Jeremia 37
1 Zedekia wuod Josia noket ruodh juda gi Nebukadneza ruodh Babulon; nobedo gi loch kar Jehoyakin wuod Jehoyakim.
After Jehoiakim died, [his son Jehoiachin became king for only three months, after which] King Josiah’s son Zedekiah became the King of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, appointed him to be the new king.
2 En kata jorit mage kata jopinyno ne ok owinjo weche mane Jehova Nyasaye owacho kokalo kuom janabi Jeremia.
But King Zedekiah and his palace officials and the other people in the land paid no attention to the messages that Yahweh gave me.
3 Ruoth Zedekia, kata kamano, nooro Jehukal wuod Shelemia gi jadolo Zefania wuod Maseya ir janabi Jeremia gi wachni: “Kiyie to lamnwa Jehova Nyasaye ma Nyasachwa.”
However, [one day] King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, who was the son of Maaseiah, to me. They requested me to pray to Yahweh our God for our [nation].
4 Koro Jeremia ne nigi thuolo mondo obi kendo odhi e dier ji, nimar ne pod ok okete e od twech.
At that time I had not yet been put in prison, so I could come and go wherever and whenever I wanted to, [without being hindered].
5 Jolwenj Farao ne osewuok oa Misri, kendo ka jo-Babulon mane gero pidhe kolworo Jerusalem nowinjo wach mar biro margi, ne gidar gia Jerusalem.
[At that time], the army of [Hophra], the King of Egypt, came [to the southern border of Judah]. When the army of Babylonia heard about that, they stopped surrounding Jerusalem and left there [to fight against the army from Egypt].
6 Eka wach Jehova Nyasaye nobiro ne janabi Jeremia niya:
Then Yahweh gave this message to me:
7 “Ma e gima Jehova Nyasaye, ma Nyasach Israel, wacho: Nyis ruodh Juda, mane oorou mondo unona ni, ‘Jolwenj Farao, mosewuok mondo okonyu, biro dok e pinygi giwegi, Misri.
“[I], Yahweh, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say this: ‘The King of Judah has sent [messengers] to you to ask me [what is going to happen]. Tell the king that even though the army of the King of Egypt came to help him, they are about to return to Egypt.
8 Eka jo-Babulon nodwogi kendo ginimonj dala maduongʼni; ginikawe kendo wangʼe pep.’
Then the army of Babylonia will return here and capture this city and burn everything in it.’
9 “Ma e gima Jehova Nyasaye wacho: Kik uwuondru uwegi, kuparo ni, ‘Jo-Babulon gadiera biro weyowa.’ Ok giniweu ngangʼ!
[So], this is what I say [to you Israelis]: ‘You should not deceive yourselves, thinking that the army from Babylonia has gone and will not return. That is not true.
10 Kata ka bed ni ne unyalo loyo jolwenj Babulon duto ma biro monjou kendo chwo mohiny kende ema odongʼ e hembegi, giniwuogi oko kendo giwangʼ dala maduongʼni.”
And even if your soldiers could destroy almost all of the soldiers from Babylonia who are attacking you, and allow only a few of them who were wounded to remain alive in their tents, they would come out [of their tents] and burn this city completely!”’”
11 Bangʼ ka jolwenj Babulon nose aa Jerusalem nikech jolwenj Farao,
When the army from Babylonia left Jerusalem because the army from Egypt was approaching,
12 Jeremia nochako wuok e dala maduongʼ mondo odhi e gwengʼ Benjamin mondo oyud pokne e dier joma ni kanyo.
I started to leave the city. I intended to go to the area [where the descendants of] Benjamin live, in order to take possession of my share of the property from my family.
13 To kane ochopo e Dhoranga Benjamin, jatend jorito, ma nyinge en Irija wuod Shelemia, ma wuod Hanania, nomake kendo owacho niya, “Nenore ni iweyowa idokne jo-Babulon!”
But as I was walking out the Benjamin Gate, a guard seized me and said, “You are deserting [us and going] to [the soldiers from] Babylonia!” The man who seized me was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah.
14 “Mano ok adiera!” Jeremia nowachone. “Ok aringi adogne jo-Babulon.” To Irija ne ok nyal winje; kuom mano, nomako Jeremia kendo okele ir jotelo.
But I [protested and] said, “That is not true! I was not intending to do that!” But Irijah would not pay attention to what I said. He took me to the [king’s] officials.
15 Igi nowangʼ gi Jeremia kendo negikete ogoye kendo otweye e od Jonathan ma jagoro, mane giloso obedo od twech.
They were very angry with me. They [commanded the guards to] beat me and [then to] put me in the house where Jonathan the king’s secretary stayed. They had changed Jonathan’s house to make it become a prison.
16 Jeremia noketi e od twech manie bwo ot, kama ne obetie kuom kinde marabora.
They put me in a dungeon/cell in that prison, and I remained there for several days.
17 Eka Ruoth Zedekia nooro mondo okele e kar dak ruoth, kama ne openje akwala niya, “Bende nitiere wach moa kuom Jehova Nyasaye?” Jeremia nodwoko ni, “Nitiere, nikech nochiwi ni ruodh Babulon.”
Then King Zedekiah secretly sent a servant to me, who took me to the palace. There the king asked me, “Do you have any messages from Yahweh?” I replied, “Yes, [the message is that] you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”
18 Eka Jeremia nowachone Ruoth Zedekia niya, “En ketho mane ma asetimoni kata ne jotendi kata ne jogi, momiyo iketa e od twech?
Then I asked the king, “What crime have I committed [RHQ] against you or against your officials or against the Israeli people, with the result that you have [commanded that] I be put in a prison?
19 To koro ere jonabi mane okoroni ni, ‘Ruodh jo-Babulon ok nomonj pinyu kata in?’
Your prophets predicted that the army of the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land. Why were [RHQ] [their messages] not fulfilled?
20 To koro, ruodha, yie iwinja. We akel kwayona e nyimi: Kik idwoka e od Jonathan ma jagoro, ka ok kamano to abiro tho kanyo.”
Your majesty, I plead with you to listen to me. Do not send me back to the dungeon/cell in the house of Jonathan your secretary, because [if you do that, ] I will die there.”
21 Eka Ruoth Zedekia nochiwo chik mondo Jeremia oket e laru jarito kendo miye makati koa e yore mag jolos makati odiechiengʼ ka odiechiengʼ, nyaka makati duto man e dala maduongʼno norumo.
So King Zedekiah commanded that [I not be sent back to the prison cell. Instead, ] I was allowed to be watched by the guards in the courtyard [of the palace]. [The king] also [commanded that they should] bring me a loaf of fresh bread every day, until there was no bread left in the city. So [they put me] in that courtyard and I remained there.
