King Jehoiakim Burns Jeremiah's First Scroll
1 During the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, the Lord said to me, “Jeremiah, 2 since the time Josiah was king, I have been speaking to you about Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Now, get a scroll and write down everything I have told you, 3 then read it to the people of Judah. Maybe they will stop sinning when they hear what terrible things I plan for them. And if they turn back to me, I will forgive them.”
4 I sent for Baruch son of Neriah and asked him to help me. I repeated everything the Lord had told me, and Baruch wrote it all down on a scroll. 5 Then I said,
Baruch, the officials refuse to let me go into the Lord's temple, 6 so you must go instead. Wait for the next holy day when the people of Judah come to the temple to pray and to go without eating. Then take this scroll to the temple and read it aloud. 7 The Lord is furious, and if the people hear how he is going to punish them, maybe they will ask to be forgiven.
8-10 In the ninth month of the fifth year that Jehoiakim was king, the leaders set a day when everyone who lived in Jerusalem or who was visiting there had to pray and go without eating. So Baruch took the scroll to the upper courtyard of the temple. He went over to the side of the courtyard and stood in a covered area near New Gate, where he read the scroll aloud.
This covered area belonged to Gemariah, one of the king's highest officials. 11 Gemariah's son Micaiah was there and heard Baruch read what the Lord had said. 12 When Baruch finished reading, Micaiah went down to the palace. His father Gemariah was in the officials' room, meeting with the rest of the king's officials, including Elishama, Delaiah, Elnathan, and Zedekiah. 13 Micaiah told them what he had heard Baruch read to the people. 14 Then the officials sent Jehudi and Shelemiah to tell Baruch, “Bring us that scroll.”
When Baruch arrived with the scroll, 15 the officials said, “Please sit down and read it to us,” which he did. 16 After they heard what was written on the scroll, they were worried and said to each other, “The king needs to hear this!” Turning to Baruch, they asked, 17 “Did someone tell you what to write on this scroll?”
18 “Yes, Jeremiah did,” Baruch replied. “I wrote down just what he told me.”
19 The officials said, “You and Jeremiah must go into hiding, and don't tell anyone where you are going.”
20-22 The officials put the scroll in Elishama's room and went to see the king, who was in one of the rooms where he lived and worked during the winter. It was the ninth month of the year, so there was a fire burning in the fireplace, and the king was sitting nearby. After the officials told the king about the scroll, he sent Jehudi to get it. Then Jehudi started reading the scroll to the king and his officials. 23-25 But every time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king would tell him to cut them off with his penknife and throw them in the fire. Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, but he ignored them, and soon there was nothing left of it.
The king and his servants listened to what was written on the scroll, but they were not the least bit afraid, and they did not tear their clothes in sorrow.
26 The king told his son Jerahmeel to take Seraiah and Shelemiah and to go arrest Baruch and me. But the Lord kept them from finding us.
Jeremiah's Second Scroll
27 I had told Baruch what to write on that first scroll, but King Jehoiakim had burned it. So the Lord told me 28 to get another scroll and write down everything that had been on the first one. 29 Then he told me to say to King Jehoiakim:
Not only did you burn Jeremiah's scroll, you had the nerve to ask why he had written that the king of Babylonia would attack and ruin the land, killing all the people and even the animals. 30 So I, the Lord, promise that you will be killed and your body thrown out on the ground. The sun will beat down on it during the day, and the frost will settle on it at night. And none of your descendants will ever be king of Judah. 31 You, your children, and your servants are evil, and I will punish everyone of you. I warned you and the people of Judah and Jerusalem that I would bring disaster, but none of you have listened. So now you are doomed!
32 After the Lord finished speaking to me, I got another scroll and gave it to Baruch. Then I told him what to write, so this second scroll would contain even more than was on the scroll Jehoiakim had burned.
Jehoyakimu unopisa lukwalo gwa Jeremiya
1 Mu gole le bunna la Jehoyakimu nkololo wa Josiya, mambo we Juda, dama ileli likazha kuna Jeremiya lidwa kuna Yahwe liti, 2 “Tola lukwalo ngono ukwale muguli matama andaleba nawe ngekwe Iziraela ne Juda nenge zwitjaba zose, kudwa mu zhuba landakalebeleka nawe, kudwa mu misi ya Josiya kunoti nasi. 3 Pamwe swiyo ng'umba iyeyije ye Juda inowohwa bubi gose gwandakazwimisila kubathamila igo, kuti ndizo mmwe ne mmwe ashandukile zila dzidze dzakabipa, ndizo ndibazwiibhatigwe matjinyo abo ne zwibi zwabo.”
4 Ipapo Jeremiya kadana Bharuku nkololo wa Neriya ngono Bharuku kakwala mu lukwalo kose kwalebgwa ndi Jeremiya ali matama wose a Yahwe abakalebeleka naye. 5 Jeremiya kadwa Bharuku kati, “Ndakamanikana, anditotubula kuyenda ku ng'umba ya Yahwe, 6 ndizo wakafanila kuyenda ko mu zhuba le kuzwinyima zojiwa ngono uswike ubale matama a Yahwe kudwa mu lukwalo gwawakwala sekwa ndabe ndikudwa. Wakafanila kuabalila balume bose be Juda badwa ku mizi yabo mikulu. 7 Pamwe swiyo banowozhisa mitembezelo yabo kuna Yahwe ngono mmwe ne mmwe kashandukila zila dzidze mbimbi, ngoti kugwadzamoyo ne bushongola gwa Yahwe zwabalebela bathu ibabo zwikulu kwazo.”
