Jeremi 40
1 Pawòl ki te rive kote Jérémie soti nan SENYÈ a lè Nebuzaradan, chèf a gad yo te lage li nan Rama, lè l te pran li mare ak chenn pami tout egzil a Jérusalem ak Juda ki t ap egzile Babylone yo.
[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 Alò, chèf a gad yo te pran Jérémie. Yo te di l: “SENYÈ a, Bondye ou a, te pwomèt gwo malè sa a kont plas sa 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 epi SENYÈ a te fè l vin parèt. Li te fè l jan sa te pwomèt la. Akoz nou te peche kont SENYÈ a e pa t koute vwa li, pou sa, bagay sa a te vin rive nou.
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 Men koulye a, gade byen, mwen ap libere ou jodi a de chenn ki nan men ou yo. Si ou ta prefere vini ak mwen Babylone, vini e mwen va okipe ou. Men si ou prefere pa ale, ou pa oblije. Gade, tout peyi a devan ou. Ale kote li sanble bon e an règ pou ou ta ale.”
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 Kòm Jérémie poko t ap tounen, li te di: “Ale konsa, alò, retounen a Guedalia, fis a Achikam, fis a Schaphan an, ke wa Babylone nan te apwente sou vil a Juda yo, e rete la pami pèp la; oswa, ale kote li sanble pi bon pou ou ta ale.” Konsa chèf gad la te bay li yon pòsyon manje ak yon kado e te kite li 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 Konsa, Jérémie te ale Mitspa, kote Guedalia, fis a Achikam e te rete avè l pami moun ki te rete nan peyi a.
I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.
7 Alò, tout chèf lame ki te nan chan an ak mesye pa yo te tande ke wa Babylone nan te chwazi Guedalia, fis a Achikam nan, sou peyi a, e ke li te mete li an chaj de tout mesye yo, fanm ak timoun yo, sila ki te pi malere pase tout moun nan peyi a, ki pa t oblije fè egzil Babylone yo.
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 Pou sa, yo te vin kote Guedalia Mitspa, ansanm ak Ismaël, fis a Nethania a ak Jochanan e Jonathan, fis a Karéach, Seraja, fis a Thanhumeth, fis a Éphaï, Nethopha ak Jezania, fis a Maacatite, yo menm ak mesye pa 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 Epi Guedalia, fis a Achikam, fis a Schaphan an, te sèmante a yo menm e a mesye pa yo. Li te di: “Pa pe sèvi Kaldeyen yo. Rete nan peyi a pou sèvi wa Babylone nan, pou sa ale 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 Alò, pou mwen menm, gade byen, mwen ap rete Mitspa, pou m ka kanpe pou nou devan Kaldeyen ki va vini kote nou yo. Men pou nou, ranmase divin nan, fwi sezon ete a ak lwil epi mete yo nan veso pou konsève yo e rete nan vil nou ke nou fin okipe 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 Menm jan an osi, tout Jwif ki te Moab yo, pami fis a Ammon nan Edom yo e ki te nan tout lòt peyi yo, te tande ke wa Babylone nan te kite yon retay pou Juda, e ke li te deziyen sou yo, Guedalia, fis a Achakim, fis a Schaphan an.
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 Epi tout Jwif yo te retounen soti tout kote ke yo te chase ale yo pou te vini nan peyi Juda, kote Guedalia nan Mitspa e te ranmase diven nan gran sezon an an gran 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 Alò, Jochanan, fis a Karéach ak tout chèf lame ki te nan chan an te vini a Guedalia nan Mitspa.
[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 te di a li menm: “Èske ou konnen ke Baalis, wa a fis Ammon yo te voye Ismaël, fis a Nethania a, pou pran lavi ou?” Men Guedalia, fis a Achakim nan, pa t 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 Epi Jochanan, fis a Karéach la, te pale an sekrè ak Guedalia nan Mitspa. Li te di: “Kite mwen ale touye Ismaël, fis a Nethania a e pèsòn p ap konnen! Poukisa li ta dwe pran lavi ou pou tout Jwif ki rasanble a ou menm yo ta gaye, e pou retay Juda a ta peri?”
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 Guedalia, fis a Achikam nan, te di a Jochanan, fis a Karéach la: “Pa fè bagay sa a, paske ou ap di yon manti sou Ismaël.”
But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”
