Heremaia 44

1 Ko te kupu i puta mai ki a Heremaia mo nga Hurai katoa e noho ana i te whenua o Ihipa, e noho ana i Mikitoro, i Tahapanehe, i Nopo, i te whenua hoki o Patoro; i mea ia,

[This is] the message that Yahweh gave me concerning the Jews who were living in [northern] Egypt—in Migdol, Tahpenes, and Memphis [cities], and in the Pathros [region in southern Egypt]:

2 Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa o nga mano, a te Atua o Iharaira: Kua kite koutou i te kino katoa i takina mai nei e ahau ki runga ki Hiruharama, ki nga pa katoa hoki o Hura; na, i tenei ra he ururua ratou, kahore hoki he tangata e noho ana i reira;

“This is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say: ‘You saw the disaster that I caused [the people in] Jerusalem and the other towns in Judah to experience. Those towns are now ruined and deserted.

3 Mo ta ratou kino i mahia e ratou hei whakapataritari i ahau, i to ratou haerenga ki te tahu whakakakara, a ki te mahi ki nga atua ke, kihai nei ratou i mohio, ratou, koutou ranei, o koutou matua ranei.

[That happened] because I was extremely angry with them on account of their being very wicked. They burned incense to other gods and worshiped them. They were gods that you [previously] did not know about, and your ancestors also [did not know about them].

4 He ahakoa ra, i unga atu e ahau aku pononga katoa, nga poropiti, ki a koutou, maranga wawe ana ahau ki te unga i a ratou; i mea ahau, Kaua ra e mahia tenei mea whakarihariha e kino nei ahau.

Many times I sent my prophets who served me, to say to them, “Do not do those abominable things that I hate!”

5 Otiia kihai ratou i rongo, kihai hoki i tahuri mai o ratou taringa, kihai i hoki mai i to ratou kino, ara i te tahu whakakakara ki nga atua ke.

But my people would not pay any attention [DOU] [to what I said to them]. They would not turn away from their wicked behavior, or stop burning incense to [worship/honor] other gods.

6 Koia i ringihia atu ai toku weriweri, toku riri, ngiha tonu ki nga pa o Hura, ki nga ara hoki o Hiruharama; na he ururua ratou, he tuhea, koia ano tenei inaianei.

So I poured out my anger [MTY] on them. I punished people on the streets of Jerusalem and on the [other] towns in Judah. It caused those towns to be ruined and deserted, and they are still like that.’

7 Mo reira ko te kupu tenei inaianei a Ihowa, a te Atua o nga mano, a te Atua o Iharaira; He aha koutou i mahi ai i tenei kino nui mo o koutou wairua, ka hatepe atu i a koutou, i nga tane, i nga wahine, i te kohungahunga, i te mea ngote u, i roto i a Hura, a kore iho he toenga o koutou e mahue?

So now [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], ask you: ‘Why are you causing yourselves to experience these disasters? [Do you not realize that because of what you are doing], soon there will be no more men or women or children or infants left among you [who have come here to Egypt] from Judah?

8 I a koutou i whakapataritari na i ahau ki nga mahi a o koutou ringa, i a koutou ka tahu whakakakara nei ki nga atua ke i te whenua o Ihipa, kua haere atu na koutou ki reira noho ai, e hatepea atu ai koutou, e waiho ai koutou hei kanga, hei ingoa kino i roto i nga iwi katoa o te whenua.

Why are you [RHQ] provoking me and causing me to be very angry by burning incense to the idols that you have made here in Egypt? [If you continue doing this, ] you will destroy yourselves, and you will cause yourselves to be people whom all the nations on the earth will curse and despise.

9 Kua wareware ranei koutou ki te kino o o koutou matua, ki te kino o nga kingi o Hura, ki te kino hoki o a ratou wahine, ki o koutou na kino, ki te kino hoki o a koutou wahine i mahia nei e ratou ki te whenua o Hura, ki nga ara hoki o Hiruharama?

Have you forgotten [how I punished] your ancestors for the wicked things that they did, and [how I punished] the kings and queens of Judah for what they did, and you and your wives for the sins that you committed in the streets of Jerusalem and [the other towns] in Judah?

10 Taea noatia tenei ra kahore ano ratou i whakaiti i a ratou, kahore ano i wehi, kahore i haere i runga i taku ture, i runga i aku tikanga i hoatu e ahau ki to koutou aroaro, ki te aroaro hoki o o koutou matua.

Up until this day you have not humbled yourselves or revered me. You have not obeyed the laws and decrees [DOU] that I gave to you and your ancestors.’

11 Mo reira ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa o nga mano, a te Atua o Iharaira: Nana, ka anga ke atu toku mata i a koutou mo te kino, he hatepe i a Hura katoa.

Therefore, this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [you] Israelis [say you belong to], say: ‘I am determined to cause all of you to experience disasters and to get rid of every one of you.

