Jeremiah at the Potter's House
1 The Lord said to me, 2 “Go down to the potter's house, where I will give you my message.” 3 So I went there and saw the potter working at his wheel. 4 Whenever a piece of pottery turned out imperfect, he would take the clay and make it into something else.
5 Then the Lord said to me, 6 “Don't I have the right to do with you people of Israel what the potter did with the clay? You are in my hands just like clay in the potter's hands. 7 If at any time I say that I am going to uproot, break down, or destroy any nation or kingdom, 8 but then that nation turns from its evil, I will not do what I said I would. 9 On the other hand, if I say that I am going to plant or build up any nation or kingdom, 10 but then that nation disobeys me and does evil, I will not do what I said I would. 11 Now then, tell the people of Judah and of Jerusalem that I am making plans against them and getting ready to punish them. Tell them to stop living sinful lives—to change their ways and the things they are doing. 12 They will answer, ‘No, why should we? We will all be just as stubborn and evil as we want to be.’”
The People Reject the Lord
13 The Lord says,
“Ask every nation if such a thing
has ever happened before.
The people of Israel have done a terrible thing!
14 Are Lebanon's rocky heights ever without snow?
Do its cool mountain streams ever run dry?
15 Yet my people have forgotten me;
they burn incense to idols.
They have stumbled in the way they should go;
they no longer follow the old ways;
they walk on unmarked paths.
16 They have made this land a thing of horror,
to be despised forever.
All who pass by will be shocked at what they see;
they will shake their heads in amazement.
17 I will scatter my people before their enemies,
like dust blown by the east wind.
I will turn my back on them;
I will not help them when the disaster comes.”
A Plot against Jeremiah
18 Then the people said, “Let's do something about Jeremiah! There will always be priests to instruct us, the wise to give us counsel, and prophets to proclaim God's message. Let's bring charges against him and stop listening to what he says.”
19 So I prayed, “Lord, hear what I am saying and listen to what my enemies are saying about me. 20 Is evil the payment for good? Yet they have dug a pit for me to fall in. Remember how I came to you and spoke on their behalf, so that you would not deal with them in anger. 21 But now, Lord, let their children starve to death; let them be killed in war. Let the women lose their husbands and children; let the men die of disease and the young men be killed in battle. 22 Send a mob to plunder their homes without warning; make them cry out in terror. They have dug a pit for me to fall in and have set traps to catch me. 23 But, Lord, you know all their plots to kill me. Do not forgive their evil or pardon their sin. Throw them down in defeat and deal with them while you are angry.”
Mbumbi we hali
1 Dama lakazha kuna Jeremiya lidwa kuna Yahwe liti, 2 “Milika, yenda ku ng'umba ye mbumbi we hali, ikoko ndowothama kuti uhwe matama angu.” 3 Ndizo ndakadelukila ku ng'umba ye mbumbi we hali,Mbumbi we hali ndikaswika ndiwana ebumbila pa gumbgwana lile linobumba. 4 Ngono abona hali yaakabe ebumba ipkhwanyikila mu maboko awe ngono kaibumba kakale ikabe hali ipoga, eibumba kudzina ebona yanlulwamila.
5 Ipapo dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti, 6 “Iwe ng'umba ye Iziraela apa andingamuthame sekwa mbumbi we hali athama kene? Kojalo Yahwe. Bonani koga se ntapkhwi umu maboko e mbumbi namwibo makajalo mu maboko angu imwi ng'umba ye Iziraela. 7 Ha ndingati ne tjimwe tjibaka ha leba ngekwe itjaba kene mbuso kuti ndowoutshindunula aupkhwanya aukolomola, 8 ngono ha itjaba itjetjo tjandaleba nge kwatjo tjingashandukila bubi gwatjo, ndowoshandula nkumbulo we bubi gwandabe nditi ndoguthamila itjo. 9 Ha ndingati ne tjimwe tjibaka ha leba ngekwe itjaba kene mbuso kuti ndowoubaka kakale aulima, 10 ngono ha ungathama bubi mu mesho angu usingahwe hwi langu, ipapo ndowoshandula nkumbulo wangu wekuthama bubuya gwandabe ndakazwimisila kuguthamila iwo. 11 Ndizo ngwenu idwa balume be Juda ne bagali be Jerusalema uti, ‘Yahwe bakati, “Bonani ndolulwamisa bubi gwakamulingisana, ndomubumbila nkumbulo we kumuloba shamu. Shandukani, mmwe ne mmwe wenyu mu mipanga iye mibiibi ngono mululwamise zila dzenyu ne zwiyito zwenyu.” ’
12 “Koga banoti, ‘Akutobhatsha! Towotobela ndongoloso dzedu kakale mmwe ne mmwe unowothama kuyendidzana ne bukomba gwe bubi gwe moyo uwe.’
13 “Ndizo Yahwe bakati,
‘Bhuzwani mu zwitjaba
kuti ndiani wakatongohwa ngekwa ikoko?
Mwanadi Iziraela,
wathama tjithu tjakabipa kwazo.
14 Apa kapuku ye Lebanoni
inganyawukila pakakungulukila kuna mabgwe kene?
Apa vula dzinotothola kudwa ku matombo akule dzosoma kuwunga kene?
15 Koga bathu bangu bakandikangang'wa,
banopisila midzimu ye manyepkhwa motsha,
kwakayita kuti bakuthiwe mu zila dzabo,
ne mu zila dzabo hwulukugwe.
Yakabathama kuti batjekeledze,
mu zila dzisakabakwa.
16 Shango yabo inowothukudziwa,
ikabe tjithu tjinoshinyatiwa nge kusingapele.
Mmwe ne mmwe unopinda nayo unowokaabala,
kazunguza nsholo uwe.
17 Se phepo ye bhezhuba ndowobapaladza,
mbeli kwe tjita.
Ndowobalakidza itiko tjangu kusi buso gwangu,
mu zhuba le mbatsha dzabo.’ ”
18 Ipapo banowoti, “ ‘Izhani, ngati lukileni Jeremiya gwanga, ngoti zwidiyo zwe nlayo azwingalashiwe ne bapirisiti kene goko le batjenjedu kene dama le balebesambeli. Ndizo buyani ngati n'nginilileni nge ndimi dzedu tisibhulutane ndodwa ne tjimwe tjaanoleba.’ ”
19 Munditeedze imwi Yahwe,
ihwani tjinolebgwa ne banyanyayidzi bangu.
20 Apa bubuya gwakafanila lipiwa nge bubi kene?
Koga banditshila gomba.
Kumbulani kuti ndakatongoma mbeli kwenyu,
alebeleka mu bumo gwabo,
shandusani bushongola gwenyu mubali.
21 Ndizo tjidzani bana babo mu bhamba,
mubalonge mu simba le thumo,
bakadzi babo ngabashete mbeleko kakale babe tjilikadzi.
Balume babo babulawe nge bugwele.
Bazhuzha babo babulawe nge thumo mu ngwa.
22 Tjililo ngatjihwike tjidwa mu ng'umba dzabo,
tjinyolotjo amuzhisa banginilili ku bali,
ngoti bakatsha gomba kundibhatshila
bakasumbika zwibhatshili kubhatshila makumbo angu.
23 Koga imwi moziba imwi Yahwe,
mikumbulo yabo yose ye kundibulaya.
Musibazwiibhatigwe matjinyo abo,
kene kuli kubukusha tjibi tjabo pa mesho enyu.
Ngabakandalale mbeli kwenyu,
mubathame saikoku nge tjibaka tje kugwadzamoyo kwenyu.