Jeremi 37
1 Nabukodonozori, mokonzi ya Babiloni, akomisaki Sedesiasi, mwana mobali ya Joziasi, mokonzi ya Yuda na esika ya Konia, mwana mobali ya Yeoyakimi.
After Jehoiakim died, [his son Jehoiachin became king for only three months, after which] King Josiah’s son Zedekiah became the King of Judah. Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon, appointed him to be the new king.
2 Ezala ye, bakalaka na ye ya lokumu mpe bato ya mokili, moko te ayokaki na bokebi maloba oyo Yawe alobaki na nzela ya mosakoli Jeremi.
But King Zedekiah and his palace officials and the other people in the land paid no attention to the messages that Yahweh gave me.
3 Mokonzi Sedesiasi atindaki Yewukali, mwana mobali ya Shelemia, mpe Nganga-Nzambe Sofoni, mwana mobali ya Maaseya, epai ya mosakoli Jeremi mpo ete bayebisa ye maloba oyo: « Nabondeli yo, bondela Yawe, Nzambe na biso, mpo na biso! »
However, [one day] King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, who was the son of Maaseiah, to me. They requested me to pray to Yahweh our God for our [nation].
4 Na tango wana, Jeremi azalaki na bonsomi ya kotambola na esika oyo alingi kati na bato, pamba te batiaki ye nanu na boloko te.
At that time I had not yet been put in prison, so I could come and go wherever and whenever I wanted to, [without being hindered].
5 Tango basoda ya Babiloni, oyo bazingelaki engumba Yelusalemi bayokaki sango ete basoda ya Faraon babimi na Ejipito, batikaki kozingela Yelusalemi.
[At that time], the army of [Hophra], the King of Egypt, came [to the southern border of Judah]. When the army of Babylonia heard about that, they stopped surrounding Jerusalem and left there [to fight against the army from Egypt].
6 Bongo tala liloba oyo Yawe alobaki na nzela ya mosakoli Jeremi:
Then Yahweh gave this message to me:
7 « Tala liloba oyo Yawe, Nzambe ya Isalaele, alobi: Yebisa mokonzi ya Yuda oyo atindi yo kotuna toli epai na Ngai: ‹ Basoda ya Faraon oyo babimaki na mokili na bango mpo na koya kosunga yo bakozonga na mokili na bango, na Ejipito;
“[I], Yahweh, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say this: ‘The King of Judah has sent [messengers] to you to ask me [what is going to happen]. Tell the king that even though the army of the King of Egypt came to help him, they are about to return to Egypt.
8 mpe basoda ya Babiloni bakozonga mpe bakobundisa engumba oyo; bakobotola yango mpe bakobebisa yango na moto. ›
Then the army of Babylonia will return here and capture this city and burn everything in it.’
9 Tala liloba oyo Yawe alobi: ‹ Bokanisa te ete bato ya Babiloni bakolongwa na mokili na bino. Te! Bakolongwa te. ›
[So], this is what I say [to you Israelis]: ‘You should not deceive yourselves, thinking that the army from Babylonia has gone and will not return. That is not true.
10 Ezala soki bolongi basoda nyonso ya Babiloni, oyo bazali kobundisa bino mpe etikali kaka ndambo ya bato oyo bazoki-zoki bapota, bakolonga kotelema kati na bandako na bango ya kapo mpe kobima mpo na kobebisa engumba oyo na moto. »
And even if your soldiers could destroy almost all of the soldiers from Babylonia who are attacking you, and allow only a few of them who were wounded to remain alive in their tents, they would come out [of their tents] and burn this city completely!”’”
11 Sima na basoda ya Babiloni kotika kozingela Yelusalemi likolo ya basoda ya Faraon, oyo bazalaki kopusana,
When the army from Babylonia left Jerusalem because the army from Egypt was approaching,
12 Jeremi alingaki kobima na Yelusalemi mpo ete akende kozwa, kati na etuka ya Benjame, libula na ye ya mabele kati na bato ya kuna.
