Ermiyaas 23
1 “Tiksoota hoolota karra koo balleessanii bittinneessiniif wayyoo!” jedha Waaqayyo.
Yahweh declares, “Terrible things will happen to [the leaders] [MET] [of my people—those who are like] shepherds of [the people who are like] my sheep—because they have scattered my people and sent them away, and have not taken care of them.
2 Kanaafuu Waaqayyo Waaqni Israaʼel tiksoota saba koo tiksaniin akkana jedha: “Waan isin bushaayee koo bittinneessitanii ariitanii fi eegumsa barbaachisu isaaniif hin godhiniif ani kunoo hammina isin hojjettaniif adabbii isinittin fida” jedha Waaqayyo.
So, this is what [I, ] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli [people worship], say to those leaders: ‘Instead of taking care of my people and [leading them to places where they are safe, like a shepherd does for] his sheep, you have scattered them. So I will punish you for the evil things that you have done.
3 “Ani mataan koo hambaa bushaayee kootii biyyoota ani itti isaan ariʼee ture hunda keessaa walitti qabee karra isaaniitti nan deebisa; isaanis achitti ni horu; ni baayʼatus.
But later I will gather those who are still alive, from the countries where I have forced them to go. I will bring them back to their own country, where they will have many children, and their number/population will increase.
4 Anis tiksoota isaan tiksan isaaniif nan ramada; isaanis siʼachi hin sodaatan; yookaan hin rifatan, yookaan isaan keessaa tokko iyyuu hin badu” jedha Waaqayyo.
[Then] I will appoint [other] leaders for my people, leaders who will take care of them. And my people will never be afraid [DOU] of anything again, and none of them will be [like a] lost [sheep].’”
5 “Barri ani itti Daawitiif damee qajeelaa tokko, mootii ogummaadhaan bulchuu fi waan sirrii fi qajeelaa taʼe biyya kana keessatti hojjetu tokko kaasu ni dhufa” jedha Waaqayyo.
Yahweh [also] says, “Some day I will appoint for you a righteous man who will be a descendant of King David. He will be a king who rules wisely. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 Bara isaa keessa Yihuudaan ni fayya; Israaʼelis nagaan jiraata; maqaan inni ittiin waamamus: Waaqayyo Qajeelummaa Keenya jedhama.
At that time, all the Israeli people [DOU] will be saved [from their enemies], and they will be safe. And his name will be ‘Yahweh, the one who vindicates/defends us.’”
7 “Kanaafuu barri itti namoonni siʼachi, ‘Dhugaa Waaqayyo jiraataa isa Israaʼeloota Gibxii baasee fide sanaa’ hin jenne tokko ni dhufa” jedha Waaqayyo;
Yahweh [also] says that at that time, people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives, who rescued the Israeli people from Egypt.”
8 “Isaan garuu, ‘Dhugaa Waaqayyo jiraataa isa biyya Kaabaatii fi biyyoota itti isaan ariʼee ture hunda keessaa sanyiiwwan Israaʼel baasee fide sanaa’ jedhu. Ergasiis isaan biyya ofii isaanii keessa ni jiraatu.”
Instead, they will say, “[I will do it] as surely as Yahweh lives, who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the land to the northeast and from all the [other] countries to which he had exiled us.” And they will live in their own land [again].
9 Waaʼee raajotaa, onneen koo na keessatti cabeera, lafeen koo hundi ni hollata; sababii Waaqayyootii fi sababii dubbii isaa qulqulluu sanaatiif ani akkuma nama machaaʼee akka nama daadhii wayiniitiin moʼatamee nan taʼe.
I am very shocked because of the sacred message that Yahweh has spoken about [what will happen to] the [false] prophets; [it is as though] all my bones shake. I stagger like a man who is drunk after drinking a lot of wine.
10 Biyyattiin ejjitootaan guutamteerti, sababii abaarsaatiif biyyattiin ni boossi; kaloon gammoojjii keessaas ni goga. Raajonni karaa hamaa duukaa buʼu; aangoo isaaniittis karaa malee fayyadamu.
