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.
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 Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metals-workers 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 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:
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 Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken 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 yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.
“Wuoronụ onwe unu ụlọ, birikwanụ nʼime ya; kụọnụ ihe nʼubi a gbara ogige, riekwa mkpụrụ si na ya;
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.
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 Help make the city where I've exiled you more prosperous. Pray to the Lord for it, since as it prospers, so will you.
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 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.
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 They are prophesying lies 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 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.
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 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.
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 for my help, you will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.
Mgbe ahụ, unu ga-abịakwute m, unu ga-abịa kpọkuokwa m nʼekpere, aga m egekwa unu ntị.
13 You will look for me and you will find me when you're completely committed to looking for me.
Unu ga-achọsikwa m ike, chọta m ma ọ bụrụ na unu ejiri obi unu niile chọọ m.
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.
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 But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us 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 everyone who's left in Jerusalem, your fellow citizens who weren't taken 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 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.
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 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.
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'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.
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 listen to the word of the Lord, all you exiles I sent 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 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.
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 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!”
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 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.
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 Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite
Gwa Shemaya onye Nehelam okwu sị ya,
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,
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 “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.
‘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 why haven't you not punished Jeremiah of Anathoth, who claims to be 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 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.’”
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 However, Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.
Zefanaya bụ onye nchụaja, gụrụ akwụkwọ ozi ahụ nʼihu Jeremaya, bụ onye amụma.
30 Then the Lord told Jeremiah:
Mgbe ahụ, okwu Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere Jeremaya, sị,
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,
“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'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.
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.’”
