Jeremiah 40
1 [The soldiers from Babylonia] captured me and many other people from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. They [planned to] take us to Babylon. So they fastened chains around our wrists and took us to Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. While we were there, I was released. [This is how it happened]:
Mgbe oge nta gasịrị site nʼoge Nebuzaradan ọchịagha ndị nche nọ na Rema mere ka Jeremaya nwere onwe ya, okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru ya ntị. Nebuzaradan hụrụ Jeremaya mgbe e kekọtara ya na ndị e si na Jerusalem na Juda dọta nʼagha agbụ, bụ ndị ahụ a na-ebula Babilọn.
2 [Nebuzaradan, ] the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, [found that I was there]. He summoned me and said to me, “Yahweh your God said that he would cause this land to experience a disaster.
Mgbe ọchịagha ndị nche eze a hụrụ Jeremaya, ọ sịrị ya, “Ọ bụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke gị nyere iwu na ihe ọjọọ ndị a ga-abịakwasị ala a.
3 And now he has caused it to happen. He has done just what he said [that he would do], because you people sinned against Yahweh and refused to obey him.
Ugbu a kwa Onyenwe anyị emeela ka ihe o kwuru mezuo. O wetarala ala a mbibi ahụ. Ma ihe ndị a niile mezuru nʼihi na ndị gị mehiere megide Onyenwe anyị, jụ irubere ya isi.
4 But today I am going to take the chains off your wrists and release you. If you want to come with me to Babylon, [that will be fine]. I will take care of you. But if you do not want to come with me, do not come. [Stay here]. Look, the entire country is available; you can choose whatever part you want to go to. You can go wherever you wish.” [Then he took the chains off my wrists].
Ma taata, ana m eme ka i nwere onwe gị site nʼagbụ nke e kere gị na nkwoji aka. Ọ bụrụ na ị chọọ, soro m gaa Babilọn. Nʼebe ahụ, aga m elezi gị anya nke ọma. Ọ bụrụkwa na i kpebie na ị gaghị eso m gaa Babilọn, abịala. Ma, lee, ala a niile dị gị nʼihu. Jee ka i biri nʼakụkụ ya ọbụla dị gị mma; jegharịakwa nʼebe ọbụla ị chọrọ.”
5 He said, “If you [decide to] stay here, go to Gedaliah. The King of Babylon appointed him to be the governor of Judah. [You will be allowed to] stay here with the people [that he is governing]. But you can do whatever you want to.” Then Nebuzaradan gave me some food and some money, and he allowed me to go.
Ma tupu Jeremaya atụgharịa ịhapụ ya pụọ, Nebuzaradan gwakwara ya ọzọ sị, “Laghachikwuru Gedaliya nwa Ahikam, nwa Shefan, onye eze Babilọn họpụtara ka ọ na-elekọta obodo Juda niile. Gaa soro ya biri nʼetiti ndị gị, maọbụ i nwere ike gaa ebe ọbụla ọzọ dị gị mma.” Mgbe ahụ, ọchịagha ahụ nyere ya ihe oriri hiri nne. O nyekwara ya onyinye, hapụ ya ka ọ laa.
6 I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.
Ya mere, Jeremaya jekwuuru Gedaliya nwa Ahikam na Mizpa, soro ya na ndị fọdụrụ nʼala ahụ biri.
7 The [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] were roaming around in the countryside. Then their leaders heard someone say that the King of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to be the governor of the very poor people [who were still in Judah], who had not been taken to Babylon.
Mgbe ndịisi agha ahụ niile na ndị ikom ha, bụ ndị gbalagara nʼọhịa, nụrụ na eze Babilọn emeela Gedaliya nwa Ahikam, onye na-achị ala ahụ, na onye nlekọta ndị ikom na ndị inyom, na ụmụntakịrị, bụ ndị ogbenye ọnụ ntụ, ndị a na-eburughị gaa Babilọn, ka ha gaa biri nʼala ọzọ,
8 So they went [to talk] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [Those who went included] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophath, and Jezaniah from Maacah, and the soldiers who were with them.
ha bịakwutere Gedaliya na Mizpa. Ndị bịakwutere ya bụ ndị a; Ishmel nwa Netanaya, Johanan na Jonatan ụmụ Kariya, na Seraya nwa Tanhumet, na ụmụ Efai onye Netofa, na Jaazanaya nwa Maaka, na ndị ikom ha.
