Ermiyaas 40
1 Erga Nebuzaradaan ajajaan eegumsaa sun Raamaatti gad isa dhiisee booddee dubbiin kun Waaqayyo biraa gara Ermiyaas dhufe. Ajajaan sun isaa boojiʼamtoota Yerusaalemii fi Yihuudaadhaa boojiʼamanii gara Baabilonitti geeffamaa turan hunda gidduutti foncaan hidhamee jiru Ermiyaasin arge.
[The soldiers from Babylonia] captured me and many other people from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. They [planned to] take us to Babylon. So they fastened chains around our wrists and took us to Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. While we were there, I was released. [This is how it happened]:
2 Ajajaan eegumsaa sunis yommuu Ermiyaasin argetti akkana jedheen; “Waaqayyo Waaqni kee badiisa kana iddoo kanatti labseera.
[Nebuzaradan, ] the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, [found that I was there]. He summoned me and said to me, “Yahweh your God said that he would cause this land to experience a disaster.
3 Waaqayyo amma iyyuu waan kana fideera; inni akkuma dubbate sana godheera. Sababii isin Waaqayyotti cubbuu hojjettanii fi isaaf hin ajajaminiif wanni kun hundi taʼe.
And now he has caused it to happen. He has done just what he said [that he would do], because you people sinned against Yahweh and refused to obey him.
4 Ani garuu harʼa foncaa harka keetii sirraa hiikeera. Ati yoo na wajjin Baabilon dhaquu feete kottu; anis sin kunuunsaa; yoo fedhuu baatte garuu hin dhufin. Kunoo biyyattiin guutumaan guutuutti fuula kee dura jirti; iddoo jaallatte dhaqi.”
But today I am going to take the chains off your wrists and release you. If you want to come with me to Babylon, [that will be fine]. I will take care of you. But if you do not want to come with me, do not come. [Stay here]. Look, the entire country is available; you can choose whatever part you want to go to. You can go wherever you wish.” [Then he took the chains off my wrists].
5 Taʼus utuu Ermiyaas of irra hin deebiʼin Nebuzaradaan itti dabalee, “Gara Gedaaliyaas ilma Shaafaan ilma Ahiiqaam isa mootichi Baabilon magaalaawwan Yihuudaa irratti muude sanaa deebiʼiitii isa wajjin saba keessa jiraadhu, yookaan iddoo jaallatte kam iyyuu dhaqi” jedheen. Akkasiin ajajaan eegumsaa sun galaa fi kennaa kenneefii gad isa dhiise.
He said, “If you [decide to] stay here, go to Gedaliah. The King of Babylon appointed him to be the governor of Judah. [You will be allowed to] stay here with the people [that he is governing]. But you can do whatever you want to.” Then Nebuzaradan gave me some food and some money, and he allowed me to go.
6 Kanaafuu Ermiyaas gara Gedaaliyaas ilma Ahiiqaam kan Miisphaa jiraatu sanaa dhaqee isa wajjin saba biyya sanatti hafe gidduu jiraate.
I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.
7 Ajajjoonni loltootaa hundii fi namoonni isaanii kanneen hamma yeroo sanaatti ala turan yeroo akka mootichi Baabilon Gedaaliyaas ilma Ahiiqaam sana bulchaa kutaa biyyaa godhee muudee fi akka inni dhiiraa dubartii fi ijoollee hiyyeeyyii kanneen boojiʼamanii gara Baabilonitti hin geeffamin irratti itti gaafatama kenneef dhagaʼanitti,
The [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] were roaming around in the countryside. Then their leaders heard someone say that the King of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to be the governor of the very poor people [who were still in Judah], who had not been taken to Babylon.
8 Gedaaliyaas bira gara Miisphaa dhufan. Isaanis Ishmaaʼeel ilma Naataaniyaa, Yoohaanaanii fi Yoonaataan ilmaan Qaareyaa, Seraayaa ilma Tanhumeeti, ilmaan Eefayi namicha Netoof sanaatii fi Yezaaniyaa ilma namicha Maʼakaat, akkasumas namoota isaanii turan.
