< Jeremaya 16 >

1 Mgbe ahụ, okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru m ntị, sị,
A message from the Lord that came to me, saying,
2 “Ị gaghị alụtara onwe gị nwunye, ị gaghị amụtakwa ụmụ ndị ikom na ndị inyom nʼebe a.”
Don't marry or have children here.
3 Nʼihi na otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru banyere ụmụ ndị ikom niile na ụmụ ndị inyom niile a mụrụ nʼala a. Otu a ka ọ kwukwara banyere nne na nna ụmụntakịrị ndị a.
This is what the Lord says about children born here, and about their mothers and fathers—their parents here in this country:
4 “Ha ga-anwụ site nʼajọ ọrịa nke ga-egbu ha niile. O nweghị onye ga-eru ụjụ nʼihi ha, a gaghị elikwa ha. Kama ha ga-adị ka unyi e kposara nʼala. Mma agha na ụnwụ ga-ala ha nʼiyi, ozu ha ga-abụkwa ihe oriri nye ụmụ anụ ufe na ụmụ anụ ọhịa nke ụwa.”
They will die from fatal diseases. No one will mourn for them. Their bodies won't be buried, but will lie on the ground like manure. They will be destroyed by war and famine, and their bodies will be food for birds of prey and wild animals.
5 Nʼihi na ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, “Abanyela nʼụlọ ọbụla a na-akwa ozu; abanyela maka iso ha ruo ụjụ, maọbụ maka igosi ha ebere, nʼihi na ewepụla m ngọzị m nʼịhụnanya m, na ọmịiko m site nʼebe ha nọ,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
This is what the Lord says: Don't enter a home where people are having a funeral meal. Don't visit them to mourn or to offer condolences, for I have taken away my peace, my trustworthy love, and my mercy from these people, declares the Lord.
6 “Ma ndị ukwu na ndị nta nʼime ha ga-anwụ nʼala a. O nweghị onye ga-eli ha, maọbụ ruo ụjụ nʼihi ha. O nweghị onye ga-akpụcha isi ya, maọbụ gbuo onwe ya mma nʼihi ha.
Everyone, from the most important to the least, will die in this country. They will not be buried or mourned; there will be no rites for the dead such as cutting oneself or shaving of heads.
7 O nweghị onye ga-eweta ihe oriri nye ndị zukọrọ maka ịkasị ndị na-eru ụjụ obi. Nri agaghị adị ọ bụladị nye ndị na-eru ụjụ, nʼihi ọnwụ nna ha maọbụ ọnwụ nne ha. Ọ dịkwaghị onye ga-enye ha ihe ọṅụṅụ nʼihi ịkasị ha obi.
No funeral receptions will be held to comfort those who mourn—not even a comforting drink is to be offered at the loss of a father or mother.
8 “Abanyekwala nʼụlọ ebe e nwere oriri soro ndị nọ nʼebe ahụ nọdụ ala iri ihe na ịṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ
Don't go into a house where people are celebrating and sit down with them to eat and drink.
9 Nʼihi na otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, onye bụkwa Chineke Izrel kwuru, ‘Nʼihu gị, na nʼoge ndị a niile ị dị ndụ, ka m ga-eme ka ụzụ ọṅụ na obi ụtọ, na olu ndị ikom na nke ndị inyom na-alụ di na nwunye kwụsị.’
This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am going to put a stop right here, while you watch, to any sounds of celebration and joy, the happy voices of the groom and bride.
10 “Mgbe ị gwara ndị a ihe ndị a, ha ga-ajụ gị ajụjụ sị, ‘Gịnị mere Onyenwe anyị ji kpebie izitere anyị ụdị oke ịla nʼiyi dị otu a? Gịnị bụ ihe ọjọọ anyị mere? Gịnị bụ mmehie anyị mere megide Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị?’
When you explain all this to them they'll ask you, “Why has the Lord ordered that such a terrible disaster should happen to us? What did we do wrong? What sin have we committed against the Lord our God?”
11 Mgbe ahụ, ị ga-asa ha sị ha, ‘Ihe ndị a na-adakwasị unu nʼihi na nna nna unu ha gbakụtara m azụ,’ otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, ‘gbasoro, fee ma kpọọkwa isiala nye chi ndị ọzọ. Ha jụrụ iso m, jụkwa idebe ihe m nyere ha nʼiwu.
Answer them: It's because your forefathers deserted me, declares the Lord. They went and followed other gods, serving them and worshiping them. They abandoned me and didn't keep my laws.
