Jeremaya 29
1 Ihe ndị a bụ ihe dị nʼakwụkwọ ozi Jeremaya onye amụma si Jerusalem degaara ndị fọdụrụ ndụ nʼetiti ndị okenye, na ndị nchụaja, na ndị amụma, na ndị Izrel Nebukadneza dọtara nʼagha si na Jerusalem bulaa ha Babilọn.
After King Jehoiachin, his mother, his palace officials, other officials in Judah, and all the various kinds of craftsmen [DOU] had been exiled to Babylon, I wrote a letter to the elders, the priests, the prophets and all the other people who had been taken from Jerusalem to Babylon by [soldiers of] Nebuchadnezzar.
2 Nke a bụ mgbe eze Jehoiakin, nne eze, ndị ozi nʼụlọeze, ndị ndu Juda na Jerusalem, ndị ọka, na ndị ụzụ sitere na Jerusalem dọta ha nʼagha buru ha gaa mba ọzọ.
3 Onye Jeremaya nyere akwụkwọ ozi a ka o nyeruo ndị e deere ya bụ Eleasa nwa Shefan, na Gemaraya nwa Hilkaya, ndị Zedekaya eze Juda zigara Babilọn izi Nebukadneza bụ eze ozi.
[I gave] the letter to Elasah the son of Shaphan, and to Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, when they were about to go to Babylon to be ambassadors from King Zedekiah to King Nebuchadnezzar. This is what I wrote in the letter:
4 Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel na-agwa ndị niile m mere ka e si na Jerusalem dọta nʼagha buru laa Babilọn,
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says to all you people who were captured [here] in Jerusalem and taken [there] to Babylon:
5 “Wuoronụ onwe unu ụlọ, birikwanụ nʼime ya; kụọnụ ihe nʼubi a gbara ogige, riekwa mkpụrụ si na ya;
“Build houses [there], and plan to stay there [because you will be there for many years]. Plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens.
6 lụọnụ nwunye, mụọkwanụ ụmụ ndị ikom na ụmụ ndị inyom; lụọkwaranụ ụmụ unu ndị ikom nwunye, kwenyekwanụ ka ụmụ unu ndị inyom lụọ di, ka ha mụọkwa ụmụ ndị ikom na ụmụ ndị inyom. Mụbaanụ nʼebe ahụ, unu ebilatakwala.
Get married and have children. Then [when they grow up], choose wives for your sons, and husbands for your daughters, in order that they [also] may have children. [In that way], the number of you people will increase, not decrease.
7 Chọọnụ udo nke obodo ahụ m mere ka unu gaa biri nʼime ya. Kpeekwanụ ekpere nye Onyenwe anyị banyere ya. Nʼihi na ọ bụrụ na ihe agaara obodo ahụ nke ọma, ọ ga-agakwara unu nke ọma.”
Also, do things that will cause things to go well [for the other people there] in the city where I sent you. Pray that things will go well for [the people in] that city, because if things go well for them, things will go well for you, [also].”
8 Nʼihi na ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile bụ Chineke Izrel kwuru, “Unu ekwela ka ndị amụma ahụ nọ nʼetiti unu, na ndị na-ajụ arụsị ase rafuo unu; unu egela ntị nʼakụkọ ha na-akọ banyere nrọ ndị ahụ unu na-akwagide ha ka ha rọọ.
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israeli people [worship], says: “There are [false] prophets and fortune-tellers among you. Do not allow them to deceive you. Do not pay attention to [them when they tell you] their dreams,
9 Nʼihi na amụma ha na-ebu nʼaha m bụ amụma ụgha. Ọ bụkwaghị m zitere ha.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
because they are telling you lies, saying that [MTY] [I have given them the messages that they are telling you]. But, I have not appointed them.”
10 Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, “Mgbe iri afọ asaa m kwadoro maka Babilọn zuru, aga m abịa mezuo nkwa ahụ m kwere. Aga m eme ka unu lọtakwa nʼebe a.
This is [also] what Yahweh says: “After you [and your children] have been in Babylon for seventy years, I will help you, and do for you the things that I promised, and I will enable you to return here [to Jerusalem].
11 Nʼihi na mụ onwe m maara echiche niile m na-eche banyere unu,” ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri, “echiche ime ka ihe gaara unu nke ọma, ọ bụkwaghị echiche ime unu ihe ọjọọ, echiche ime ka unu nwee ezi ọdịnihu, na olileanya kwesiri ntụkwasị obi.
