Jeremia 1
1 Maya nĩmo maũndũ marĩa maaririo nĩ Jeremia, mũrũ wa Hilikia, ũmwe wa athĩnjĩri-Ngai arĩa maatũũraga itũũra rĩa Anathothu kũu bũrũri wa Benjamini.
[I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
2 Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyamũkinyĩrĩire mwaka-inĩ wa ikũmi na ĩtatũ wa wathani wa Josia, mũrũ wa Amoni, mũthamaki wa Juda,
Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
3 o na ningĩ matukũ-inĩ ma wathani wa Jehoiakimu mũrũ wa Josia, mũthamaki wa Juda, o nginya mweri wa gatano, mwaka-inĩ wa ikũmi na ũmwe wa wathani wa Zedekia mũrũ wa Josia, mũthamaki wa Juda, rĩrĩa andũ a Jerusalemu maatahirwo.
Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
4 Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyanginyĩrire, ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ,
[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 “Mbere ya gũkũũmba nda-inĩ ya maitũguo-rĩ, no ndaakũũĩ, o na ũtanaciarwo-rĩ, nĩndakwamũrĩte; nĩndagũtuire mũnabii wa kũrathagĩra ndũrĩrĩ.”
“I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
6 Na niĩ ngĩmũcookeria, ngiuga atĩrĩ: “Hĩ, Mwathani Jehova! Niĩ ndiũĩ kwaria; niĩ ndĩ o mwana.”
I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
7 Nowe Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ: “Tiga kuuga atĩrĩ, ‘Niĩ ndĩ o mwana.’ No nginya ũthiĩ kũrĩ mũndũ o wothe ngũgũtũma kũrĩ we na ũmwĩre ũrĩa wothe ngũgwatha.
Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
8 Ndũkanametigĩre, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe, na nĩngakũhonokia,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
9 Hĩndĩ ĩyo Jehova agĩtambũrũkia guoko, akĩĩhutia kanua, akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Rĩu nĩndekĩra ndũmĩrĩri yakwa kanua gaku.
Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
10 One, ũmũthĩ nĩndagũtua mũnene wa ndũrĩrĩ o na wa mothamaki, nĩgeetha ũmunyage na ũmomorage, wanangage na ũngʼaũranagie, na wakage na ũhaandage.”
Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
11 Ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyanginyĩrire, ngĩũrio atĩrĩ: “Jeremia, nĩ kĩĩ ũroona?” Na niĩ ngĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ndĩrona rũhonge rwa mũtĩ wa mũrothi.”
Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
12 Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ, nĩguo nĩwona wega, tondũ njũthĩrĩirie nyone atĩ ndũmĩrĩri yakwa nĩyahingio.”
Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
13 Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova nĩyanginyĩrire o rĩngĩ ngĩũrio atĩrĩ: “Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩ ũrona?” Na niĩ ngĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ndĩrona nyũngũ ĩgũtherũka, ĩinamĩte kuuma mwena wa gathigathini.”
[Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
14 Nake Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Mwanangĩko uumĩte na mwena wa gathigathini, nĩũgaitĩrĩrio andũ othe arĩa matũũraga bũrũri ũyũ.
Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
15 Ndĩ hakuhĩ gwĩta andũ othe a mothamaki ma gathigathini,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “Athamaki ao nĩmagooka mahaande itĩ ciao cia ũthamaki matoonyero-inĩ ma ihingo cia Jerusalemu; nĩmagooka mathiũrũrũkĩrie thingo ciothe cia Jerusalemu, na mokĩrĩre matũũra mothe ma Juda.
Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
16 Nĩngatuĩra andũ akwa matuĩro ma ciira, tondũ wa waganu wao wa kũndirika, na wa gũcinĩra ngai ingĩ ũbumba, na kũhooya indo iria methondekeire na moko mao.
I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
17 “Ũkĩra wĩhaarĩrie! Rũgama na ũmeere ũndũ o wothe ũrĩa ngũgwatha. Ndũkamakio nĩo, kana na niĩ ngũmakie ũrĩ mbere yao.
So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
18 Ũmũthĩ-rĩ, nĩndagũtua ta itũũra rĩirige na hinya, na ta gĩtugĩ gĩa kĩgera, na ta rũthingo rwa gĩcango, nĩgeetha wĩyũmie ũũkĩrĩre bũrũri wothe: ũũkĩrĩre athamaki a Juda, na anene, na athĩnjĩri-Ngai akuo, o na andũ othe a bũrũri ũyũ.
But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
19 Nĩmakarũa nawe no matigaakũhoota, nĩgũkorwo ndĩ hamwe nawe na nĩndĩrĩkũhonokagia,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
