Yeremiya 4
1 “Bw’oba odda, ggwe Isirayiri,” bw’ayogera Mukama, “eri nze gy’olina okudda. Bw’oneggyako eby’omuzizo byonna n’otosagaasagana,
Yahweh says, “You Israeli [people], come back to me! If you get rid of those detestable idols and do not turn away from me [again],
2 era singa olayira mu mazima, mu bwenkanya era mu ngeri entuufu yennyini nti, ‘Ddala nga Mukama bw’ali omulamu,’ olwo amawanga gonna mu ye mwe gajja okuweerwa omukisa era mu ye mwe ganeenyumiririzanga.”
and if you declare, ‘Just as surely as Yahweh lives, what he says is true,’ and if you [start to] always say what is true and act justly/fairly and righteously, then the [people in the other] nations [of the world] will request that I bless them [as I have blessed you], and they will [all come and] honor/praise me.”
3 Kubanga bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama eri abantu ba Yuda era n’eri abantu b’omu Yerusaalemi nti, “Mulime ennimiro zammwe ezitali nnime, temusiga mu maggwa.
This is what Yahweh says to the people of Jerusalem and [the other cities in] Judah: “[Prepare yourselves to receive my messages] like farmers plow up hard ground [in order that they can plant seed in it]. Just as farmers do not [waste good seed by] sowing seeds among thorny plants, [I do not want to waste my time telling you messages that you are not ready to receive].
4 Mukoowoole Mukama, mweweeyo mutukuze emitima gyammwe mwe abantu ba Yuda ne Yerusaalemi, obusungu bwange buleme okubuubuuka ng’omuliro, olw’ebikolwa byammwe ebibi, ne wataba ayinza kubuzikiza.”
Purify your inner beings and your minds for me. If you do not do that, my being angry with you [MTY] because of [all] the sins that you have committed will be like a fire that will be impossible to extinguish.”
5 “Kirangirire mu Yuda era okitegeeze mu Yerusaalemi ogambe nti, ‘Mufuuwe ekkondeere mu nsi yonna! Mulangirire nga mugamba nti, Mukuŋŋaane, tuddukire mu bibuga ebiriko ebigo!’
“Declare this [DOU] to [all the people in] Jerusalem and [the rest of] Judea; blow the trumpets everywhere in the land [to warn the people]. Tell them that they should flee to the cities that have high walls around them.
6 Weereza obubaka eri Sayuuni nti, Mudduke temulwa, kubanga ndireeta okuzikiriza okuva mu bukiikakkono, okuzikiriza okw’amaanyi.”
Shout to the people of Jerusalem, ‘Run away [now]! Do not delay, because I am about to cause you to experience a terrible disaster [DOU] that will come from the north.
7 Empologoma evudde mu kisaka kyayo, omuzikiriza w’amawanga afulumye gy’abeera, azze okumalawo ensi yo. Ebibuga byammwe bijja kuzikirizibwa bibuleko abibeeramu.
[An army] that has destroyed [many] nations will attack you [like] [MET] a lion that comes out of its den [to attack other animals]. [The soldiers of that army] have taken down their tents and they are ready to march toward your land. They will destroy your cities and leave them without any people still living in them.’
8 Noolwekyo mwambale ebibukutu mukungubage, mukube ebiwoobe kubanga obusungu bwa Mukama obw’amaanyi tebutuvuddeeko.
So, put on sackcloth/rough clothes and weep and beat your chests [to show that you are very sorry for what you have done], because Yahweh is still very angry with us.
9 Mukama n’agamba nti, “Ku lunaku olwo, kabaka n’omukungu baliggwaamu omwoyo, bakabona basamaalirire ne bannabbi beewuunye.”
Yahweh said that at the time [he punishes you], the King of Judah and [all his] officials will be very afraid. The priests and the prophets will be terrified.
