? 27 They tell each other their dreams and try to get my people to reject me, just as their ancestors left me and worshiped Baal. 28 Their dreams and my truth are as different as straw and wheat. But when prophets speak for me, they must say only what I have told them. 29 My words are a powerful fire; they are a hammer that shatters rocks.
30-32 These unfaithful prophets claim I give them their dreams, but it isn't true. I didn't choose them to be my prophets, and yet they babble on and on, speaking in my name, while stealing words from each other. And when my people hear these liars, they are led astray instead of being helped. So I warn you that I am now the enemy of these prophets. I, the Lord, have spoken.
News and Nuisance
The Lord said to me:
33 Jeremiah, when a prophet or a priest or anyone else comes to you and asks, “Does the Lord have news for us?” tell them, “You people are a nuisance to the Lord, and he will get rid of you.”
34 If any of you say, “Here is news from the Lord,” I will punish you and your families, even if you are a prophet or a priest. 35 Instead, you must ask your friends and relatives, “What answer did the Lord give?” or “What has the Lord said?” 36 It seems that you each have your own news! So if you say, “Here is news from the Lord,” you are twisting my words into a lie. Remember that I am your God, the Lord All-Powerful.
37 If you go to a prophet, it's all right to ask, “What answer did the Lord give to my question?” or “What has the Lord said?” 38 But if you disobey me and say, “Here is news from the Lord,” 39 I will pick you up and throw you far away. And I will abandon this city of Jerusalem that I gave to your ancestors. 40 You will never be free from your shame and disgrace.
Lutabi gwe ndulamo
1 “Yee mme wee mapalala imwi balisi banokolomola kakale mupaladza pkhwizi dze fulo langu!” 2 Ndizo Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati ngekwe balisi bakalisa bathu bangu, “Makapaladza pkhwizi ne mbudzi dzangu, makadzitatila kutjena, amuzodzitjengeta. Bonani ndowolingisana namwi ngekwe mishingo yenyu yakabipa kojalo Yahwe. 3 Ipapo ndowokubunganya malimbelimbe e pkhwizi ne mbudzi dzangu mu shango dzose dzandakaatatila ko ngono ndowoazhisa ku danga lawo anowobe manjinji akawanda. 4 Ndowoabigila balisi kuatjengeta, aatjawotja kakale kene kuli kutemeka mafupa kene kukabe ne limwe lingatjamila kakale,” kojalo Yahwe.
5 “Bonani, misi yaswika,” kojalo Yahwe, “inowoti amusila Dafite lutabi gwakalulwama, mambo unowobusa nge butjenjedu, kathama tjakatambunuka ne ndulamo mu shango. 6 Mu mazhuba awe Juda unowotjidziwa, Iziraela ikagala nge kwakabakililika. Ileli ndilo zina laanowodang'wa ndilo, ‘Yahwe i ndulamo yedu.’
7 “Ndizo, bonani, misi yaswika” kojalo Yahwe, “kunowoti bathu bakasishwe beti, ‘Nge malebeswa se Yahwe betjila, ibo bakadusa bathu be Iziraela mu shango ye Egipiti,’ 8 koga banowoti, ‘Nge malebeswa se Yahwe betjila ibo bakadusa bakatungamila zwizekugwana zwe ng'umba ye Iziraela kudwa mu shango ye bunandzwa ne kudwa mu shango dzose dzabakabe babatatila ko.’ Ipapo banowogala mu shango yabo.”
Balebesambeli be manyepkhwa
9 Ngekwe balebesambeli,
Moyo wangu unogwadza,
mafupa angu anotetema,
ndonga nthu wakalaladza,
ndonga nthu wakakuligwa nge nkumbi we zhambi,
ngekwa Yahwe,
ne ngekwe matama abo akayengemala.
10 Ngoti shango izhele phombgwe
ngekwe bhiso shango inolila,
mafulilo mu tjilambanyika akabuna.
Balebesambeli banolabukila zwithu zwakabipa koga,
bunyambi gwabo gumuna zwisakatambunuka.
11 “Nlebesambeli ne mpirisiti abana Ndzimu,
ne mu Ng'umba yangu ndakawana bubi gwabo,”
Koleba Yahwe.12 Ndizo ke zila yabo inowobe inosodzoloka,
banowotatigwa ku zhalima,
ngono banowa.
Ndowozhisa mbatsha mu bali,
mu gole lekulobgwa shamu kwabo,
Koleba Yahwe.13 Mu balebesambeli be Samariya,
ndakabona butjapa,
bakabe be belebeselambeli beshingisa Bhaale,
bakapambusa bathu bangu Iziraela.
14 Mu balebesambeli be Jerusalema,
ndakabona tjithu tjakabangalala,
banothama bupombgwe banotjila manyepkhwa,
banosimisa maboko e banothama mbipo,
kuti ndizo kushete washandukila bubi gugwe,
bose botjinga Sodoma kundili,
ne bagali bayo bonga Gomora.
15 Ndizo Yahwe Masimbawose ngekwe balebesambeli bakati,
“Bonani, ndowobajisa zojiwa zwinobaba
abapa vula ina nti unobulaya kuti baing'we,
ngoti kudwa mu balebesambeli be Jerusalema,
kushaya Ndzimu kwaandama ne shango yose.”
