Jeremiya unotenga nnda
1 Dama lakazha kuna Jeremiya lidwa kuna Yahwe mu gole le bugumi la Zedekiya mambo we Juda lili gole le bugumi lina zhanakadzi la Nebukadineza. 2 Mu tjibaka itjetjo babhayani be mambo we Bhabhiloni bakabe bakakomba Jerusalema, ngono Nlebesambeli Jeremiya wakabe akazhaliligwa mu nsha we nlindi wakabe uli mu ng'umba ye bumambo ye mambo we Juda.
3 Ipapo Zedekiya mambo we Juda wakabe akanzhalilila ikoko eti, “Ini ulebesambeli uti, ‘Yahwe bakati, “Bonani ndolonga nzi nkulu iwoyu mu luboko gwe mambo we Bhabhiloni ngono unowoutola. 4 Zedekiya mambo we Juda aangapudzumuke mu luboko gwe Babhabhiloni ngono unowolongwa mu maboko a mambo we Bhabhiloni, unowolebeleka naye bakalingisana nge mesho awe. 5 Unowotolela Zedekiya ku Bhabhiloni ngono unowogala ikoko kuswikila ndizwilingisanya naye, koleba Yahwe. Nenguba mungagwa ne Bakhaladiya amungakunde.” ’ ”
6 Ngono Jeremiya kabe eti, “Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti, 7 ‘Bona Hanameli nkololo wa Shalumu batatenini babo banowozha kukuli beti, “Tenga nnda wangu uku Anatoti ngoti se uli gamu lipejo una fanilo ne ndingisanyo kuwotenga.” 8 Ipapo Hanameli nkololo wa batatenini kazha kundili ku nsha we nlindi kuyendidzana ne dama la Yahwe ngono kandidwa kati, “Tenga nnda wangu uku Anatoti mu shango ye Bhenjamini ngoti fanilo ne ndingisanyo dzekuti uwotenge nde dzidzo, zwitengele iwo.” Ipapo ndakaziba kuti ikoku kwakabe kuli dama la Yahwe. 9 Ndizo ndakatenga nnda ku Anatoti mu mwana wa batatenini Hanameli ngono an'lizanyidza shekele dze siliva dzili gumi lina dzili tendeka (17). 10 Ndakakwala lukwalo, atuna adana ne batendeki alizanyila siliva mu zwiyelo. 11 Ndakatola lukwalo gwe thengo gwandakatuna kuyendidzana nge nlayo ne zwinoshakika kose ne gwandisakatuna guli ntutshi, 12 ndakagupa Bharuku nkololo wa Neriya, Neriya ali nkololo wa Maheseya mbeli kwa Hanameli mwana wa batatenini na mbeli kwe batendeki bakabiga tjinyala mu lukwalo gwe thengo kakale na mbeli kwe Bajuta bose bakabe baligele mu nsha we nlindi.
13 “ ‘Ndakadwa Bharuku mbeli kwabo nditi, 14 “Yahwe Masimbawose, Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, tola mikwalo iyeyi ye thengo lukwalo gwandakatuna ne ntutshi we gwandisakatuna udzibige mu jegwa le ntapkhwi kuti ndizo dzibe ne butjilo gulefu. 15 Ngoti Yahwe Masimbawose, Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, ng'umba ne minda ne minda ye mizhambi inowotengwa kakale mu shango iyeyi.” ’
16 “Ndakati ndisinopa Bharuku nkololo wa Neriya lukwalo gwe thengo ndakatembezela kuna Yahwe nditi, 17 ‘Awo She Yahwe, ndimwi makathama zhuzhugwi ne shango nge simba lenyu gulu nenge luboko gwenyu kwakatambunuka! Akuna tjakamusimila, 18 makalakidza ludo gusingazunguzike kuna bali tjiwulu koga mozhisa shamu ngekwe milandu ya botate ku bana babo banobatobela, imwi bankulu kakale Ndzimu wakasima imwi zina lenyu ndi Yahwe Masimbawose, 19 mu nkulu mukukumbuludza, makasima mu nshingo. Mesho enyu akazhukila zila dzose dze bathu, molipa mmwe ne mmwe kuyendidzana ne mazwibhato awe nenge mishingo iye yakanfanila. 20 Makashinga zwilakidzo zwinotjenamisa ne makaabadzo ku Egipiti kakale makaadwililisa kuswikila zhuba la nasi, mu Iziraela ne mu bathu bose, makazwithamila zina na nasi kose. 21 Makadusa bathu benyu Baiziraela mu shango ye Egipiti nge zwilakidzo ne matjenamiso, nge luboko gwenyu gwakasima nenge luboko gwenyu gwakatambunuka nenge kupalusa moyo kukulu kwazo, 22 makabapa shango iyeyi, iyo yamakatuna kuna bobatategulu babo kuti mowobapa iyo, shango inowunga nkaka ne butji gwe nyutji, 23 ngono bakangina muili bakaitola. Koga abazobhulutana hwi lenyu kene bakayenda kuyendidzana nge nlayo wenyu, akuna tjabakathama tja zose zwamakati bathame. Ndizo makazhisa mbatsha idzedzi mubali.