I started to leave the city. I intended to go to the area [where the descendants of] Benjamin live, in order to take possession of my share of the property from my family.
13 Kasi tango akomaki na Ekuke ya Benjame, mokambi ya bakengeli ya mokonzi, oyo kombo na ye ezalaki Iriya, mwana mobali ya Shelemia, mwana mobali ya Anania, akangaki mosakoli Jeremi mpe atunaki ye: — Boni, ozali kokende na ngambo ya bato ya Babiloni?
But as I was walking out the Benjamin Gate, a guard seized me and said, “You are deserting [us and going] to [the soldiers from] Babylonia!” The man who seized me was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah and grandson of Hananiah.
14 Jeremi azongisaki: — Te! Ezali lokuta, nazali kokende na ngambo ya bato ya Babiloni te! Kasi Iriya aboyaki koyoka ye, akangaki ye kaka mpe amemaki ye epai ya bakambi.
But I [protested and] said, “That is not true! I was not intending to do that!” But Irijah would not pay attention to what I said. He took me to the [king’s] officials.
15 Bakambi batombokelaki Jeremi makasi, babetaki ye mpe batiaki ye na ndako ya Jonatan, mokomi mikanda, ndako oyo bakomisaki boloko.
They were very angry with me. They [commanded the guards to] beat me and [then to] put me in the house where Jonathan the king’s secretary stayed. They had changed Jonathan’s house to make it become a prison.
16 Babwakaki Jeremi kati na boloko ya se ya mabele epai wapi awumelaki tango molayi.
They put me in a dungeon/cell in that prison, and I remained there for several days.
17 Mokolo moko, mokonzi Sedesiasi atindaki ete bakende kozwa ye mpe bamema ye na ndako ya mokonzi epai wapi atunaki ye na nkuku: — Boni, ozali ata na liloba moko te kowuta epai na Yawe? Jeremi azongisaki: — Solo, liloba ezali! Okokweya na maboko ya mokonzi ya Babiloni.
Then King Zedekiah secretly sent a servant to me, who took me to the palace. There the king asked me, “Do you have any messages from Yahweh?” I replied, “Yes, [the message is that] you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”
18 Bongo Jeremi alobaki lisusu na mokonzi Sedesiasi: — Mabe nini penza ngai nasali yo to bakalaka na yo to mpe bato na yo mpo ete bobwaka ngai kati na boloko oyo?
Then I asked the king, “What crime have I committed [RHQ] against you or against your officials or against the Israeli people, with the result that you have [commanded that] I be put in a prison?
19 Wapi basakoli na bino oyo bazalaki koloba ete mokonzi ya Babiloni akoya te kobundisa bino mpe mokili na bino?
Your prophets predicted that the army of the king of Babylon would not attack you or this land. Why were [RHQ] [their messages] not fulfilled?
20 Kasi sik’oyo mokonzi, nkolo na ngai, nabondeli yo: yoka ngai! Tika ete mabondeli na ngai ekoma liboso na yo: kozongisa ngai te kati na ndako ya Jonatan, mokomi mikanda, noki te nakokufa kuna!
Your majesty, I plead with you to listen to me. Do not send me back to the dungeon/cell in the house of Jonathan your secretary, because [if you do that, ] I will die there.”
21 Mokonzi Sedesiasi apesaki mitindo ete batia Jeremi kati na lopango ya bakengeli mpe bapesaka ye, mokolo na mokolo, lipa moko oyo ekobanda kowuta na balabala ya bato oyo basalaka mapa, kino tango mapa ekosila kati na engumba. Boye, Jeremi avandaki kati na lopango ya bakengeli.
So King Zedekiah commanded that [I not be sent back to the prison cell. Instead, ] I was allowed to be watched by the guards in the courtyard [of the palace]. [The king] also [commanded that they should] bring me a loaf of fresh bread every day, until there was no bread left in the city. So [they put me] in that courtyard and I remained there.