12 Na ka mau ahau ki nga morehu o Hura, kua maro nei o ratou mata ki te haere ki te whenua o Ihipa, ki reira noho ai, a ka poto ratou katoa; ka hinga ratou ki te whenua o Ihipa; ka pau ratou i te hoari, i te hemokai; ka mate ratou, mai i te iti ki te rahi, i te hoari, i te hemokai: a ka waiho ratou hei kanga, hei miharotanga, hei kohukohutanga, hei ingoa kino.

[You] people from Judah who have survived were determined to come and live here in Egypt. So I will get rid of all of you here in Egypt. Every one of you will die, including those who are important and those who are not important. [Some of] you will be killed by [your enemies’] swords, [some will die] from famines. You will become [people whom others] curse, be horrified about, and make fun of.

13 No te mea ka whiua e ahau te hunga e noho ana i te whenua o Ihipa, ka rite ki taku whiunga i Hiruharama ki te hoari, ki te hemokai, ki te mate uruta:

I will punish you here in Egypt like I punished [others in] Jerusalem, [some of whom were killed] by [their enemies’] swords and [some of whom] died from famines or diseases.

14 Na ka kore tetahi o nga morehu o Hura i haere nei ki te whenua o Ihipa noho ai e mawhiti, e toe, hei hoki ki te whenua o Hura, ki te wahi e hiahia nei ratou kia hoki ki reira noho ai: na e kore tetahi e hoki ko te hunga anake e mawhiti atu.

You people who did not die in Judah fled here to Egypt, hoping that [some day] you would return to Judah. But very few [HYP] of you will survive and escape. You are longing/wanting to remain alive and return to Judah, but only a very few of you will escape and be able to do that.’”

15 Na katahi nga tangata katoa i mohio kua tahu whakakakara a ratou wahine ki nga atua ke, nga wahine katoa hoki e tu mai ana, he nui te huihui, me te iwi katoa hoki e noho ana i te whenua o Ihipa, i Patoro, ka whakahoki ki a Heremaia, ka mea,

Then a large group of the people who had started to live in northern Egypt and southern Egypt, including all the men who knew that their wives had been burning incense to other gods, and all the women who were standing there, said this to me:

16 Na, mo te kupu kua korerotia nei e koe ki a matou i runga i te ingoa o Ihowa, e kore matou e rongo ki a koe.

“You are saying that [MTY] Yahweh gave messages to you, but we will not pay any attention to your messages!

17 Engari ka tino mahi matou i nga mea katoa i puaki i o matou mangai, ka tahu whakakakara ki te kuini o te rangi, ka riringi ano i nga ringihanga ki a ia, ka pera me ta matou, me ta o matou matua, me ta o matou kingi, me ta o matou rangatira i nga pa o Hura, i nga ara o Hiruharama: i makona hoki matou i reira i te kai, i pai hoki matou, a kihai i kite i te he.

We will certainly do everything that we said that we would do. We will burn incense to [worship our goddess Astarte, ] the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out offerings [of wine] to her, just like we and our ancestors and our kings and [their] officials have [always] done in the streets of Jerusalem and in the [other] towns in Judah. At that time, we had plenty of food, and we were prosperous and we did not have any troubles.

18 Otiia no te mutunga o ta matou tahu whakakakara ki te kuini o te rangi, o ta matou ringihanga i nga ringihanga ki a ia, kua kore nga mea katoa, i a matou, a poto iho matou i te hoari, i te hemokai.

But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and giving her offerings [of wine], we have had many troubles, and [some of our people] have been killed by [our enemies’] swords and [some have died] from hunger.”

19 A, i a matou i tahu whakakakara ai ki te kuini o te rangi, i riringi ai hoki i nga ringihanga ki a ia, e ngaro ana ranei a matou tane i a matou e hanga ana i nga keke nana, hei karakia ki a ia; i a matou hoki i riringi ai i nga ringihanga mana?

And [the women said], “[Furthermore], we burned incense and poured out [wine] offerings to the Queen of Heaven, and we also made small cakes that resembled her idol, to offer to her. But our husbands certainly knew about [and approved of] [RHQ] what we were doing!”

20 Katahi a Heremaia ka korero ki te iwi katoa, ki nga tane, ki nga wahine, ki te iwi katoa ano nana taua kupu whakautu ki a ia, ka mea,

Then I said to all the men and women who had answered me,

21 Ko te whakakakara i tahuna ra e koutou ki nga pa o Hura, ki nga ara hoki o Hiruharama, e koutou, e o koutou matua, e o koutou kingi, e o koutou rangatira, e te iwi hoki o te whenua, kihai ianei ena mea i maharatia e Ihowa, kihai ianei i puta ake ki tona ngakau?

“Do not think [RHQ] that Yahweh did not know that you and your ancestors and your kings and their officials and all the other people in Judah were burning incense to [worship/honor] idols in the streets of Jerusalem and in the [other] towns in Judah!

