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, Jehukal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malkijah heard the words that Jeremiah was declaring to all the people. He was saying,

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.’

“Yahweh says this: Anyone staying in this city will be killed by sword, famine, and plague. But anyone who goes out to the Chaldeans will survive. He will escape with his own life, and 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.’”

Yahweh says this: This city will be given into the hand 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.”

So the officials said to the king, “Let this man die, for in this way he is weakening the hands of the fighting men who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people. He is proclaiming these words, for this man is not working for safety for this people, but disaster.”

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.”

So King Zedekiah said, “Look, he is in your hand since there is no king able to resist 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.

Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the cistern of Malkijah, son of the king. The cistern was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah down on ropes. There was no water in the cistern, but it was muddy, and he 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-Melek the Cushite was one of the eunuchs in the king's house. He heard that they had placed Jeremiah in the cistern. Now the king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate.

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

So Ebed-Melek went from the king's house and spoke with the king. He said,

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 master the king, these men have done evil with the way they have treated Jeremiah the prophet. They threw him into a cistern for him to die in it from hunger, since there is no more food 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.”

Then the king gave a command to Ebed-Melek the Cushite. He said, “Take command of thirty men from here and take 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.

So Ebed-Melek took command of those men and went to the king's house, to a storeroom for clothing under the house. From there he took rags and worn-out clothing and then let them down by 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-Melek the Cushite said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and worn-out clothing under your arms and on top of the ropes.” So Jeremiah did so.

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

Then they pulled Jeremiah by the ropes. In this way they brought him up from the cistern. So Jeremiah stayed 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 word and brought Jeremiah the prophet to himself, to the third entrance in Yahweh's house. The king said to Jeremiah, “I want to ask you something. Do not keep the answer 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.”

Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I answer you, will you not certainly kill me? But 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 to Jeremiah in private and said, “As Yahweh lives, the one who made us, I will not kill you or give you into the hand of those 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.

So Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “Yahweh, God of hosts, God of Israel, says this: If you indeed go out to the officials of the king of Babylon then you will live, and this city will not be burned. You and your family will live.

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 go out to the officials of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given into the hand of the Chaldeans. They will burn it, and you will not escape from their hand.”

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.”

King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “But I am afraid of the people of Judah who have deserted to the Chaldeans, because I might be given over into their hand, for them to treat me badly.”

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.

Jeremiah said, “They will not give you over to them. Obey the message from Yahweh that I am telling you, so that things will go well for you, and so that you will 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 go out, this is what Yahweh 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.’

Look! All the women who are left in your house, king of Judah, will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon. These women will say to you, 'You have been deceived by your friends; they have ruined you. Your feet are now sunk into the mud, and your friends will run away.'

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.”

For all of your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand. You will be captured by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned.”

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 said to Jeremiah, “Do not inform anyone about these words, so that you do not 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 talked with you, and if they come and say to you, 'Tell us what you said to the king and 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 you must say to them, 'I made a humble plea before the king that he would 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.

Then all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, so he answered them as the king had instructed him. So they stopped talking with him, because they had not heard the conversation between Jeremiah and the king.

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

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