Jeremia 38
1 Shefania mwanakomana waMatani naGedharia mwanakomana waPashuri mwanakomana waMarikiya vakanzwa zvaitaurwa naJeremia kuvanhu vose paakati,
Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jucal son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur son of Malchijah heard what Jeremiah was telling everyone:
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: Anyone who remains in this city will die from war and famine and disease, but anyone who goes over to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be to save their lives.
3 Zvakare, zvanzi naJehovha: ‘Zvirokwazvo guta rino richaiswa mumaoko ehondo yamambo weBhabhironi, ndiye acharikunda.’”
This is what the Lord says: Be sure of this—Jerusalem will be handed over to the army of the king of Babylon. He is going to 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.”
The officers told the king, “This man deserves to die because he's demoralizing the defenders left in the city, and all the people too, by telling them this. This man isn't trying to help these people, he's only going to destroy them.”
5 Mambo Zedhekia akapindura akati, “Ari mumaoko enyu, Mambo haana zvaangagona kupikisana nemi.”
“Well, you can do whatever you want to him,” King Zedekiah replied. “I can't 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 put him in the cistern belonging to Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the guard's courtyard. They lowered Jeremiah down with ropes into the cistern. It didn't have any water, only mud, and Jeremiah sank into the mud.
7 Asi Ebhedhi-Mereki muEtiopia aiva muchinda mumuzinda woushe, akazvinzwa kuti vakanga vaisa Jeremia mugomba. Panguva yakanga yakagara mambo paSuo raBhenjamini,
Ebed-melech the Cushite, a royal official in the king's palace, found out that they had put Jeremiah in the cistern. The king was sitting at the Benjamin Gate,
8 Ebhedhi-Mereki akabuda mumuzinda woushe akati kwaari, “Ishe wangu mambo, varume ava vaita zvakaipa kwazvo pane zvose zvavaita kumuprofita Jeremia.
so Ebed-melech left the palace and went to talk to the king
9 Vamukanda mugomba umo maachaziya nenzara akafa kana chingwa chapera muguta.”
“My lord the king, all these terrible things these men have done to Jeremiah the prophet are evil. They've put him in the cistern, and he'll starve to death there because there's no more bread left 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 gave the order to Ebed-melech the Cushite, “Take thirty men with you and go 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.
Ebed-melech took the men and went to the storehouse under the palace. He took some rags and old clothes from there and then went to the cistern where he lowered them with ropes to Jeremiah.
12 Ebhedhi-Mereki muEtiopia akati kuna Jeremia, “Isa mamvemve nenguo dzakasakara idzi muhapwa dzako kuti zviputire tambo.” Jeremia akaita saizvozvo,
Ebed-melech the Cushite called down to Jeremiah, “Put these rags and old clothes under your arms to protect you from the ropes.” Jeremiah did so,
13 ndokubva vamukweva netambo ndokumubudisa kubva mugomba. Nokudaro Jeremia akaramba ari paruvazhe rwavarindi.
and using the ropes they pulled him up and took him out of the cistern. Jeremiah stayed there in the guard's courtyard.
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 met him at the third Temple entrance. “I need to ask you something,” the king told Jeremiah. “You mustn't hide anything from me.”
15 Jeremia akati kuna Zedhekia, “Kana ndikakupai mhinduro, hamuzondiurayi here? Kunyange ndikakupai zano, hamunganditeereri.”
“If I tell you then you'll definitely have me killed,” Jeremiah replied. “Even if I were to give you advice, you wouldn't listen to me anyway.”
16 Asi mambo Zedhekia akapikira Jeremia mhiko iyi pakavanda achiti, “Zvirokwazvo naJehovha mupenyu, iye akatipa mweya watinofema, handingakuurayi kana kukuisa mumaoko eavo vanotsvaka kukuuraya.”
King Zedekiah solemnly promised Jeremiah in private, “As the Lord lives, who gave us this life, I won't have you killed, and I won't hand you over to those who want to kill you.”
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 told Zedekiah, “This is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you hand yourself over to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you'll live. Jerusalem won't be burned down, and you and your family 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 don't hand yourself over to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given to the Babylonians. They will burn it down, and you yourself won't escape being captured.”
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 those people of Judah who have gone over to the Babylonians, because the Babylonians might hand me over the them so they could abuse me.”
20 Jeremia akati kwaari, “Havangakuisiyi kwavari. Teererai Jehovha nokuita zvandakuudzai. Ipapo zvichakunakirai imi, uye upenyu hwenyu huchararamiswa.
“They won't hand you over,” Jeremiah replied. “If you obey what the Lord says by doing what I tell you, then things will go well for you and you'll live.
21 Asi kana mukaramba kuzvipira, hezvino zvandakaratidzwa naJehovha.
But if you refuse to hand yourself over, this is what the Lord has told 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 are left in the palace of the king of Judah will be led out and handed over to the officials of the king of Babylon Those women will say: ‘Those good friends of yours! You were taken in by them and conquered by them. Your feet got stuck in the mid, so they abandoned 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 handed over to the Chaldeans. And you yourself will not escape, for you will be captured by the king of Babylon, and Jerusalem will be burned down.”
24 Ipapo Zedhekia akati kuna Jeremia, “Ngakurege kuva nomunhu anoziva zvatakurukura izvi nokuti ungafa.
Zedekiah warned Jeremiah, “Nobody can find out about this conversation, otherwise you'll 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 officers find out that I've talked with you, and they come and ask you, ‘Tell us what you and the king were talking about! Don't hide anything from us, or we'll kill you;’
26 ipapo uvaudze kuti, ‘Ndanga ndichikumbira kuna mambo kuti arege kundidzoserazve kuimba yaJonatani kuti ndinofirako.’”
then you are to tell them, ‘I was asking the king to grant my request not to 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 officers came to Jeremiah wanting to know, he repeated to them exactly what the king had told him to say. So they didn't ask him anything more because no one had heard what had been said.
28 Naizvozvo Jeremia akaramba ari muruvazhe rwavarindi kusvikira pazuva rakapambwa Jerusarema.
Jeremiah remained there in the guard's courtyard until the day Jerusalem was captured.
