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 it came to the ears of Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, and Jucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, that Jeremiah had said to 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.’

These are the words of the Lord: Whoever goes on living in this town will come to his death by the sword or through need of food or by disease: but whoever goes out to the Chaldaeans will keep his life out of the power of the attackers and be safe.

3 Ningĩ, Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: ‘Itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene no nginya rĩkaneanwo kũrĩ mbũtũ cia ita cia mũthamaki wa Babuloni, ũrĩa ũkaarĩtunyana.’”

The Lord has said, This town will certainly be given into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take 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 rulers said to the king, Let this man be put to death, because he is putting fear into the hearts of the men of war who are still in the town, and into the hearts of the people, by saying such things to them: this man is not working for the well-being of the people, but for their damage.

5 Mũthamaki Zedekia agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Arĩ moko-inĩ manyu; mũthamaki ndangĩgirĩrĩria mwĩke ũrĩa inyuĩ mũkwenda.”

Then Zedekiah the king said, See, he is in your hands: for the king was not able to do anything against them.

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 put him into the water-hole of Malchiah, the king's son, in the place of the armed watchmen: and they let Jeremiah down with cords. And in the hole there was no water, but wet earth: and Jeremiah went down into the wet earth.

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 it came to the ears of Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, an unsexed servant in the king's house, that they had put Jeremiah into the water-hole; the king at that time being seated in the doorway of Benjamin:

8 Ebedi-Meleku akiuma hau nja ya nyũmba ya ũthamaki, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ,

And Ebed-melech went out from the king's house 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 done evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have put into the water-hole; and he will come to his death in the place where he is through need of food: for there is no more bread in the town.

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.”

Then the king gave orders to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take with you three men from here and get Jeremiah out of the water-hole before death overtakes him.

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.

So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king, to the place where the clothing was kept, and got from there old clothing and bits of old cloth, and let them down by cords into the water-hole where Jeremiah was.

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,

And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put these bits of old cloth under your arms under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 nao makĩmũguucia na mĩkanda ĩyo, makĩmũruta irima rĩu rĩa maaĩ. Nake Jeremia agĩikara kũu nja ĩyo ya arangĩri.

So pulling Jeremiah up with the cords they got him out of the water-hole: and Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen.

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 took him into the rulers' doorway in the house of the Lord: and the king said to Jeremiah, I have a question to put to you; keep nothing back from me.

15 Jeremia akĩĩra Zedekia atĩrĩ, “Ingĩkuumburĩra ũhoro-rĩ, githĩ ndũkũnjũraga? O na ingĩgũtaara-rĩ, wee ndũngĩĩthikĩrĩria.”

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I give you the answer to your question, will you not certainly put me to death? and if I make a suggestion to you, you will not give it a hearing.

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.”

So King Zedekiah gave his oath to Jeremiah secretly, saying, By the living Lord, who gave us our life, I will not put you to death, or give you up to these men who are desiring to take 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, These are the words of the Lord, the God of armies, the God of Israel: If you go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then you will have life, and the town will not be burned with fire, and you and your family will be kept from death:

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 go out to the king of Babylon's captains, then this town will be given into the hands of the Chaldaeans and they will put it on fire, and you will not get away from them.

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.”

And King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, I am troubled on account of the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldaeans, for fear that they may give me up to them and they will put me to shame.

20 Nake Jeremia akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Matigaakũneana kũrĩ o. Wee athĩkĩra Jehova, wĩke ũguo ndĩrakwĩra. Hĩndĩ ĩyo nĩũkona wega, naguo muoyo waku nĩũkahonokio.

But Jeremiah said, They will not give you up: be guided now by the word of the Lord as I have given it to you, and it will be well for you, and you will keep your life.

21 No rĩrĩ, warega kwĩneana, ũũ nĩguo Jehova anguũrĩirie:

But if you do not go out, this is what the Lord has made clear to 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.’

See, all the rest of the women in the house of the king of Judah will be taken out to the king of Babylon's captains, and these women will say, Your nearest friends have been false to you and have got the better of you: they have made your feet go deep into the wet earth, and they are turned away back from 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.”

And they will take all your wives and your children out to the Chaldaeans: and you will not get away out of their hands, but will be taken by the hands of the king of Babylon: and this town will be burned with fire.

24 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Zedekia akĩĩra Jeremia atĩrĩ, “Ndũkareke mũndũ o na ũrĩkũ amenye ũhoro wa mĩario ĩno, ndũkae kũũragwo.

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, Let no man have knowledge of these words, and you will not be put to death.

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,’

But if it comes to the ears of the rulers that I have been talking with you, and they come and say to you, Give us word now of what you have said to the king and what the king said to you, keeping nothing back and we will not put you to death;

26 hĩndĩ ĩyo nawe ũmeere atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩgũthaitha ndĩrathaithaga mũthamaki ndakae kũnjookia nyũmba-inĩ kwa Jonathani, ndigakuĩre kuo.’”

Then you are to say to them, I made my request to the king, that he would not send me back to my death in Jonathan's house.

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.

Then all the rulers came to Jeremiah, questioning him: and he gave them an answer in the words the king had given him orders to say. So they said nothing more to him; for the thing was not made public.

28 Nake Jeremia agĩikara kũu kĩhingo-inĩ kĩa arangĩri nginya mũthenya ũrĩa itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu rĩatunyanirwo.

So Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen till the day when Jerusalem was taken.