So they went [to talk] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [Those who went included] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophath, and Jezaniah from Maacah, and the soldiers who were with them.
9 Gedaaliyaas ilmi Shaafaan, ilmi Ahiiqaam akkana jedhee isaanii fi namoota isaaniitiif kakate; “Baabilonota tajaajiluu hin sodaatinaa; biyyattii keessa qubadhaatii mooticha Baabilon tajaajilaa; waan gaariitu isinii taʼaatii.
Gedaliah solemnly promised that the soldiers from Babylonia would not harm them. He said, “Do not be afraid to do things for them. Stay [here] in this land and do things for the King of Babylon. If you do that, things will go well for you.
10 Ani mataan koo fuula Baabilonota gara keenya dhufanii duratti iddoo keessan buʼuuf Miisphaa keessa nan tura; isin garuu wayinii, ija bonaatii fi zayitii walitti qabaatii gombisaatti naqadhaa; magaalaawwan qabattan keessas jiraadhaa.”
As for me, I will stay [here] at Mizpah to be your representative to the [officials from] Babylonia who come to [talk with] us. But you should [return to your towns, and eat the things that are produced on your land]. Harvest the grapes and the fruit [that ripen in] the (summer/hot season) and the olives, [make wine and olive oil, ] and store it.”
11 Yihuudoonni Moʼaab, Amoon, Edoomii fi biyyoota biraa hunda keessa jiraatan hundi yommuu akka mootiin Baabilon Yihuudaa keessatti hambaa hambisee fi akka inni Gedaaliyaas ilma Shaafaan ilma Ahiiqaam bulchaa godhee isaan irratti muude dhagaʼanitti,
Then the Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other [nearby] countries heard people say that the King of Babylon had allowed a few people [to remain] in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah to be their governor.
12 hundi isaanii biyyoota itti bittinnaaʼan hunda keessaa baʼanii Yihuudaatti deebiʼanii Miisphaatti Gedaaliyaas bira dhufan. Isaanis wayinii fi ija bonaa baayʼee walitti qabatan.
So they [began to] return to Judah. They stopped at Mizpah to [talk with] Gedaliah. Then [they went to various places in Judea, and] they harvested a great amount of grapes and summer fruit.
13 Yeroo kanatti Yoohaanaan ilmi Qaareyaatii fi ajajjoonni loltoota ala turanii hundi Gedaaliyaas bira Miisphaa dhaqanii,
[Some time later, ] Johanan and all the [other] leaders of the Israeli soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
14 akkana jedhaniin; “Ati akka mootiin Amoonotaa Baʼaaliis jedhamu sun si ajjeesuuf jedhee, Ishmaaʼeel ilma Naataaniyaa erge hin beektuu?” Gedaaliyaas ilmi Ahiiqaam garuu isaan hin amanne.
They said to him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammon [people-group], has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe what they said.
15 Kana irratti Yoohaanaan ilmi Qaareyaa Miisphaa keessatti Gedaaliyaasin kophaatti baasee akkana jedheen; “Akka ani dhaqee Ishmaaʼeel ilma Naataaniyaa sana ajjeesu naa eeyyami; namni tokko iyyuu waan kana hin beeku. Inni maaliif si ajjeesee akka Yihuudoonni naannoo keetti walitti qabaman hundi bittinneeffamanii hambaan Yihuudaas barbadaaʼu godha?”
Later Johanan talked with Gedaliah privately. He said, “Allow me to go and murder Ishmael secretly. It would not be good [RHQ] to allow him to come and murder you! If you are killed, what will happen to all the Jews who have returned to this area? They will be scattered, and the other people who remain in Judah will all be killed!”
16 Gedaaliyaas ilmi Ahiiqaam garuu, Yoohaanaan ilma Qaareyaatiin, “Ati waan akkasii hin hojjetin! Wanni ati waaʼee Ishmaaʼeel dubbattu kun dhugaa mitii” jedhe.
But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”
