Yeremia 42

1 Emegbe, asrafomegãwo katã kpe ɖe Yohanan, Karea ƒe vi, Yezania, Hosaya ƒe vi kple ameha la katã ŋu tso ɖeviwo dzi va se ɖe tsitsiawo dzi va

Then Johanan and Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the [other] leaders of the [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia], and many [HYP] [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important, came

2 gblɔ na Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia be, “Míeɖe kuku na wò, se míaƒe kokoƒoƒo eye nàdo gbe ɖa na Yehowa, wò Mawu la ɖe ameha mamlɛawo ta elabena abe ale si nèle ekpɔmii fifia ene la, togbɔ be miesɔ gbɔ tsã hã la, azɔ la, ame ʋɛ aɖewo koe susɔ.

to me. They said, “Please listen to our request and pray to Yahweh our God for all of us. Although we were previously a huge number of people, you can see that now we are only a small number of people [who have survived].

3 Ɖe kuku na Yehowa, wò Mawu la be wòafia afi si míayi kple nu si míawɔ la mí.”

[Pray] that Yahweh our God will show us what we should do and where we should go.”

4 Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Mese nya si miegblɔ; kpɔ ɖa, maɖe kuku na Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la abe ale si miebia ene, magblɔ nya sia nya si wògblɔ nam la na mi eye nyemaɣla ɖeke ɖe mi o.”

I replied, “Okay, I will pray to Yahweh our God, like you have requested, and I will tell you what he says. I will (tell you everything/not hide anything from you).”

5 Wogblɔ na Yeremia be, “Ɖekoe Yehowa nanye ɖasefo anukwaretɔ kple nuteƒewɔla ɖe mía ŋu ne míewɔ ɖe nu sia nu si Yehowa, wò Mawu la dɔ wò be nàgblɔ na mí la dzi o.

They replied to me, “We hope/wish that Yahweh our God will be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to do everything that he tells us to do.

6 Eɖanye nya nyui alo nya vɔ̃ o, míaɖo to Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la ame si gbɔ míele dɔwòm ɖo, be eme nanyo na mí, elabena míaɖo to Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la.”

We are requesting you to ask Yahweh our God what we should do. [When he replies], we will obey him, whether we like what he says or not. We will do that because [we know that] things will go well for us if we obey him.”

7 Le ŋkeke ewo megbe la, Yehowa ƒe nya va na Yeremia.

[So I prayed] to Yahweh, and ten days later he gave me his reply.

8 Ale wòyɔ Karea ƒe vi, Yohanan kple asrafomegã siwo katã le eŋu kple ameha la katã tso ɖeviwo dzi yi ɖe tsitsiawo dzi.

So I summoned Johanan and all his [other] soldiers and all the [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important.

9 Egblɔ na wo be, “Ale Yehowa Israel ƒe Mawu la, ame si gbɔ miedom ɖo be matsɔ miaƒe kokoƒoƒo nɛ la gblɔe nye esi:

I said to them, “You told me to tell Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], what you were requesting. This is what he replied:

10 ‘Ne mienɔ anyigba sia dzi la, matu mi eye nyemagbã mi o, mado mi eye nyemaho mi o, elabena gbegblẽ si mehe va mia dzii la vem ŋutɔ.

‘You [should] stay here in this land. If you do that, I will cause your [nation] to be strong and not be weak. I will cause you to prosper and not be exiled [again]. I am sorry about the disasters that I [was forced to] cause you to experience.

11 Migavɔ̃ na Babilonia fia si vɔ̃m miele fifia o. Yehowa be migavɔ̃ nɛ o, elabena meli kpli mi be maxɔ na mi eye maɖe mi tso eƒe asi me.

But do not be afraid of the king of Babylon [any more], because I will (be with/help) you. I will rescue you [DOU] from his power [MTY].

12 Makpɔ nublanui na mi, be eya hã nakpɔ nublanui na mi eye wòaɖo mi te le miaƒe anyigba dzi.’

I will be merciful to you by causing him to act kindly toward you. So as a result, he will allow you to stay here in your land.’