8 Bharuku nkololo wa Neriya kathama kose kwaadwiwa ndi Jeremiya nlebesambeli kuti akuthame, kubala matama wose a Yahwe kudwa mu lukwalo eabalila mu ng'umba ya Yahwe.
9 Mu gole le bushanu la Jehoyakimu nkololo wa Josiya, mambo we Juda, mwedzi we buzhanalume, bathu bose mu Jerusalema ne bathu bose bakabe bedwa ku mizi mikulu ye Juda bakadanigwa kuzwinyima zojiwa mbeli kwa Yahwe. 10 Kudwa pa ng'umbana ya Gemariya nkololo wa Shafani we nkwalili, yakabe ili ku nsha utja pezhugwi ku nkoba we Nkoba Ntshwa we ng'umba ya Yahwe, Bharuku kabala matama a Jeremiya kudwa mu lukwalo.
11 Kwakati Mikaya nkololo wa Gemariya, nkololo wa Shafani ehwa matama wose a Yahwe kudwa mu lukwalo, 12 kadelukila ku ng'umba ya mambo ku ng'umbana ye nkwalili, makulukota wose akabe aligele ipapo ili Elishama nkwalili na Delaya nkololo wa Shemaya na Elinathani nkololo wa Akibori na Gemariya nkololo wa Shafani na Zedekiya nkololo wa Hananiya ne makulukota wose mamwe. 13 Ngono Mikaya kababudza matama wose aakabe ahwa ha Bharuku eabalila bathu kudwa mu lukwalo. 14 Ipapo makulukota wose katuma Jehudi nkololo wa Nethaniya, nkololo wa Shelamiya, nkololo wa Khushi bakanon'dwa bakati, “Lukwalo gwawabalila bathu gutole nge luboko uzhe nago ngeno!” Bharuku nkololo wa Neriya katola bhuka nge luboko akayenda ku bali. 15 Ngono bakan'dwa bakati, “Gala pasi ugubale.” Ndizo Bharuku kababalila igo. 16 Bakati behwa matama wose bakalingana nge lutjo ngono bakadwa Bharuku bakati, “Takafanila zibisa mambo matama iyawa wose.” 17 Ipapo bakabhuzwa Bharuku bakati, “Tibudze kwakazha tjini kuti ukwale kose ikoku? Apa Jeremiya ndiye wakakudwa?”
18 Bharuku kabadabila kati, “Wakandidwa matama iyawa wose, ha imi ndakabe ndiakwala ne inki mu lukwalo.”
19 Ipapo makulukota bakadwa Bharuku bakati, “Endani munobgwata iwe na Jeremiya, kushete waziba kwamuyoko.”
20 Bakabiga lukwalo mu ng'umbana ya Elishama we nkwalili, bakayenda kuna mambo ku nsha ngono bakanobika tjimwe ne tjimwe ku nli. 21 Ipapo mambo katuma Jehudi kunotola lukwalo, ngono kanogutola ku ng'umbana ya Elishama we nkwalili ngono Jehudi kagubalila mambo ne makulukota wose akabe ali mile kubapa na mambo. 22 Kwakabe kuli mwedzi we buzhanalume, ngono mambo wakabe ali gele mu ng'umbana ye mbaba kuna moto wakabe uthuta mu hali ye moto mbeli kukwe. 23 Kwakabe kuti Jehudi asinobala zebe dzili thatu kene nna, mambo unowobe edzipalula nge mpanga edzilashila mu hali ye moto kudzina lukwalo gose gwatshwa nge moto.
24 Mambo ne balanda babe bakati behwa matama iyawa kukashaya wabo walobgwa nge hana, kene kuli kupalula zwiambalo zwabo. 25 Nenguba Elinathani na Delaya na Gemariya bakakumbila mambo kuti basipise lukwalo ngono kasibateedze. 26 Naikobo mambo kadwa Jerahemeli nkololo wa mambo na Seraya nkololo wa Aziriele na Shelemiya nkololo wa Seraya nkololo wa Aziriele na Shelemiya nkololo wa Abideli kuti basunge Bharuku nkwalili wa Jeremiya nlebesambeli koga Yahwe bakabe babasumbika.
27 Shule kwe kuti mambo bapise lukwalo gwakabe guna matama akakwagwa ndi Bharuku eadwiwa ndi Jeremiya, dama la Yahwe liti, 28 “Tola lukwalo gumwe ukwale muguli matama wose abe ali mu lukwalo gwe kutanga igo gwapisiwa ndi Jehoyakimu mambo we Juda. 29 Kakale udwe Jehoyakimu mambo we Juda uti, Yahwe bakati, â€Wapisa lukwalo igogu uti, “Ini wakwala mu guli kuti nge lebeswa mambo we Bhabhiloni unowozha kakolomola shango iyeyi kakale kapedzisa bathu ne zwithuwo zose muili?” 30 Ndizoke Yahwe bakati ngekwa Jehoyakimu mambo we Juda, “Akutowobe ne mmwe unowogala tjigalo tje bumambo gwa Dafite, nenge kuti itumbu tjitje tjowolashigwa munopisa masikati tjikalashigwa muna makaa busiku. 31 Ndowon'loba shamu ne bana babe ne balanda babe ndowobalobela matjinyo abo. Ndowodelusila mubali ne mu bagali be Jerusalema ne mu balume be Juda bubi gose gwandakaleba kuti ndowobathamila igo, koga bakasiteedze.” ’ ”
32 Ipapo Jeremiya katola gumwe lukwalo kagupa Bharuku we nkwalili, nkololo wa Neriya, Bharuku kakwala matama wose e lukwalo gwakabe gwapisigwa mu moto ndi Jehoyakimu Mambo we Juda, ngono gukapaphiwa nge matama manjinji.