Jeremia 39
1 Mwaka-inĩ wa kenda wa wathani wa Zedekia mũthamaki wa Juda, mweri-inĩ wa ikũmi, Nebukadinezaru mũthamaki wa Babuloni nĩathiire gũtharĩkĩra itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu arĩ na mbũtũ ciake ciothe cia ita, akĩrĩrigiicĩria arĩtunyane.
After King Zedekiah had been ruling Judah for almost nine years, King Nebuchadnezzar came in January with his army, and they surrounded Jerusalem.
2 Ningĩ mũthenya wa kenda wa mweri wa ĩna wa mwaka-inĩ wa ikũmi na ũmwe wa wathani wa Zedekia, nĩguo rũthingo rwa itũũra rĩu inene rwatũrĩkirio.
One and a half years later, after Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years, on July 18, [soldiers from Babylonia] broke through the city [wall. Then they rushed in and captured the city].
3 Hĩndĩ ĩyo anene othe a mũthamaki wa Babuloni magĩtoonya na magĩikara Kĩhingo-inĩ gĩa Gatagatĩ: Nao nĩ Nerigali-Sharezeru wa Samugari, na Nebo-Sarisekimu mũtongoria ũmwe mũnene, na Nerigali-Sharezeru ũrĩa warĩ mũnene wathani-inĩ, marĩ hamwe na anene arĩa angĩ othe a mũthamaki wa Babuloni.
Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate [to decide what they would do to the city. They included] Nergal-Sharezer from Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim who was one of the chief army officers, another Nergal-Sharezer, the king’s advisor, and many other officials.
4 Rĩrĩa Zedekia mũthamaki wa Juda na thigari ciothe maamonire, makĩũra; makiuma itũũra-inĩ rĩu inene ũtukũ magerete njĩra ya mũgũnda-inĩ wa mũthamaki, kĩhingo-inĩ kĩrĩa kĩarĩ gatagatĩ ga thingo cierĩ, magĩthiĩ merekeire Araba.
When King Zedekiah and all his soldiers realized that [the army of Babylonia had broken into the city], they fled. [They waited until] it was dark. Then they went out of the city through the king’s garden, through the gate that was between the two walls. Then they started [running] toward the Jordan River Valley.
5 No nayo mbũtũ ya andũ a Babuloni ĩkĩmatengʼeria, ĩgĩkorerera Zedekia werũ-inĩ ũrĩa mwaraganu wa Jeriko. Makĩmũnyiita, makĩmũtwarĩra Nebukadinezaru mũthamaki wa Babuloni arĩ kũu Ribila bũrũri-inĩ wa Hamathu, na kũu nĩkuo aamũtuĩrĩire ciira.
But the soldiers from Babylonia pursued the king, and they caught him on the plains near Jericho. They took him to the King of Babylon, who was at Riblah [town] in the Hamath [region]. There the king of Babylon told [his soldiers what] they should do to punish Zedekiah.
6 Kũu Ribila nokuo mũthamaki wa Babuloni oragithĩirie ariũ a Zedekia, maitho-inĩ make, na akĩũragithia andũ othe arĩa maarĩ igweta kũu Juda.
They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
7 Agĩcooka agĩkũũrithia Zedekia maitho na akĩmuoha na bĩngũ cia gĩcango nĩguo atwarwo Babuloni.
[Then] they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
8 Andũ acio a Babuloni magĩcina nyũmba ya ũthamaki, o na nyũmba cia andũ arĩa angĩ, na makĩmomora thingo cia Jerusalemu.
[Meanwhile, ] the Babylonian army burned the palace and all the other buildings in Jerusalem. And they tore down the city walls.
9 Nebuzaradani, mũnene wa arangĩri a mũthamaki, agĩtaha andũ arĩa maatigaire kũu itũũra-inĩ thĩinĩ, akĩmatwara Babuloni marĩ hamwe na arĩa meneanĩte kũrĩ we o na andũ acio angĩ othe.
Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, forced to go to Babylon [most of] the other people who remained in the city and the Jews who had joined the soldiers of Babylonia.
10 No rĩrĩ, Nebuzaradani ũcio mũnene wa arangĩri a mũthamaki, nĩatigirie andũ amwe arĩa maarĩ athĩĩni kũu bũrũri wa Juda, arĩa mataarĩ na kĩndũ kĩao; no hĩndĩ ĩyo akĩmahe mĩgũnda ya mĩthabibũ na mĩgũnda ya kũrĩma.
But he allowed some of the very poor people to remain in Judah, and he gave them vineyards and fields [to take care of].
11 Na rĩrĩ, Nebukadinezaru mũthamaki wa Babuloni nĩarutĩte watho ũkoniĩ Jeremia, akeera Nebuzaradani ũcio mũnene wa arangĩri a mũthamaki atĩrĩ:
King Nebuchadnezzar had [previously] told Nebuzaradan to find me. He said,
12 “Muoe ũmũmenyerere; ndũkamwĩke ũũru, no ũmũhingagĩrie ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa angĩkũũria.”
“Make sure that no one harms him. Take care of him, and do for him whatever he requests you to do.”
13 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Nebuzaradani ũcio mũnene wa arangĩri, na Nebushazibani mũtongoria ũmwe mũnene na Nerigali-Sharezeru ũrĩa warĩ mũnene wathani-inĩ, o na anene acio angĩ othe a mũthamaki wa Babuloni
So he and Nebushazban, who was one of their chief officers, and Nergal-Sharezer the king’s advisor, and other officers of the King of Babylon
14 magĩtũmana, makiuga Jeremia arutwo kũu thĩinĩ wa nja ĩrĩa ya arangĩri. Nao makĩmũneana harĩ Gedalia mũrũ wa Ahikamu, mũrũ wa Shafani, nĩguo amũinũkie gwake mũciĩ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio agĩtũũrania na andũ arĩa angĩ ao.
sent [some men] to bring me out of the courtyard outside of the palace. They took me to Gedaliah who was the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. Then Gedaliah took me to my home, and I stayed [in Judah] among [my own] people [who had been allowed to remain there].
15 Rĩrĩa Jeremia aatũũrĩte oheetwo kũu thĩinĩ wa nja ĩrĩa ya arangĩri-rĩ, ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyamũkinyĩrĩire akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
While I was [still] being guarded in the palace courtyard, Yahweh gave me this message:
16 “Thiĩ ũkeere Ebedi-Meleku ũrĩa Mũkushi atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova Mwene-Hinya-Wothe, Ngai wa Isiraeli, ekuuga atĩrĩ: Ndĩ hakuhĩ kũhingia ũrĩa ndoigire atĩ nĩngarehere itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene mwanangĩko, no ti ũgaacĩru. Hĩndĩ ĩyo, maũndũ macio nĩmakahingio ũkĩmeyonagĩra na maitho.
“Say this to Ebed-Melech, the official from Ethiopia: ‘This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: “I will do to this city everything that I said that I would do. I will not enable the people to prosper; I will cause them to experience disasters. You will see Jerusalem being destroyed,
17 No rĩrĩ, wee nĩngakũhonokia mũthenya ũcio, ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga; wee ndũkaneanwo kũrĩ andũ acio wĩtigĩraga.
but I will rescue you from the people whom you are afraid of.
18 Niĩ nĩngakũhonokia; wee ndũkooragwo na rũhiũ rwa njora no nĩũkahonokia muoyo waku, tondũ nĩ niĩ ũtũũrĩte wĩhokete, ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.’”
You trusted me, so I will save you. You will not be killed by [your enemies’] swords; you will remain alive. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.’”
