Heremaia 21
1 Ko te kupu i puta mai ki a Heremaia, he mea na Ihowa, i te ngarenga a Kingi Terekia i a Pahuru tama a Merekia, i a Tepania hoki, tama a Maaheia tohunga, ki a ia, hei ki,
This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur, son of Malchijah, and the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah to talk with him. They said,
2 Rapua koa tetahi tikanga i a Ihowa mo tatou; kei te whawhai nei hoki a Nepukareha kingi o Papurona ki a tatou: tera pea ta Ihowa mahi ki a tatou e rite ki ana mea whakamiharo katoa, a ka haere atu ia i to tatou wahi.
“Please speak with Lord on our behalf because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will do some miracle for us like all those miracles he used to do, so that Nebuchadnezzar will retreat from us.”
3 Katahi a Heremaia ka mea atu ki a ratou, Ko ta koutou tenei e korero ai ki a Terekia:
But Jeremiah replied, “Tell Zedekiah this:
4 Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa, a te Atua o Iharaira, Nana, ka whakahokia atu e ahau nga patu mo te whawhai i o koutou ringa, mo ta koutou whawhai ki te kingi o Papurona, ki nga Karari, e whakapae nei i a koutou i waho o te taiepa, ka huihuia hoki rato u e ahau ki waenganui o tenei pa.
This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to turn the weapons you're holding against you, the weapons you're using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonian army outside the wall besieging you. I'm going to bring them right into the center of this city.
5 A ko ahau nei ano hei whawhai ki a koutou ki te ringa maro, ki te takakau kaha, i runga i te riri, i te weriweri, i te aritarita nui.
I myself will fight against you with all my power and might, with the full force of my furious anger.
6 A ka patua e ahau nga tangata o tenei pa, te tangata, te kararehe: ka mate ratou i te mate uruta nui.
I will kill those living in this city, human beings and animals. They will die from a terrible plague.
7 Na, muri iho, e ai ta Ihowa, ka hoatu e ahau a Terekia kingi o Hura ratou ko ana tangata, ko te iwi, ara ko te hunga o tenei pa e toe i te mate uruta, i te hoari, i te hemokai, ki te ringa o Nepukareha kingi o Papurona, ki te ringa o o ratou hoa whawhai, ki te ringa hoki o te hunga e whai ana kia whakamatea ratou: a ka patua ratou e ia ki te mata o te hoari; e kore ratou e tohungia e ia, e kore e manawapatia, e kore e arohaina.
After that, declares the Lord, I'm going to hand you over, Zedekiah king of Judah, as well as your officers and the people who are left in this city after the plague and war and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to your enemies who want you dead. He will attack you; he won't spare you or show you any pity or mercy.
8 Korero atu ano hoki koe ki tenei iwi, Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa, Nana, kua takoto i ahau ki to koutou aroaro te ara ki te ora, me te ara ki te mate.
Tell the people this as well: This is what the Lord says: Look, I'm placing before you the path of life and the path of death.
9 Ko te tangata ka noho i tenei pa, ka mate i te hoari, i te hemokai, i te mate uruta; ko te tangata ia e haere atu ana, a ka taka atu ki nga Karari e whakapae nei i a koutou, ka ora ia, a ko tona oranga hei taonga parakete ki a ia.
If you stay in this city you'll die either by sword and famine and plague, but if you leave and surrender to the Babylonians who are besieging you, you will live. In fact it will be like gaining your life as plunder from a war.
10 No te mea kua whakamau atu toku mata ki tenei pa hei kino, kahore hoki hei pai, e ai ta Ihowa: ka hoatu ki te ringa o te kingi o Papurona, a ka tahuna e ia ki te ahi.
For I am determined to bring disaster on this city, and not blessings, declares the Lord. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.
11 Na, ko te mea mo te whare o te kingi o Hura, whakarongo koutou ki te kupu a Ihowa;
In addition tell the royal family of the king of Judah to listen to the Lord's message:
12 E te whare o Rawiri, ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa, Whakaritea te whakawa i te ata, whakaorangia ake hoki te tangata e pahuatia ana i roto i te ringa o te kaitukino, kei puta toku riri ano he ahi, a ka ka, te taea te tinei, mo te kino hoki o a koutou mahi.
Descendants of David, this is what the Lord says: Make sure you judge fairly every day. Protect those who are being unjustly treated from those corrupt people, otherwise because of their evil actions my anger will blaze out like fire that can't be put out.
13 Nana, hei hoariri ahau mou, e te wahine e noho na i te raorao, i te kamaka hoki o te wahi papatairite, e ai ta Ihowa; koutou nana na te kupu, Ko wai e haere mai ki a tatou? ko wai ranei e tomo ki o tatou nohoanga?
Watch out, because I'm going to fight against you people who live above the valley on top of a flat rock, declares the Lord. You say, ‘Who can attack us? Who can break down our defenses?’
14 A ka rite ki nga hua o a koutou mahi taku whiu i a koutou, e ai ta Ihowa: a ka ngiha i ahau he ahi i tona ngahere, e pau ai nga mea katoa a taka noa, taka noa i a ia.
I'm going to punish you as you deserve for what you've done, declares the Lord. I will set your forest on fire and it will burn up everything around you.”
