Yeremia 29

1 Esia nye agbalẽ si Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia ŋlɔ le Yerusalem ɖo ɖe aboyomenɔlawo ƒe ametsitsi mamlɛawo, nunɔla siwo gale agbe, nyagblɔɖilawo kple ame bubu siwo Nebukadnezar ɖe aboyoe tso Yerusalem yi ɖe Babilonia la me nyawo.

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.

2 Esia va eme le esi wokplɔ Fia Yehoyatsin, fiasrɔ̃, ʋɔnudɔdzikpɔlawo, Yuda dumegãwo, Yerusalem dumegãwo, aɖaŋudɔwɔlawo kple asinudɔwɔlawo le Yerusalem yi aboyo mee megbe

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.

3 Ame siwo xɔ agbalẽa yi na woe nye, Eleasa, Safan ƒe vi kple Gemaria, Hilkia ƒe vi, ame si Yuda fia Zedekia dɔ ɖo ɖe Babilonia fia Nebukadnezar gbɔ. Agbalẽa me nyawo be:

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:

4 Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔ na ame siwo katã mekplɔ tso Yerusalem yi ɖe aboyo mee le Babilonia,

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 “Mitso aƒewo ne mianɔ wo me, mide agble eye miaɖu emenuwo.

Build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.

6 Miɖe srɔ̃ ne miadzi viŋutsuwo kple vinyɔnuwo. Miɖe srɔ̃ na mia viŋutsuwo kple mia vinyɔnuwo, ale be woawo hã nadzi viŋutsuwo kple vinyɔnuwo. Midzi ɖe edzi le afi ma ke migazu ʋɛe o.

Get married and have children. Arrange for your children to get married so they can have children too. Increase in number, don't decrease.

7 Gawu la, midi ŋutifafa kple dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ na du si me meɖe aboyo mi ɖo ɖo la. Mido gbe ɖa na Yehowa ɖe wo ta elabena ne eme nyo na wo la, anyo na miawo hã.”

Help make the city where I've exiled you more prosperous. Pray to the Lord for it, since as it prospers, so will you.

8 Ɛ̃, ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: “Migana Nyagblɔɖila kple bokɔnɔ siwo le mia dome la nable mi o. Migalé to ɖe drɔ̃e siwo miede dzi ƒo na wo be woaku la ŋuti o.

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.

9 Aʋatsonyawo gblɔm wole ɖi na mi le nye ŋkɔ me. Nyemedɔ wo o.” Yehowae gblɔe.

They are prophesying lies to you in my name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord.

10 Ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: “Ne ƒe blaadre de na Babilonia vɔ la, mava mia gbɔ eye mawɔ ɖe amenuveveŋugbe si medo, be magakplɔ mi va teƒe sia la dzi.

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.

11 Yehowa be, menya ɖoɖo siwo mewɔ ɖe mia ŋu, mewɔ ɖoɖo be nu nadze edzi na mi, menye mawɔ vɔ̃ mi o, be mana mɔkpɔkpɔ mi eye ŋu nyui aɖe hã nake na mi.

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.

12 Ekema miayɔm eye matɔ na mi, miado gbe ɖa nam eye maɖo to mi.

Then you will call for my help, you will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.

13 Miadim eye miakpɔm; ne miedim kple miaƒe dzi blibo ko.

You will look for me and you will find me when you're completely committed to looking for me.

14 Miake ɖe ŋunye, eye makplɔ mi agbɔe tso aboyo me. Maƒo mia nu ƒu tso dukɔwo katã me kple teƒe siwo katã menya mi ɖo ɖo, eye magakplɔ mi ava teƒe sia, afi si mekplɔ mi tsoe yi ɖe aboyo mee.” Yehowae gblɔe.

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.

15 Miagblɔ be, “Yehowa ɖo nyagblɔɖilawo na mi le Babilonia.”

But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us in Babylon,”

16 Gake ale Yehowa gblɔ le fia si nɔ David ƒe fiazikpui dzi, ame siwo katã susɔ ɖe du sia me, miaƒe dumetɔ siwo meyi aboyo me o la ŋuti,

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.

