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.
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 Wabula ye wadde abakungu be wadde abantu ab’omu nsi tebaafaayo ku bigambo Mukama bye yali ayogedde ng’ayita mu nnabbi Yeremiya.
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 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, [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 Awo Yeremiya yali alina eddembe okujja nga bw’ayagala mu bantu, kubanga yali tannaba kuteekebwa mu kkomera.
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 Eggye lya Falaawo lyali livudde e Misiri era Abakaludaaya abaali balumbye Yerusaalemi bwe baakiwulira, ne bava e Yerusaalemi.
[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 Awo ekigambo kya Mukama ne kijjira nnabbi Yeremiya nga kigamba nti,
Then Yahweh gave this message to me:
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.
“[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 Abakaludaaya bakomewo balumbe ekibuga kino; bajja kukiwamba bakyokye.’
Then the army of Babylonia will return here and capture this city and burn everything in it.’
9 “Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti, Temwerimbarimba nga mulowooza nti, ‘Abakaludaaya ddala baakutuleka.’ Tebajja kubaleka.
[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 Wadde nga mwandiwangudde, eggye lyonna erya Babulooni eribalumbye, abatuusiddwako ebisago bokka nga be basigadde mu weema zaabwe, bandivuddeyo ne bookya ekibuga kino.”
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 Awo eggye ly’Abakaludaaya nga livudde mu Yerusaalemi olw’eggye lya Falaawo,
When the army from Babylonia left Jerusalem because the army from Egypt was approaching,
12 Yeremiya n’ava mu kibuga agende mu bitundu bya Benyamini afune omugabo gwe ogw’ebintu mu bantu eyo.
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 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!”
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 Yeremiya n’amuddamu nti, “Ompayiriza! Sigenda kusenga Bakaludaaya.” Naye Iriya n’atamuwuliriza; n’akwata Yeremiya n’amutwala eri abakungu.
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 Baanyiigira Yeremiya ne bamukuba ne bamusibira mu nnyumba ya Yonasaani omuwandiisi, gye baali bafudde ekkomera.
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 Yeremiya yateekebwa mu kasenge akaali mu kkomera mwe yamala ebbanga eddene.
They put me in a dungeon/cell in that prison, and I remained there for several days.
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.”
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 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 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 Bannabbi bo baluwa abakulagula nti, ‘Kabaka w’e Babulooni tajja kukulumba ggwe wadde ensi eno?
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 Naye kaakano mukama wange kabaka nsaba owulirize, nkwegayirira, tonzizaayo mu nnyumba ya Yonasaani omuwandiisi, kuba nandifiira eyo.’”
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 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.
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.