The land is full of [people who commit] adultery; and [Yahweh] has cursed the land. Even the pastures in the desert are all dried up, because the people do what is evil, and [the false prophets] use their power to do things that are not just/fair.
11 “Raajonnis, lubnis Waaqaaf hin bulan; ani mana koo keessatti iyyuu hammina isaanii argeera” jedha Waaqayyo.
Yahweh says, “[Yes, even] the priests and the prophets are ungodly; they do wicked things even in my temple.
12 “Kanaafuu karaan isaanii mucuca taʼa; isaan dukkanatti gad darbatamu; achittis ni kufu. Bara isaan adabaman keessa, ani badiisa isaanitti nan fida” jedha Waaqayyo.
Therefore, [it will be as though] the paths that they walk on are slippery. [It will be as though] they are being chased in the darkness, and there they will fall down, because I will cause them to experience disasters at the time that I will punish them. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
13 “Raajota Samaariyaa gidduutti, ani waan jibbisiisaa kana argeera: Isaan maqaa Baʼaaliin raajanii saba koo Israaʼelin karaa irraa jalʼisan.
[Previously] I saw that the prophets in Samaria were doing something that was wrong; they were prophesying, saying that Baal [gave them the messages that they were proclaiming], and they were deceiving my people.
14 Raajota Yerusaalem gidduutti ani waan nama suukaneessu tokko argeera; isaan ni ejju; sobaan jiraatus. Akka namni tokko iyyuu hammina isaa irraa hin deebineef isaan harka jalʼootaa jajjabeessu. Isaan hundi anaaf akkuma Sodoom; sabni Yerusaalem immoo akkuma Gomoraa ti.”
And [now] I have seen the prophets in Jerusalem doing terrible things. They commit adultery and habitually tell lies. They encourage evil people to continue to do evil things, with the result that the people do not stop sinning. Those prophets are as wicked as the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were.
15 Kanaafuu Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu waaʼee raajotaa akkana jedha: “Sababii raajota Yerusaalemiif, waan xuraaʼummaan biyyattii keessa guuteef ani akka isaan nyaata hadhaaʼaa nyaatanii bishaan summaaʼes dhugan nan godha.”
So, this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says about those [false] prophets: “I will give those prophets bitter things to eat and poison to drink, because it is because of them that this land is filled with [people who do] wicked things.”
16 Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu akkana jedha: “Waan raajonni isinii raajan hin dhaggeeffatinaa; isaan abdii sobaatiin isin guutu. Isaan utuu afaan Waaqayyootii hin taʼin mulʼata yaada ofii isaanii dubbatu; yaada isaanii keessaa fuudhanii mulʼata dubbatu.
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “Do not pay any attention to what those [false] prophets say to you, because they are just deceiving you. They tell you about visions that they have thought/created [only] in their own minds, not about visions that I have given them.
17 Isaan ittuma fufanii warra na tuffataniin, ‘Waaqayyo akkana jedha: isin nagaa ni qabaattu’ jedhu. Warra mata jabina yaada ofii isaanii duukaa buʼan hundaan immoo, ‘Hamaan isin hin argatu’ jedhu.
They habitually say to those who hate me, ‘[Yahweh says that] you will have peace.’ And they say to those who stubbornly do what they want to do, ‘Nothing bad will happen to you [because of your doing those things].’
18 Garuu isaan keessaa namni dubbii isaa arguuf yookaan dhagaʼuuf waldaa Waaqayyoo keessa dhaabate eenyu? Namni dubbii isaatiif gurra kennee dhagaʼe eenyu?
But none of them has ever been in a council [meeting] in heaven in order to listen to a message from me. None of them has paid attention to anything that [I], Yahweh, have said.
