Jeremaya 38

1 Shefataya nwa Matan, na Gedaliya nwa Pashua, na Jehukal nwa Shelemaya, na Pashua, nwa Malkija, nụrụ mgbe Jeremaya nọ na-agwa ndị mmadụ okwu ndị a sị ha,

Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:

2 “Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘Onye ọbụla nọgidere nʼime obodo a ga-anwụ site na mma agha, maọbụ site nʼụnwụ, maọbụ site nʼọrịa na-efe efe. Ma onye ọbụla pụkwuru ndị Babilọn ga-adị ndụ. Ọ ga-adị ndụ, nʼihi na ọ ga-echebe ndụ ya.’

“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.

3 Ihe ndị a kwa ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru, ‘A ga-arara obodo a nyefee ya nʼaka ndị agha eze Babilọn, onye ga-adọta ya nʼagha.’”

This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”

4 Mgbe ahụ, ndịisi ọchịchị sịrị eze, “O kwesiri ka e gbuo nwoke a, nʼihi na ọ na-eme ka obi ndị agha na obi ndị mmadụ fọdụrụ nʼime obodo a na-ada mba site nʼụdị okwu ọ na-agwa ha. Ọ bụghị ọdịmma ndị a ka ọ na-eche echiche ya, kama ọ bụ otu ha ga-esi laa nʼiyi.”

Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”

5 Zedekaya bụ eze zara sị ha, “Ọ dị unu nʼaka. Unu maara na o nweghị ihe ọbụla eze nwere ike ime igbochi unu ime ihe unu chọrọ.”

“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”

6 Ya mere, ha jidere Jeremaya, tinye ya nʼime olulu mmiri Malkija, nwa eze. Olulu mmiri a dị nʼogige ụlọ ndị nche. Ọ bụ ụdọ ka ha ji wetuo Jeremaya nʼime olulu mmiri ahụ. Ma mmiri adịghị nʼime ya, naanị apịtị. Ya mere, Jeremaya danyere nʼime apịtị ahụ, mibanye nʼime ya.

So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.

7 Ma Ebed-Melek, onye Kush, otu nʼime ndịisi ozi nʼụlọeze nụrụ na etinyela Jeremaya nʼime olulu mmiri. Mgbe eze nọdụrụ nʼọnụ ụzọ ama Benjamin,

Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,

8 Ebed-Melek si nʼụlọeze pụọ jekwuuru ya nʼebe ahụ sị ya,

Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,

9 “Onyenwe m eze, lee na mmeso ndị a mesoro Jeremaya onye amụma jọgburu onwe ya. Ha atụbala ya nʼime olulu mmiri hapụ ya ka ọ nọdụ nʼebe ahụ nwụọ nʼihi agụụ mgbe achịcha kọrọ nʼobodo.”

“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”

10 Mgbe ahụ, eze nyere Ebed-Melek onye Kush iwu sị ya, “Sị nʼebe a kpọrọ iri mmadụ atọ ka gị na ha soro gaa dọpụta Jeremaya onye amụma site nʼolulu ahụ tupu ọ nwụọ.”

So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”

11 Ya mere, Ebed-Melek duuru ndị ahụ pụọ. O buru ụzọ jee nʼọnụụlọ dị nʼokpuru ụlọakụ nke ụlọeze. Nʼebe ahụ, ọ chịpụtara ụfọdụ nkịrịnka akwa, na ụfọdụ uwe kara nka. O kenyere ha nʼụdọ, wetuore ya Jeremaya nʼime olulu mmiri ahụ.

Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.

12 Ebed-Melek onye Kush ahụ gwara Jeremaya okwu sị ya, “Were nkịrịnka akwa ndị a, na uwe ndị a kara aka fanye ha na mkpa abụ gị, ime ka ụdọ a ghara imerụ gị ahụ.” Jeremaya mere dị ka a gwara ya.

Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,

13 Emesịa, ha dọlịtere ya elu, dọpụta ya site nʼolulu mmiri ahụ. Site nʼoge ahụ, Jeremaya nọgidere nʼogige ụlọ ndị nche.

and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.

14 Mgbe ahụ, Zedekaya bụ eze, ziri ozi ka a kpọta Jeremaya onye amụma, ka ọ bịakwute ya nʼọnụ ụzọ nke atọ, nke ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị. Mgbe ọ bịara, eze gwara ya okwu sị ya, “Achọrọ m ịjụ gị ajụjụ. Ezonarịla m ihe ọbụla.”

Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”

15 Ma Jeremaya zara Zedekaya sị ya, “Ọ bụrụ na m enye gị ọsịsa, ị gaghị egbu m? A sịkwa na m adụọ gị ọdụ, ị gaghị ege m ntị.”

“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”

16 Ma Zedekaya bụ eze ṅụrụ iyi na nzuzo nye Jeremaya sị ya, “Dịka Onyenwe anyị onye nyere anyị ume anyị na-eku si adị ndụ, agaghị m egbu gị, maọbụ nyefee gị nʼaka ndị na-achọsi ndụ gị ike.”

But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”

17 Mgbe ahụ, Jeremaya zara Zedekaya sị ya, “Ihe ndị a ka Onyenwe anyị Chineke Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Chineke Izrel kwuru, ‘Ọ bụrụ na ị pụkwuru ndịisi eze Babilọn nyefee onwe gị nʼaka ha, ha ga-echebe gị ndụ, ha agakwaghị akpọ obodo a ọkụ. Gị na ezinaụlọ gị ga-adịkwa ndụ.

Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.

18 Ma ọ bụrụ na ị jụ iwere onwe gị nyefee nʼaka ndịisi eze Babilọn, a ga-enyefe obodo a nʼaka ndị Babilọn. Ha ga-akpọkwa ya ọkụ, ma gị onwe gị agakwaghị agbapụ site nʼaka ha.’”

But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”

19 Eze Zedekaya sịrị Jeremaya, “Mụ onwe m na-atụ egwu ndị Juu ahụ bụ ndị gbakwuru ndị Babilọn, nʼihi na ndị Babilọn nwere ike nyefee m nʼaka ha, ha ga-emesikwa m ike.”

But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”

20 “Ha agaghị enyefe gị nʼaka ha,” ka Jeremaya zara ya. “Rubere Onyenwe anyị isi, site nʼime ihe m gwara gị. Mgbe ahụ, ihe niile ga-agara gị nke ọma. A ga-echebekwa ndụ gị.

“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.

21 Ma ọ bụrụ na ị jụ iwere onwe gị nye, lee ihe Onyenwe anyị mere ka m hụ:

But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:

22 A ga-akpụta ndị inyom niile fọdụrụ nʼụlọeze Juda mee ka ha pukwuru ndịisi eze Babilọn. Ndị inyom ndị a ga-asị gị, “‘Ndị enyi gị ahụ niile ị na-atụkwasị obi arafuola gị, mee ka ị bụrụ onye e meriri emeri. Ụkwụ gị abụọ emikpuola nʼime apịtị, ugbu a, ndị enyi gị niile ahụ agbanarịla gị.’

All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’

23 “A ga-akpụpụtara ndị Babilọn ndị nwunye gị niile na ụmụ gị niile. Gị onwe gị agaghị agbanarị ha, ma eze Babilọn ga-ejidekwa gị, a ga-esurekwa obodo a ọkụ.”

All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”

24 Mgbe ahụ, Zedekaya gwara Jeremaya, “Ekwela ka ntị ọzọ nụ ihe ndị a niile mụ na gị kwuru, ma ọ bụghị ya, ị ga-anwụ.

Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.

25 Ọ bụrụ na ndịisi ọchịchị anụ na mụ na gị kparịtara ụka, ha bịakwute gị, sị gị, ‘Gwa anyị ihe ị gwara eze na ihe eze gwara gị, ezola ihe ọbụla nʼebe anyị nọ, ma ọ bụghị ya anyị ga-egbu gị,’

If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’

26 mgbe ahụ ị ga-agwa ha, ‘Anọ m na-arịọ eze arịrịọ ka ọ hapụ izighachi m nʼụlọ Jonatan, ka m nwụọ nʼebe ahụ.’”

then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

27 Ndịisi ọchịchị ahụ niile bịakwutere Jeremaya jụọ ya ajụjụ. Ọ gwakwara ha ihe ahụ niile eze nyere ya nʼiwu. Ha hapụrụ ịjụ ya ihe ọzọ, nʼihi o nwekwaghị onye ọzọ nụrụ okwu niile ya na eze kwuru.

When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.

28 Jeremaya nọgidekwara nʼogige ndị nche tutu ruo ụbọchị ahụ a dọtara Jerusalem nʼagha. Otu a ka esi were Jerusalem.

And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.