24 “ ‘Bona dziduduma dze mavu dzakabakwa kupoteleka nzi nkulu kuti utogwe, ngekwe thumo ne bhamba ne bugwele nzi nkulu walongwa mu maboko e Bakhaladiya banobhayana nawo. Tjawakaleba tjakashingikala sekwa unobona. 25 Koga She Yahwe bakandidwa bakati, “Tenga nnda nge siliva, dana batendeki nenguba nzi nkulu ulongwa mu maboko e Bakhaladiya.” ’ ”
26 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Jeremiya liti, 27 “Bona, ndimi Yahwe Ndzimu we bathu bose, apa kuna tjakandisimila kene? 28 Ndizo Yahwe banolebeleka bakati, ‘Bona, ndolonga nzi nkulu iwoyu mu maboko e Bakhaladiya ne mu luboko gwa Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni, ngono unoitola. 29 Bakhaladiya banobhayana ne nzi iwoyu nkulu banowozha bakabhatidza nzi iwoyu bakaupisa nge moto, nenge ng'umba dzakati matenga adzo kapisigwa motsha upisigwa Bhaale ne zwipo zwe zwing'o zwakapiwa midzimu ipoga kuthama kuti ndigwadzemoyo. 30 Ngoti bakololo be Iziraela ne bakololo be Juda akuna tjabakathama kuzhe kwe mbipo mbeli kwangu kudwa tjose mu butjetjana gwabo, bakololo be Iziraela akuna tjabakathama kuzhe kwe kuthama kuti ndigwadzisiwe moyo nge mishingo ye maboko abo, koleba Yahwe. 31 Nzi nkulu iwoyo wakasendedzela kugwadzamoyo kwangu ne bushongola gwangu, kudwa tjose zhuba lawakasikiwa kudzina kunoti nasi kuti ndizo ndiuduse mu mesho angu, 32 ngekwe bubi gose gwe bakololo be Iziraela ne bakololo be Juda gwabakathama kundigwadzisa moyo kuti ndibe ne bushongola ibo na bomambo babo ne makulukota abo ne bapirisiti babo ne balebesambeli babo ne bathu be Juda ne bagali be Jerusalema. 33 Bakandifupatila bakasindilinge, nenguba ndakabadiya ndipaphulula ngono bakasiteedze kene kuli kusala shule ndayo. 34 Bakabiga zwithu zwabo zwinoshimisa mu ng'umba inodang'wa nge zina langu kuitemapadza. 35 Bakabakila Bhaale magalo a pezhugwi mu nkuku we Hinomu kupisila Moleki bakololo babo ne bakololokadzi babo nenguba ndisakabadwa kuti bathame saikoko, kakale akuzotongozha mu nkumbulo wangu kuti bangathama tjithu itjetji tjinoshimisa kukwebela Juda mu tjibi.’
36 “Ndizo ngwenu Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati ngekwe nzi iwoyu nkulu iwo wamunoti, ‘Wakalongwa mu luboko gwa mambo we Bhabhiloni nge thumo nenge bhamba ne bugwele, Yahwe bakati, 37 Bonani ndowobakubunganya kudwa mu shango dzose dzandakabatatila kudzili kuti bashandukile ku bugalo igogu ngono ndowobathama kuti bagale nge mbakililo. 38 Banowobe bathu bangu, imi ndowobe Ndzimu wabo. 39 Ndowobapa moyo nng'ompela nenge zila ili nng'ompela kuti ndizo banditjile tjatjose, kuti ndizo batjile zwibuyanana ne bana babo bo banozha shule kwabo batjile zwibuyanana. 40 Ndowothama nabo tjidumano tjisinga pele tjekuti anditowofa ndaletja kubathamila bubuya ngono ndowolonga kunditja mu mimoyo yabo kuti ndizo basindifupatile. 41 Ndowoshathila kubathamila bubuya ngono ndowobalima mu shango iyeyi nge kugalikabgwe nge moyo wangu wose nenge nkumbulo wangu wose.
42 “Ngoti Yahwe bakati, ‘Koga sekwa ndakazhisa mbatsha idzedzi dzingapa mu bathu ibabo ndowobazhisila kose kubuya kwandakaba gadzabgwe. 43 Minda inowotengwa mu shango yamunoti tjilambanyika koga tjisina nthu kene ng'ombe, yalongwa mu maboko e Bakhaladiya. 44 Minda inowotengwa nge mari, hwalo dze thengo dzowobigwa tjinyala dzikazhaligwa dzikabe ne batendeki mu shango ye Bhenjamini ne mizana yakapoteleka Jerusalema ne mizi ye Juda mu mizi ye shango ye matuthu neye yakakungulukila ne mu mizi mikulu ye Negebu ngoti ndowobgwiliza fumwa yabo,’ koleba Yahwe.”
