Jeremia 4
1 Jehova Nyasaye wacho niya, “Ka ibiro duogo, yaye Israel, to duog ira. Ka igolo nyisechegi mopa mamonogo e nyima ma ok ubaro,
Yahweh says, “You Israeli [people], come back to me! If you get rid of those detestable idols and do not turn away from me [again],
2 kendo kikwongʼori gi adiera gi bura makare kendo gi tim malongʼo ni, ‘Akwongʼora gi nying Jehova Nyasaye mangima,’ eka abiro gwedho ogendini duto manie piny kendo ogendini duto biro miya duongʼ.”
and if you declare, ‘Just as surely as Yahweh lives, what he says is true,’ and if you [start to] always say what is true and act justly/fairly and righteously, then the [people in the other] nations [of the world] will request that I bless them [as I have blessed you], and they will [all come and] honor/praise me.”
3 Ma e gima Jehova Nyasaye wachone jo-Juda kod Jerusalem: “Pururu puotheu mag mbora kendo kik ukom e kind kuthe.
This is what Yahweh says to the people of Jerusalem and [the other cities in] Judah: “[Prepare yourselves to receive my messages] like farmers plow up hard ground [in order that they can plant seed in it]. Just as farmers do not [waste good seed by] sowing seeds among thorny plants, [I do not want to waste my time telling you messages that you are not ready to receive].
4 Terreuru nyangu uwegi ni Jehova Nyasaye, teruru chunjeu nyangu, un jo-Juda kod jo-Jerusalem, ka ok kamano to mirimba biro muoch mi liel ka mach, nikech tim mamono ma usetimo manowangʼu, maonge ngʼama nyalo kweye.”
Purify your inner beings and your minds for me. If you do not do that, my being angry with you [MTY] because of [all] the sins that you have committed will be like a fire that will be impossible to extinguish.”
5 “Land e Juda kendo ior wach e Jerusalem kiwacho ni: ‘Gouru turumbete e piny duto!’ Ywag matek kendo iwachi: ‘Chokreuru kaachiel! Waringuru wadhi e mier madongo mochiel motegno!’
“Declare this [DOU] to [all the people in] Jerusalem and [the rest of] Judea; blow the trumpets everywhere in the land [to warn the people]. Tell them that they should flee to the cities that have high walls around them.
6 Oruru wach odhi Sayun! Ringuru udhi kar pondo ma ok odeko! Nimar akelo masira koa yo nyandwat, kata kethruok malich.”
Shout to the people of Jerusalem, ‘Run away [now]! Do not delay, because I am about to cause you to experience a terrible disaster [DOU] that will come from the north.
7 Sibuor osewuok e kare mar pondo; jatiek ogendini osewuok oko. Oseweyo kare mondo otiek pinyu. Miechu nomuki madongʼ gunda, maonge ngʼama nodagie.
[An army] that has destroyed [many] nations will attack you [like] [MET] a lion that comes out of its den [to attack other animals]. [The soldiers of that army] have taken down their tents and they are ready to march toward your land. They will destroy your cities and leave them without any people still living in them.’
8 Omiyo rwakuru lepu mag ywak, ywaguru kendo denguru, nimar mirimb Jehova Nyasaye mager pod ok oweyowa.
So, put on sackcloth/rough clothes and weep and beat your chests [to show that you are very sorry for what you have done], because Yahweh is still very angry with us.
9 Jehova Nyasaye wacho niya, “Chiengʼno ruoth kod jotelo chunygi biro aa, jodolo nobed gi luoro maduongʼ, kendo jonabi nobed gi bwok maduongʼ.”
Yahweh said that at the time [he punishes you], the King of Judah and [all his] officials will be very afraid. The priests and the prophets will be terrified.
10 Eka ne awacho, “Yaye Jehova Nyasaye Manyalo Gik Moko Duto, mano kaka isewuondo jogi kod Jerusalem ka iwacho ni, ‘Unubed gi kwe,’ mana sa ma ligangla ni e dwondwa.”
Then I replied, “Yahweh [my] God, you completely deceived the people by telling them that there would be peace in Jerusalem, but now [our enemies] [PRS] are ready to slaughter us with their swords!”
11 E kindego jogi kod Jerusalem nonyisi niya, “Yamo maliet moa kama gimoro ok nyagie mana kama otwo futo kadhi ir joga, to ok mondo okwadhgi kata pwodhogi;
When that happens, [Yahweh] will say to the people of Jerusalem, [“A huge army will come to attack you]. They will not [be like a gentle breeze that] separates wheat from chaff. [They will be like] a very hot wind [that blows in] from the desert [MET].
12 to yamo motegno moloyo mano aa kuoma. Koro asengʼadonegi bura.”
[They will be like] [MET] a strong blast that I will send. Now I am declaring that I will punish/destroy you.”
13 Ne! Obiro ka boche polo, gechene mag lweny biro ka kalausi, farese mage ringo matek moloyo ongo. Kagiwacho niya, mano kaka wan gi lit!
[Our enemies] are about to rush down on us; their chariots are like [SIM] whirlwinds. Their horses are faster than eagles. It will be terrible for us!
14 Yaye Jerusalem, luok timbe mamono manie chunyu mondo iresri. Nyaka karangʼo mi ibiro kano timbe richo e pachi?
[You people of] Jerusalem [APO], purify your hearts/inner beings, in order that Yahweh will rescue you. How long will you continue to think about [doing] evil things?