22 A te ahei a Ihowa te whakamanawanui tonu i te kino o a koutou hanga, i nga mea whakarihariha i mahia e koutou; heoi kua ururua to koutou whenua, kua waiho hei miharotanga, hei kohukohutanga, te ai te tangata hei noho, koia ano tenei inaianei.

It was because Yahweh could no longer endure/tolerate your wicked actions and the detestable things that you were doing that he caused your land to be [a place whose name people say when they] curse someone, a land that is ruined and which has no one living in it. And your land is still like that.

23 No te mea kua tahu koutou i te whakakakara, kua hara hoki ki a Ihowa, a kihai i rongo ki te reo o Ihowa, kihai hoki i haere i runga i tana ture, i runga i ana tikanga, i runga i ana whakaatu; mo reira i tutaki ai tenei he ki a koutou, koia ano t enei inaianei.

It is because you burned incense to [worship/honor] idols and committed [other] sins against Yahweh that you experienced [all] those disasters. It is because you have not obeyed him or his laws and decrees and commandments.”

24 I mea atu ano a Heremaia ki te iwi katoa, ki nga wahine katoa hoki, Whakarongo ki te kupu a Ihowa, e Hura katoa i te whenua o Ihipa nei:

[Then] I said to all of them, including the women, “All you [people of] Judah who are [here] in Egypt, listen to this message from Yahweh.

25 Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa o nga mano, a te Atua o Iharaira; e ki ana ia: Ko koutou, me a koutou wahine, kua korero o koutou mangai, kua rite ano i o koutou ringa te kupu, Ka mahia marietia e matou a matou kupu taurangi i korerotia e matou, kia ta hu whakakakara ki te kuini o te rangi, kia riringi i nga ringihanga ki a ia: tena whakaungia a koutou kupu taurangi, mahia hoki a koutou kupu taurangi.

This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says [to you Israeli men]: ‘You and your wives have said that you would continue to do what you promised, to burn incense and pour out wine to the [goddess whom you call] the Queen of Heaven. [And you have proved by your actions that you intend to continue to do that]. So go ahead and continue doing what you have promised to do [for her].’

26 Mo reira whakarongo ki te kupu a Ihowa, e Hura katoa e noho nei i te whenua o Ihipa: Nana, kua oatitia e ahau toku ingoa nui, e ai ta Ihowa, e kore toku ingoa e whakahuatia a muri ake nei e te mangai o tetahi tangata o Hura i te whenua katoa o I hipa, e kore e kiia, E ora ana te Ariki, a Ihowa.

But now, all you people from Judah who are [now] living [here] in Egypt, listen to this message from Yahweh. He says, ‘I have solemnly declared, using my great name, that [soon] none of [you] people from Judah who are here in Egypt will ever again use my name. [There will be none of you who, when you solemnly promise to do something, ] will ever again say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives.”

27 Nana, kei te tirotiro ahau i a ratou mo te kino, ehara i te mea hei pai: a, ko nga tangata katoa o Hura i te whenua o Ihipa, ka poto i te hoari, i te hemokai hoki, a moti noa ratou.

Because I will be watching over you, not to cause good things to happen to you but to cause things to happen that will harm you. [Almost] everyone [HYP] from Judah who is [now here] in Egypt will experience being [killed by their enemies’] swords, or dying from famine.

28 A, ko nga morehu i te hoari, ka hoki atu i te whenua o Ihipa ki te whenua o Hura, he hunga torutoru; a ka mohio nga morehu katoa o Hura i haere nei ki te whenua o Ihipa noho ai, ko ta wai kupu e tu, ko taku ranei, ko ta ratou ranei.

[Only a very] few [of you] will not die, and will return to Judah. [When that happens], all those who came to Egypt will find out whose words (were true/were fulfilled), theirs or mine.’

29 A ko te tohu tenei ki a koutou, e ai ta Ihowa, ka whiua koutou e ahau ki tenei wahi, kia mohio ai koutou ka mau tonu aku kupu ki te kino mo koutou.

And Yahweh [also] says, ‘I will do something that will prove to you that everything that I have said will happen, and that I will punish you [here] in this place.

30 Ko te kupu tenei a Ihowa, Nana, ka hoatu e ahau a Parao Hopara kingi o Ihipa ki te ringa o ona hoariri, ki te ringa hoki o te hunga e whai ana kia whakamatea ia; ka rite ano ki taku hoatutanga i a Terekia kingi o Hura ki te ringa o Nepukareha ki ngi o Papurona, o tona hoariri i whai nei kia whakamatea ia.

I will cause Hophra, the king of Egypt, to be captured by his enemies who want to kill him, just like I caused King Zedekiah of Judah to be captured by [the soldiers of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.’” [And that is what happened several years later].