Jeremiah 18
1 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
Nke a bụ okwu nke sị nʼebe Onyenwe anyị nọ bịakwute Jeremaya.
2 Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.
“Bilie, jee nʼụlọ ọkpụ ite, ebe ahụ ka m ga-anọ zie gị ozi.”
3 I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.
Ya mere, ebiliri m jee nʼụlọ ọkpụ ite, bịakwute ya mgbe ọ nọ na-arụ ọrụ na nkume ịkpụ ihe.
4 But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.
Ma ite ahụ ọ chọrọ ịkpụ apụtaghị dịka ọkpụ ite si chọọ ya, nʼihi ya, ọ kpụkọtara ụrọ ahụ ọzọ, malitekwa ịkpụgharị ya.
5 The Lord's message came to me, saying,
Mgbe ahụ okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru m ntị,
6 People of Israel, declares the Lord, can't I deal with you just like this potter does with his clay? I hold you in my hand just like clay in the potter's hand, people of Israel.
Ọ sịrị, “Ọ bụ na m apụghị ime unu dịka ọkpụ ite a mere, unu ụmụ Izrel?” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri, “Dịka ụrọ si dị nʼaka ọkpụ ite ahụ, otu a ka unu onwe unu si dịrị nʼaka m, gị Izrel.
7 At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.
Mgbe ọbụla m kpọsara na a ga-akwada maọbụ bibie, maọbụ si nʼọnọdụ ya hopu mba maọbụ alaeze ọbụla,
8 However, if that nation I warned gives up its evil ways, then I will change my mind regarding the disaster I was about to bring.
ọ bụrụ na mba ahụ m dọrọ aka na ntị esite na mmehie ha chegharịa, a gaghị ebibi ya dịka m si zube.
9 At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom.
Ọzọ, ọ bụrụ na m akpọsaa na a ga-ewuli mba ọbụla maọbụ alaeze ọbụla elu, kụọkwa ya,
10 But if it does evil in my sight and refuses to listen to my voice, then I will change my mind regarding the good I had planned for it.
ọ bụrụ na o mee ihe jọrọ njọ nʼanya m, jụ irubere m isi, agaghị m emere ya ihe ọma ahụ m zubere imere ya.
11 So tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: Watch out! I am preparing disaster for you, and working out a plan against you. All of you, give up your evil ways. Live right and act right!
“Ugbu a, gwa ndị Juda na ndị ahụ bi na Jerusalem, sị, ‘Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị sịrị: Lee, ana m akwado mbibi nke ga-abịakwasị unu; ana m echekwa echiche ọjọọ megide unu. Ya mere, ka onye ọbụla nʼime unu site nʼụzọ ọjọọ ya chegharịa, ya meekwa ka ụzọ ya na omume ya zie ezi.’
12 But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”
Ma ha ga-aza sị, ‘O nweghị isi! Anyị ga-anọgide na-eme ihe ọbụla anyị chepụtara nʼechiche anyị, na-emekwa atụmatụ isiike nke obi ọjọọ anyị tụpụtara.’”
13 Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.
Nʼihi ya ka Onyenwe anyị ji kwuo sị, “Jụtanụ ajụjụ nʼetiti mba niile, onye nụrụla ihe dị otu a? Ndị m, Izrel, bụ nwaagbọghọ na-amaghị nwoke emeela ihe jọgburu onwe ya.
14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever disappear from its rocky mountain-tops? Do its cool waters that flow from such distant sources ever dry up?
O nweela mgbe mmiri oyi m mere ka ọ kpụkọtaa kọrọ nʼelu ugwu Lebanọn? O nweela mgbe mmiri ya jụrụ oyi, nke si nʼebe dị anya na-asọdata ji akwụsị ịsọ asọ?
15 But my people have rejected me! They burn incense to useless idols which trip them up, making them leave the old roads in order to walk down unmade paths instead of the highway.
