Mwandabula we jila
1 Yahwe bakandidwa bakati, “Yenda unotenga mwandabula we jila, ngono usunge thunji dzidzo ndiwo, usitongo udubika mu vula.” 2 Ndizo ndikanotenga mwandabula koga dama la Yahwe sekwa lakabe laleba ngono asunga thunji dzangu nawo. 3 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili gwe bubili liti, 4 “Tola mwandabula wawatenga, iwo wawakasunga thunji dzidzo ndiwo ngono milika, yenda ku Yufuratesi unowusumbika ikoku mu phaswa dze shongwe.” 5 Ndizo ayenda anousumbika ku Yufuratesi Yahwe koga sekwa bakandidwa.
6 Shule kwe mazhuba manjinji Yahwe bakandidwa beti, “Milika, yenda ku Yufuratesi unotola mwandabula wandakakudwa kuti unowusumbika ko.” 7 Ipapo ndakayenda ku Yufuratesi atsha ngono atola mwandabula pathu pandakabe ndausumbika. Ngono bonani, mwandabula wakabe washakala usitjina nshingo.
8 Ipapo dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 9 “Yahwe bakati, ‘Nge zila inofanana na iyeyi ndowokolomola mazwikudzo e Juda ne mazwikudzo e Jerusalema. 10 Bathu ibaba babiibi, banolamba kuhwa matama angu, banotobela bukomba gwe mimoyo yabo, betobela midzimu ipoga kakale beishingila, basala benga mwandabula iwoyu, basina ndodwa ne nshingo! 11 Koga se mwandabula usungigwa mu thunji dze nthu ndosungila ng'umba ye Iziraela ne ng'umba yose ye Juda kundili,’ koleba Yahwe, ‘kuti babe bathu bangu ne zina ne dendo ne gudzo, koga abangandihwilile.’
Makukhwa e nkumbi we zhambi
12 “Lebeleka nabo ubadwe dama eli uti, ‘Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, “Hali imwe ne imwe inowozhadziwa ne nkumbi we zhambi.” ’ Ngono ibo banowoti kukuli, ‘Apa atitoziba kuti hali imwe ne imwe inowozhadziwa ne nkumbi we zhambi kene?’ 13 Ipapo ubadwe uti, ‘Yahwe bakati, “Bonani, ndowogutsha bagali bose be shango iyeyi ngolaladza ibo bomambo banogala mu tjigalo tja Dafite tje bumambo ne bapirisiti ne balebesambeli ne bagali bose be Jerusalema. 14 Ngono ndowobakwiya mmwe mu mmwe, botate ne bakololo ngofanana, kojalo Yahwe. Anditowoletjedza mahwilongoni kene ngoni kene mahwilozogwadza kundidziba kuti ndisibalobese.” ’ ”
Busungwa
15 Ihwani ngono muzhule zebe,
musizwikudze,
ngoti Yahwe balebeleka.
16 Ipani Yahwe Ndzimu wenyu dendo,
basathu bakazhisa zhalima,
makumbo enyu asathu kasodzoloka,
mu matuthu kubhata,
muti mutjashaka tjedza,
bebe tjishandula tjibe lima.
17 Koga amusingawoteedza,
meya yangu inowomulilila mu ikohwa
ngekwe mazwikudzo enyu,
mesho angu anowolila kwazo katebula mishodzi,
ngoti Yahwe be ngubi batapiwa.
18 Leba kuna mambo na mmeyabe uti,
“Delukani mu zwigalo zwenyu zwe bumambo,
ngoti zwiala zwenyu zwakanaka,
zowowa mu misholo yenyu.”
19 Mizi mikulu ye Negebu inowozhaligwa,
ngono akuna unowoizhula.
Juda yose inowotapiwa,
ikatolegwa yose ku butapiwa.
20 “Milidza mesho awo ubone,
ibabo banodwa ku bunandzwa.
Ingayi ngubi yawakabe wapiwa,
ngubi iyo yakanaka kene?
21 Unowotini ha bebiga botetshi mukuli,
ibabo iwe bawakadiya kuti babe bakwinya babo?
Apa zogwadza ha zwingakuwile,
se nkadzi umu zwibhayo zwe kutshibama kene?