19 Kunoo bubbeen Waaqayyoo, dheekkamsaan ni buʼa; bubbeen hamaanis mataa hamootaa irratti gad bubbisa.
So, listen to this: I will punish them; it will be [like] a great storm; it will come down [like] a whirlwind, swirling around the heads of those wicked people.
20 Dheekkamsi Waaqayyoo hamma inni kaayyoo yaada garaa isaa guutumaan guutuutti raawwatutti duubatti hin deebiʼu. Isin bara dhumaa keessa waan kana akka gaariitti ni hubattu.
I will not stop being angry until I completely accomplish all that I have planned. In the future, you will understand [all of] this clearly.”
21 Ani raajota kanneen hin ergine; isaan garuu ergaa ofii isaanii qabatanii fiiganiiru; ani isaanitti hin dubbanne; isaan garuu raajii dubbataniiru.
[Yahweh also says, ] “I have not appointed those prophets, but they run [around telling people their messages]. I did not speak to them, but they [continue to] prophesy.
22 Isaan utuu waldaa koo keessa dhaabatanii jiraatanii silaa dubbii koo saba kootti labsanii, karaa isaanii jalʼaa sanaa fi hojii isaanii hamaa sana irraa isaan deebisu ture.
If they had been in my council [meetings], they would have been able to speak messages from me, and they would have caused people to turn away from committing evil things.”
23 “Ani Waaqa fagootis malee Waaqa dhiʼoo qofaa?” jedha Waaqayyo.
Yahweh [also] says, “Am I a God who is only nearby? No, I am a God who is far away, also.
24 “Namni tokko iyyuu akka ani isa arguu hin dandeenyeef iddoo dhoksaa taʼe dhokachuu ni dandaʼa?” jedha Waaqayyo. “Ani samii fi lafa illee nan guuta mitii?” jedha Waaqayyo.
So, no one can hide in some secret place with the result that I cannot see him. I am everywhere, in heaven and on the earth! [That is what I], Yahweh, say!
25 “Ani waan raajonni maqaa kootiin soba raajan sun jedhan dhagaʼeera; isaanis, ‘Ani abjuu abjoodheera! Ani abjuu abjoodheera!’ jedhu.
I have heard those prophets prophesy lies, saying that they are telling people messages from me. They say, ‘[Listen to me tell you] the dream that God gave me last night! I [really] had this dream!’
26 Wanni akkasii kun hamma yoomiitti garaa raajota yaaduma ofii isaanii keessaa fuudhanii soba dubbatan kanneenii keessa jiraata?
How long will they continue to do this? How long will those lying prophets continue to prophesy things that come only from their own minds?
27 Raajonni kunneen abjuu walitti odeessaniin akka sabni koos akkuma abbootiin isaanii Baʼaalin waaqeffachuudhaan maqaa koo irraanfatanii turan sana maqaa koo irraanfachiisuu yaadu.
They think that because of the dreams that they tell to each other, people will forget me, like their ancestors forgot about me when they started to worship Baal.
28 Raajiin abjuu qabu abjuu isaa haa dubbatu; namni dubbii koo qabu immoo amanamummaadhaan haa dubbatu. Cidiin midhaan irraa maal qaba?” jedha Waaqayyo.
Allow those [false] prophets to tell people their dreams, but those who have messages that [really] come from me should proclaim those messages faithfully. I, Yahweh, say [that like] straw and grain are certainly very different, [my messages and the messages from those false prophets are certainly very different].
29 “Dubbiin koo akkuma ibiddaatii fi akkuma burruusa kattaa caccabsu tokkoo mitii?” jedha Waaqayyo.
[It is as though] my messages [burn] like a fire; they [strike people’s inner beings like] someone strikes a rock with a hammer and smashes it into pieces.
30 “Kanaafuu ani kunoo raajota dubbii koo wal irraa hatan sanaan nan morma” jedha Waaqayyo.
Therefore, [I, ] Yahweh say, 'I oppose all those prophets who steal messages from each other and claim that those messages came from me.