17 Ɛ̃, ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la gblɔe nye esi: “Madɔ yi, dɔwuame kple dɔvɔ̃ ɖe wo ŋuti eye mawɔ wo abe gbotsetse manyomanyo si ƒaƒã ale gbegbe be womate ŋu aɖui o la ene.

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.

18 Mati wo yome kple yi, dɔwuame kple dɔvɔ̃, eye woanye ŋɔdzinu na anyigbadzidukɔwo katã. Woazu ɖiŋudonu, bibi, alɔmeɖenu kple vlodonu le dukɔ siwo katã dome menya wo ɖo ɖo la.

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.

19 Elabena womeɖo to nye nyawo o, nya siwo meɖo ɖe wo enuenu to nye dɔla nyagblɔɖilawo dzi. Ke mi aboyomewo hã mieɖo to o,” Yehowae gblɔe.

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.

20 Eya ta mise Yehowa ƒe nya, mi ame siwo meɖo ɖe aboyo me le Babilonia tso Yerusalem.

So listen to the word of the Lord, all you exiles I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ kple Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔ le Ahab, Kolaya ƒe vi kple Zedekia, Maaseya ƒe vi, ame siwo le aʋatsonyagblɔɖiwo gblɔm le nye ŋkɔ dzi la ŋutie nye esi: “Makplɔ wo ade asi na Babilonia fia, Nebukadnezar eye wòawu wo le mia ŋkume.

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.

22 Le wo ta la, ame siwo katã yi aboyo me le Babilonia tso Yuda la awɔ fiƒodenya siawo ŋu dɔ, ‘Yehowa awɔ wò abe Zedekia kple Ahab ene, ame siwo Babilonia fia tɔ dzoe.’

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!”

23 Elabena wowɔ ŋukpenanu le Israel, wowɔ ahasi kple wo haviwo srɔ̃wo eye woka aʋatso le nye ŋkɔ me, evɔ nyemegblɔe na wo be wonewɔ nenema o. Menya eye menye ɖasefo nɛ.” Yehowae gblɔe.

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.

24 Gblɔ na Semaya, Nehelamitɔ be,

Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite

25 “Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Eŋlɔ agbalẽ le wò ŋutɔ wò ŋkɔ me heɖo ɖe Yerusalemtɔwo katã, na nunɔla Zefania, Maaseya ƒe vi kple nunɔla bubuawo.’ Eŋlɔ na Zefania be,

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,

26 ‘Yehowa ɖo wò nunɔlae ɖe Yehoiada teƒe be nànye Yehowa ƒe gbedoxɔ la dzi kpɔla, eye ne aɖaʋatɔ aɖe va le nu wɔm abe nyagblɔɖila ene la, lée de kunyowu me, eye nàde ga kɔ nɛ.

“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.

27 Ekema nu ka ta mèka mo na Yeremia, Anatɔt la, ame si le nyagblɔɖila ƒe dɔ wɔm le mia dome la o?

So why haven't you not punished Jeremiah of Anathoth, who claims to be a prophet among you?

28 Eɖo agbalẽ sia ɖe mi le Babilonia be mianɔ afi ma wòadidi, eya ta mitso aƒewo mianɔ wo me, miade agble, eye miaɖu emenuwo.’”

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.’”

29 Ke Nunɔla Zefania xlẽ agbalẽ la na Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia.

However, Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Tete Yehowa ƒe nya va na Yeremia be,

Then the Lord told Jeremiah:

31 “Ɖo gbedeasi sia ɖe aboyomeawo katã be, ‘Ale Yehowa gblɔ le Semaya, Nehelamitɔ la ŋutie nye esi: “Esi Semaya gblɔ nya ɖi na mi, evɔ nyemedɔe o eye wòna miexɔ beblenya dzi se ta la,”

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,

32 ale Yehowa gblɔe nye esi: Mahe to na Semaya, Nehelamitɔ kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo katã, eƒe ƒometɔ aɖeke masusɔ ɖe eƒe amewo dome alo akpɔ nu nyui si mawɔ na nye dukɔ la o, elabena egblɔ nya be woadze aglã ɖe ŋutinye.’” Yehowae gblɔe.

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.