22 Ngono auzwibhuzwa uti,
‘Ini ikoku kundishingikalila kene?’
Ndi ngekwe bukulu gwe jinyo lilo,
kwayita kuti thako dzidzo dzipaluke,
mbili uwo ulengudzike.
23 Apa Nkhushi ungazwishandula mbala we ganda lile,
kene ngwe mabala ayo kene?
Namwibo ha mungathame tjibuya,
imwi matjiwolobela thama tjakabipa.
24 “Ndowomupaladza se bunye,
gututudziwa nge phepo inodwa mu tjilambanyika.
25 Ndiyo thaka iyo,
gobe landakulizanyila,” koleba Yahwe,
“ngoti wakandikangang'wa
ukagalabgwe midzimu isi ye malebeswa.
26 Ndowokuambula thako iyo ndizwimba buso gugo,
kuti ndizo ubhakhwe nge shoni.
27 Ndakabona zwithu zwizo zwinoshimisa mu minda
bupongwe gugo gunobhatisa shoni,
Yee mme wee wapalala iwe Jerusalema!
Kowotola tjibaka tjingapani kuti utjenapadziwe kene?”
Jeremiah's Linen Shorts
1 The Lord told me, “Go and buy a pair of linen shorts. Wear them for a while, but don't wash them.” 2 So I bought a pair of shorts and put them on.
3 Then the Lord said, 4 “Take off the shorts. Go to Parah and hide the shorts in a crack between some large rocks.” 5 And that's what I did.
6 Some time later the Lord said, “Go back and get the shorts.” 7 I went back and dug the shorts out of their hiding place, but the cloth had rotted, and the shorts were ruined.
8 Then the Lord said:
9 Jeremiah, I will use Babylonia to destroy the pride of the people of Judah and Jerusalem. 10 The people of Judah are evil and stubborn. So instead of listening to me, they do whatever they want and even worship other gods. When I am finished with these people, they will be good for nothing, just like this pair of shorts. 11 These shorts were tight around your waist, and that's how tightly I held onto the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. I wanted them to be my people. I wanted to make them famous, so that other nations would praise and honor me, but they refused to obey me.
Wine Jars
The Lord said:
12 Jeremiah, tell the people of Judah, “The Lord God of Israel orders you to fill your wine jars with wine.”
They will answer, “Of course we fill our wine jars with wine! Why are you telling us something we already know?”
13 Then say to them:
I am the Lord, and what I'm going to do will make everyone in Judah and Jerusalem appear to be full of wine. And the worst ones will be the kings of David's family and the priests and the prophets. 14 Then I will smash them against each other like jars. I will have no pity on the young or the old, and they will all be destroyed. I, the Lord, have spoken.
The People of Judah Will Be Taken Away
15 People of Judah,
don't be too proud to listen
to what the Lord has said.
16 You hope for light,
but God is sending darkness.
Evening shadows already deepen
in the hills.
So return to God
and confess your sins to him
before you trip and fall.
17 If you are too proud to listen,
I will weep alone.
Tears will stream from my eyes
when the Lord's people
are taken away as prisoners.
18 The Lord told me to tell you
that your king and his mother
must surrender their thrones
and remove their crowns.
19 The cities in the Southern Desert
are surrounded;
no one can get in or out.
Everyone in Judah
will be taken away.
20 Jerusalem, you were so proud
of ruling the people of Judah.
But where are they now?
Look north, and you will see
your enemies approaching.
21 You once trusted them to help,
but now I'll let them rule you.
What do you say about that?
You will be in pain
like a woman giving birth.
22 Do you know why
your clothes were torn off
and you were abused?
It was because
of your terrible sins.
23 Can you ever change
and do what's right?
Can people change the color
of their skin,
or can a leopard
remove its spots?
If so, then maybe you can change
and learn to do right.
24 I will scatter you,
just as the desert wind
blows husks from grain
tossed in the air.
25 I won't change my mind.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
You rejected me
and worshiped false gods.
* 26 You were married to me,
but you were unfaithful.
You even became a prostitute
by worshiping disgusting gods
on hilltops and in fields.
27 So I'll rip off your clothes
and leave you naked and ashamed
for everyone to see.
You are doomed!
Will you ever be worthy
to worship me again?