< Jeremaya 16 >

1 Mgbe ahụ, okwu Onyenwe anyị ruru m ntị, sị,
Yahweh gave me another message. [He said to me],
2 “Ị gaghị alụtara onwe gị nwunye, ị gaghị amụtakwa ụmụ ndị ikom na ndị inyom nʼebe a.”
“Do not get married and have children in this land,
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.
because this is what [I], Yahweh, say about the children who are born in this city, and about their mothers and fathers:
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.”
[Many of] them will die from terrible diseases. And no one will mourn for them. No one will even bury their corpses; the corpses will lie on the ground, [scattered] like manure. [Others] will die in wars or from hunger, and [then] their corpses will become food for vultures 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 [also] what Yahweh said to me: “Do not go to funerals to mourn or to show [those whose relatives have died] that you feel sorry for them, because I have stopped protecting them, and I have caused that things will not go well for them. I have stopped faithfully loving them and acting mercifully toward them.
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.
[Very many people] will die in this land, [including] those who are important and those who are not important. And no one will mourn for them, or [even] bury [their corpses]. No one will cut himself or shave his head [to show that he is very sad].
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 one will bring food to comfort those who are mourning, not even if it is their father or their mother [who has died]. No one will give them a cup [of wine] to cheer them up.
8 “Abanyekwala nʼụlọ ebe e nwere oriri soro ndị nọ nʼebe ahụ nọdụ ala iri ihe na ịṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ
And do not go into the houses where people are feasting. Do not eat or drink anything with them.
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.’
[I want you to do this] because this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, say: ‘While you are still alive and seeing it happen, I will cause there to be no more singing and laughing in this land. There will be no more joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides.’
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 tell these things to the people, they will ask, ‘Why has Yahweh declared that these terrible things will happen to us? What have we done [for which we deserve to be punished like this]? What sin have we committed against Yahweh 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.
Then this is what you must tell them [that I am replying to them]: ‘It is because your ancestors turned away from me, Yahweh. They worshiped other gods and served them. They abandoned me and did not obey my commands.
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.
But you [who are living now] have done more wicked things than your ancestors did! Each of you stubbornly does the evil things that he desires and refuses to pay attention to what I say.
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 will throw you out of this land, and I will send you to a land that you and your ancestors have never known about. There you will worship other gods day and night. And I will not act mercifully toward you.’
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 there will be a time when people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, ‘[I will do this], [just as surely] as Yahweh lives—the one who brought the Israeli people here from 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 will say ‘[I will do this, just as surely] as Yahweh lives—the one who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the lands to the north and from all the other lands to which he had (exiled us/forced us to go).’ [They will be able to say that] because [some day] I will bring your descendants back to this land that I gave to your ancestors.
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 now I am summoning [your enemies who will seize the people of Judah like] [MET] fishermen [catch fish]. I am summoning those who will search for them on every mountain and hill, and in every cave, [like] [MET] hunters [search for animals to kill].
17 Ana m ahụzu ụzọ ha niile. O nweghị ihe zoro ezo nʼebe m nọ. Anya m na-ahụzukwa mmehie ha niile.
I am watching them carefully. I see every sin [that they commit]. They will not [be able to] hide from me [MTY].
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.”
Because of all the wicked things that they have done [DOU], I will punish them twice as much [as I would punish other people. I will do that] because they have caused my land to become unacceptable to me because of their [worshiping] lifeless statues of detestable gods, and [also because they] have done many other evil things throughout my land.”
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.”
[Then I prayed, saying], “Yahweh, you are the one who strengthens me and protects me [MET]; you are the one to whom I go when I have [troubles]. [Some day people from] nations all over the world will come to you and say, ‘Our ancestors left/gave us only something that was false; [they worshiped idols] that are completely worthless [DOU].
20 Mmadụ ọ pụrụ imere onwe ya chi? E, ma chi ndị ahụ abụghị chi.
No one can [RHQ] make their own gods; the gods that they make are [only idols]; they are not real 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.
[Then Yahweh said], “Now I will show my power to [the people of Judah]; I will show them that I am truly very powerful [DOU]. Then, finally, they will know that I, Yahweh, [am the true God].”

< Jeremaya 16 >