Jeremia 38
1 Shefania mwanakomana waMatani naGedharia mwanakomana waPashuri mwanakomana waMarikiya vakanzwa zvaitaurwa naJeremia kuvanhu vose paakati,
Now Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard that Jeremiah had been telling all the people:
2 “Zvanzi naJehovha: ‘Ani naani achagara muguta rino achafa nomunondo, nenzara kana denda, asi ani naani achazvipira kuvaBhabhironi achararama. Achatiza noupenyu hwake; achararama.’
“This is what the LORD says: Whoever stays in this city will die by sword and famine and plague, but whoever surrenders to the Chaldeans will live; he will retain his life like a spoil of war, and he will live.
3 Zvakare, zvanzi naJehovha: ‘Zvirokwazvo guta rino richaiswa mumaoko ehondo yamambo weBhabhironi, ndiye acharikunda.’”
This is what the LORD says: This city will surely be delivered into the hands of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”
4 Ipapo machinda akati kuna mambo, “Munhu uyu anofanira kufa. Ari kuodza mwoyo yavarwi vakasara muguta rino, pamwe chete navanhu vose, nezvinhu zvaanotaura kwavari. Uyu munhu haatsvaki zvakanakira vanhu ava asi kuparadzwa kwavo.”
Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
5 Mambo Zedhekia akapindura akati, “Ari mumaoko enyu, Mambo haana zvaangagona kupikisana nemi.”
“Here he is,” replied King Zedekiah. “He is in your hands, since the king can do nothing to stop you.”
6 Saka vakatora Jeremia vakamuisa mugomba raMarikiya, mwanakomana wamambo, rakanga riri muruvazhe rwavarindi. Vakaburutsira Jeremia mugomba netambo: rakanga risina mvura mariri, asi madhaka bedzi, nokudaro Jeremia akanyura mumadhaka.
So they took Jeremiah and dropped him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah with ropes into the cistern, which had no water but only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
7 Asi Ebhedhi-Mereki muEtiopia aiva muchinda mumuzinda woushe, akazvinzwa kuti vakanga vaisa Jeremia mugomba. Panguva yakanga yakagara mambo paSuo raBhenjamini,
Now Ebed-melech the Cushite, a court official in the royal palace, heard that Jeremiah had been put into the cistern. While the king was sitting at the Gate of Benjamin,
8 Ebhedhi-Mereki akabuda mumuzinda woushe akati kwaari, “Ishe wangu mambo, varume ava vaita zvakaipa kwazvo pane zvose zvavaita kumuprofita Jeremia.
Ebed-melech went out from the king’s palace and said to the king,
9 Vamukanda mugomba umo maachaziya nenzara akafa kana chingwa chapera muguta.”
“My lord the king, these men have acted wickedly in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet. They have dropped him into the cistern, where he will starve to death, for there is no more bread in the city.”
10 Ipapo mambo akarayira Ebhedhi-Mereki muEtiopia, akati, “Tora varume makumi matatu pano uende navo munobudisa muprofita Jeremia mugomba asati afa.”
So the king commanded Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men from here with you and pull Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.”
11 Saka Ebhedhi-Mereki akatora varume akaenda navo kumba yaiva pasi pechivigiro chepfuma mumuzinda wamambo. Akatorawo mamvemve nenguo tsaru kubva ipapo ndokuzvidzikisa pasi netambo kuna Jeremia mugomba.
Then Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the king’s palace, to a place below the storehouse. From there he took old rags and worn-out clothes and lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah in the cistern.
12 Ebhedhi-Mereki muEtiopia akati kuna Jeremia, “Isa mamvemve nenguo dzakasakara idzi muhapwa dzako kuti zviputire tambo.” Jeremia akaita saizvozvo,
Ebed-melech the Cushite cried out to Jeremiah, “Put these worn-out rags and clothes under your arms to pad the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,
13 ndokubva vamukweva netambo ndokumubudisa kubva mugomba. Nokudaro Jeremia akaramba ari paruvazhe rwavarindi.
and they pulled him up with the ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard.
14 Ipapo mambo Zedhekia akatuma nhume akauyisa muprofita Jeremia pamukova wechitatu wokupinda patemberi yaJehovha. Mambo akati kuna Jeremia, “Ndinoda kukubvunza chimwe chinhu. Usandivanzira chinhu.”
Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance to the house of the LORD. “I am going to ask you something,” said the king to Jeremiah. “Do not hide anything from me.”
