1 Johanan, Jezaniah, the other army officers, and everyone else in the group, came to me 2 and said, “Please, Jeremiah, pray to the Lord your God for us. Judah used to have many people, but as you can see, only a few of us are left. 3 Ask the Lord to tell us where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do.”
4 “All right,” I answered, “I will pray to the Lord your God, and I will tell you everything he says.”
5 They answered, “The Lord himself will be our witness that we promise to do whatever he says, 6 even if it isn't what we want to do. We will obey the Lord so that all will go well for us.”
7 Ten days later, the Lord gave me an answer for 8 Johanan, the officers, and the other people. So I called them together 9 and told them that the Lord God of Israel had said:
You asked Jeremiah to pray and find out what you should do. 10 I am sorry that I had to punish you, and so I now tell you to stay here in Judah, where I will plant you and build you up, instead of tearing you down and uprooting you. 11 Don't be afraid of the King of Babylonia. I will protect you from him, 12 and I will even force him to have mercy on you and give back your farms.
13 But you might keep on saying, “We won't stay here in Judah, and we won't obey the Lord our God. 14 We are going to Egypt, where there is plenty of food and no danger of war.”
15 People of Judah, you survived when the Babylonian army attacked. Now you are planning to move to Egypt, and if you do go, this is what will happen. 16-17 You are afraid of war, starvation, and disease here in Judah, but they will follow you to Egypt and kill you there. None of you will survive the disasters I will send.
18 I, the Lord, was angry with the people of Jerusalem and punished them. And if you go to Egypt, I will be angry and punish you the same way. You will never again see your homeland. People will be horrified at what I do to you, and they will use the name of your city as a curse word.
Jeremiah Gives a Warning
19 I told the people:
You escaped the disaster that struck Judah, but now the Lord warns you to stay away from Egypt. 20 You asked me to pray and find out what the Lord our God wants you to do, and you promised to obey him. But that was a terrible mistake, 21 because now that I have given you the Lord's answer, you refuse to obey him. 22 And so, you will die in Egypt from war, hunger, and disease.
Bathu banokumbila Jeremiya kuti abatembezelele
1 Ipapo batungamili be balauli be babhayani na Johanani nkololo wa Kareya na Azariya nkololo wa Hoshaya ne bathu bose kudwa kuna bakulu kunoti batukununu bakasedzela, 2 ngono bakadwa Jeremiya bakati, “Tongo hwa tjatinokumbila, tikati, utitembezelele Yahwe Ndzimu uwo, iswi ne malimbelimbe wose iyawa. Dumbu takabe tili banjinji ngono takasala tili bashumanana koga sekwa unotibona nge mesho awo. 3 Tembezela kuti Yahwe Ndzimu uwo batibudze kuti tiyende ngayi nekuti tithameni.”
4 Jeremiya nlebesambeli kabashandula eti, “Ndamuhwa, bonani ndowotembezela Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu kuyenda nge kumbila kwenyu, tjinowodabigwa ndi Yahwe ndowomuzibisa itjo, akuna tjandinomusumbikila.”
5 Ipapo bakadwa Jeremiya bakati, “Atshene Yahwe bangabe ntendeki we lebeswa kakale unogalikamoyo unotitilika nlandu ha tisingathame kuyendidzana ne matama wose a Yahwe Ndzimu uwo abanotituma. 6 Kene kubuya kene kubiibi, towoteedza hwi la Yahwe Ndzimu wedu ibo batinokutuma kubali kuti ndizo kutilulwamile ati teedza Yahwe Ndzimu wedu.”
7 Kwakati shule kwe mazhuba ali gumi dama la Yahwe likazha kuna Jeremiya. 8 Ipapo kadana Johanani nkololo wa Kareya ne batungamili be balauli be babhayani bakabe banaye ne bathu bose kudwa muna batukununu kunoti bakulukulu, 9 ngono kabadwa kati, “Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela ibo bamandituma kubali kuyisa zwamunokumbila bakati, 10 ‘Ha mugala mu shango iyeyi, ipapo ndowomubaka asimukwebele pasi, ndowomulima asimudzikunule ngoti ndobuza moyo wangu mu bubi gwandakamuthamila. 11 Musitje mambo we Bhabhiloni iye wamunotja, musitongo ntja, kojalo Yahwe, ngoti ndinamwi kumutjidza ne kumusunungula mu luboko gugwe. 12 Ndowomuhwila ngoni kuti ndizo na iye amuhwile ngoni ngono amuletje mugale mu shango yenyu. 13 Koga amuti, “Atingagale mu shango iyeyi,” musingateedze hwi la Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu, 14 muti, “Aa toyenda ku shango ye Egipiti, iko kwatisingowobona ngwa, kene kuhwa nsindo we lunyanga kene kube ne zhala ye zojiwa, ndiko kwatinonogala,” 15 ipapo ihwani dama la Yahwe, imwi limbelimbe le Juda. Yahwe Masimbawose Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, “Ha makashingayilila kungina ku Egipiti ne kunogala ko, 16 ipapo bhamba lamunotja lowomukulila iko ku shango ye Egipiti ngono bhamba lamunotja lowomusala shule kwakabangalala ku Egipiti ngono mowofila ko. 17 Balume bose banoshingayilila kuyenda ku Egipiti kunogala ko banowobulawa nge thumo ne bhamba nenge bugwele, abatowobe ne limbelimbe kene watjila mu bubi gwandinowozhisa mu bali.” ’
18 “Ngoti Yahwe Masimbawose Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, ‘Koga sekwa kugwadzamoyo kwangu ne bushongola gwangu zwakatebuligwa mu bagali be Jerusalema, ndizo bushongola gwangu gowotebuliligwa mu muli amungayenda ku Egipiti. Mowobe ne bhiso mukabe tjithu tjinotjisa ne madado. Amutjowobona pathu ipapa kakale. 19 Yahwe bakati kumuli, iwe limbelimbe le Juda, “Usiyende ku Egipiti.” Ziba kwe lebeswa kuti ndamutjenjedza mu zhuba la nasi. 20 Kana mazwidanila mbatsha ngekundituma kuna Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu muti, “Tokumbila utembezele Yahwe Ndzimu wedu, tjimwe ne tjimwe Yahwe Ndzimu wedu tjabanoleba towotjithama.” 21 Ndamubudza nasi, koga amuzoteedza Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu mu tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabakandituma kuti ndimubudze. 22 Ndizo ngwenu zibisisani woku: Mowobulawa nge thumo ne bhamba ne bugwele mu magalo amunoshaka kunogala.’ ”