9 Gedaliah solemnly promised that the soldiers from Babylonia would not harm them. He said, “Do not be afraid to do things for them. Stay [here] in this land and do things for the King of Babylon. If you do that, things will go well for you.
Gedaliya nwa Ahikam, nwa Shefan, ṅụọrọ ha iyi, ṅụkwaara ndị ikom ha iyi, sị, “Unu atụla egwu ife ndị Babilọn: birinụ nʼala a, feekwa eze Babilọn, ihe ga-agara unu nke ọma.
10 As for me, I will stay [here] at Mizpah to be your representative to the [officials from] Babylonia who come to [talk with] us. But you should [return to your towns, and eat the things that are produced on your land]. Harvest the grapes and the fruit [that ripen in] the (summer/hot season) and the olives, [make wine and olive oil, ] and store it.”
Mụ onwe m ga-ebi na Mizpa ịnọchite anya unu nʼihu ndị Babilọn ga-abịakwute anyị, ma gaanụ chịkọtaa mkpụrụ vaịnị niile, na mkpụrụ niile e kwesiri ịghọkọta nʼoge okpomọkụ, na mmanụ niile. Chikọtanụ ha tinye ha nʼime ite ichebe nri unu. Birikwanụ nʼobodo ahụ niile unu nwetara.”
11 Then the Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other [nearby] countries heard people say that the King of Babylon had allowed a few people [to remain] in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah to be their governor.
Mgbe ndị Juu niile nọ na Moab, na Amọn, na Edọm, na nʼobodo ndị ọzọ niile nụrụ na eze Babilọn hapụrụ ụfọdụ ka ha biri na Juda, na ọ họpụtara Gedaliya nwa Ahikam, nwa Shefan, mee ya onye na-achị ndị ahụ niile,
12 So they [began to] return to Judah. They stopped at Mizpah to [talk with] Gedaliah. Then [they went to various places in Judea, and] they harvested a great amount of grapes and summer fruit.
ha niile si nʼebe ahụ ha nọ lọghachikwa nʼala Juda. Ha lọkwutere Gedaliya na Mizpa, site na mba ndị ahụ niile a chụgara ha. Ha chịkọtakwara mmanya vaịnị, na mkpụrụ dị ukwuu, bụ mkpụrụ nke na-acha nʼoge okpomọkụ.
13 [Some time later, ] Johanan and all the [other] leaders of the Israeli soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Johanan nwa Kariya, na ndịisi agha niile nọ nʼọhịa bịakwutere Gedaliya na Mizpa
14 They said to him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammon [people-group], has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe what they said.
sị ya, “Ọ bụ na i maghị na Baalis eze ndị Amọn ezitela Ishmel nwa Netanaya ka ọ bịa gbuo gị?” Ma Gedaliya nwa Ahikam ekwetaghị na ọ bụ eziokwu ka ha na-ekwu.
15 Later Johanan talked with Gedaliah privately. He said, “Allow me to go and murder Ishmael secretly. It would not be good [RHQ] to allow him to come and murder you! If you are killed, what will happen to all the Jews who have returned to this area? They will be scattered, and the other people who remain in Judah will all be killed!”
Mgbe ahụ, Johanan nwa Kariya pụrụ na nzuzo jekwuru Gedaliya na Mizpa sị ya, “Biko, kwere ka m gaa gbuo Ishmel nwa Netanaya. O nweghị onye ga-amata otu o si nwụọ. Nʼihi gịnị ka ọ ga-eji gbuo gị, ime ka ndị Juu niile na-alọghachikwute gị gbasasịakwa ọzọ, na imekwa ka ndị Juda fọdụrụ laa nʼiyi?”
16 But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”
Ma Gedaliya nwa Ahikam zara Johanan nwa Kariya sị ya, “Biko, emela ihe dị otu ahụ! Nʼihi na ihe ị na-ekwu banyere Ishmel abụghị eziokwu.”