31 “Kunoo ani raajota afaanuma isaaniitiin, ‘Waaqayyo akkana jedha’ jedhaniin nan morma” jedha Waaqayyo.
I oppose those prophets who speak their own messages but claim that those messages came from me.
32 “Ani dhugumaan warra abjuu sobaa raajaniin nan morma” jedha Waaqayyo, “Isaan soba itti odeessanii saba koo karaa irraa balleessu; ani garuu isaan hin ergine yookaan isaan hin muudne. Isaan gonkumaa saba kana hin fayyadan” jedha Waaqayyo.
I oppose those prophets who falsely say that I told them something in a vision, but they are [only] telling lies that cause my people to sin. I did not send those prophets. I did not even appoint them [to be prophets]. And they have no messages that will benefit my people at all.' [That is what I, ] Yahweh, declare.”
33 “Yoo sabni kun yookaan raajiin tokko yookaan lubni tokko, ‘Baʼaan Waaqayyoo maal?’ jedhee si gaafatutti, ati immoo, ‘Baʼaa maalii? Ani sin gata jedha Waaqayyo’ jedhiin.
[Yahweh said to me], “If one of those prophets or priests or one of the [other] people asks you, ‘What problem has Yahweh told you about [now]?’, you must reply, ‘You are the problem! And Yahweh says that he will abandon you!’
34 Yoo raajiin tokko yookaan lubni tokko yookaan namni kam iyyuu, ‘Baʼaan Waaqayyoo kanaa dha,’ jedhe, ani nama sanaa fi warra mana isaa jiraatan nan adaba.
And if any prophet or priest or anyone [else falsely] says, ‘[I have] a prophecy from Yahweh,’ I will punish that person and his family.
35 Tokkoon tokkoon namaa michuu isaatiin yookaan fira isaatiin, ‘Deebiin Waaqayyo kenne maali?’ Yookaan, ‘Waaqayyo maal dubbata?’ jechuu qaba.
What you should continually ask each other is, ‘[When you spoke to Yahweh, ] what did he reply? What is he saying [to us]?’
36 Egaa isin lammata, ‘Baʼaa Waaqayyoo,’ jettanii dubbachuu hin qabdan; dubbiin nama hundaa baʼaa ofii isaa taʼee isin immoo dubbii Waaqa keenyaa, Waaqa jiraataa, Waaqayyo Waan Hunda Dandaʼu sanaa jalʼistuutii.
But stop saying ‘[I have] a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ because those who say that are doing it only because they want people to accept their ideas, and by doing that they distort/change the messages that are from our God, the Commander of the armies of angels.
37 Ati ittuma fuftee raajii tokkoon, ‘Deebiin Waaqayyo siif kenne maali?’ Yookaan ‘Waaqayyo maal dubbate?’ jetta.
This is what you should ask each prophet: ‘What did Yahweh reply [when you talked to him]? What is he saying [to us]?’
38 Isin, ‘Baʼaan Waaqayyo kanaa dha’ yoo jettan iyyuu, Waaqayyo akkana jedha; ani ‘Baʼaan Waaqayyoo kanaa dha’ jechuu hin qabdan isiniin jedhu iyyuu isin jecha, ‘Baʼaan Waaqayyoo kanaa dha’ jedhutti fayyadamtu.
If he replies, ‘[What I told you] is a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ you should say to him, ‘You have continued to say, “[I received] a prophecy/message from Yahweh” even though I told you to not claim that you have received prophecies/messages from Yahweh.’
39 Kanaafuu ani dhugumaan isin irraanfadhee magaalaa isinii fi abbootii keessaniif kenne wajjin fuula koo duraa isin nan gata.
So I [, Yahweh, ] will get rid of you [false prophets]. I will expel you from my presence. And I will get rid of this city that I gave to you and to your ancestors.
40 Salphina bara baraa jechuunis qaanii bara baraa kan hin irraanfatamnes isinitti nan fida.”
I will cause people to make fun of you forever. People will never forget that you were disgraced.”
