Jeremiah 38
1 [Four officials, ] Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malkijah, heard what I had been telling all the people.
Shefataya nwa Matan, na Gedaliya nwa Pashua, na Jehukal nwa Shelemaya, na Pashua, nwa Malkija, nụrụ mgbe Jeremaya nọ na-agwa ndị mmadụ okwu ndị a sị ha,
2 [I had been telling them] that Yahweh was saying, “Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die. They will be killed by [their enemies’] swords or from famines or from diseases. But those who surrender to the Babylonian army, they will be spared. They will not be killed.
“Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Onye ọbụla nọgidere nʼime obodo a ga-anwụ site na mma agha, maọbụ site nʼụnwụ, maọbụ site nʼọrịa na-efe efe. Ma onye ọbụla pụkwuru ndị Babilọn ga-adị ndụ. Ọ ga-adị ndụ, nʼihi na ọ ga-echebe ndụ ya.’
3 Yahweh also says that the army of the King of Babylon will certainly capture this city [DOU].”
Ihe ndị a kwa ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘A ga-arara obodo a nyefee ya nʼaka ndị agha eze Babilọn, onye ga-adọta ya nʼagha.’”
4 So those officials [went] to the king and said, “This man [Jeremiah] should be executed! Because of what he is saying, he is discouraging our soldiers who remain in the city. He is also discouraging the people. He is not saying things that will help us; he is saying things that will defeat us.”
Mgbe ahụ, ndịisi ọchịchị sịrị eze, “O kwesiri ka e gbuo nwoke a, nʼihi na ọ na-eme ka obi ndị agha na obi ndị mmadụ fọdụrụ nʼime obodo a na-ada mba site nʼụdị okwu ọ na-agwa ha. Ọ bụghị ọdịmma ndị a ka ọ na-eche echiche ya, kama ọ bụ otu ha ga-esi laa nʼiyi.”
5 King Zedekiah said, “All right, do to him what you want to; I do not have the power to stop you.”
Zedekaya bụ eze zara sị ha, “Ọ dị unu nʼaka. Unu maara na o nweghị ihe ọbụla eze nwere ike ime igbochi unu ime ihe unu chọrọ.”
6 So those officials took me from my cell and lowered me by ropes into a well in the courtyard. The well belonged to Malkijah, who was a son of the king. There was no water in the well, but there was [a lot of] mud, so I sank [down deep] into the mud.
Ya mere, ha jidere Jeremaya, tinye ya nʼime olulu mmiri Malkija, nwa eze. Olulu mmiri a dị nʼogige ụlọ ndị nche. Ọ bụ ụdọ ka ha ji wetuo Jeremaya nʼime olulu mmiri ahụ. Ma mmiri adịghị nʼime ya, naanị apịtị. Ya mere, Jeremaya danyere nʼime apịtị ahụ, mibanye nʼime ya.
7 But Ebed-Melech, a palace official from Ethiopia, heard [someone say] that I was in the well. [At that time] the king was deciding/judging people’s cases at the Benjamin Gate.
Ma Ebed-Melek, onye Kush, otu nʼime ndịisi ozi nʼụlọeze nụrụ na etinyela Jeremaya nʼime olulu mmiri. Mgbe eze nọdụrụ nʼọnụ ụzọ ama Benjamin,
8 Ebed-Melech went out of the palace and said to the king,
Ebed-Melek si nʼụlọeze pụọ jekwuuru ya nʼebe ahụ sị ya,
9 “Your majesty, those men have done a very evil thing. They have put the prophet Jeremiah in a well. [Almost] all the food in the city is gone, [so they will not be able to bring him any food] and as a result he will die from hunger!”
“Onyenwe m eze, lee na mmeso ndị a mesoro Jeremaya onye amụma jọgburu onwe ya. Ha atụbala ya nʼime olulu mmiri hapụ ya ka ọ nọdụ nʼebe ahụ nwụọ nʼihi agụụ mgbe achịcha kọrọ nʼobodo.”
10 So the king told Ebed-Melech, “Take thirty of my men/soldiers with you, and pull Jeremiah out of the well, in order that he does not die!”
