Mbatsha ngekwe midzimu
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Jeremiya ngekwe Bajuta bose bakabe begala mu shango ye Egipiti ku Migidolo ne ku Tahefanesi ne ku Memifisi ne mu shango ye Patirosi liti, 2 “Yahwe Masimbawose Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, ‘Makabona mbatsha dzose dzandakazhisa mu Jerusalema ne mu mizi mikulu yose ye Juda. Bonani mu zhuba la nasi yabe matongo akuna unogala muili, 3 ngekwe bubi gwabakathama, bendigwadzisa moyo nge kupisila ne kushingila midzimu ipoga yabasingazibe ibo kene bobatategulu babo. 4 Koga ndakadwilila ndimutumila balanda bangu bose balebesambeli nditi, “Sithamani tjithu itjetji tjinoshimisa tjandinobenga!” 5 Nenguba kwakajalo abazoteedza kene kubhulutana, abazofupatila bubi gwabo ne kusapisila motsha midzimu ipoga. 6 Ndizo bushongola gwangu gwakatebugwa ne gwadzamoyo kwangu kukathuta mu mizi mikulu ye Juda ne mu dzizila dze Jerusalema dzikathukudzika kakale dzikabe matongo na nasi.’
7 “Ngono ngwenu Yahwe Masimbawose, Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, ‘Ini muzwizhisila mbatsha dzingapa kene muzwibulaila balume ne bakadzi ne bana ne ngawana muzwisiya musina ndodwa ne limbelimbe kene? 8 Ini mundigwadzisa moyo nge mishingo ye maboko enyu, mupisila motsha midzimu ipoga mu Egipiti iko kwamakazha muwogala kene, mowozwibulaya muzwithama bhiso ne madado pakati kwe zwitjaba zose mu shango kene? 9 Apa makakangang'wa bubi gwa bobatategulu benyu ne bubi gwa bomambo be Juda ne bubi gwe bakadzi babo ne bubi gwenyu ne bubi gwe bakadzi benyu gwabakathama mu shango ye Juda ne mu dzizila dze Jerusalema kene? 10 Abazozwiyisa pasi kuswika mu zhuba ileli kene kuli kutja, kene kutobela milayo yangu yandakabiga mbeli kwenyu na mbeli kwa bobatategulu benyu.’
11 “Ndizo ngwenu Yahwe Masimbawose Ndzimu we Iziraela banolebeleka sahwoku, ‘Bonani, ndazwimisila kuzhisa mbatsha ku muli ne kukolomola Juda. 12 Ndowotola limbelimbe le Juda labelakazwimisila kuyenda ku Egipiti kunogala ko. Lowopelela lose mu Egipiti, lowobulawa nge thumo kene lowofa nge bhamba. Kudwa muna ntukunu kunoti unkulu, banowofa nge thumo kene bhamba. Lowobe bhiso ne tjithu tjinotjisa tjakalingisanyiwa ne lengudziwa. 13 Ndowoloba shamu ibabo banogala mu shango ye Egipiti, sekwa ndakaloba shamu Jerusalema nge thumo ne bhamba nenge bugwele, 14 kuti ndizo kushete limbelimbe le Juda lakazha kuwogala mu shango ye Egipiti linowosiya kene likatjila kene likabgwilila ku shango ye Juda, iko kwabanoyemula kubgwilila kunogala ko ngoti abatowobgwilila ko kuzhe kwe batizhi basiba tjimwe koga.’ ”
15 Ipapo balume bose bakabe beziba kuti bakadzi babo bakapisila midzimu ipoga motsha ne bakadzi bose bakabe balipo ne bathu bose bakabe begala mu Patirosi mu shango ye Egipiti bakadabila Jeremiya beti, 16 “Ngekwe dama lawatidwa ulileba mu zina la Yahwe, atingakuteedze. 17 Koga towothama tjimwe ne tjimwe tjatakatuna kuti towotjithama, towopisila mambokadzi we kudzimu motsha ne kundusila tjipo tje tjing'o, sekwa tagala tithama iswi na bobatategulu bedu na bomambo bedu ne makulukota edu mu mizi mikulu ye Juda ne mu dzizila dze Jerusalema. Nge tjibaka itjetjije takabe tina zojiwa zwinjinji kakale takabhudilila kusingaboneke mbatsha. 18 Koga tjinga kwatamisa kupisila mambokadzi we kudzimu motsha ne kun'dusila tjipo tje tjing'o takasheta kose tikabulawa nge thumo ne bhamba.” 19 Ipapo bakadzi bakabe beti, “Takati tipisila mambokadzi we kudzimu motsha kakale tin'dusila tjipo tje tjing'o apa balume bedu bakabe basingazibe kuti takabe tithama makhekhe amu tjifano tjitje kakale takabe tin'dusila tjipo tje tjing'o kene?”
20 Ipapo Jeremiya kadwa bathu bose balume ne bakadzi bakabe ben'dabila kati, 21 “Apa Yahwe abazokumbula kakale bakaalakana ngekwe motsha wakapisiwa mu mizi ye Juda ne mu dzizila dze Jerusalema, upisiwa ndimwi na bobatategulu benyu na bomambo benyu ne makulukota enyu ne bathu be shango kene? 22 Kwakati Yahwe basingake bakatjimililana ne mishingo yenyu mibiibi ne zwithu zwenyu zwinoshimisa zwamakathama, shango yenyu ikabe bhiso ikathukudzika isina bagali sekwa ili iko nasi. 23 Ngoti makapisa motsha kakale makatjinyila Yahwe kakale amuzobatobela kene kuli kutobela nlayo wabo kene ndayo dzabo mbatsha idzedzi dzamuwila sekwa kuli iko na nasi.”