I, Yahweh, know what I have planned for you. I am planning to cause things to go well for you, not to cause you to experience disasters. I am planning to give you many things that you confidently expect to receive in the future.
12 Mgbe ahụ, unu ga-abịakwute m, unu ga-abịa kpọkuokwa m nʼekpere, aga m egekwa unu ntị.
At that time, when you pray, I will heed you.
13 Unu ga-achọsikwa m ike, chọta m ma ọ bụrụ na unu ejiri obi unu niile chọọ m.
If you earnestly desire for me [to bless you], you will experience me [blessing you].
14 Aga m emekwa ka unu chọta m,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri, “meekwa ka unu bụ ndị a dọtara nʼagha lọta. Aga m esitekwa na mba ahụ niile m chụgara unu chịkọtaa unu, kpọghachitekwa unu nʼebe ahụ m si chụpụ unu.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya.
I will make my help available to you [IDM]. I will cause you to no longer be slaves [in Babylon]. I will gather you from all the nations to which I have exiled you, and I will bring you back [here to your own land], to the place from which you were taken.”
15 Unu pụrụ ị sị, “Onyenwe anyị akpọlite ndị amụma nye anyị na Babilọn.”
[Some of] you say that Yahweh has appointed prophets for you [there] in Babylon.
16 Ma ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị na-ekwu banyere eze ahụ na-anọkwasị nʼocheeze Devid, na banyere ndị mmadụ niile fọdụrụ nʼobodo a, bụ ụmụnne unu ndị ahụ na-esoghị unu gaa ebe e mere ka ha ga biri na mba ọzọ.
But this is what Yahweh says about the king who rules [here] in Jerusalem, and about all the other people who are [still] living here—your relatives who were not taken to Babylon with you.
17 E, ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru, “Aga m eziga mma agha nʼetiti ha, zigakwa ụnwụ na ọrịa na-efe efe. Aga m eme ha ka ha dị ka mkpụrụ fiig jọgburu onwe ya, nke mmadụ na-agaghị ata ata.
The Commander of the armies of angels says this: “I will cause them to experience wars and famines and diseases. I will cause them to become like [SIM] bad figs that are very rotten, with the result that no one can eat them.
18 Aga m eji mma agha, na ụnwụ, na ọrịa na-efe efe, chụọ ha ọsọ. Aga m eme ha ka ha bụrụ ihe alaeze niile nke ụwa ga na-asọ oyi. Ha ga-abụ ihe ịbụ ọnụ, na ihe iju anya, na ihe nkọcha, na ihe ịta ụta nʼetiti mba niile ebe m ga-achụla ha ọsọ.
I will not stop causing them to experience wars and famines and diseases. And I will scatter them all around the world. In every country where I (force them to be taken/exile them), I will cause them to be people whom [others] curse and be horrified about and make fun of [DOU].
19 Nʼihi na ha egeghị ntị nʼokwu m, bụ okwu si nʼọnụ ndị ohu m bụ ndị amụma, ndị m zigaara ha mgbe mgbe. Ma unu onwe unu, ndị bi na mba ọzọ egekwaghị ntị nʼokwu m.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.
[That will happen] because they have refused to pay attention to my messages, messages that I gave to the prophets whom I sent to them. And you [who have been exiled to Babylon] have not paid attention to them, [either].” [That is what] Yahweh says.
20 Ya mere, nụrụnụ okwu Onyenwe anyị, unu niile bụ ndị m mere ka e si na Jerusalem dọta nʼagha gaa Babilọn.
[Therefore], you people who have been (exiled/forced to go) from Jerusalem to Babylon, listen to this message from Yahweh.
21 Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel na-ekwu banyere Ehab nwa Kolaya, na Zedekaya nwa Maaseia, ndị na-ebu amụma ụgha nʼaha m, “Aga m ewere ha nyefee nʼaka Nebukadneza bụ eze Babilọn. Ọ ga-etigbukwa ha nʼihu unu.
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says about Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and about Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who are telling lies to you, saying that they are giving messages [MTY] from him: “They will be seized and taken to [MTY] King Nebuchadnezzar, who will cause them to be executed while you are watching.
22 Nʼihi ha, ndị niile e si Juda dọta nʼagha buru gaa Babilọn ga na-ekwu okwu nkọcha sị, ‘Ka Onyenwe anyị mesokwa gị ụdị mmeso o mesoro Zedekaya na Ehab, ndị eze Babilọn tụnyere nʼọkụ nke regburu ha.’
