Jeremi 40
1 Yawe alobaki na Jeremi tango Nebuzaradani, mokonzi ya bakengeli ya mokonzi, abikisaki ye na Rama. Akutaki Jeremi bakanga ye na minyololo kati na molongo ya bakangami oyo bawutaki na Yelusalemi mpe na Yuda, oyo bazalaki komema na bowumbu kuna na Babiloni.
[The soldiers from Babylonia] captured me and many other people from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. They [planned to] take us to Babylon. So they fastened chains around our wrists and took us to Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. While we were there, I was released. [This is how it happened]:
2 Tango mokonzi ya bakengeli ya mokonzi amemaki Jeremi, alobaki na ye: — Yawe, Nzambe na yo, asilaki kokata ete pasi oyo ekokweya na esika oyo;
[Nebuzaradan, ] the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, [found that I was there]. He summoned me and said to me, “Yahweh your God said that he would cause this land to experience a disaster.
3 mpe sik’oyo akokisi yango, asali ndenge kaka akanaki kosala. Makambo oyo nyonso esalemi mpo ete bino, bato, bosalaki masumu liboso ya Yawe mpe batosaki Ye te.
And now he has caused it to happen. He has done just what he said [that he would do], because you people sinned against Yahweh and refused to obey him.
4 Kasi na mokolo ya lelo, nazali kokangola yo na minyololo oyo bakangaki yo na maboko. Soki olingi, yaka elongo na ngai na mokili ya Babiloni mpe nakobatela yo; kasi soki mpe oboyi, koya te. Tala, mokili mobimba ezali liboso na yo; kende esika nyonso olingi.
But today I am going to take the chains off your wrists and release you. If you want to come with me to Babylon, [that will be fine]. I will take care of you. But if you do not want to come with me, do not come. [Stay here]. Look, the entire country is available; you can choose whatever part you want to go to. You can go wherever you wish.” [Then he took the chains off my wrists].
5 Lokola Jeremi azalaki kowumela kopesa eyano, Nebuzaradani abakisaki: — Zonga epai ya Gedalia, mwana mobali ya Ayikami mpe koko ya Shafani, oyo mokonzi ya Babiloni akomisi moyangeli ya bingumba ya Yuda, mpe vanda epai na ye kati na bato na yo to kende esika nyonso olingi. Bongo mokonzi ya bakengeli ya mokonzi apesaki ye bilei mpe bakado, mpe atikaki ye kokende.
He said, “If you [decide to] stay here, go to Gedaliah. The King of Babylon appointed him to be the governor of Judah. [You will be allowed to] stay here with the people [that he is governing]. But you can do whatever you want to.” Then Nebuzaradan gave me some food and some money, and he allowed me to go.
6 Jeremi akendeki na Mitsipa epai ya Gedalia, mwana mobali ya Ayikami, mpe avandaki esika moko na ye kati na bato oyo batikalaki kati na mokili.
I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.
7 Tango bakonzi nyonso ya mampinga elongo na basoda na bango, oyo bazalaki ya kopanzana kati na etuka, bayokaki ete mokonzi ya Babiloni akomisi Gedalia, mwana mobali ya Ayikami, moyangeli kati na mokili mpe apesi ye mokumba ya kokamba babola, mibali, basi mpe bana oyo bakendeki te na bowumbu na Babiloni,
The [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] were roaming around in the countryside. Then their leaders heard someone say that the King of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to be the governor of the very poor people [who were still in Judah], who had not been taken to Babylon.
8 bakendeki na Mitsipa epai ya Gedalia. Tala bakombo ya bato yango: Isimaeli, mwana mobali ya Netania; Yoanani mpe Jonatan, bana mibali ya Karea; Seraya, mwana mobali ya Tanumeti; bana mibali ya Efayi, moto ya Netofa; mpe Yezania, mwana mobali ya moto moko ya Maakati; bakendeki kuna elongo na basoda na bango.
So they went [to talk] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [Those who went included] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophath, and Jezaniah from Maacah, and the soldiers who were with them.
9 Gedalia, mwana mobali ya Ayikami, mwana mobali ya Shafani, alapaki ndayi liboso na bango mpe basoda na bango na maloba oyo: « Bobanga te kosalela bato ya Babiloni, bovanda kati na mokili, bosalela mokonzi ya Babiloni mpe bokozala na bino malamu.
Gedaliah solemnly promised that the soldiers from Babylonia would not harm them. He said, “Do not be afraid to do things for them. Stay [here] in this land and do things for the King of Babylon. If you do that, things will go well for you.
10 Ngai, nakotikala na Mitsipa mpo na kolobela bino liboso ya bato ya Babiloni, oyo bazali koya epai na biso. Kasi bino, bobuka bambuma ya vino, bambuma mosusu, bokamola mafuta mpe bobomba yango na bibombelo na bino, bongo bovanda kati na bingumba oyo bosili kozwa. »
As for me, I will stay [here] at Mizpah to be your representative to the [officials from] Babylonia who come to [talk with] us. But you should [return to your towns, and eat the things that are produced on your land]. Harvest the grapes and the fruit [that ripen in] the (summer/hot season) and the olives, [make wine and olive oil, ] and store it.”
11 Tango Bayuda nyonso oyo bakimelaki na mokili ya Moabi, ya Amoni, ya Edomi mpe na mikili mosusu bayokaki ete mokonzi ya Babiloni atikaki ndambo ya bato kati na Yuda mpe akomisaki Gedalia, mwana mobali ya Ayikami, mwana mobali ya Shafani, moyangeli na bango,
Then the Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other [nearby] countries heard people say that the King of Babylon had allowed a few people [to remain] in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah to be their governor.
12 bango nyonso balongwaki na mikili nyonso epai wapi bazalaki ya kopanzana mpe bazongaki kati na Yuda, epai ya Gedalia, kuna na Mitsipa, mpe babukaki bambuma ya vino mpe bambuma mosusu ebele.
So they [began to] return to Judah. They stopped at Mizpah to [talk with] Gedaliah. Then [they went to various places in Judea, and] they harvested a great amount of grapes and summer fruit.
13 Yoanani, mwana mobali ya Karea, mpe bakonzi nyonso ya basoda oyo bazalaki ya kopanzana kati na etuka bayaki na Mitsipa epai ya Gedalia
[Some time later, ] Johanan and all the [other] leaders of the Israeli soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
14 mpe balobaki na ye: — Oyebi te ete Balisi, mokonzi ya bato ya Amoni, atindi Isimaeli, mwana mobali ya Netania, mpo na koboma yo? Kasi Gedalia, mwana mobali ya Ayikami, andimelaki bango te.
They said to him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammon [people-group], has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe what they said.
15 Boye, Yoanani, mwana mobali ya Karea, ayebisaki Gedalia na nkuku, na Mitsipa: — Pesa ngai nzela ete nakende koboma Isimaeli, mwana mobali ya Netania! Moto moko te akoyeba yango. Mpo na nini aboma yo? Mpo na nini Bato nyonso ya Yuda, oyo bazali pene na yo bapanzana mpe ndambo oyo bakotikala bakufa?
Later Johanan talked with Gedaliah privately. He said, “Allow me to go and murder Ishmael secretly. It would not be good [RHQ] to allow him to come and murder you! If you are killed, what will happen to all the Jews who have returned to this area? They will be scattered, and the other people who remain in Judah will all be killed!”
16 Kasi Gedalia, mwana mobali ya Ayikami, alobaki na Yoanani, mwana mobali ya Karea: — Kosala bongo te! Makambo oyo ozali koloba mpo na Isimaeli ezali makambo ya lokuta.
But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”
