Jeremiah 29
1 This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets, and all the others Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Ihe ndị a bụ ihe dị nʼakwụkwọ ozi Jeremaya onye amụma si Jerusalem degaara ndị fọdụrụ ndụ nʼetiti ndị okenye, na ndị nchụaja, na ndị amụma, na ndị Izrel Nebukadneza dọtara nʼagha si na Jerusalem bulaa ha Babilọn.
2 (This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had been exiled from Jerusalem.)
Nke a bụ mgbe eze Jehoiakin, nne eze, ndị ozi nʼụlọeze, ndị ndu Juda na Jerusalem, ndị ọka, na ndị ụzụ sitere na Jerusalem dọta ha nʼagha buru ha gaa mba ọzọ.
3 The letter was entrusted to Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It stated:
Onye Jeremaya nyere akwụkwọ ozi a ka o nyeruo ndị e deere ya bụ Eleasa nwa Shefan, na Gemaraya nwa Hilkaya, ndị Zedekaya eze Juda zigara Babilọn izi Nebukadneza bụ eze ozi.
4 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel na-agwa ndị niile m mere ka e si na Jerusalem dọta nʼagha buru laa Babilọn,
5 “Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.
“Wuoronụ onwe unu ụlọ, birikwanụ nʼime ya; kụọnụ ihe nʼubi a gbara ogige, riekwa mkpụrụ si na ya;
6 Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease.
lụọnụ nwunye, mụọkwanụ ụmụ ndị ikom na ụmụ ndị inyom; lụọkwaranụ ụmụ unu ndị ikom nwunye, kwenyekwanụ ka ụmụ unu ndị inyom lụọ di, ka ha mụọkwa ụmụ ndị ikom na ụmụ ndị inyom. Mụbaanụ nʼebe ahụ, unu ebilatakwala.
7 Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
Chọọnụ udo nke obodo ahụ m mere ka unu gaa biri nʼime ya. Kpeekwanụ ekpere nye Onyenwe anyị banyere ya. Nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na ihe agaara obodo ahụ nke ọma, ọ ga-agakwara unu nke ọma.”
8 For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them.
Nʼihi na ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile bụ Chineke Izrel kwuru, “Unu ekwela ka ndị amụma ahụ nọ nʼetiti unu, na ndị na-ajụ arụsị ase rafuo unu; unu egela ntị nʼakụkọ ha na-akọ banyere nrọ ndị ahụ unu na-akwagide ha ka ha rọọ.
9 For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
Nʼihi na amụma ha na-ebu nʼaha m bụ amụma ụgha. Ọ bụkwaghị m zitere ha.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
10 For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place.
Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, “Mgbe iri afọ asaa m kwadoro maka Babilọn zuru, aga m abịa mezuo nkwa ahụ m kwere. Aga m eme ka unu lọtakwa nʼebe a.
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
Nʼihi na mụ onwe m maara echiche niile m na-eche banyere unu,” ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri, “echiche ime ka ihe gaara unu nke ọma, ọ bụkwaghị echiche ime unu ihe ọjọọ, echiche ime ka unu nwee ezi ọdịnihu, na olileanya kwesiri ntụkwasị obi.
12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Mgbe ahụ, unu ga-abịakwute m, unu ga-abịa kpọkuokwa m nʼekpere, aga m egekwa unu ntị.
13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Unu ga-achọsikwa m ike, chọta m ma ọ bụrụ na unu ejiri obi unu niile chọọ m.
14 I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.”
Aga m emekwa ka unu chọta m,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri, “meekwa ka unu bụ ndị a dọtara nʼagha lọta. Aga m esitekwa na mba ahụ niile m chụgara unu chịkọtaa unu, kpọghachitekwa unu nʼebe ahụ m si chụpụ unu.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya.
15 Because you may say, “The LORD has raised up for us prophets in Babylon,”
Unu pụrụ ị sị, “Onyenwe anyị akpọlite ndị amụma nye anyị na Babilọn.”
16 this is what the LORD says about the king who sits on David’s throne and all the people who remain in this city, your brothers who did not go with you into exile—
Ma ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu banyere eze ahụ na-anọkwasị nʼocheeze Devid, na banyere ndị mmadụ niile fọdụrụ nʼobodo a, bụ ụmụnne unu ndị ahụ na-esoghị unu gaa ebe e mere ka ha ga biri na mba ọzọ.
17 this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten.
E, ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru, “Aga m eziga mma agha nʼetiti ha, zigakwa ụnwụ na ọrịa na-efe efe. Aga m eme ha ka ha dị ka mkpụrụ fiig jọgburu onwe ya, nke mmadụ na-agaghị ata ata.
18 I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them.
Aga m eji mma agha, na ụnwụ, na ọrịa na-efe efe, chụọ ha ọsọ. Aga m eme ha ka ha bụrụ ihe alaeze niile nke ụwa ga na-asọ oyi. Ha ga-abụ ihe ịbụ ọnụ, na ihe iju anya, na ihe nkọcha, na ihe ịta ụta nʼetiti mba niile ebe m ga-achụla ha ọsọ.
