Jeremiah 1
1 [I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
Ndị a bụ okwu Jeremaya nwa Hilkaya, bụ otu onye nʼime ndị nchụaja, nọ nʼAnatot nke dị nʼala Benjamin.
2 Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
Onye okwu nke Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere nʼafọ nke iri na atọ nʼoge ọchịchị Amọn, eze Juda bụ nwa Josaya.
3 Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
Ozi ndị ọzọ rukwara ya ntị nʼoge Jehoiakim nwa Josaya, bụ eze Juda, ruokwa nʼọnwa nke ise nʼafọ nke iri na otu nke Zedekaya nwa Josaya, bụ eze Juda kwụsịrị, mgbe a dọkpụụrụ ndị Jerusalem nʼagha buru ha ka ha gaa biri na mba ọzọ.
4 [One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
Okwu Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere m, na-asị,
5 “I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
“Amaara m gị tupu a tụrụ ime gị, tupu a mụọ gị, edoro m gị nsọ, ahọpụtakwara m gị dịka onye amụma nye mba niile.”
6 I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
Asịrị m, “Ewoo, Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị. Lee, amaghị m ekwu okwu. Abụ m naanị nwantakịrị.”
7 Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
Ma Onyenwe anyị sịrị m, “Asịkwala ‘Abụ m naanị nwantakịrị,’ nʼihi na ị ga-agakwuru onye ọbụla m zigara gị, ị ga-ekwukwa ihe niile m nyere gị nʼiwu.
8 And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
Atụkwala egwu nʼihi ha, nʼihi na mụ onwe nọnyere gị ịnapụta gị,” ọ bụ ihe Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
9 Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị setịpụrụ aka ya metụ m nʼọnụ, sị m, “Lee, ewerela m okwu m tinye gị nʼọnụ.
10 Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
Lee, taa, ana m eme gị onye nlekọta mba dị iche iche na alaeze niile, ihopu na ikwada, ịla nʼiyi na ịtịkpọkwa ha, i wulite ma kụọkwa.”
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
Mgbe ahụ, okwu nke Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere m, na-asị, “Jeremaya, gịnị ka ị na-ahụ?” Azara m sị, “Ana m ahụ otu alaka osisi alụmọnd.”
12 Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị sịrị m, “Ị hụrụ nke ọma, nʼihi na m na-eche okwu ọnụ ịhụ m na m mezuru ha.”
13 [Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
Okwu Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere m nke ugboro abụọ na-asị, “Gịnị ka ị na-ahụ?” A sịrị m, “Ana m ahụ ite mmiri ọkụ, nke na-agbọ agbọ, nke e mere ka o hulata chee ọnụ ya na ndịda.”
14 Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
Onyenwe anyị sịrị m, “Ihe egwu ga-esite nʼugwu bịakwasị ndị niile bi nʼala a.
15 Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
Ma ugbu a, ana m akpọku ndị niile bi nʼalaeze dị nʼugwu,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya. “Ndị eze ha ga-abịa doo ocheeze ha nʼọnụ ụzọ ama e si abata Jerusalem, imegide ogologo mgbidi nke obodo ahụ gburugburu, na imegidekwa obodo niile nke Juda.
16 I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
Aga m ekwupụta ikpe niile m megide ha, nʼihi ajọ omume ha niile nʼịgbakụta m azụ, na isure ihe nsure ọkụ na-esi isi ụtọ nye chi ndị ọzọ, nakwa ịkpọ isiala nye ihe ndị ahụ niile ha ji aka ha kpụọ.
17 So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
“Bilie ọtọ, jikere onwe gị, ka ị pụọ gaa gwa ha ihe ọbụla m nyere gị nʼiwu. Atụkwala ụjọ ha, ma ọ bụghị ya, aga m emenye gị egwu nʼihu ha.
18 But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
Nʼihi na lee, site taa gaa nʼihu emeela m gị ka ị dịrị ka obodo e wusiri ike. Ị dịkwa ka mgbidi e ji igwe kpụọ, na dịka ibo e ji ọla dị arọ kpụọ, iguzogide ala ahụ niile. Iguzogide ndị eze Juda niile, ndịisi ala Juda niile, na ndị nchụaja niile, na ndị mmadụ ọzọ.
19 They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
Ha ga-agbalị ka ha megide gị, ma ha agaghị emeri gị. Nʼihi na mụ onwe m nọnyeere gị, aga m anapụtakwa gị.” Otu ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya.
