< Jeremiah 34 >

1 This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, along with troops from all the countries he ruled and other nations were attacking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns:
Esime Babilonia fia Nebukadnezar kple eƒe aʋakɔwo kple fiaɖuƒe siwo katã le ete la le aʋa wɔm kple Yerusalem kple du siwo katã ƒo xlãe la, nya sia tso Yehowa gbɔ va na Yeremia be,
2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and talk to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Listen! I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it down.
“Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: Yi ɖe Yuda fia Zedekia gbɔ nàgblɔ nɛ be, ‘Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Esusɔ vie matsɔ du sia ade asi na Babilonia fia, wòatɔ dzoe.
3 You yourself won't escape being captured by him. You will certainly be taken prisoner and brought before him to speak with him personally and see him face to face. You will be taken to Babylon.
Màdo le eƒe asi me o, ke boŋ woalé wò kokoko ade asi nɛ. Àkpɔ Babilonia fia la kple wò ŋutɔ wò ŋkuwo eye aƒo nu kpli wò ŋkume kple ŋkume. Ale woakplɔ wò ayi Babiloniae.
4 Listen to what the Lord is telling you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You won't be killed;
“‘Ke hã la, se Yehowa ƒe ŋugbedodo, O Yuda fia Zedekia. Ale Yehowa gblɔ tso ŋutiwòe nye esi: Màtsi yi nu o,
5 you will die in peace. You will have a proper funeral with incense burned for you as they did for your forefathers, the kings who ruled before you. They will weep for you, crying, “The king is dead.” I myself am telling you this, declares the Lord.
ke boŋ àku le ŋutifafa me. Abe ale si amewo do kuteƒedzo na fia siwo do ŋgɔ na wò, ame siwo nye fofowòwo, hetsɔ de bubu wo ŋutii ene la, nenema kee woado dzo atsɔ de bubu ŋutiwòe ahado konyifaɣli be, “Alele, O nye Aƒetɔ!” Nye ŋutɔe do ŋugbe sia, Yehowae gblɔe.’”
6 Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah king of Judah all this there in Jerusalem.
Ale Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia yi ɖato nya siawo katã na Yuda fia Zedekia le Yerusalem,
7 At this time the king of Babylon's army was attacking the city and the Judean towns of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities that had not yet been conquered in Judah.
esime Babilonia fia le aʋa wɔm kple Yerusalem kple Yuda du siwo gale te nu, abe Lakis kple Azeka ene. Du siawo koe ganye du siwo ŋu gli sesẽwo nɔ le Yuda.
8 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a agreement with everyone in Jerusalem to announce a proclamation of freedom.
Gbe tso Yehowa gbɔ va na Yeremia esi fia Zedekia wɔ nubabla kple ame siwo katã nɔ Yerusalem, be woaɖe gbeƒã ablɔɖe na kluviwo vɔ megbe.
9 This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.
Nya lae nye be ame sia ame nena ablɔɖe eƒe Hebri kluvi siwo nɔ esi, ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa. Ame aɖeke megawɔ ehavi Hebritɔ aɖeke kluvie o.
10 All the officials and all the people who accepted this agreement did what they said. They freed their male and female slaves, not forcing them to remain slaves any longer. They obeyed and let them go free.
Eya ta dumegãwo katã kple ame siwo ɖo nubabla sia me la lɔ̃ be woaɖe asi le kluviawo ŋu, ŋutsuwo kple nyɔnuwo siaa, be womaganɔ kluvinyenye me o. Esi wolɔ̃ ta la, wona ablɔɖe kluviawo.
11 However, later on they changed their minds and took back the male and female slaves they'd freed, forcing them back into slavery.
Gake wotrɔ susu emegbe eye wogana ame siwo ŋu woɖe asi le la gazu kluviwo.