15 Koko wuok koa Dan, ka goyo milome mar masira koa e gode matindo mag Efraim.
From Dan [city in the far north] to the hills of Ephraim [a few miles/kilometers north of Jerusalem] messengers are proclaiming that disasters are coming.
16 “Nyis ogendini kendo go milome ne Jerusalem niya, ‘Jolweny mager biro iru kawuok e piny mabor, ka gigoyo koko mar agengʼa mar lweny kuom mier madongo mag Juda.
Tell this to the [people in other] nations [but also] announce it in Jerusalem: [Yahweh says], “An army is coming to Jerusalem from far away; they will shout [a battle-cry] against the cities in Judah.
17 Gilwore mana ka joma rito puodho, nikech osengʼanyona,’” Jehova Nyasaye ema owacho.
They will set up tents around Jerusalem like people set up temporary shelters [SIM] around a field [at harvest time]. That will happen because the people of Judah have rebelled against me.
18 “Kiti kod timbegi iwuon osemiyo ma obiro kuomi. Ma en kum mari. Mano kaka olit! Mano kaka opowo nyaka e chuny!”
You will be punished very severely; it will [be as though a sword] has stabbed your inner beings. But you are causing those things to happen to you because of the evil things that you have done.”
19 Yaye, iya nyawni, iya nyawni! An gi rem malit. Yaye, lit mager mar chunya! Chunya ridore, ok nyal lingʼ thi. Nimar asewinjo koko mar turumbete; asewinjo ywak mar kedo.
I am extremely anguished/sad; the pain in my inner being is very severe. My heart beats wildly. But I cannot remain silent because I have heard [our enemies] blowing their trumpets to announce that the battle [against Judah will start immediately].
20 Masira bangʼ masira; piny duto okethi. Ka diemo wangʼ nono hembena omuki, kara mar dak ka mil polo.
Disasters will occur one after another until the whole land is ruined. Suddenly [all] our tents will be destroyed; [even] the curtains [inside the tents] will be ripped apart.
21 Nyaka karangʼo mabiro nenoe kedo machalo kama, kendo winjo dwond turumbete?
How long will this battle continue? How long will I continue to see the enemy battle flags and hear the sound of their trumpets being blown?
22 “Joga ofuwo; ok gingʼeya. Gin nyithindo maonge wigi gionge rieko, gilony mana kuom timo timbe maricho; kendo ok gingʼeyo; kaka digitim maber.”
[Yahweh says], “My people are [very] foolish! They do not have a relationship with me. They are [like] [MET] stupid children who do not understand [anything]. They very cleverly do what is wrong, but they do not know how to do what is good.”
23 Ne angʼiyo piny, ne en nono kendo noonge gi kido; kendo bende ne angʼiyo e polo, to ler ne onge.
[God gave me a vision in which] I saw that the earth was barren and without form. I looked at the sky, and there was no light there.
24 Ne angʼiyo gode madongo kendo negiyiengni, to gode matindo duto ne rundore koni gi koni.
I looked at the mountains and hills, and they shook and moved from side to side.
25 Ne angʼicho to ne onge ji, winy duto manie kor polo nosefuyo molal.
I looked and saw that there were no [more] people, and all the birds had flown away.
26 Ne angʼicho to piny mane miyo nolokore kama otwo; dalane duto nokethi e nyim mirimb Jehova Nyasaye mager.
I looked and saw that the fields that previously were fertile had become a desert. The cities were all ruined; they had all been destroyed by Yahweh because he was extremely angry.
27 Ma e gima Jehova Nyasaye wacho: “Piny mangima ibiro kethi, kata kamano ok nakethe chutho.
This is what Yahweh is saying: “The entire land [of Judah] will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Omiyo piny biro dengo kendo polo malo notim mudho, nikech asewuoyo kendo ok analok pacha, asengʼado wach chuth kendo ok anadog chien.”
I will do to my people what I said that I would do, and I will not change my mind. So [when that happens, it will be as though] the earth will mourn and the sky will become very dark.”
29 Ka dwol mar joidh farese kod jo-asere owinji, to dala ka dala golo aputh njiri. Moko dhi e bunge modinore; moko idho dhi ewi lwendni. Mier duto ji odarie; onge ngʼama odak eigi.
[When the people hear] the sound of the [enemy] army marching, [they will be terrified as] they flee from their cities. Some of them will find places to hide in the bushes, and others will run toward the mountains/hills [to escape being killed by their enemies]. All the cities [in Judah] will be abandoned; not one person will remain in them.
30 En angʼo mitimo, yaye ngʼama osetiekni? Angʼo momiyo irwakori gi law marakwaro kendo idusori gi gige dhahabu? Angʼo momiyo ibuko wangʼi gi rangi. Idusori kayiem nono. Johera magi jari; gidwaro mana ngimani.
So you who will surely be destroyed, [why are you doing the things that you are doing now]? Why are you wearing beautiful clothes and jewelry? Why are you putting paint around your eyes? Doing those things will not help you, because the people [in other countries that you think] love you [actually] despise you, and they will try to kill you.
31 Awinjo ywak kaka mar dhako mamuoch kayo, lit mana ka dhako ma nywolo nyathine makayo, ywak mar Nyar Sayun ka gamo yweyo, kotengʼo bedene kendo owacho, “To mano kaka apodho; ngimana omi jonek.”
[It is as though] I already hear [the people in Jerusalem] crying very loudly, like [SIM] a woman cries when she is giving birth to her first child; she gasps for breath and pleads for someone to help her. [It is as though Jerusalem] is crying, “Something terrible is happening to me! They are about to murder me!”
