1 Matama a Jeremiya nkololo wa Hilikiya, wakabe ali mmwe we bapirisiti bakabe bali mu Anatoti mu shango ye Bhenjamini. 2 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kunli mu gole le bugumi lina matatu (13) ekubusa kwa Josiya nkololo wa Amoni wakabe ali mambo we Juda. 3 Lakazha kakale mu misi ya Jehoyakimu nkololo wa Josiya wakabe ali mambo we Juda, kuyenda kunoti ku bupelo gwe gole le bugumi lina ling'ompela la Zedekiya nkololo wa Josiya wakabe ali mambo we Juda, kudzina kunoti mu kutapiwa kwe Jerusalema mu mwedzi we bushanu.
Kudang'wa kwa Jeremiya
4 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti,
5 “Ndakati ndisathu akubumba mu tjibumbilo ndakakuziba,
wakati usathu ukazwagwa ndakakushalula,
ndakakubiga nlebesambeli ku zwitjaba.”
6 Ipapo ndikabe nditi, “Awu, She Yahwe! Bonani, anditoziba lebeleka ngoti nditji ntjetjana.” 7 Koga Yahwe bakati kundili, “Usiti, ‘Nditji ntjetjana,’ wakafanila kuyenda kuna bose bandinokutuma kubali, tjimwe ne tjimwe tjandinokulaya wakafanila kutjileba. 8 Usibatje ngoti ndinawe kukusunungula,” kojalo Yahwe.
9 Ipapo Yahwe bakatambunudza luboko gwabo bakabhata nlomo wangu ngono Yahwe bakati kundili,
“Bona ndalonga matama angu mu nlomo uwo.
10 Bona, mu zhuba ileli ndakubiga kuti ube ne simba mu zwitjaba ne pezhugwi kwe mibuso kuti
utshindunule kakale uvunile pasi,
ukolomole kakale upitule,
ubake kakale udzwale.”
11 Kakale dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti, “Jeremiya unobonani?” Adabila nditi, “Ndobona lukombo gwe nti we alimondi.” 12 Ipapo Yahwe bakati kundili, “Wabona zubuyanana, ngoti ndakalingilila kubona dama langu lishingikadziwa.”
13 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili gwe bubili liti, “Unobonani?” Adabila nditi, “Ndobona hali inobila yakaleleka kudwa ku bunandzwa.” 14 Ipapo Yahwe bakati kundili, “Kudwa ku bunandzwa bubi gowowila bagali bose be shango. 15 Ngoti bona, ndodana njudzi dzose dze mibuso ye bunandzwa,” kojalo Yahwe. “Ipapo dzowozha ngono mmwe ne mmwe unowobiga tjigalo tjitje tje bushe ku manginilo e nkoba we Jerusalema, banowobhayana ne makuma wose ayo akapoteleka ne mizi yose ye Juda. 16 Ndowodusa sumikiliso dzangu nge kwabo ngekwe bubi gwabo gose gwe kundifupatila, bakapisila motsha midzimu ipoga bakanamata mishingo ye maboko abo. 17 Koga iwe, uzwilulwamise! Milika ubabudze tjimwe ne tjimwe tjandinokudwa. Basikupaluse moyo, kuti ndizo ndisikupaluse moyo mbeli kwabo. 18 Ngono imi, bona, ndokuthama mu zhuba la nasi nzi we dizhilo, phanda ye butale, guma le phangula kubhayana ne shango yose ne kubhayana na bomambo be Juda ne makulukota ayo ne bapirisiti bayo nenge bathu be shango. 19 Banowogwa nawe koga abangakukunde ngoti ndinawe kakale ndowokugwila,” koleba Yahwe.
1 My name is Jeremiah. I am a priest, and my father Hilkiah and everyone else in my family are from Anathoth in the territory of the Benjamin tribe. This book contains the things that the Lord told me to say. 2 The Lord first spoke to me in the thirteenth year that Josiah was king of Judah, 3 and he continued to speak to me during the rule of Josiah's son Jehoiakim. The last time the Lord spoke to me was in the fifth month of the eleventh year that Josiah's son Zedekiah was king. That was also when the people of Jerusalem were taken away as prisoners.
The Lord Chooses Jeremiah
4 The Lord said:
5 “Jeremiah, I am your Creator,
and before you were born,
I chose you to speak for me
to the nations.”
6 I replied, “I'm not a good speaker, Lord, and I'm too young.”
7 “Don't say you're too young,” the Lord answered. “If I tell you to go and speak to someone, then go! And when I tell you what to say, don't leave out a word! 8 I promise to be with you and keep you safe, so don't be afraid.”
9 The Lord reached out his hand, then he touched my mouth and said, “I am giving you the words to say, 10 and I am sending you with authority to speak to the nations for me. You will tell them of doom and destruction, and of rising and rebuilding again.”
11 The Lord showed me something in a vision. Then he asked, “What do you see, Jeremiah?”
I answered, “A branch of almonds that ripen early.”
12 “That's right,” the Lord replied, “and I always rise early to keep a promise.”
13 Then the Lord showed me something else and asked, “What do you see now?”
I answered, “I see a pot of boiling water in the north, and it's about to spill out toward us.”
14 The Lord said:
I will pour out destruction
all over the land.
15 Just watch while I send
for the kings of the north.
They will attack and capture
Jerusalem and other towns,
then set up their thrones
at the gates of Jerusalem.
16 I will punish my people,
because they are guilty
of turning from me
to worship idols.
17 Jeremiah, get ready!
Go and tell the people
what I command you to say.
Don't be frightened by them,
or I will make you terrified
while they watch.
18 My power will make you strong
like a fortress
or a column of iron
or a wall of bronze.
You will oppose all of Judah,
including its kings and leaders,
its priests and people.
19 They will fight back,
but they won't win.
I, the Lord, give my word—
I won't let them harm you.