12 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
Tete Yehowa ƒe nya va na Yeremia be,
13 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery, saying:
“Ale Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: Mebla nu kple mia fofowo esi mekplɔ wo do goe tso Egipte, tso kluvinyenye me. Megblɔ be,
14 Every seventh year, each of you are to set free all fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. They can serve you for six years, but then you must set them free. But your forefathers didn't pay attention and didn't obey what I told them.
‘Le ƒe adrelia me la, mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe naɖe asi le nɔvia Hebritɔ si tsɔ eɖokui de awɔba me nɛ la ŋu. Esi wòsubɔ wò ƒe ade vɔ megbe la, ele be nàɖe asi le eŋu wòadzo.’ Gake mia fofowo gbe, womeɖo tom alo de nu eme nam o.
15 A little while ago you decided to do what's right, which made me happy. You all announced that you would free your slaves. You made a agreement before me in my Temple.
Nyitsɔ laa mietrɔ dzi me hewɔ nu si nyo la le nye ŋkume. Mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe ɖe gbeƒã ablɔɖe na ehavi. Kura gɔ̃ hã la, miebla nu le ŋkunye me le Aƒe si ŋuti woyɔ nye ŋkɔ ɖo la me.
16 But now you've changed your minds and dishonored me. Each of you took back the male and female slaves you'd set free to do whatever they wanted. You forced them to become your slaves again.
Ke azɔ la miegatrɔ glalã, heƒo ɖi nye ŋkɔ eye mia dometɔ ɖe sia ɖe gaxɔ ŋutsu kple nyɔnu kluvi siwo miena ablɔɖee be woayi afi si wolɔ̃. Miezi wo dzi be woaganye miaƒe kluviwo.
17 So this is what the Lord says: You haven't obeyed me. You haven't announced freedom for your slaves, your own people. So now I announce “freedom” for you, declares the Lord: Freedom to be killed by war, by disease, and by famine! I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by you.
“Eya ta ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Mieɖo tom o, miena ablɔɖe hã mia haviwo o. Eya ta azɔ la, meɖe gbeƒã ‘ablɔɖe’ na mi, ‘ablɔɖe’ be miatsi yi, dɔvɔ̃ kple dɔwuame ƒe asi me, eye matsɔ mi awɔ ŋɔdzidonu na anyigbadzifiaɖuƒewo katã.
18 They have broken my agreement, and have not kept the terms of the agreement they promised before me. So I'm going to cut them up just like the calf they cut in half to pass between its two pieces.
Ŋutsu siwo tu nye nubabla, eye womewɔ ɖe nu si wobla le ŋkunye me la dzi o la, mawɔ wo abe nyivi si wofe ɖe eve hezɔ to eƒe titina la ene.
19 I will hand them over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. This includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and everyone else who passed between the pieces of the calf.
Yuda kple Yerusalem dumegãwo, nunɔlawo kple ame siwo katã le anyigba dzi, ame siwo zɔ to nyivi fefe la titina la,
20 Their dead bodies will become food for birds of prey and wild animals.
makplɔ de asi na woƒe futɔ siwo le woƒe agbe yome tim. Woƒe ŋutilã kukua azu nuɖuɖu na dziƒoxeviwo kple gbemelãwo.
21 I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials to their enemies who are trying to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon which had paused its attack on you.
“Matsɔ Yuda fia Zedekia kple eƒe dumegãwo ade asi na woƒe futɔ siwo le woƒe agbe yome tim, na Babilonia fia ƒe aʋakɔ siwo ʋu dzo le mia gbɔ la.
22 Listen! I will give the order, declares the Lord, and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it. I'm going to destroy the towns of Judah so nobody will live there.
Yehowa be yele gbe ɖe ge, eye yeakplɔ wo agbɔe va du sia me. Woawɔ aʋa kplii, axɔe eye woatɔ dzoe wòabi. Mana be Yuda duwo nazu aƒedo, ale be ame aɖeke mate ŋu anɔ wo me o.”

< Jeremiah 34 >