Yeremiya 29

1 Bino bye byali mu bbaluwa nnabbi Yeremiya gye yaweereza okuva mu Yerusaalemi eri abakadde abaali bakyasigaddewo mu bawaŋŋanguse n’eri bakabona, ne bannabbi n’abantu bonna Nebukadduneeza be yali atutte mu buwaŋŋanguse mu Babulooni okuva mu Yerusaalemi.

Jeremiah the prophet wrote this letter and sent it from Jerusalem to the elders who were left among the exiles, to the priests, the prophets, and everyone else who had been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.

2 Kino kyaliwo nga kabaka Yekoyakini n’abakungu be ne Namasole we n’abakulembeze ba Yuda ne Yerusaalemi, n’abafundi n’abaweesi bonna baggyiddwa mu Yerusaalemi.

This was after King Jehoiachin, the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metals-workers had been exiled from Jerusalem.

3 Ebbaluwa yagiwa Erasa mutabani wa Safani ne Bemaliya mutabani wa Kirukiya, ne Zeddekiya kabaka wa Yuda be yatuma eri kabaka Nebukadduneeza mu Babulooni. Yali egamba bw’eti nti,

Elasah, son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, son of Hilkiah, took the letter with them when Zedekiah king of Judah sent them to King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. In the letter Jeremiah wrote:

4 Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama ow’Eggye, Katonda wa Isirayiri, ng’agamba abo bonna be natwala mu buwaŋŋanguse okuva mu Yerusaalemi okugenda mu Babulooni nti,

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were taken from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 “Mwezimbire amayumba mutuule omwo; mulime ennimiro mulye ebibala byamu.

Build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.

6 Muwase muzaale abaana aboobulenzi n’aboobuwala; muwasize batabani bammwe abakazi, ne bawala bammwe mubafumbize, nabo bazaale abaana abalenzi n’abawala. Mweyongere obungi eyo, temukendeera.

Get married and have children. Arrange for your children to get married so they can have children too. Increase in number, don't decrease.

7 Era munoonye emirembe n’okukulaakulana kw’ekibuga gye mbatutte mu buwaŋŋanguse. Musabenga Mukama, ekibuga mukisabire kubanga bwe kikulaakulana nammwe mujja kukulaakulana.”

Help make the city where I've exiled you more prosperous. Pray to the Lord for it, since as it prospers, so will you.

8 Ddala kino Mukama ow’Eggye, Katonda wa Isirayiri ky’agamba nti, “Temukkiriza bannabbi n’abalaguzi abali mu mmwe kubalimbalimba. Temussaayo mwoyo ku birooto byabwe bye babalootolola.

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Don't be fooled by your prophets and fortune-tellers, and don't listen to any dreams they interpret for you.

9 Babategeeza obunnabbi bwa bulimba mu linnya lyange. Sibatumanga,” bw’ayogera Mukama.

They are prophesying lies to you in my name; I have not sent them, declares the Lord.

10 Ddala ddala bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti, “Emyaka nsanvu nga giweddeko e Babulooni, ndijja gye muli ntuukirize ekisuubizo kyange eky’ekisa mbakomyewo mu kifo kino.

This is what the Lord says: When the seventy years exile in Babylon are over, I will see to you and keep my promise to bring you back to Jerusalem.

11 Kubanga mmanyi enteekateeka ze nnina gye muli, enteekateeka ez’okubakulaakulanya so si okubakolako akabi, enteekateeka ez’okubawa essuubi era n’obulamu obw’omu maaso,” bw’ayogera Mukama.

I know what I intend to do for you, declares the Lord. I plan good things for you and not bad. I'm going to give you a future and a hope.

12 “Awo mulimpita ne mujja ne munsaba, nange ne mbawulira,” bw’ayogera Mukama.

Then you will call for my help, you will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.

13 “Mulinnoonya ne mundaba bwe mulinnoonya n’omutima gwammwe gwonna.

You will look for me and you will find me when you're completely committed to looking for me.

14 Mulinzuula era ndibakomyawo okubaggya mu buwaŋŋanguse. Ndibakuŋŋaanya mu mawanga gonna n’ebifo byonna, gye nabagobera, era ndibakomyawo mu kifo mwe nabaggya okubatwala mu buwaŋŋanguse,” bw’ayogera Mukama.

I will let you find me, declares the Lord. I will end your captivity, gathering you from all the nations and places where I scattered you, declares the Lord. I will bring you back home to the place from where I sent you into exile.

15 Muyinza okugamba nti, “Mukama atuyimusirizza bannabbi mu Babulooni.”

But if you argue, “The Lord has provided prophets for us in Babylon,”

16 Naye kino Mukama ky’agamba ku kabaka atuula ku ntebe ya Dawudi n’abantu bonna abaasigala mu kibuga kino, n’abantu ab’ensi yammwe abataagenda nammwe mu buwaŋŋanguse.

this is what the Lord says about the king who sits on David's throne and everyone who's left in Jerusalem, your fellow citizens who weren't taken with you into exile.

17 Bw’ati bwayogera Mukama Katonda ow’Eggye nti, “Ndisindika ekitala, n’enjala ne kawumpuli okubalumba era mbafuule ng’emitiini emibi ennyo egitayinza kuliika olw’obubi bwagyo.

This is what the Lord Almighty says: I'm going send war and famine and disease against them. I'll make them like rotten figs, so bad that they can't be eaten.

