Jeremia 12
1 Raha mifandahatra aminao aho, Jehovah ô dia Hianao no marina; Nefa kosa aoka ihany mba handahatra aminao aho: Nahoana ary no ambinina ny lalan’ ny ratsy fanahy? Nahoana no miadana ny mpiodina rehetra?
Yahweh, whenever I tell you that I am unhappy [about what is happening to me], you [always] act justly/fairly. So now allow me to ask about one more thing [that I do not understand]: Why are wicked people [often] very prosperous? Why do things go very well for dishonest/wicked people?
2 Nambolenao izy, ka dia miorim-paka; Mitombo izy, ka dia mamoa; Manakaiky Anao amin’ ny vavany izy, nefa manalavitra Anao amin’ ny fony.
You allow them to prosper like [MET] trees that grow tall and bear [a lot of] fruit. They [always] say [MTY] good things about you, but their hearts are [really] far from you.
3 Fa Hianao, Jehovah ô, mahalala ahy; Mahita ahy Hianao sady mizaha toetra ny foko ny aminao; Sariho toy ny ondry hovonoina ireny, ary atokàny ho amin’ ny andro hamonoana.
But Yahweh, as for me, you know what is in my inner being. You see what I [do] and you are able to know what I am thinking. So drag away those [wicked] people, like [people drag away] sheep that they are going to butcher. Set them aside like sheep that are about to be slaughtered!
4 Mandra-pahoviana no hisaonan’ ny tany sy hahalazoan’ ny ahitra any amin’ ny saha rehetra? Noho ny faharatsian’ ny mponina any dia lany ringana ny biby sy ny vorona; Fa hoy ireo: Tsy mba hahita izay hiafarantsika izy.
This land is [RHQ] becoming very dry and even the grass is withering. The wild animals and the birds have [all] died because the people are [very] wicked. [All that has happened] because the people have said, “Yahweh does not know what we are doing (OR, what will happen to us)!”
5 Raha niara-nihazakazaka tamin’ ny mandeha an-tongotra ianao ka voany, dia hataonao ahoana no fihaika ny soavaly? Ary raha eny amin’ ny tany miadana no anananao toky, hanao ahoana kosa ianao, raha mby any amin’ ny kirihitrala eny amoron’ i Jordana?
[Then to show me that I needed to be prepared to endure even greater difficulties, Yahweh said to me], [“It is as though] you have become exhausted from racing against men; so how will you be able to race against horses? If you [stumble and] fall when you are running on open/bare/smooth ground, what will happen to you when you are running through the thornbushes near the Jordan [River]?
6 Fa na dia ny rahalahinao sy ny mpianakavin’ ny rainao aza dia samy namitaka anao; Eny, niantso mafy teo aorianao ireo; Aza mino azy, na dia tsara fiteny aminao aza izy.
[Already] your brothers and [other members of] your own family oppose you. They (plot against/plan to do evil things to) you and they say bad things about you. So even if they say nice things about you, do not trust them!
7 Nilaozako ny tranoko, nafoiko ny lovako; Ny sombin’ aiko dia natolotro ho eo an-tànan’ ny fahavalony.
I have abandoned my [Israeli] people, the people whom I chose to belong to me. I have allowed their enemies to conquer the Israeli people, whom I love.
8 Raha amiko, ny lovako dia efa toy ny liona any an’ ala; Mierona amiko izy, ka dia halako.
My people have become to me like [SIM] a lion in the forest. [It is as though] they roar at me like a lion, so now I hate them.
9 Moa tahaka ny vorona mpihaza hafahafa volo amiko va ny lovako, no mivory manodidina azy ny vorona mpihaza? Avia, ka angòny ny bibi-dia rehetra, ampanatony ireny hihinana.
My chosen people have [RHQ] become like speckled hawks that are surrounded by vultures [waiting to eat their flesh after they are dead]. Tell all the wild animals to come and eat [the flesh of their corpses].
10 Mpitondra maro no nanimba ny tanim-boaloboko, nohitsakitsahiny ny anjarako; Nataony tany efitra lao ny anjarako mahafinaritra;
Many rulers [from other countries have come with their armies and] devastated/destroyed my people [whom I care for like a farmer takes care of his] vineyard. They have caused my beautiful land to become a barren desert where no one lives.
11 Nataony lao izany, eny, lao izy ka mitomany amiko; Nataony lao avokoa ny tany rehetra, satria tsy nisy nandatsaka am-po.
They have caused it to become completely empty; [it is as though] I hear the land crying sadly/mournfully. The whole land is desolate, and no one (worries about/pays any attention to) it.
12 Ny mpandrava dia tonga any amin’ ny tendrombohitra mangadihady rehetra any an-efitra; Fa misy sabatr’ i Jehovah mandringana amin’ ny faran’ ny tany ka hatramin’ ny farany koa, ka dia tsy misy fiadanana ho an’ ny nofo rehetra.
The soldiers [of our enemies] have marched across all the barren hilltops. But [I], Yahweh, am using those armies [MTY] to punish your land from one end to the other, and no one will escape.
13 Vary no nafafiny, fa tsilo no nojinjany; Nanasatra ny tenany izy, kanjo herim-po very foana izany; Dia hangaihay ny amin’ ny zavatra azonareo ianareo noho ny firehetan’ ny fahatezeran’ i Jehovah.
[It is as though] my people planted wheat, but now they are harvesting thorns. They have become very tired [because of much hard work], but they have gained nothing [from all that work]. They will be very disappointed because their harvests [will be very small], [and that will happen] because [I], Yahweh, am extremely angry [with them].”
14 Izao no lazain’ i Jehovah ny amin’ ireo ratsy fanahy rehetra mifanakaiky fonenena amiko ireo, dia izay mikasikasika ny tany nomeko ho lovan’ ny Isiraely oloko: Indro, hongotako tsy ho amin’ ny taniny ireo, ary ny taranak’ i Joda koa dia hongotako tsy ho eo aminy.
This is [also] what Yahweh said to me: “[I will punish] the evil nearby nations that have been trying to take away the land that I gave to my Israeli people, and I will force them to leave their own land. But I will throw the people of Judah out of their land, also.
15 Nefa nony efa voaongotra izy, dia hamindra fo aminy indray Aho, ka samy ho entiko mody any amin’ ny lovany sy ny taniny avy indray izy.
But later I will act mercifully toward those nations again, and I will bring them back to their own lands again. Each [clan] will come back to its own land.
16 Koa raha mba hianatra ny fanaon’ ny oloko tokoa ireo ka hianiana amin’ ny anarako hoe: Raha velona koa Jehovah, tahaka ny nampianaran’ ireo ny oloko hianiana amin’ i Bala, dia haorina ao amin’ ny oloko izy;
And if the people [of the other nations whose armies have invaded Israel] learn the [religious] customs of my people, and if they learn that I [am listening] when they solemnly promise that they will do something good, like they taught my people to believe that [their god] Baal [was listening] when they made solemn promises, I will cause them to become prosperous, and they also will be my people.
17 Fa raha tsy hankatò kosa izy, dia hongotako izany firenena izany, eny, hongotako sy haringako izy, hoy Jehovah.
But I will expel any nation whose people refuse to obey me, and I will destroy that nation and its people. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
