Jeremiah 29
1 Jeremiah the prophet wrote this letter and sent it from Jerusalem to the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, the prophets, and everyone else who had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.
Ũyũ nĩguo ũhoro ũrĩa waandĩkĩtwo marũa-inĩ marĩa mũnabii Jeremia aatũmire arĩ Jerusalemu kũrĩ athuuri arĩa maatigaire thĩinĩ wa arĩa maatahĩtwo, na kũrĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai, na anabii, o na andũ acio angĩ othe arĩa Nebukadinezaru aatahĩte kuuma Jerusalemu akamatwara Babuloni.
2 This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metals-workers had been exiled from Jerusalem.
(Hĩndĩ ĩno nĩ thuutha wa Mũthamaki Jekonia, na nyina wa mũthamaki, na anene a kwa mũthamaki, na atongoria a Juda na a Jerusalemu, na mabundi na atũũri gũkorwo matahĩtwo kuuma Jerusalemu.)
3 Elasah, son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, son of Hilkiah, took the letter with them when Zedekiah king of Judah sent them to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. In the letter Jeremiah wrote:
Ehokeire marũa macio Elasa mũrũ wa Shafani, na Gemaria mũrũ wa Hilikia, arĩa Zedekia mũthamaki wa Juda aatũmire kũrĩ Nebukadinezaru mũthamaki wa Babuloni. Marũa macio moigĩte atĩrĩ:
4 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekwĩra andũ othe arĩa ndaarutire Jerusalemu ngĩmatwarithia Babuloni atĩrĩ:
5 Build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.
“Mwĩyakĩrei nyũmba na mũcitũũre; haandai mĩgũnda mũcooke mũrĩe maciaro mayo.
6 Get married and have children. Arrange for your children to get married so they can have children too. Increase in number, don't decrease.
Hikaniai, mũciare aanake na airĩtu; carĩriai aanake anyu atumia mahikie, nao airĩtu anyu mũreke mahikio, nĩgeetha o nao maciare aanake na airĩtu. Ongererekai na mũingĩhe mũrĩ kũu; mũtikanyihanyiihe.
7 Help make the city where I've exiled you more prosperous. Pray to the Lord for it, since as it prospers, so will you.
Ningĩ-rĩ, caragiai thayũ na ũgaacĩru wa itũũra rĩu inene kũu ndĩmũthaamĩirie. Hooyagai Jehova nĩ ũndũ warĩo, tondũ rĩngĩgaacĩra-rĩ, o na inyuĩ no mũkũgaacĩra.”
8 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Don't be fooled by your prophets and fortune-tellers, and don't listen to any dreams they interpret for you.
Ĩĩ, ũũ nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga: “Mũtikareke anabii na aragũri arĩa marĩ gatagatĩ kanyu mamũheenie. Mũtikanathikĩrĩrie irooto icio inyuĩ mũmaringagĩrĩria mamũrotere.
9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord.
Mamũrathagĩra ũhoro wa maheeni, makĩgwetaga rĩĩtwa rĩakwa. Ti niĩ ndĩmatũmĩte,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
10 This is what the Lord says: When the seventy years exile in Babylon are over, I will see to you and keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Mwaniina mĩaka mĩrongo mũgwanja kũu Babuloni, nĩngooka kũrĩ inyuĩ ndĩmũhingĩrie kĩĩranĩro gĩakwa kĩa ũtugi gĩa kũmũcookia gũkũ.
11 I know what I intend to do for you, declares the Lord. I plan good things for you and not bad. I'm going to give you a future and a hope.
Nĩgũkorwo nĩnjũũĩ meciiria marĩa ndĩciiragia ũhoro-inĩ wanyu, o meciiria ma thayũ na ti ma kũmwĩka ũũru, meciiria ma kũmũhe kĩĩrĩgĩrĩro atĩ ũhoro wanyu nĩũkaagĩrĩra thuutha-inĩ,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
12 Then you will call for my help, you will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.
“Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩmũkangaĩra na mũũhooe, na niĩ nĩngamũigua.
