Jeremia 38
1 Nao Shefatia mũrũ wa Matani, na Gedalia mũrũ wa Pashuri, na Jehukali mũrũ wa Shemalia, o na Pashuri mũrũ wa Malikija nĩmaiguire ũrĩa Jeremia eeraga andũ othe, rĩrĩa oigire atĩrĩ,
Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:
2 “Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: ‘Mũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũgũikara itũũra-inĩ rĩĩrĩ inene nĩakooragwo na rũhiũ rwa njora, kana ngʼaragu, kana mũthiro, no ũrĩa ũgwĩtwara kũrĩ andũ a Babuloni nĩagatũũra muoyo. Nĩakahonokia muoyo wake; nĩagatũũra muoyo.’
“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
3 Ningĩ, Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: ‘Itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene no nginya rĩkaneanwo kũrĩ mbũtũ cia ita cia mũthamaki wa Babuloni, ũrĩa ũkaarĩtunyana.’”
This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”
4 Hĩndĩ ĩyo anene makĩĩra mũthamaki atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ũyũ aagĩrĩire ooragwo. Nĩaratũma thigari iria itigaire gũkũ itũũra-inĩ rĩĩrĩ inene ciĩtigĩre, o ũndũ ũmwe na andũ aya othe, nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ macio arameera. Mũndũ ũyũ ndarĩ ũndũ mwega areciirĩria andũ aya tiga o ũũru.”
Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
5 Mũthamaki Zedekia agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Arĩ moko-inĩ manyu; mũthamaki ndangĩgirĩrĩria mwĩke ũrĩa inyuĩ mũkwenda.”
“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”
6 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio makĩnyiita Jeremia makĩmũikia irima rĩa maaĩ rĩa Malikija, ũrĩa mũrũ wa mũthamaki, rĩrĩa rĩarĩ kũu nja ĩyo ya arangĩri. Magĩikũrũkia Jeremia irima rĩu rĩa maaĩ na mĩkanda; no rĩtiarĩ na maaĩ, no mũtondo rĩarĩ, nake Jeremia agĩtoonyerera kũu mũtondo-inĩ ũcio.
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7 No rĩrĩ, Ebedi-Meleku ũrĩa Mũkushi, ũmwe wa arĩa mehokeirwo wĩra wa kũu nyũmba-inĩ ya ũthamaki, nĩaiguire atĩ nĩmaikĩtie Jeremia irima rĩu rĩa maaĩ. Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũthamaki aikarĩte Kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa Benjamini,
Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
8 Ebedi-Meleku akiuma hau nja ya nyũmba ya ũthamaki, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ,
Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,
9 “Mũthamaki mwathi wakwa, andũ aya nĩmekĩte ũũru nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ maya mothe mekĩte Jeremia ũrĩa mũnabii. Nĩmamũikĩtie irima rĩa maaĩ, akuĩre kuo nĩ ngʼaragu, tondũ mĩgate ĩkirie gũthira gũkũ itũũra-inĩ inene.”
“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”
10 Hĩndĩ ĩyo mũthamaki agĩatha Ebedi-Meleku ũcio Mũkushi, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ: “Oya andũ mĩrongo ĩtatũ kuuma haha mũthiĩ nao mũkarute Jeremia ũcio mũnabii kuuma irima rĩu rĩa maaĩ atanakua.”
So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
11 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Ebedi-Meleku akĩoya andũ acio, agĩthiĩ nao, nao magĩtoonya kanyũmba kaarĩ rungu rwa harĩa haaigagwo mũthiithũ wa indo cia bata kũu thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya ũthamaki. Akĩoya ndangari imwe cia nguo ngũrũ, na nguo iria nduĩku ciarĩ kuo, agĩciikũrũkĩria Jeremia na mĩkanda kũu irima rĩa maaĩ.
Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
12 Ebedi-Meleku ũcio Mũkushi, akĩĩra Jeremia atĩrĩ: “Ĩkĩra nguo icio ngũrũ na ndangari icio njegeeke, wĩrigĩrĩrie gũkerwo nĩ mĩkanda ĩyo.” Nake Jeremia agĩĩka o ũguo,
Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,
13 nao makĩmũguucia na mĩkanda ĩyo, makĩmũruta irima rĩu rĩa maaĩ. Nake Jeremia agĩikara kũu nja ĩyo ya arangĩri.
and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
14 Mũthamaki Zedekia agĩtũmanĩra Jeremia ũcio mũnabii, akiuga areehwo itoonyero-inĩ rĩa gatatũ rĩa hekarũ ya Jehova. Mũthamaki akĩĩra Jeremia atĩrĩ, “Nĩngũkũũria ũndũ. Nawe ndũkaahithe ũhoro o na ũrĩkũ.”
Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”
15 Jeremia akĩĩra Zedekia atĩrĩ, “Ingĩkuumburĩra ũhoro-rĩ, githĩ ndũkũnjũraga? O na ingĩgũtaara-rĩ, wee ndũngĩĩthikĩrĩria.”
“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
16 Nake Mũthamaki Zedekia akĩĩhĩta mwĩhĩtwa na hitho harĩ Jeremia, akiuga ũũ: “Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo, o we ũrĩa watũheire muoyo ũyũ tũrĩ naguo-rĩ, niĩ ndigũkũũraga kana ngũneane moko-inĩ ma acio mendaga gũkũruta muoyo.”
But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”
17 Nake Jeremia akĩĩra Zedekia atĩrĩ, “Ũũ nĩguo Jehova Ngai-Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, o we Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga: ‘Ũngĩĩneeana kũrĩ anene a mũthamaki wa Babuloni, muoyo waku nĩũkũhonokio, o na itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene rĩtigaacinwo; wee na andũ a nyũmba yaku nĩmũgũtũũra muoyo.
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
18 No ũngĩrega kwĩneana kũrĩ anene a mũthamaki wa Babuloni, itũũra rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩkũneanwo kũrĩ andũ a Babuloni, nao marĩcine na mwaki rĩthire; na wee mwene ndũkahonoka kuuma moko-inĩ mao.’”
But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”
19 Mũthamaki Zedekia akĩĩra Jeremia atĩrĩ, “Nĩndĩretigĩra Ayahudi arĩa meneanĩte kũrĩ andũ a Babuloni, nĩ ũndũ andũ a Babuloni mahota kũũneana kũrĩ Ayahudi acio nao maanyamarie.”
But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”
20 Nake Jeremia akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Matigaakũneana kũrĩ o. Wee athĩkĩra Jehova, wĩke ũguo ndĩrakwĩra. Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩũkona wega, naguo muoyo waku nĩũkahonokio.
“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.
21 No rĩrĩ, warega kwĩneana, ũũ nĩguo Jehova anguũrĩirie:
But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
22 Andũ-a-nja othe arĩa matigaire thĩinĩ wa nyũmba ya mũthamaki wa Juda nĩmagatwarĩrwo anene a mũthamaki wa Babuloni. Andũ-a-nja acio nao magaakwĩra atĩrĩ: “‘Arata acio aku wehokeete nĩmakũhĩtithirie na magĩgũkĩria hinya. Magũrũ maku nĩmatoonyereire mũtondo-inĩ; nao arata aku nĩmagũtiganĩirie.’
All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’
23 “Atumia aku othe na ciana ciaku nĩmakaneanwo kũrĩ andũ a Babuloni. Wee mwene ndũkehonokia moko-inĩ mao, no nĩũkanyiitwo nĩ mũthamaki wa Babuloni; narĩo itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene nĩrĩgacinwo rĩthire.”
All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”
24 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Zedekia akĩĩra Jeremia atĩrĩ, “Ndũkareke mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ amenye ũhoro wa mĩario ĩno, ndũkae kũũragwo.
Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.
25 Anene mangĩigua atĩ nĩtwaranĩirie nawe, nao moke kũrĩ we makũũrie atĩrĩ, ‘Twĩre ũrĩa wĩrĩte mũthamaki, na ũrĩa nake mũthamaki akwĩrĩte; ndũgatũhithe ũndũ kana tũkũũrage,’
If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’
26 hĩndĩ ĩyo nawe ũmeere atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩgũthaitha ndĩrathaithaga mũthamaki ndakae kũnjookia nyũmba-inĩ kwa Jonathani, ndigakuĩre kuo.’”
then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
27 Anene acio othe nĩmookire kũrĩ Jeremia, makĩmũũria ũhoro ũcio, nake akĩmeera ũrĩa wothe aathĩtwo nĩ mũthamaki oige. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio matiamwĩrire ũndũ ũngĩ, nĩgũkorwo gũtirĩ mũndũ waiguĩte ũrĩa maarĩtie na mũthamaki.
When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.
28 Nake Jeremia agĩikara kũu kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa arangĩri nginya mũthenya ũrĩa itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu rĩatunyanirwo.
And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
