Yeremiya 37
1 Nebukadduneeza kabaka w’e Babulooni n’afuula Zeddekiya mutabani wa Yosiya kabaka wa Yuda okuba kabaka wa Yuda mu kifo kya Koniya mutabani wa Yekoyakimu.
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon replaced Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim with Zedekiah son of Josiah as the ruling king of Judah.
2 Wabula ye wadde abakungu be wadde abantu ab’omu nsi tebaafaayo ku bigambo Mukama bye yali ayogedde ng’ayita mu nnabbi Yeremiya.
But Zedekiah and his officers and everyone else in the country refused to obey what the Lord had said through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 Wabula kabaka Zeddekiya n’atuma Yekukaali mutabani wa Seremiya ne Zeffaniya mutabani wa Maaseya kabona eri nnabbi Yeremiya, bamutegeeze nti, “Tusabire eri Mukama Katonda waffe.”
However, King Zedekiah sent Jehucal son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet with the message, “Please pray to the Lord our God for us!”
4 Awo Yeremiya yali alina eddembe okujja nga bw’ayagala mu bantu, kubanga yali tannaba kuteekebwa mu kkomera.
(At this time Jeremiah could come and go freely, because as yet they hadn't put him in prison.)
5 Eggye lya Falaawo lyali livudde e Misiri era Abakaludaaya abaali balumbye Yerusaalemi bwe baakiwulira, ne bava e Yerusaalemi.
Pharaoh's army was advancing from Egypt, and when the Babylonian army heard about it, they moved away from Jerusalem.
6 Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira nnabbi Yeremiya nga kigamba nti,
Then a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet:
7 “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama, Katonda wa Isirayiri nti, Mugambe kabaka wa Yuda eyabatumye okunnebuuzako nti, ‘Eggye lya Falaawo erizze okubayambako, lijja kuddayo mu nsi yaalyo e Misiri.
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, instructs you to tell the king of Judah, who sent you to ask me for help: Look! Pharaoh's army, which set out to help you, is going to return home to Egypt.
8 Abakaludaaya bakomewo balumbe ekibuga kino; bajja kukiwamba bakyokye.’
Then the Babylonians will return and attack Jerusalem. They will capture it and burn it down.
9 “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti, Temwerimbarimba nga mulowooza nti, ‘Abakaludaaya ddala baakutuleka.’ Tebajja kubaleka.
This is what the Lord says: Don't fool yourselves by saying, “The Babylonians are gone for good,” because they're not!
10 Wadde nga mwandiwangudde, eggye lyonna erya Babulooni eribalumbye, abatuusiddwako ebisago bokka nga be basigadde mu weema zaabwe, bandivuddeyo ne bookya ekibuga kino.”
In fact, even if you were able to kill the whole Babylonian army attacking you, leaving only wounded men in their tents, they would still get up and burn this city down.
11 Awo eggye ly’Abakaludaaya nga livudde mu Yerusaalemi olw’eggye lya Falaawo,
When the Babylonian army moved away from Jerusalem because of the threat of Pharaoh's army,
12 Yeremiya n’ava mu kibuga agende mu bitundu bya Benyamini afune omugabo gwe ogw’ebintu mu bantu eyo.
Jeremiah was on his way out of Jerusalem to go to his home in the territory of Benjamin to claim his share of his family's property.
13 Naye bwe yatuuka ku mulyango gwa Benyamini, Omukulu w’abaserikale eyali ayitibwa Iriya mutabani wa Seremiya mutabani wa Kananiya n’amukwata n’agamba nti, “Ogenda kwegatta ku Bakaludaaya!”
However, when he reached the Benjamin Gate, the guard captain, whose name was Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah, arrested him, saying, “You're defecting to the Babylonians!”
14 Yeremiya n’amuddamu nti, “Ompayiriza! Sigenda kusenga Bakaludaaya.” Naye Iriya n’atamuwuliriza; n’akwata Yeremiya n’amutwala eri abakungu.
“That's not true,” Jeremiah replied. “I'm not defecting to the Babylonians!” But Irijah refused to listen to him. He arrested Jeremiah and took him before the officers.
15 Baanyiigira Yeremiya ne bamukuba ne bamusibira mu nnyumba ya Yonasaani omuwandiisi, gye baali bafudde ekkomera.
The officers were furious with Jeremiah. They had him beaten and locked up in the house of Jonathan the scribe, which had been turned into a prison.
16 Yeremiya yateekebwa mu kasenge akaali mu kkomera mwe yamala ebbanga eddene.
Jeremiah was placed in a cell in the underground dungeon and was kept there for a long time.
17 Awo kabaka Zeddekiya n’amutumya n’amuleeta mu lubiri gye yamubuuliza mu kyama nti, “Olinayo ekigambo kyonna okuva eri Mukama?” Yeremiya n’addamu nti, “Weewaawo, ojja kuweebwayo eri kabaka w’e Babulooni.”
Some while later King Zedekiah secretly sent for him and had him brought to the royal palace where he asked, “Is there a message from Lord for me?” “Yes there is,” Jeremiah replied. “You are going to be handed over to the king of Babylon.”
18 Awo Yeremiya n’agamba Kabaka Zeddekiya nti, “Musango ki gwe nzizizza gy’oli oba eri abakungu bo oba abantu bano; mulyoke munteeke mu kkomera?
Then Jeremiah asked King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you or your servants or these people, for you to put me in prison?
19 Bannabbi bo baluwa abakulagula nti, ‘Kabaka w’e Babulooni tajja kukulumba ggwe wadde ensi eno?
Where are your prophets now, the ones who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon won't come and attack you and this country’?
20 Naye kaakano mukama wange kabaka nsaba owulirize, nkwegayirira, tonzizaayo mu nnyumba ya Yonasaani omuwandiisi, kuba nandifiira eyo.’”
Now please listen to me, my lord the king, and respond positively to my request. Don't send me back to prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, otherwise I'll die there.”
21 Kabaka Zeddekiya n’alyoka alagira Yeremiya okuteekebwa mu luggya lw’abakuumi n’aweebwanga omugaati buli lunaku okuva ew’omufumbi waagyo mu Yerusaalemi, okutuusa emigaati lwe gyaggwa mu kibuga. Awo Yeremiya n’asigala mu luggya lw’abaserikale abakuumi.
King Zedekiah gave the order for Jeremiah to be held in the guard's courtyard and be provided with a loaf of bread every day from a bakery until there was no bread left in the city. So Jeremiah stayed in the guard's courtyard.
