Jeremi 40
1 Seyè a pale ak Jeremi ankò apre Neboucharadan, chèf lagad la, te lage l' lavil Rama. Yo te fè Jeremi prizonye ansanm ak tout moun lavil Jerizalèm ak moun peyi Jida yo. Yo te mete l' nan chenn ansanm ak tout moun yo t'ap depòte lavil Babilòn.
[The soldiers from Babylonia] captured me and many other people from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. They [planned to] take us to Babylon. So they fastened chains around our wrists and took us to Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. While we were there, I was released. [This is how it happened]:
2 Chèf lagad la pran Jeremi sou kote, li di l' konsa: -Seyè a, Bondye ou la, te di li t'ap fè malè sa a tonbe sou peyi a.
[Nebuzaradan, ] the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, [found that I was there]. He summoned me and said to me, “Yahweh your God said that he would cause this land to experience a disaster.
3 Koulye a sa li te di li t'ap fè a, li fè l'. Sa ki lakòz? Se paske pèp ou a te antò devan Seyè a, yo pa t' vle koute l'.
And now he has caused it to happen. He has done just what he said [that he would do], because you people sinned against Yahweh and refused to obey him.
4 Atòkile, m'ap wete chenn ki nan ponyèt ou yo, m'ap lage ou. Si ou vle vini ak mwen lavil Babilòn, ou mèt vini, m'a pran swen ou. Men, si ou pa vle tou, ou pa blije vini. Tout peyi a devan ou, ou mèt ale kote ou vle.
But today I am going to take the chains off your wrists and release you. If you want to come with me to Babylon, [that will be fine]. I will take care of you. But if you do not want to come with me, do not come. [Stay here]. Look, the entire country is available; you can choose whatever part you want to go to. You can go wherever you wish.” [Then he took the chains off my wrists].
5 Lè Neboucharadan wè Jeremi pa reponn, li di l' ankò: -Tounen al jwenn Gedalya, pitit Akikam, pitit pitit Chafan, lavil Mispa. Se li menm wa Babilòn lan mete pou gouvènen tout lavil nan peyi Jida yo. W'a rete avè l' nan mitan pèp la. Ou gen dwa tou ale kote ou vle nan peyi a. Lèfini, li bay Jeremi yon kado ansanm ak kèk pwovizyon pou l' manje, epi li voye l' ale.
He said, “If you [decide to] stay here, go to Gedaliah. The King of Babylon appointed him to be the governor of Judah. [You will be allowed to] stay here with the people [that he is governing]. But you can do whatever you want to.” Then Nebuzaradan gave me some food and some money, and he allowed me to go.
6 Jeremi al jwenn Gedalya, pitit Akikam lan, lavil Mispa. Li rete la avè l' ansanm ak moun yo te kite nan peyi a.
I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.
7 Te gen yon rès lame peyi Jida a ki te andeyò lavil Jerizalèm. Chèf yo ansanm ak sòlda yo vin konnen wa Babilòn lan te mete Gedalya, pitit Akikam lan, chèf sou tout peyi a. Wa a te kite tout moun yo pa t' depòte yo sou kont li, tout moun pòv yo, fanm kou gason, granmoun kou timoun.
The [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] were roaming around in the countryside. Then their leaders heard someone say that the King of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to be the governor of the very poor people [who were still in Judah], who had not been taken to Babylon.
8 Se konsa, Izmayèl, pitit Netanya, Jokanan ak Jonatan, pitit Karejak, Seraya, pitit Tannoumèt, pitit Efayi yo, moun lavil Netofa, ansanm ak Jezanya, pitit Makat, yo moute lavil Mispa, y' al jwenn Gedalya ansanm ak tout sòlda yo.
So they went [to talk] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [Those who went included] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophath, and Jezaniah from Maacah, and the soldiers who were with them.
9 Gedalya di yo konsa: -Mwen ban nou pawòl mwen, nou pa bezwen pè soumèt nou devan moun Babilòn yo. Rete nan peyi a. Sèvi wa Babilòn lan. Tout bagay va mache byen pou nou.
Gedaliah solemnly promised that the soldiers from Babylonia would not harm them. He said, “Do not be afraid to do things for them. Stay [here] in this land and do things for the King of Babylon. If you do that, things will go well for you.
10 Mwen menm, m'ap rete isit lavil Mispa. Konsa, m'a pale pou nou ak moun Babilòn yo lè y'a vini. Nou menm, nou mèt al fè rekòt rezen, lòt fwi ak lwil. Mete yo nan depo. Nou mèt rete nan lavil kote n'a ye yo.
As for me, I will stay [here] at Mizpah to be your representative to the [officials from] Babylonia who come to [talk with] us. But you should [return to your towns, and eat the things that are produced on your land]. Harvest the grapes and the fruit [that ripen in] the (summer/hot season) and the olives, [make wine and olive oil, ] and store it.”
11 Konsa tou, tout jwif ki te nan peyi Moab, nan peyi Amon, nan peyi Edon ak nan tout lòt peyi vin konnen wa Babilòn lan te penmèt kèk jwif rete nan peyi Jida, li te mete Gedalya, pitit Akikam, pitit pitit Chafan, chèf sou yo tout.
Then the Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other [nearby] countries heard people say that the King of Babylon had allowed a few people [to remain] in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah to be their governor.
12 Yo kite peyi kote yo te gaye yo, yo tounen nan peyi Jida, yo vin jwenn Gedalya lavil Mispa. Yo fè yon bèl rekòt rezen ak lòt fwi an kantite.
So they [began to] return to Judah. They stopped at Mizpah to [talk with] Gedaliah. Then [they went to various places in Judea, and] they harvested a great amount of grapes and summer fruit.
13 Yon jou, Jokanan, pitit Karejak, ansanm ak tout lòt chèf lame ki te andeyò yo vin jwenn Gedalya lavil Mispa.
[Some time later, ] Johanan and all the [other] leaders of the Israeli soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
14 Yo di l' konsa: -Ou pa konnen Baalis, wa peyi Amon an, voye Izmayèl, pitit Netanya a, pou touye ou? Men Gedalya pa t' vle kwè yo.
They said to him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammon [people-group], has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe what they said.
15 Lè sa a, Jokanan al jwenn Gedalya an kachèt lavil Mispa, li di l' konsa: -Eske ou vle m' al touye Izmayèl pou ou? Pesonn p'ap konn anyen. Poukisa pou ou kite l' ansasinen ou? Si li touye ou, sa pral lakòz tout jwif ki te sanble bò kote ou yo pral gaye ankò. Sa pral lakòz ti ponyen moun ki rete nan peyi Jida a rive disparèt.
Later Johanan talked with Gedaliah privately. He said, “Allow me to go and murder Ishmael secretly. It would not be good [RHQ] to allow him to come and murder you! If you are killed, what will happen to all the Jews who have returned to this area? They will be scattered, and the other people who remain in Judah will all be killed!”
16 Men, Gedalya reponn: -Pa fè sa, monchè! Sa w'ap di sou Izmayèl la pa vre!
But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”