13 “Ke ne miegblɔ be, ‘míanɔ anyigba sia dzi o,’ miegbe toɖoɖo Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la

But if you refuse to obey Yahweh our God, and if you say ‘We will not stay here;

14 eye ne miegblɔ be, ‘Gbeɖe, míayi aɖanɔ Egipte, afi si míakpɔ aʋa teƒe le, ase kpẽ ƒe ɖiɖi loo, alo abolo mahiã mí le o la,’

instead, we will go to Egypt. There we will not experience [any] wars, we will not hear trumpets [signaling our soldiers to prepare for battles], and we will not be hungry,’

15 ekema mise Yehowa ƒe nya, ‘O mi ame siwo susɔ ɖe Yuda, ale Yehowa Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: “Ne mieɖoe kplikpaa be yewoayi Egipte, eye mieyi ɖanɔ afi ma la,

then listen to what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt, and you go and live there,

16 ekema yi si miele vɔvɔ̃m na la ava tu mi le afi ma eye dɔwuame si le ŋɔ dzim na mi la hã akplɔ mi ɖo ayi Egipte, afi mae miaku ɖo.

you will experience those wars and famines that you are afraid of, and you will [all] die there.

17 Le nyateƒe me, ame siwo katã ɖoe kplikpaa be yewoaɖanɔ Egipte la aku ɖe yi, dɔwuame kple dɔvɔ̃ ƒe asi me, wo dometɔ aɖeke matsi agbe alo asi le gbegblẽ si mahe va wo dzii la nu o.”’

That is what will happen to all you who are determined to go to Egypt and live there. [Some of you] will be killed by the swords [of your enemies, and others of you will die] from famines and from diseases. None of you will escape the disasters that I will bring on you.’

18 Ale Yehowa, Dziƒoʋakɔwo ƒe Aƒetɔ la, Israel ƒe Mawu la gblɔe nye esi: ‘Abe ale si wotrɔ nye dziku kple dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ kɔ ɖe ame siwo nɔ Yerusalem dzii ene la, nenema kee woatrɔ nye dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ la akɔ ɖe mia dzii ne mieyi ɖe Egipte. Miazu ɖiŋudonu, ŋɔdzinu, atamkanu kple alɔmeɖenu eye miagakpɔ teƒe sia akpɔ gbeɖe o.’

And the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], also says this: ‘Because I was very angry, I severely punished [MTY] [all] the people of Jerusalem. I will do the same things to you when you go to Egypt. [The result will be that] people will curse you. They will be horrified about [what has happened to] you. They will make fun of you, and you will never see this land again.’

19 “O Yuda ƒe ame mamlɛawo, Yehowa gblɔ na mi be, ‘Migayi Egipte o.’ Nenɔ nyanya me na mi, be egbe mexlɔ̃ nu mi, be

You little group of people of Judah who are still alive, [listen to me]: Yahweh has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ [So] do not forget what I have warned you today.

20 miewɔ vodada gã aɖe, esi miedɔm ɖe Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la gbɔ hegblɔ be, ‘Ɖe kuku na Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la na mí; gblɔ nu sia nu si wòagblɔ na wò la na mí eye míawɔ ɖe edzi.’

I know that you were lying when you requested me to pray to Yahweh our God.

21 Megblɔe na mi egbe gake miewɔ ɖe nu siwo katã Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la gblɔ nam be magblɔ na mi la dzi haɖe o.

And today I have told you exactly what he said, but [I know that] you will not obey Yahweh our God now, just as you have not obeyed him previously.

22 Eya ta azɔ maka ɖe edzi na mi be miaku ɖe yi, dɔwuame kple dɔvɔ̃ ƒe asi me, le teƒe si mieɖo be yewoayi aɖanɔ.”

You want to go to Egypt and live there. So now, you can be sure of this: [All of] you will die there. [Some of you will be killed] by the swords [of your enemies and others will die] from famines or from diseases.”