12 Ma unu emesoola m mmeso ọjọọ karịa ụdị mmeso nna unu ha mesoro m. Lee ka unu niile nʼotu nʼotu si agbaso ụzọ isiike nke obi ọjọọ unu chepụtara, kama irubere m isi.
You however have done even more evil than your forefathers. Look at how all of you followed your own stubborn evil thinking instead of obeying me.
13 Ya mere, aga m esite nʼala a tufuo unu. Aga m atụbanye unu nʼala ahụ unu na nna unu ha na-amaghị. Ebe ahụ ka unu ga-anọkwa fee chi ndị ọzọ ehihie na abalị. Nʼihi na agaghị m emere unu amara.’
So I'm going to throw you out of this country and exile you in a country unfamiliar to you and your forefathers. There you'll serve other gods day and night, because I won't help you at all.
14 “Otu ọ dị, ụbọchị ndị ahụ na-abịa,” ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, “mgbe ndị mmadụ na-agaghị asịkwa ọzọ, ‘Dịka Onyenwe anyị na adị ndụ, bụ onye ahụ sitere nʼala Ijipt kpọpụta ụmụ Izrel.’
But listen! The time is coming, declares the Lord, when people won't any longer make vows, saying. “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites out of Egypt.”
15 Ma a ga-asị, ‘Dịka Onyenwe anyị na-adị ndụ, bụ onye ahụ kpọpụtara Izrel site nʼala dị nʼugwu, na mba ahụ niile ọ chụsara ha.’ Nʼihi na aga m akpọlata ha nʼala ahụ m nyere nna nna ha.
Instead they'll say, “On the Lord's life, who led the Israelites back from the northern country and all the other countries where he had exiled them.” I'm going to bring them back to the country I gave their forefathers.
16 “Ma ugbu a, aga m ezipu ọtụtụ ndị ọkụ azụ ka ha gaa jide ha.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri. “Mgbe nke ahụ gasịrị, aga m ezipụkwa ọtụtụ ndị na-achụ nta, ndị ga-esite nʼelu ugwu ukwu niile na nʼelu ugwu nta niile, na nʼọnụ mgbawara dị na nkume niile, chụọ nta ha.
But for the moment I'm going to send for many fishermen and they'll catch them, declares the Lord. Then I'm going to send for many hunters, and they'll hunt them down on every mountain and hill, even from their hiding places in the rocks.
17 Ana m ahụzu ụzọ ha niile. O nweghị ihe zoro ezo nʼebe m nọ. Anya m na-ahụzukwa mmehie ha niile.
I see everything they're doing. They can't hide from me, and their sins aren't hidden from me either.
18 Aga m akwụghachi ha okpukpu abụọ nʼihi ajọ omume ha, na mmehie ha, nʼihi na ha ejirila oyiyi ihe arụ a pịrị apị ha, nke na-enweghị ndụ nʼime ya, merụọ ala m. Ha emeekwala ka arụsị bụ ihe arụ jupụta nʼihe nketa m.”
First I'm going to pay them back double for their wickedness and sin, because they have made my land unclean with the lifeless bodies of their disgusting idols, filling my special country with their offensive pagan images.
19 Onyenwe anyị, ị bụ ike m na ebe m e wusiri ike, ebe mgbaba m nʼoge nsogbu. Mba niile nke ụwa ga-esite na nsọtụ ụwa niile bịakwute gị. Ha ga-abịakwute gị sị gị, “Nna anyị ha enweghị ihe ọbụla karịakwa chi ndị na-abụghị chi nʼezie. Ha bụkwa chi na-abaghị uru, nke na-adịghị ewetara ha ihe ọma ọbụla.”
Lord, you are my strength and my fortress, my safe place in the time of trouble. Nations will come to you from all over the earth, and they will say, “The religion of our forefathers was a total lie! The idols they worshiped were useless—no good at all.
20 Mmadụ ọ pụrụ imere onwe ya chi? E, ma chi ndị ahụ abụghị chi.
How can people make gods for themselves? These aren't gods!”
21 “Ya mere, aga m eme ka ha mata. Nʼoge a ka m ga-eme ka ha mata ike m, na ịdị ike m. Mgbe ahụ, ha ga-amata na aha m bụ Onyenwe anyị.
Now they'll see! I'll show them, and then they'll recognize my power and strength. Then they'll know that I am the Lord!

< Jeremaya 16 >