Mgbe ahụ, eze nyere Ebed-Melek onye Kush iwu sị ya, “Sị nʼebe a kpọrọ iri mmadụ atọ ka gị na ha soro gaa dọpụta Jeremaya onye amụma site nʼolulu ahụ tupu ọ nwụọ.”
11 So Ebed-Melech took thirty men with him and they went into a room in the palace below the room where they stored very valuable things. There they found some old rags and discarded clothing. They took those things and went to the well. They fastened them to a rope and lowered the rope to me.
Ya mere, Ebed-Melek duuru ndị ahụ pụọ. O buru ụzọ jee nʼọnụụlọ dị nʼokpuru ụlọakụ nke ụlọeze. Nʼebe ahụ, ọ chịpụtara ụfọdụ nkịrịnka akwa, na ụfọdụ uwe kara nka. O kenyere ha nʼụdọ, wetuore ya Jeremaya nʼime olulu mmiri ahụ.
12 Then Ebed-Melech called down to me, “Put these rags underneath your armpits, to protect you from [being injured by] the ropes!” So I did that.
Ebed-Melek onye Kush ahụ gwara Jeremaya okwu sị ya, “Were nkịrịnka akwa ndị a, na uwe ndị a kara aka fanye ha na mkpa abụ gị, ime ka ụdọ a ghara imerụ gị ahụ.” Jeremaya mere dị ka a gwara ya.
13 Then they pulled me out of the well. I [returned] to the courtyard where the palace guards stayed, and I stayed there.
Emesịa, ha dọlịtere ya elu, dọpụta ya site nʼolulu mmiri ahụ. Site nʼoge ahụ, Jeremaya nọgidere nʼogige ụlọ ndị nche.
14 [One day] King Zedekiah summoned me, and I was brought to the king, [who was waiting for me] at the entrance of the temple. He said to me, “I want to ask you something. I want you [to answer me truthfully, and] and to not conceal anything.”
Mgbe ahụ, Zedekaya bụ eze, ziri ozi ka a kpọta Jeremaya onye amụma, ka ọ bịakwute ya nʼọnụ ụzọ nke atọ, nke ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị. Mgbe ọ bịara, eze gwara ya okwu sị ya, “Achọrọ m ịjụ gị ajụjụ. Ezonarịla m ihe ọbụla.”
15 I replied, “If I tell you [the truth], you will [command that I] be executed. And if I give you [good] advice, you will not pay attention to what I say.”
Ma Jeremaya zara Zedekaya sị ya, “Ọ bụrụ na m enye gị ọsịsa, ị gaghị egbu m? A sịkwa na m adụọ gị ọdụ, ị gaghị ege m ntị.”
16 But King Zedekiah secretly promised me, “[Tell me the truth]! And as surely as Yahweh lives, I will not [cause] you to be executed, and I will not hand you over to those who are wanting to kill you.”
Ma Zedekaya bụ eze ṅụrụ iyi na nzuzo nye Jeremaya sị ya, “Dịka Onyenwe anyị onye nyere anyị ume anyị na-eku si adị ndụ, agaghị m egbu gị, maọbụ nyefee gị nʼaka ndị na-achọsi ndụ gị ike.”
17 [So] then I said to Zedekiah, “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, you and your family will (be spared/not be killed), and this city will not be burned.
Mgbe ahụ, Jeremaya zara Zedekaya sị ya, “Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị Chineke Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel kwuru, ‘Ọ bụrụ na ị pụkwuru ndịisi eze Babilọn nyefee onwe gị nʼaka ha, ha ga-echebe gị ndụ, ha agakwaghị akpọ obodo a ọkụ. Gị na ezinaụlọ gị ga-adịkwa ndụ.
18 But if you refuse to surrender to them, you will not escape. And the army from Babylonia will capture this city and completely burn it.’”
Ma ọ bụrụ na ị jụ iwere onwe gị nyefee nʼaka ndịisi eze Babilọn, a ga-enyefe obodo a nʼaka ndị Babilọn. Ha ga-akpọkwa ya ọkụ, ma gị onwe gị agakwaghị agbapụ site nʼaka ha.’”
19 The king replied, “But I am afraid [to surrender to the soldiers from Babylon], because their officers may hand me over to the people of Judah who have already joined the soldiers from Babylonia, and those people from Judah will mistreat me.”