16 Yahwe Masimbawose bakati, “Musiteedze matama e balebesambeli banomulebeselambeli, bemuzhadza nge kugalabgwe kusi kwe tjimwe, banoleba mbono dze mikumbulo yabo kusi inodwa mu milomo ya Yahwe. 17 Banogala beti kuna ibabo banolengudza dama la Yahwe, ‘Mowobe ne kunyalala.’ Ngono kuna ibabo banotobela bukomba gwe mimoyo yabo banoti kubali, ‘Akuna mbatsha dzinowomuwila.’ ”
18 Ndiyani pakati kwabo wakatongoma pakati kwe goko la Yahwe kubona kene kuhwa dama la Yahwe?
Wakatongoteedza kahwa hwi lawo?
19 Bonani dutu la Yahwe!
Bushongola gunothuta,
tjampupudze tjakabangalala,
tjowonginilila misholo ye babiibi.
20 Kugwadzamoyo kwa Yahwe akutowotebama,
kudzina bawidza tjabakazwimisila mu moyo wabo.
Mu mazhuba anozha,
mowokuhwisisa zubuyanana.
21 Andizotuma balebesambeli ibaba,
koga banotjimbidza kuyisa ndayidzo,
andizolebeleka nabo,
koga bakalebesambeli.
22 Koga abangabe bedwa pama mu goko langu,
bangabe bakaleba matama angu ku bathu bangu,
ipapo bangabe bakashandukila zila dzabo mbi,
ne mu mishingo yabo yakabipa.
23 “Apa ndi Ndzimu upejo koga?” Kojalo Yahwe. “Apa andite ndili Ndzimu ukule kene? 24 Apa nthu ungabgwata mu magalo akasumbikala kuti ndizo ndisimbone kene?” Kojalo Yahwe. “Apa andite ndili pamwe ne pamwe mu zhuzhugwi ne shango kene?” Kojalo Yahwe. 25 “Ndakahwa tjakalebgwa ne balebesambeli bakabe belebesambeli manyepkhwa nge zina langu beti, ‘Ndakawolota, ndakawolota!’ 26 Kowotola tjibaka tjingapani ikoku kwakadwilila mu mimoyo ye balebesambeli ibaba be manyepkhwa, banolebesambeli hwumana kwe mimoyo yabo kene? 27 Banokumbula kuti mawoloto abanobudzana anowothama kuti bathu bangu bakangang'we zina langu, koga bobatategulu babo sekwa bakakangang'wa zina langu nge kuthigamila Bhaale. 28 Nlebesambeli una mawoloto ngaalebe mawoloto awe koga iye una dama langu ngaalebe dama langu nge lebeswa. Apa bunye guna gobe leni mu mathunde kene?” Kojalo Yahwe. 29 “Apa dama langu alitonga moto kene? Apa alitonga hamuli inopkhwanya shongwe ikabe zwitibhutibhu kene?” Kojalo Yahwe. 30 “Ndizo ke, bonani, ndobhayana ne balebesambeli banokwiba dama langu mmwe mu mmwe,” koleba Yahwe. 31 “Bonani, ndobhayana ne balebesambeli banoshingisa matama abo beti ‘Kojalo Yahwe.’ 32 Bonani, ndobhayana na ibabo banolebesambeli mawoloto e manyepkhwa.” Kojalo Yahwe. “Ibabo banobadwa kakale bebatungamilila ntome nge manyepkhwa abo nenge butjapa gwabo ngono ipapo imi ndisakabatuma kene kuli kubadwa tjimwe, ndizo abatobhatsha bathu ibaba nge tjimwe ndodwa,” kojalo Yahwe.
Ntolo wa Yahwe
33 “Ha mmwe we bathu ibaba kene nlebesambeli kene mpirisiti ungakubhuzwa eti, ‘Ntolo wa Yahwe ini?’ Ubadwe uti, ‘Ndimwi ntolo, koga ndowomutula ndimulasha,’ kojalo Yahwe. 34 Ngono ha nlebesambeli kene mpirisiti kene mmwe koga angati, ‘Ntolo wa Yahwe,’ ndowoloba shamu nthu iwoyo ne nsha uwe. 35 Mulebesane mmwe ne mmwe ne mbakidzani naye ne mmwe ne mmwe ku hama iye muti, ‘Yahwe badabila betini’ kene ‘Yahwe balebeleka betini?’
36 “Koga musitongo tjashingisa dama linoti, ‘Ntolo wa Yahwe’ ngoti dama ileli lowobe ntolo mu mmwe ne mmwe. Naikobo mungabe mulelekesa matama e Ndzimu unotjila matama a Yahwe Masimbawose, matama e Ndzimu wedu. 37 Bhuzwa nlebesambeli uti, ‘Yahwe badabila betini’ kene ‘Yahwe balebeleka betini?’ 38 Koga amuti, ‘Ntolo wa Yahwe,’ kojalo Yahwe, ngoti mowobe maleba matama iyawa, ‘Ntolo wa Yahwe,’ andimutuma nditi, ‘Musilebe muti, “Ntolo wa Yahwe,” ’ 39 ndizo ke, bonani ndowomumilidzila pezhugwi se ntolo amulashila ku tjena mukadwa mbeli kwangu, imwi ne nzi nkulu wandakamupa imwi na bobatategulu benyu. 40 Ngono ndowomuzhisila kulengudzika kusingapele, kubhatisiwa shoni kusowokanganika.”