24 Ipapo Jeremiya kadwa bathu bose kose ne bakadzi kati, “Ihwani dama la Yahwe imwi bathu bose be Juda mu Egipiti. 25 Etji nditjo tjinolebgwa ndi Yahwe Masimbawose Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati: Imwi ne bakadzi benyu malakidza nge zwiyito zwenyu tjamakagadzabgwe muti, ‘Nge malebeswa towoshingikadza kutuna kwatakathama kuti towopisila mambokadzi we kudzimu motsha ne kun'dusila tjipo tje tjing'o.’ Dwililani muthame tjamakagadzabgwe! Shingikadzani kutuna kwenyu! 26 Koga ihwani dama la Yahwe imwi Bajuta bose banogala mu Egipiti, ‘Ndotuna nge zina langu, kojalo Yahwe, akutjowofa kwabe ne N'juta mu shango yose ye Egipiti unonowodana zina langu nge nlomo uwe eti, “Ha She Yahwe batjatjila!” 27 Bonani ndakabatjengetela mbatsha kusi bubuya, Bajuta bamu Egipiti banowonopeleledziwa nge thumo ne bhamba kuswikila bose balobesiwa. 28 Ibabo banowosiya thumo bakabgwilila ku shango ye Juda kudwa mu Egipiti banowobe bashomanana. Ipapo limbelimbe lose le Juda linozha kuwogala mu Egipiti lowoziba kuti dama laani linowosala, langu kene labo.
29 “ ‘Etji nditjo tjinowobe tjilakidzo kumuli kuti ndowomuloba shamu pathu ipapa,’ kojalo Yahwe, ‘kuti ndizo muzibe kuti kumutjenjedza kwangu ngekwe mbatsha dzakamulingisana nge malebeswa kowoshingikala.’ 30 Ndizo Yahwe bakati, ‘Bonani ndowolonga Faro Hafura mambo we Egipiti mu maboko e zwita zwizwe ne mu maboko a ibabo banoshaka kumbulaya sekwa ndakalonga Zedekiya mambo we Juda mu luboko gwa Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni iye wakabe ali tjita tjitje kakale wakabe eshaka kumbulaya.’ ”
The Lord Will Destroy the People of Judah
1 The Lord told me to speak with the Jews who were living in the towns of Migdol, Tahpanhes, and Memphis in northern Egypt, and also to those living in southern Egypt. He told me to tell them:
2 I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. You saw how I destroyed Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. They lie empty and in ruins today, 3 because the people of Judah made me angry by worshiping gods that had never helped them or their ancestors.
4 Time after time I sent my servants the prophets to tell the people of Judah how much I hated their disgusting sins. The prophets warned them to stop sinning, 5 but they refused to listen and would not stop worshiping other gods. 6 Finally, my anger struck like a raging flood, and today Jerusalem and the towns of Judah are nothing but empty ruins.
7 Why do you now insist on heading for another disaster? A disaster that will destroy not only you, but also your children and babies. 8 You have made me angry by worshiping idols and burning incense to other gods after you came here to Egypt. You will die such a disgusting death, that other nations will use the name of Judah as a curse word. 9 When you were living in Jerusalem and Judah, you followed the example of your ancestors in doing evil things, just like your kings and queens. 10 Even now, your pride keeps you from respecting me and obeying the laws and teachings I gave you and your ancestors.
11 I, the Lord All-Powerful, have decided to wipe you out with disasters. 12 There were only a few of you left in Judah, and you decided to go to Egypt. But you will die such horrible deaths in war or from starvation, that people of other countries will use the name of Judah as a curse word. 13 I punished Jerusalem with war, hunger, and disease, and that's how I will punish you. 14 None of you will survive. You may hope to return to Judah someday, but only a very few of you will escape death and be able to go back.
The People Refuse To Worship the Lord
15 A large number of Jews from both northern and southern Egypt listened to me as I told them what the Lord had said. Most of the men in the crowd knew that their wives often burned incense to other gods. So they and their wives shouted:
16 Jeremiah, what do we care if you speak in the Lord's name? We refuse to listen! 17 We have promised to worship the goddess Astarte, the Queen of Heaven, and that is exactly what we are going to do. We will burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to her, just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders did when we lived in Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah. We had plenty of food back then. We were well off, and nothing bad ever happened to us. 18 But since the time we stopped burning incense and offering wine sacrifices to her, we have been dying from war and hunger.
19 Then the women said, “When we lived in Judah, we worshiped the Queen of Heaven and offered sacrifices of wine and special loaves of bread shaped like her. Our husbands knew what we were doing, and they approved of it.”
20 Then I told the crowd:
21 Don't you think the Lord knew that you and your ancestors, your leaders and kings, and the rest of the people were burning incense to other gods in Jerusalem and everywhere else in Judah? 22 And when he could no longer put up with your disgusting sins, he placed a curse on your land and turned it into a desert, as it is today. 23 This disaster happened because you worshiped other gods and rebelled against the Lord by refusing to obey him or follow his laws and teachings.
24-25 Then I told the men and their wives, that the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, had said:
Here in Egypt you still keep your promises to burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to the so-called Queen of Heaven. 26 Keep these promises! But let me tell you what will happen. As surely as I am the Lord God, I swear that I will never again accept any promises you make in my name. 27 Instead of watching over you, I will watch for chances to harm you. Some of you will die in war, and others will starve to death. 28 Only a few will escape and return to Judah. Then everyone who went to live in Egypt will know that when I say something will happen, it will—no matter what you say.
29 And here is how you will know that I will keep my threats to punish you in Egypt. 30 I will hand over King Hophra of Egypt to those who want to kill him, just as I handed Zedekiah over to Nebuchadnezzar, who wanted to kill him.