13 You will look for me and you will find me when you're completely committed to looking for me.
Ningĩ nĩmũkanjaria na nĩmũkanyona rĩrĩa mũkaanjaria na ngoro yanyu yothe.
14 I will let you find me, declares the Lord. I will end your captivity, gathering you from all the nations and places where I scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back home to the place from where I sent you into exile.
Niĩ na niĩ nĩngonekana nĩ inyuĩ,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “Nĩngamũruta kũrĩa mũtũũrĩte mũrĩ andũ atahe, ndĩmũcookie gũkũ. nĩngamũcookanĩrĩria kuuma ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ ciothe na kũndũ guothe kũrĩa ndaamũhurunjĩire, na nĩngamũcookia kũndũ kũrĩa ndaamũrutĩte ngĩmũtwara mabũrũri ma kũngĩ,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
15 But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us in Babylon,”
Mwahota kuuga atĩrĩ, “Jehova nĩatwarahũrĩire anabii gũkũ Babuloni,”
16 this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David's throne and everyone who's left in Jerusalem, your fellow citizens who weren't taken with you into exile.
no rĩrĩ, ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga ũhoro ũkoniĩ mũthamaki ũrĩa ũikaragĩra gĩtĩ kĩa ũnene kĩa Daudi, marĩ hamwe na andũ othe arĩa maatigarire itũũra-inĩ rĩĩrĩ inene, na andũ a bũrũri wanyu, acio mũtaakuuanĩirio nao mũgĩtahwo:
17 This is what the Lord Almighty says: I'm going send war and famine and disease against them. I'll make them like rotten figs, so bad that they can't be eaten.
ĩĩ, Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Nĩngamatwarithĩria rũhiũ rwa njora, na ngʼaragu, na mũthiro, na ndũme mahaane ta ngũyũ njũru mũno, iria itangĩrĩĩka nĩ ũndũ wa gũthũka.
18 I will chase them down with war and famine and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified by them. They will become a curse word, totally ruined, people to be mocked and criticized among all the nations where I scatter them.
Nĩngamaingatithia na rũhiũ rwa njora, na ngʼaragu, na mũthiro, na ndũme matuĩke kĩndũ kĩmeneku harĩ mothamaki mothe ma gũkũ thĩ, na matuĩke ta kĩndũ kĩnyiite nĩ kĩrumi na kĩrĩ magigi, na kĩndũ gĩa kũnyararwo na kũmeneka, manyararwo ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ ciothe kũrĩa ngaamatwarithia.
19 I'm going to do this because they haven't obeyed to my words, declares the Lord, which I sent to them time and again through my servants the prophets. You exiles haven't obeyed me either, declares the Lord.
Nĩgũkorwo matiathikĩrĩirie ndũmĩrĩri ciakwa, ndũmĩrĩri iria ndaamatũmĩire kaingĩ na tũnua twa ndungata ciakwa cia anabii”, ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga “O na inyuĩ arĩa mwatahirwo-rĩ, mũtiigana gũthikĩrĩria,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
20 So listen to the word of the Lord, all you exiles I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, ta thikĩrĩriai ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova, inyuĩ arĩa mũtahĩtwo ngamũruta Jerusalemu mũgatwarwo Babuloni.
21 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name. I'm going to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them right before your eyes.
Ũũ nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga nĩ ũndũ wa Ahabu mũrũ wa Kolaia, na Zedekia mũrũ wa Maaseia, o acio mamũrathagĩra mohoro ma maheeni makĩgwetaga rĩĩtwa rĩakwa: “Nĩngamaneana kũrĩ Nebukadinezaru mũthamaki wa Babuloni, nake nĩakamooraga mũkĩĩonagĩra na maitho manyu.
22 Because of what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah in Babylon will curse others like this: “May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, burned alive by the king of Babylon!”