10 Ne ndyoka ŋŋamba nti, “Woowe Mukama Katonda, mazima olimbidde ddala abantu bano ne Yerusaalemi ng’ogamba nti, ‘Mulibeera n’emirembe,’ ate nga ekitala kiri ddala ku mimiro gyaffe.”
Then I replied, “Yahweh [my] God, you completely deceived the people by telling them that there would be peace in Jerusalem, but now [our enemies] [PRS] are ready to slaughter us with their swords!”
11 Mu biseera ebyo abantu bano ne Yerusaalemi balibuulirwa nti, “Embuyaga ezookya eziva ku nsozi ezaakala ez’omu ddungu zifuuwa abantu bange nga teziwujja buwuzzi wadde okulongoosa obulongoosa
When that happens, [Yahweh] will say to the people of Jerusalem, [“A huge army will come to attack you]. They will not [be like a gentle breeze that] separates wheat from chaff. [They will be like] a very hot wind [that blows in] from the desert [MET].
12 embuyaga ezisingako awo ze ziriva gye ndi. Era kaakano mbasalira emisango.”
[They will be like] [MET] a strong blast that I will send. Now I am declaring that I will punish/destroy you.”
13 Laba ajja ng’ebire, amagaali ge ng’empewo y’akazimu, embalaasi ze zidduka okusinga empungu; zitusanze ffe kubanga tuzikiridde!
[Our enemies] are about to rush down on us; their chariots are like [SIM] whirlwinds. Their horses are faster than eagles. It will be terrible for us!
14 Ayi Yerusaalemi, naaza omutima gwo guve mu kukola ebibi olyoke olokolebwe. Olikomya ddi ebirowoozo ebibi?
[You people of] Jerusalem [APO], purify your hearts/inner beings, in order that Yahweh will rescue you. How long will you continue to think about [doing] evil things?
15 Eddoboozi lyawulirwa okuva mu Ddaani, nga lirangirira okuzikirizibwa okuva mu nsozi za Efulayimu.
From Dan [city in the far north] to the hills of Ephraim [a few miles/kilometers north of Jerusalem] messengers are proclaiming that disasters are coming.
16 “Labula amawanga nti ajja: kirangirirwe mu Yerusaalemi nti, ‘Abalabe bajja okuva mu nsi ey’ewala nga bayimba ennyimba ez’entalo nga balumba ebibuga bya Yuda.
Tell this to the [people in other] nations [but also] announce it in Jerusalem: [Yahweh says], “An army is coming to Jerusalem from far away; they will shout [a battle-cry] against the cities in Judah.
17 Bakyetoolodde ng’abasajja abakuuma ennimiro kubanga Yuda yanjeemera,’” bw’ayogera Mukama.
They will set up tents around Jerusalem like people set up temporary shelters [SIM] around a field [at harvest time]. That will happen because the people of Judah have rebelled against me.
18 “Empisa zammwe, n’ebikolwa byammwe bye bibaleeseeko bino. Kino kye kibonerezo kyammwe. Nga kya bulumi! Nga kifumita omutima.”
You will be punished very severely; it will [be as though a sword] has stabbed your inner beings. But you are causing those things to happen to you because of the evil things that you have done.”
19 Obulumi, Ayi Obulumi! Neenyoolera mu bulumi! Ayi obulumi bw’omutima gwange! Omutima gunkubagana munda, sisobola kusirika, kubanga mpulidde eddoboozi ly’ekkondeere, mpulidde enduulu z’olutalo.
I am extremely anguished/sad; the pain in my inner being is very severe. My heart beats wildly. But I cannot remain silent because I have heard [our enemies] blowing their trumpets to announce that the battle [against Judah will start immediately].
20 Okuzikirizibwa kweyongeddeko era ensi yonna eyonooneddwa. Eweema zange zisaanyiziddwawo mu kaseera buseera, n’entimbe zange nga kutemya kikowe.
Disasters will occur one after another until the whole land is ruined. Suddenly [all] our tents will be destroyed; [even] the curtains [inside the tents] will be ripped apart.
