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,
Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard what Jeremiah was telling everyone:
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: Anyone who remains in this city will die from war and famine and disease, but anyone who goes over to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be to save their lives.
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: Be sure of this—Jerusalem will be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. He is going to 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.”
The officers told the king, “This man deserves to die because he's demoralizing the defenders left in the city, and all the people too, by telling them this. This man isn't trying to help these people, he's only going to destroy them.”
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.”
“Well, you can do whatever you want to him,” King Zedekiah replied. “I can't 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 put him in the cistern belonging to Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the guard's courtyard. They lowered Jeremiah down with ropes into the cistern. It didn't have any water, only mud, and Jeremiah sank 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,
Ebed-melech the Cushite, a royal official in the king's palace, found out that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern. The king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate,
8 Ebed-Melek si nʼụlọeze pụọ jekwuuru ya nʼebe ahụ sị ya,
so Ebed-melech left the palace and went to talk 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, all these terrible things these men have done to Jeremiah the prophet are evil. They've put him in the cistern, and he'll starve to death there because there's no more bread left 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 gave the order to Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men with you and go 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.
Ebed-melech took the men and went to the storehouse under the palace. He took some rags and old clothes from there and then went to the cistern where he lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah.
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 called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags and old clothes under your arms to protect you from 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 using the ropes they pulled him up and took him out of the cistern. Jeremiah stayed there in the guard's courtyard.
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 met him at the third Temple entrance. “I need to ask you something,” the king told Jeremiah. “You mustn't 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 then you'll definitely have me killed,” Jeremiah replied. “Even if I were to give you advice, you wouldn't listen to me anyway.”
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.”
King Zedekiah solemnly promised Jeremiah in private, “As the Lord lives, who gave us this life, I won't have you killed, and I won't hand you over to those who want to kill you.”
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 told Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you hand yourself over to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you'll live. Jerusalem won't be burned down, and you and your family 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 don't hand yourself over to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given to the Babylonians. They will burn it down, and you yourself won't escape being captured.”
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 those people of Judah who have gone over to the Babylonians, because the Babylonians might hand me over the them so they could 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 won't hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “If you obey what the Lord says by doing what I tell you, then things will go well for you and you'll 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 hand yourself over, this is what the Lord has told 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 are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be led out and handed over to the officials of the king of Babylon Those women will say: ‘Those good friends of yours! You were taken in by them and conquered by them. Your feet got stuck in the mid, so they abandoned 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 handed over to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape, for you will be captured by the king of Babylon, and Jerusalem 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.
Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Nobody can find out about this conversation, otherwise you'll 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 officers find out that I've talked with you, and they come and ask you, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about! Don't hide anything from us, or we'll 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 you are to tell them, ‘I was asking the king to grant my request not to 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 officers came to Jeremiah wanting to know, he repeated to them exactly what the king had told him to say. So they didn't ask him anything more because no one had heard what had been said.
28 Jeremaya nọgidekwara nʼogige ndị nche tutu ruo ụbọchị ahụ a dọtara Jerusalem nʼagha. Otu a ka esi were Jerusalem.
Jeremiah remained there in the guard's courtyard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