18 Ndibagoberera n’ekitala, n’enjala ne kawumpuli ne mbafuula ekyenyinyalwa eri obwakabaka bwonna obw’ensi era ekikolimo n’ekikangabwa, n’eky’okusekererwa n’okuvumwa eri amawanga gonna gye ndibagobera.

I will chase them down with war and famine and disease. I will make all the kingdoms of the earth horrified by them. They will become a curse word, totally ruined, people to be mocked and criticized among all the nations where I scatter them.

19 Kubanga tebaawuliriza bigambo byange,” bwayogera Mukama, “ebigambo bye nabatumira emirundi emingi mu baweereza bange bannabbi. Era nammwe abawaŋŋanguse temuwulirizza,” bw’ayogera Mukama.

I'm going to do this because they haven't obeyed to my words, declares the Lord, which I sent to them time and again through my servants the prophets. You exiles haven't obeyed me either, declares the Lord.

20 Noolwekyo, muwulirize ekigambo kya Mukama, mmwe mwenna abali mu buwaŋŋanguse be nagoba mu Yerusaalemi okugenda mu Babulooni.

So listen to the word of the Lord, all you exiles I sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 Kino Mukama ow’Eggye, Katonda wa Isirayiri, ky’ayogera ku Akabu mutabani wa Kolaya ne Zeddekiya mutabani wa Maaseya, abaawa obunnabbi mu linnya lyange nti, “Ndibawaayo eri Nebukadduneeza kabaka w’e Babulooni, abatte nga mulaba.

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you in my name. I'm going to hand them over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will kill them right before your eyes.

22 Olw’abasajja abo, abali mu buwaŋŋanguse bonna abaava mu Yuda abali mu Babulooni balikozesa ekikolimo kino nti, ‘Mukama akukole nga bwe yakola Zeddekiya ne Akabu, kabaka w’e Babulooni be yayokya mu muliro.’

Because of what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah in Babylon will curse others like this: “May the Lord treat you like Zedekiah and Ahab, burned alive by the king of Babylon!”

23 Kubanga bakoze eby’ekivve mu Isirayiri; bakoze obwenzi ne baka baliraanwa baabwe era ne boogera eby’obulimba mu linnya lyange, bye sibagambanga kwogera. Nkimanyi era ndi mujulirwa ku ekyo,” bw’ayogera Mukama.

They did outrageous things in Israel—they committed adultery with their neighbor's wives and told lies in my name. I didn't tell them to say anything. I am the one who knows what they did, and I can witness to it, declares the Lord.

24 Semaaya Omunekeramu mugambe nti,

Tell Shemaiah the Nehelamite

25 “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama ow’Eggye, Katonda wa Isirayiri nti, Waweereza ebbaluwa mu mannya go eri abantu bonna mu Yerusaalemi, eri Zeffaniya mutabani wa Maaseya kabona ne bakabona bonna. Wagamba Zeffaniya nti,

that this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: On your own authority you sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying,

26 ‘Mukama yakuteekawo okuba kabona mu kifo kya Yekoyaada okutwala obuvunaanyizibwa ku nnyumba ya Mukama; oteekwa okuteeka omulalu yenna eyefuula nga nnabbi mu nvuba ne mu masamba.

“Zephaniah, the Lord has chosen you as priest to replace Jehoiada, to be in charge of the Lord's Temple. In that capacity you are required to put in the stocks and neck irons any crazy person who claims to be a prophet.

27 Noolwekyo lwaki tokangavudde Yeremiya ow’e Yanasosi, eyefuula nnabbi wakati mu mmwe?

So why haven't you not punished Jeremiah of Anathoth, who claims to be a prophet among you?

28 Atuweerezza obubaka buno mu Babulooni ng’agamba nti, Obuwaŋŋanguse bwammwe bujja kubeera bwa bbanga ddene. Noolwekyo mwezimbire amayumba mutereere mu nsi, mulime ennimiro mulye ebibala byamu.’”

You should have done this because he has sent a letter to us here in Babylon, stating, ‘The exile will last a long time. So build yourselves houses there to live in. Plant gardens and grow food to eat.’”

29 Wabula Zeffaniya kabona nasomera nnabbi Yeremiya ebbaluwa eno.

However, Zephaniah the priest read this letter to Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira Yeremiya nti,

Then the Lord told Jeremiah:

31 “Muweereze obubaka buno eri abawaŋŋanguse nti, ‘Kino Mukama ky’agamba ku Semaaya Omunekeramu. Kubanga Semaaya yakuwa obunnabbi, wadde nga ssamutuma, era akutuusizza ku kwesiga eby’obulimba,

Send this message to all the exiles: This is what the Lord says about Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Since Shemaiah has prophesied to you, even though I didn't send him, and has convinced you to believe in a lie,

32 kino Mukama ky’agamba nti, Ddala ddala ndibonereza Semaaya Omunekeramu n’abantu b’omu nju ye. Tewaliba n’omu alisigalawo ku bantu be, wadde aliraba ebirungi bye ndikolera abantu bange, kubanga ayigirizza abantu okunjeemera, bw’ayogera Mukama.’”

this is what the Lord says: I'm going to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. He won't have any family left among this people, and he won't experience the good things that I'm going to do for my people, declares the Lord, for he has promoted rebellion against the Lord.