Ma ndị m echezọọla m. Ha na-achụ aja nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nye arụsị na-enweghị isi, bụ arụsị ndị ahụ mere ka ha sọọ ngọngọ nʼụzọ ha niile. Ha sụrụ ngọngọ hapụ ịgbasokwa ụzọ ọma ahụ dị site na mgbe ochie. Kama ha na-eje ije nʼụzọ ọhịa, nke na-enweghị ụkpụrụ, nke a na-ewuzighị ewuzi.
16 They have turned their country into a horrific wasteland, a place that will always be treated with contempt. People passing by will be shocked, shaking their heads in disbelief.
Ala ha ga-atọgbọrọ nʼefu. Ọ ga-aghọ ihe iju anya ruo ebighị ebi. Ndị si nʼakụkụ ya na-agafe ga-efufe isi ha, nʼihi na ihe ha ga-ahụ ga-eju ha anya.
17 Like a strong wind from the east I will scatter them before the enemy. I will turn my back on them and not look at them when their time of trouble comes.
Aga m achụsa ha nʼihu ndị iro ha dịka ifufe na-efe site nʼọwụwa anyanwụ. Aga m agbakụta ha azụ. Ha agaghị ahụkwa ihu m anya nʼụbọchị ahụ mbibi ga-abịakwasị ha.”
18 Some people decided, “We need a plan to deal with Jeremiah. There'll still be priests to explain the law, there'll still be wise people to give advice, and there'll still be prophets to give prophecies. Let's organize a smear campaign against him so we don't have to listen to a word he says.”
Ha sịrị, “Bịanụ ka anyị gbaa izu megide Jeremaya, nʼihi na izi iwu agaghị esite nʼebe ndị nchụaja nọ kwụsị, maọbụ ndụmọdụ nʼebe ndị maara ihe, ma ọ bụkwanụ okwu site nʼebe ndị amụma nọ. Ya mere, bịanụ ka anyị were ire anyị buso ya agha, gharakwa ịṅa ntị nʼokwu ọbụla nke ọ na-ekwu.”
19 Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying!
Gee m ntị, Onyenwe anyị. Nụrụ ihe ndị na-ebo m ebubo na-ekwu megide m.
20 Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they have dug a pit to trap me! Remember how I stood before you to plead on their behalf, to stop you being angry with them?
O kwesiri iji ajọ omume kwụghachi ihe ọma? Ma lee na ha egwuolara m olulu. Chetakwa na m guzooro nʼihu gị ma rịọ gị arịrịọ nʼihi ha. Arịrịọ m bụ ka ị hapụ iweso ha oke iwe.
21 But now may their children starve; may they be killed by the sword. May their wives lose their children and their husbands; may their husbands die from disease; may their young men be killed in battle.
Ya mere, were ụmụ ha nyefee nʼaka ụnwụ. Werekwa ha onwe ha nyefee nʼaka mma agha. Mee ka ndị nwunye ha ghọọ ndị gba aka ụmụ na di. Meekwa ka e gbuo ndị ikom ha, ka mma agha gbukwaa ụmụ okorobịa nʼọgbọ agha.
22 May cries of agony be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders to attack them, because they dug a pit to capture me and hid traps to catch me as I walk along.
Mee ka e site nʼụlọ ha nụ mkpu akwa, mgbe i mere ka ndị iro ha buso ha agha na mberede. Nʼihi na ha egwuola olulu ijide m, ha esiekwarala m ọnya nzuzo ijide m nʼụkwụ.
23 But Lord, you know about all their plots to try and kill me. Don't forgive their wickedness; don't wipe away their sin. Bring them down! Deal with them when you're angry!
Ma gị onwe gị, Onyenwe anyị, maara nzube ọjọọ ha niile igbu m. Agbagharala ha ajọ omume ha; maọbụ hichapụ mmehie ha site nʼihu gị. Mee ka ụkwụ ha gbuchapụ ka ha daa nʼihu gị; mesie ha ike mgbe ị na-ewe iwe.