19 I will do this because they have not listened to My words, declares the LORD, which I sent to them again and again through My servants the prophets. And neither have you exiles listened, declares the LORD.”
Nʼihi na ha egeghị ntị nʼokwu m, bụ okwu si nʼọnụ ndị ohu m bụ ndị amụma, ndị m zigaara ha mgbe mgbe. Ma unu onwe unu, ndị bi na mba ọzọ egekwaghị ntị nʼokwu m.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.
20 So hear the word of the LORD, all you exiles I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Ya mere, nụrụnụ okwu Onyenwe anyị, unu niile bụ ndị m mere ka e si na Jerusalem dọta nʼagha gaa Babilọn.
21 This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying to you lies in My name: “I will deliver them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes.
Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel na-ekwu banyere Ehab nwa Kolaya, na Zedekaya nwa Maaseia, ndị na-ebu amụma ụgha nʼaha m, “Aga m ewere ha nyefee nʼaka Nebukadneza bụ eze Babilọn. Ọ ga-etigbukwa ha nʼihu unu.
22 Because of them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will use this curse: ‘May the LORD make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’
Nʼihi ha, ndị niile e si Juda dọta nʼagha buru gaa Babilọn ga na-ekwu okwu nkọcha sị, ‘Ka Onyenwe anyị mesokwa gị ụdị mmeso o mesoro Zedekaya na Ehab, ndị eze Babilọn tụnyere nʼọkụ nke regburu ha.’
23 For they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with the wives of their neighbors and speaking lies in My name, which I did not command them to do. I am He who knows, and I am a witness, declares the LORD.”
Nʼihi na ha emeela ihe ndị jọgburu onwe ya na njọ nʼIzrel; ha na nwunye ndị agbataobi ha akwaala iko; ha esitekwala nʼaha m buo amụma ụgha, amụma nke m na-enyeghị ha iwu ibu. Amaara m na ihe ndị a bụ eziokwu, nʼihi na ahụrụ m ya.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.
24 You are to tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite that
Gwa Shemaya onye Nehelam okwu sị ya,
25 this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “In your own name you have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests. You said to Zephaniah:
Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel kwuru, “I dere akwụkwọ zigara ndị niile bi na Jerusalem, ha na Zefanaya nwa Maaseia onye nchụaja, na ndị nchụaja ndị ọzọ. Ị gwara Zefanaya okwu nʼakwụkwọ ahụ sị ya,
26 ‘The LORD has appointed you priest in place of Jehoiada, to be the chief officer in the house of the LORD, responsible for any madman who acts like a prophet—you must put him in stocks and neck irons.
‘Onyenwe anyị ahọpụtala gị mee gị onye nchụaja ga-anọchi anya Jehoiada. Nʼihi ya, ị bụrụla onyeisi ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị. Ya mere, o kwesiri ka i jide onye ara ọbụla na-akpọ onwe ya onye amụma, manye ya agbụ igwe nʼụkwụ, na nʼolu ya.
27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who poses as a prophet among you?
Gịnị mere i ji hapụ ịbasiri Jeremaya, onye Anatot mba ike, onye na-eme onwe ya onye amụma nʼetiti unu?
28 For he has sent to us in Babylon, claiming: Since the exile will be lengthy, build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat their produce.’”
O ziterela anyị ozi dị otu a na Babilọn sị anyị, Unu ga-anọ nʼebe ahụ tee anya. Ya mere, wuoronụ onwe unu ụlọ, birikwanụ nʼime ya. Kụọnụ ihe nʼubi, riekwanụ ihe si nʼubi unu.’”
29 (Zephaniah the priest, however, had read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.)
Zefanaya bụ onye nchụaja, gụrụ akwụkwọ ozi ahụ nʼihu Jeremaya, bụ onye amụma.
30 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
Mgbe ahụ, okwu Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere Jeremaya, sị,
31 “Send a message telling all the exiles what the LORD says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you—though I did not send him—and has made you trust in a lie,
“Zigara ndị ahụ niile e mere ka ha gaa biri na mba ọzọ ozi sị ha, ‘Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru banyere Shemaya onye Nehelam, Ebe ọ bụ na Shemaya ebuorola unu amụma mee ka unu tụkwasị obi unu nʼokwu ụgha ya, ma ọ bụghị m ziri ya,
32 this is what the LORD says: ‘I will surely punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He will have no one left among this people, nor will he see the good that I will bring to My people, declares the LORD, for he has preached rebellion against the LORD.’”
ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, Mụ onwe m aghaghị ịta Shemaya onye Nehelam na mkpụrụ ya ahụhụ nʼihi mmehie ya. Ọ gaghị enwe nwoke ọbụla ga-afọdụ ndụ nʼetiti ndị ya niile. Ọ gaghị esokwa unu lekwasị anya nʼihe ọma ahụ niile m na-akwado imere ndị m, nʼihi na o kwusara nnupu isi megide Onyenwe anyị. Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.’”