Because of [what will happen to] them, all you people who have been taken from Judah to Babylon will say this when they curse someone: ‘I hope/wish that Yahweh will do to you the same thing that he did to Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the King of Babylon caused to be [killed by being] burned in a fire.’
23 Nʼihi na ha emeela ihe ndị jọgburu onwe ya na njọ nʼIzrel; ha na nwunye ndị agbataobi ha akwaala iko; ha esitekwala nʼaha m buo amụma ụgha, amụma nke m na-enyeghị ha iwu ibu. Amaara m na ihe ndị a bụ eziokwu, nʼihi na ahụrụ m ya.” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.
They have done terrible things to [my] Israeli people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken lies, saying that they were messages [MTY] from me. They have said things that I did not tell them to say, and I, Yahweh, have heard them [say those things].”
24 Gwa Shemaya onye Nehelam okwu sị ya,
[Yahweh told me to] send this message to Shemaiah, a man from Nehelam [town who was living in Babylon]:
25 Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel kwuru, “I dere akwụkwọ zigara ndị niile bi na Jerusalem, ha na Zefanaya nwa Maaseia onye nchụaja, na ndị nchụaja ndị ọzọ. Ị gwara Zefanaya okwu nʼakwụkwọ ahụ sị ya,
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: “You wrote a letter that no one told you to write. You sent it to Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, and [you sent copies] to the other priests and all the [other] people here in Jerusalem. [This is what] you wrote to him:
26 ‘Onyenwe anyị ahọpụtala gị mee gị onye nchụaja ga-anọchi anya Jehoiada. Nʼihi ya, ị bụrụla onyeisi ụlọnsọ ukwu Onyenwe anyị. Ya mere, o kwesiri ka i jide onye ara ọbụla na-akpọ onwe ya onye amụma, manye ya agbụ igwe nʼụkwụ, na nʼolu ya.
[Zephaniah], Yahweh has appointed you to be the priest instead of Jehoiada, to supervise those who work in the temple. Anyone who acts like a crazy man and who claims that he is a prophet, you should put his arms and legs and head into (stocks/a wooden frame [so that he cannot move)].
27 Gịnị mere i ji hapụ ịbasiri Jeremaya, onye Anatot mba ike, onye na-eme onwe ya onye amụma nʼetiti unu?
So why have you not done anything to stop Jeremiah, the man from Anathoth [town], who [pretends that he] is a prophet among you?
28 O ziterela anyị ozi dị otu a na Babilọn sị anyị, Unu ga-anọ nʼebe ahụ tee anya. Ya mere, wuoronụ onwe unu ụlọ, birikwanụ nʼime ya. Kụọnụ ihe nʼubi, riekwanụ ihe si nʼubi unu.’”
He sent a letter to us [who are here] in Babylon, saying that [we will be here for] a long time. He said that [therefore] we should build houses and plan to stay here, and plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens.”
29 Zefanaya bụ onye nchụaja, gụrụ akwụkwọ ozi ahụ nʼihu Jeremaya, bụ onye amụma.
[But when] Zephaniah the priest [received] the letter from you, he [brought it to me and] read it to me.
30 Mgbe ahụ, okwu Onyenwe anyị bịakwutere Jeremaya, sị,
Then Yahweh gave me this message:
31 “Zigara ndị ahụ niile e mere ka ha gaa biri na mba ọzọ ozi sị ha, ‘Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru banyere Shemaya onye Nehelam, Ebe ọ bụ na Shemaya ebuorola unu amụma mee ka unu tụkwasị obi unu nʼokwu ụgha ya, ma ọ bụghị m ziri ya,
“Send this message to all the people [from Judah] who are there [in Babylon]. Say that this is what Yahweh says about Shemaiah, the man from Nehelam: ‘I did not appoint him, but he has deceived you and caused you to believe the lies that he prophesied.
32 ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, Mụ onwe m aghaghị ịta Shemaya onye Nehelam na mkpụrụ ya ahụhụ nʼihi mmehie ya. Ọ gaghị enwe nwoke ọbụla ga-afọdụ ndụ nʼetiti ndị ya niile. Ọ gaghị esokwa unu lekwasị anya nʼihe ọma ahụ niile m na-akwado imere ndị m, nʼihi na o kwusara nnupu isi megide Onyenwe anyị. Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri.’”
So, I will punish him and his family. He has incited you to rebel against me. Because of that, all of his descendants will soon die. I will do [many] good things for [you], my people, but he and his descendants will not see those things, [because they will be dead]. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!’”