Eze Zedekaya sịrị Jeremaya, “Mụ onwe m na-atụ egwu ndị Juu ahụ bụ ndị gbakwuru ndị Babilọn, nʼihi na ndị Babilọn nwere ike nyefee m nʼaka ha, ha ga-emesikwa m ike.”
20 I replied, “If you obey Yahweh by doing what I tell you to do, they will not hand you over to our people. Things will go well for you, and you will remain alive.
“Ha agaghị enyefe gị nʼaka ha,” ka Jeremaya zara ya. “Rubere Onyenwe anyị isi, site nʼime ihe m gwara gị. Mgbe ahụ, ihe niile ga-agara gị nke ọma. A ga-echebekwa ndụ gị.
21 But if you refuse to surrender, this is what Yahweh has revealed to me:
Ma ọ bụrụ na ị jụ iwere onwe gị nye, lee ihe Onyenwe anyị mere ka m hụ:
22 All the women who remain in your palace will be brought out and given to the officers of the king of Babylon. Then those women will say to you: ‘You had friends whom [you thought] you could trust, but they have deceived you and caused you to make a wrong decision. Now [it is as though] you are stuck in mud, and your friends have abandoned you.’
A ga-akpụta ndị inyom niile fọdụrụ nʼụlọeze Juda mee ka ha pukwuru ndịisi eze Babilọn. Ndị inyom ndị a ga-asị gị, “‘Ndị enyi gị ahụ niile ị na-atụkwasị obi arafuola gị, mee ka ị bụrụ onye e meriri emeri. Ụkwụ gị abụọ emikpuola nʼime apịtị, ugbu a, ndị enyi gị niile ahụ agbanarịla gị.’
23 All of your wives and children [in the city] will be led out to the soldiers from Babylonia, and you also will not escape. [The soldiers of] the King of Babylon will seize you, and they will burn down this city.”
“A ga-akpụpụtara ndị Babilọn ndị nwunye gị niile na ụmụ gị niile. Gị onwe gị agaghị agbanarị ha, ma eze Babilọn ga-ejidekwa gị, a ga-esurekwa obodo a ọkụ.”
24 Then Zedekiah said to me, “Do not tell anyone what you told me; if you tell anyone, my officials may kill you.
Mgbe ahụ, Zedekaya gwara Jeremaya, “Ekwela ka ntị ọzọ nụ ihe ndị a niile mụ na gị kwuru, ma ọ bụghị ya, ị ga-anwụ.
25 If my officials find out that I talked to you, perhaps they will come to you and say, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about. If you do not tell us, we will kill you.’
Ọ bụrụ na ndịisi ọchịchị anụ na mụ na gị kparịtara ụka, ha bịakwute gị, sị gị, ‘Gwa anyị ihe ị gwara eze na ihe eze gwara gị, ezola ihe ọbụla nʼebe anyị nọ, ma ọ bụghị ya anyị ga-egbu gị,’
26 If that happens, [just] tell them that you pleaded with me not to send you back to the [dungeon/cell in] Jonathan’s house, [because you were afraid that] you would die [if you were put there again].”
mgbe ahụ ị ga-agwa ha, ‘Anọ m na-arịọ eze arịrịọ ka ọ hapụ izighachi m nʼụlọ Jonatan, ka m nwụọ nʼebe ahụ.’”
27 And [that is what happened]. The king’s officials came to me and asked [why the king had summoned me. But] I told them what the king told me to tell them. So they did not ask me any more [questions], because no one had heard what the king and I had said to each other.
Ndịisi ọchịchị ahụ niile bịakwutere Jeremaya jụọ ya ajụjụ. Ọ gwakwara ha ihe ahụ niile eze nyere ya nʼiwu. Ha hapụrụ ịjụ ya ihe ọzọ, nʼihi o nwekwaghị onye ọzọ nụrụ okwu niile ya na eze kwuru.
28 So I remained being guarded in the courtyard [of the palace], until the day that [the army of Babylonia] captured Jerusalem.
Jeremaya nọgidekwara nʼogige ndị nche tutu ruo ụbọchị ahụ a dọtara Jerusalem nʼagha. Otu a ka esi were Jerusalem.