Nĩ ũndũ wa ũhoro ũcio wao-rĩ, andũ othe a Juda arĩa maatahirwo na rĩu marĩ Babuloni nĩmakamoinaga thimo makĩrumana, makoiga atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova arotũma ũtuĩke ta Zedekia na Ahabu, arĩa mũthamaki wa Babuloni aacinire na mwaki.’
23 They did outrageous things in Israel—they committed adultery with their neighbor's wives and told lies in my name. I didn't tell them to say anything. I am the one who knows what they did, and I can witness to it, declares the Lord.
Nĩgũkorwo nĩmekĩte maũndũ mooru mũno thĩinĩ wa Isiraeli; nĩ matharĩtie na atumia a andũ angĩ, na makaaria ndeto cia maheeni, makĩgwetaga rĩĩtwa rĩakwa, ũndũ itaameerĩte meke. Nĩnjũũĩ ũguo nĩguo, na ndĩ mũira wamo,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
24 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite
Ĩra Shemaia ũcio Mũnehelami atĩrĩ,
25 that this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: On your own authority you sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,
“Ũũ nĩguo Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga: Wee nĩwatũmire marũa na rĩĩtwa rĩaku mwene kũrĩ andũ othe a Jerusalemu, na kũrĩ Zefania mũrũ wa Maaseia ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, o na kũrĩ athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa angĩ othe. Werire Zefania atĩrĩ,
26 “Zephaniah, the Lord has chosen you as priest to replace Jehoiada, to be in charge of the Lord's Temple. In that capacity you are required to put in the stocks and neck irons any crazy person who claims to be a prophet.
‘Jehova nĩagũtuĩte mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ithenya rĩa Jehoiada nĩguo ũtuĩke mũrũgamĩrĩri wa nyũmba ya Jehova; wee wagĩrĩirwo nĩkuoherera mũgũrũki o wothe ũretua mũnabii ndungu magũrũ na ũmuoherere igera cia ngingo.
27 So why haven't you not punished Jeremiah of Anathoth, who claims to be a prophet among you?
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, nĩ kĩĩ kĩgirĩtie wee ũkaanie Jeremia ũcio wa kuuma Anathothu, o ũcio wĩtuaga mũnabii gatagatĩ-inĩ kanyu?
28 You should have done this because he has sent a letter to us here in Babylon, stating, ‘The exile will last a long time. So build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.’”
Nĩatũtũmĩire ndũmĩrĩri ĩno gũkũ Babuloni akoiga atĩrĩ: Nĩmũgũikara mũrĩ atahe ihinda iraaya. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio akaai nyũmba na mũcitũũre, na mũrĩme mĩgũnda na mũrĩe maciaro mayo.’”
29 However, Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
No rĩrĩ, we Zefania ũcio mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai agĩthomera mũnabii Jeremia marũa macio.
30 Then the Lord told Jeremiah:
Hĩndĩ ĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩgĩkinyĩra Jeremia, akĩĩrwo ũũ:
31 Send this message to all the exiles: This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Since Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I didn't send him, and has convinced you to believe in a lie,
“Tũma ndũmĩrĩri ĩno kũrĩ andũ othe arĩa atahe: ‘Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga ũndũ ũkoniĩ Shemaia ũcio Mũnehelami: Tondũ Shemaia nĩamũrathĩire ũhoro, o na gũtuĩka ndiamũtũmĩte, na nĩatũmĩte mwĩhoke ũhoro wa maheeni-rĩ,
32 this is what the Lord says: I'm going to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He won't have any family left among this people, and he won't experience the good things that I'm going to do for my people, declares the Lord, for he has promoted rebellion against the Lord.
ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga: Ti-itherũ nĩngaherithia Shemaia ũcio Mũnehelami na njiaro ciake. Ndakagĩa na mũndũ ũtigarĩte thĩinĩ wa andũ aya, o na kana eyonere maũndũ mega marĩa ngeeka andũ akwa, tondũ nĩahunjĩtie ũremi akaanjũkĩrĩra,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