Jeremiah Buys a Field
1 The Lord spoke to me in the tenth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, which was also the eighteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylonia was attacking Jerusalem, and I was locked up in the courtyard of the royal palace. 3 King Zedekiah had imprisoned me there and had accused me of announcing that the Lord had said, “I am going to let the king of Babylonia capture this city, 4 and King Zedekiah will not escape. He will be handed over to the king of Babylonia; he will see him face-to-face and will speak to him in person. 5 Zedekiah will be taken to Babylonia, and he will remain there until I deal with him. Even if he fights the Babylonians, he will not be successful. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
6 The Lord told me 7 that Hanamel, my uncle Shallum's son, would come to me with the request to buy his field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, because I was his nearest relative and had the right to buy it for myself. 8 Then, just as the Lord had said, Hanamel came to me there in the courtyard and asked me to buy the field. So I knew that the Lord had really spoken to me. 9 I bought the field from Hanamel and weighed out the money to him; the price came to seventeen pieces of silver. 10 I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the money on scales. 11 Then I took both copies of the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the contract and its conditions, and the open copy— 12 and gave them to Baruch, the son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I gave them to him in the presence of Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase and of the people who were sitting in the courtyard. 13 Before them all I said to Baruch, 14 “The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, has ordered you to take these deeds, both the sealed deed of purchase and the open copy, and to place them in a clay jar, so that they may be preserved for years to come. 15 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, has said that houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”
Jeremiah's Prayer
16 After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch, I prayed, 17 “Sovereign Lord, you made the earth and the sky by your great power and might; nothing is too difficult for you. 18 You have shown constant love to thousands, but you also punish people for the sins of their parents. You are a great and powerful God; you are the Lord Almighty. 19 You make wise plans and do mighty things; you see everything that people do, and you reward them according to their actions. 20 Long ago you performed miracles and wonders in Egypt, and you have continued to perform them to this day, both in Israel and among all the other nations, so that you are now known everywhere. 21 By means of miracles and wonders that terrified our enemies, you used your power and might to bring your people Israel out of Egypt. 22 You gave them this rich and fertile land, as you had promised their ancestors. 23 But when they came into this land and took possession of it, they did not obey your commands or live according to your teaching; they did nothing that you had ordered them to do. And so you brought all this destruction on them.
24 “The Babylonians have built siege mounds around the city to capture it, and they are attacking. War, starvation, and disease will make the city fall into their hands. You can see that all you have said has come true. 25 Yet, Sovereign Lord, you are the one who ordered me to buy the field in the presence of witnesses, even though the city is about to be captured by the Babylonians.”
26 Then the Lord said to me, 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all people. Nothing is too difficult for me. 28 I am going to give this city over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army; they will capture it 29 and set it on fire. They will burn it down, together with the houses where people have made me angry by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out wine offerings to other gods. 30 From the very beginning of their history the people of Israel and the people of Judah have displeased me and made me angry by what they have done. 31 The people of this city have made me angry and furious from the day it was built. I have decided to destroy it 32 because of all the evil that has been done by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, together with their kings and leaders, their priests and prophets. 33 They turned their backs on me; and though I kept on teaching them, they would not listen and learn. 34 They even placed their disgusting idols in the Temple built for my worship, and they have defiled it. 35 They have built altars to Baal in Hinnom Valley, to sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. I did not command them to do this, and it did not even enter my mind that they would do such a thing and make the people of Judah sin.”
A Promise of Hope
36 The Lord, the God of Israel, said to me, “Jeremiah, the people are saying that war, starvation, and disease will make this city fall into the hands of the king of Babylonia. Now listen to what else I have to say. 37 I am going to gather the people from all the countries where I have scattered them in my anger and fury, and I am going to bring them back to this place and let them live here in safety. 38 Then they will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them a single purpose in life: to honor me for all time, for their own good and the good of their descendants. 40 I will make an eternal covenant with them. I will never stop doing good things for them, and I will make them fear me with all their heart, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will take pleasure in doing good things for them, and I will establish them permanently in this land.
42 “Just as I have brought this disaster on these people, so I am going to give them all the good things that I have promised. 43 The people are saying that this land will be like a desert where neither people nor animals live, and that it will be given over to the Babylonians. But fields will once again be bought in this land. 44 People will buy them, and the deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed. This will take place in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah, and in the towns in the hill country, in the foothills, and in southern Judah. I will restore the people to their land. I, the Lord, have spoken.”