21 Ndituusa ddi nga ndaba bbendera z’olutalo n’okuwulira amaloboozi g’amakondeere?
How long will this battle continue? How long will I continue to see the enemy battle flags and hear the sound of their trumpets being blown?
22 “Kubanga abantu bange basirusiru, tebammanyi. Baana abatalina magezi; abatategeera. Bakagezimunnyu mu kukola ebibi, tebamanyi kukola birungi.”
[Yahweh says], “My people are [very] foolish! They do not have a relationship with me. They are [like] [MET] stupid children who do not understand [anything]. They very cleverly do what is wrong, but they do not know how to do what is good.”
23 Natunuulira ensi, nga njereere, ate ne ntunula ne ku ggulu, ng’ekitangaala kigenze.
[God gave me a vision in which] I saw that the earth was barren and without form. I looked at the sky, and there was no light there.
24 Natunuulira agasozi nga gajugumira, n’ensozi zonna zaali ziyuuguuma.
I looked at the mountains and hills, and they shook and moved from side to side.
25 Natunula, era laba, waali tewasigadde muntu n’omu, era n’ebinyonyi byonna eby’omu bbanga byali bidduse.
I looked and saw that there were no [more] people, and all the birds had flown away.
26 Natunula, era laba, ensi ey’ebibala ebingi ng’efuuse ddungu, era n’ebibuga byayo byonna nga byonoonese, mu maaso ga Mukama, olw’obusungu bwe obungi.
I looked and saw that the fields that previously were fertile had become a desert. The cities were all ruined; they had all been destroyed by Yahweh because he was extremely angry.
27 Kubanga bw’atyo bw’ayogera Mukama nti, “Ensi yonna eriyonoonebwa, wadde nga sirigizikiririza ddala.
This is what Yahweh is saying: “The entire land [of Judah] will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.
28 Noolwekyo ensi erikungubaga era n’eggulu waggulu lirikwata ekizikiza, kubanga njogedde era maliridde sijja kwejjusa wadde okukyusaamu.”
I will do to my people what I said that I would do, and I will not change my mind. So [when that happens, it will be as though] the earth will mourn and the sky will become very dark.”
29 Olw’okuyoogona kw’abeebagazi b’embalaasi n’abalasa obusaale, ebibuga byonna biribuna emiwabo, abamu beesogge ebisaka; n’abalala balinnye waggulu ku njazi. Ebibuga byonna birekeddwa ttayo; tewali abibeeramu.
[When the people hear] the sound of the [enemy] army marching, [they will be terrified as] they flee from their cities. Some of them will find places to hide in the bushes, and others will run toward the mountains/hills [to escape being killed by their enemies]. All the cities [in Judah] will be abandoned; not one person will remain in them.
30 Okola ki ggwe, ggwe eyayonoonebwa? Lwaki oyambala engoye entwakaavu, ne weeteekako eby’obugagga ebya zaabu, n’amaaso n’ogasiiga langi? Omala biseera nga weeyonja. Baganzi bo bakunyoomoola; era baagala kukutta.
So you who will surely be destroyed, [why are you doing the things that you are doing now]? Why are you wearing beautiful clothes and jewelry? Why are you putting paint around your eyes? Doing those things will not help you, because the people [in other countries that you think] love you [actually] despise you, and they will try to kill you.
31 Mpulira okukaaba ng’okw’omukazi alumwa okuzaala, okusinda ng’okw’oyo asindika omwana we asooka, okukaaba kw’omuwala wa Sayuuni ng’awejjawejja anoonya w’anassiza omukka, ng’agolola emikono gye ng’agamba nti, “Zinsanze nze, nzirika. Obulamu bwange buweereddwayo mu batemu.”
[It is as though] I already hear [the people in Jerusalem] crying very loudly, like [SIM] a woman cries when she is giving birth to her first child; she gasps for breath and pleads for someone to help her. [It is as though Jerusalem] is crying, “Something terrible is happening to me! They are about to murder me!”