15 Jeremia akati kuna Zedhekia, “Kana ndikakupai mhinduro, hamuzondiurayi here? Kunyange ndikakupai zano, hamunganditeereri.”
“If I tell you,” Jeremiah replied, “you will surely put me to death. And even if I give you advice, you will not listen to me.”
16 Asi mambo Zedhekia akapikira Jeremia mhiko iyi pakavanda achiti, “Zvirokwazvo naJehovha mupenyu, iye akatipa mweya watinofema, handingakuurayi kana kukuisa mumaoko eavo vanotsvaka kukuuraya.”
But King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has given us this life, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of these men who are seeking your life.”
17 Ipapo Jeremia akati kuna Zedhekia, “Zvanzi naJehovha Mwari Wamasimba Ose, Mwari waIsraeri: ‘Kana ukazvipira kuvaranda vamambo weBhabhironi, upenyu hwenyu hucharwirwa uye guta rino haringapiswi; imi nemhuri muchararama.
Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “This is what the LORD God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you indeed surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned down, and you and your household will survive.
18 Asi kana mukaramba kuzvipira kuvaranda vamambo weBhabhironi, guta rino richaiswa mumaoko avaBhabhironi uye vacharipisa; nemi pachenyu hamungapukunyuki pamaoko avo.’”
But if you do not surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans. They will burn it down, and you yourself will not escape their grasp.’”
19 Mambo Zedhekia akati kuna Jeremia, “Ndinotya vaJudha vakaenda kuvaBhabhironi, kuti vaBhabhironi vangangondiisa mumaoko avo vakandiitira zvakaipa.”
But King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Jews who have deserted to the Chaldeans, for the Chaldeans may deliver me into their hands to abuse me.”
20 Jeremia akati kwaari, “Havangakuisiyi kwavari. Teererai Jehovha nokuita zvandakuudzai. Ipapo zvichakunakirai imi, uye upenyu hwenyu huchararamiswa.
“They will not hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “Obey the voice of the LORD in what I am telling you, that it may go well with you and you may live.
21 Asi kana mukaramba kuzvipira, hezvino zvandakaratidzwa naJehovha.
But if you refuse to surrender, this is the word that the LORD has shown me:
22 Vakadzi vose vakasara mumuzinda wamambo weJudha vachabudiswa vachiendeswa kumachinda amambo weBhabhironi. Vakadzi ivavo vachati kwamuri: “‘Vakakutsausai uye vakakukundai, ivo shamwari dzamaivimba nadzo. Tsoka dzenyu dzanyura mumadhaka; shamwari dzenyu dzakakutizai.’
All the women who remain in the palace of the king of Judah will be brought out to the officials of the king of Babylon, and those women will say: ‘They misled you and overcame you— those trusted friends of yours. Your feet sank into the mire, and they deserted you.’
23 “Vakadzi venyu vose navana vachabudiswa vachiendeswa kuvaBhabhironi. Nemi pachenyu hamungapukunyuki mumaoko avo, asi muchabatwa namambo weBhabhironi; uye guta rino richapiswa.”
All your wives and children will be brought out to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape their grasp, for you will be seized by the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned down.”
24 Ipapo Zedhekia akati kuna Jeremia, “Ngakurege kuva nomunhu anoziva zvatakurukura izvi nokuti ungafa.
Then Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Do not let anyone know about this conversation, or you will die.
25 Kana machinda akanzwa kuti ndakataura newe, vakauya kwauri vachiti, ‘Tiudze zvawataura kuna mambo uye zvarehwa namambo kwauri; usativanzira kuti tirege kukuuraya,’
If the officials hear that I have spoken with you, and they come and demand of you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what he said to you; do not hide it from us, or we will kill you,’
26 ipapo uvaudze kuti, ‘Ndanga ndichikumbira kuna mambo kuti arege kundidzoserazve kuimba yaJonatani kuti ndinofirako.’”
then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”
27 Machinda ose akauya kuna Jeremia ndokumubvunza, iye akavaudza zvinhu zvose zvaakanga arayirwa namambo kuti ataure. Naizvozvo vakarega kutaura naye zvakare, nokuti hapana akanga anzwa zvaakanga akurukura namambo.
When all the officials came to Jeremiah and questioned him, he relayed to them the exact words the king had commanded him to say. So they said no more to him, for no one had overheard the conversation.
28 Naizvozvo Jeremia akaramba ari muruvazhe rwavarindi kusvikira pazuva rakapambwa Jerusarema.
And Jeremiah remained in the courtyard of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
