Selemaia 1
1 Ko e ngaahi lea ʻa Selemaia, ko e foha ʻo Hilikia, ko e tokotaha ʻoe kau taulaʻeiki naʻe nofo ʻi ʻAnatoti ʻi he fonua ʻo Penisimani:
[I], Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, [am writing] these messages. [I am] a priest, from Anathoth [town] in the area where the tribe of Benjamin [lives].
2 ʻAia naʻe hoko ki ai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Siosaia, ko e foha ʻo ʻAmoni, ko e tuʻi ʻo Siuta, ʻi hono hongofulu ma tolu taʻu ʻo ʻene pule.
Yahweh started to give me these messages when Josiah had been ruling Judah for almost 13 years.
3 Naʻe hoko foki ia ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Sihoiakimi ko e foha ʻo Siosaia ko e tuʻi Siuta, ʻo aʻu ki hono fakaʻosi hono hongofulu ma taha taʻu ʻo Setikia ko e foha ʻo Siosaia ko e tuʻi ʻo Siuta, ʻo aʻu ki hono ʻave fakapōpula ʻa Selūsalema ʻi hono nima māhina.
Yahweh continued to give me more messages when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was the king, and he continued to do that until Zedekiah had been the king of Judah for almost eleven years. It was in August of that year that the people of Jerusalem were (exiled/taken as prisoners) [to Babylonia].
4 Pea naʻe toki hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻo pehē,
[One day] Yahweh gave me this message:
5 “Naʻaku ʻilo koe ʻi he teʻeki ai te u fakatupu koe ʻi he fatu; pea naʻaku fakatapui koe, pea tuʻutuʻuni koe, ko e palōfita ki he ngaahi puleʻanga, ʻi he teʻeki ai te ke haʻu mei he manāva.”
“I knew you before I [finished] forming you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born, I (set you apart/chose you) and I appointed you to be [my] prophet [whose messages would be] for [all] nations.”
6 Pea naʻaku toki pehē, “ʻOiauē! ʻE ʻEiki ko Sihova! Vakai, ʻOku ʻikai te u faʻa lea: he ko e tamasiʻi au.”
I replied, “O, Yahweh my God, I am [not qualified to] speak [for you], because I am very young!”
7 Ka naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate au, “ʻOua naʻa ke pehē, ko e tamasiʻi koe: ka ke ʻalu kiate kinautolu kotoa pē ʻoku ou fekau koe ki ai, pea ko ia te u fekau kiate koe ke ke lea ʻaki.
Yahweh replied, “Do not say that, because you must go to everyone to whom I will send you, and you must tell them everything that I tell you to say.
8 Pea ʻoua naʻa ke manavahē ki honau mata: he ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, ʻoku ou ʻiate koe, ke fakamoʻui koe.”
And you must not be afraid of the people [to whom you will speak], because I will protect you [from being harmed by them]. [This will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
9 Pea naʻe toki mafao mai ʻe Sihova hono nima, ʻo ala ki hoku ngutu. Pea pehē mai ʻe Sihova kiate au, “Vakai, ʻoku ou ʻai ʻeku ngaahi lea ki ho ngutu.
Then [it was as though] Yahweh touched my mouth and said, “Listen to me! I am (putting my message into your mouth/telling you what you must speak).
10 Vakai, Kuo u foaki kiate koe ʻi he ʻaho ni ʻae mālohi ki he ngaahi kakai, mo e ngaahi puleʻanga, ke taʻaki, mo veteki, ke fakaʻauha, mo lī ki lalo, ke langa hake, mo tō.”
Today I am appointing you to warn nations and kingdoms. You will tell them that I will completely destroy and get rid of [DOU] some of them and that I will establish [MET] others and cause them to be strong.”
11 Pea naʻe hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova kiate au, ʻo pehē, “ʻE Selemaia, ko e hā ʻoku ke mamata ki ai?” Pea naʻaku pehē, “ʻOku ou mamata ki he vaʻa ʻoe ʻakau ko e ʻalimoni.”
Then Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.”
12 Pea naʻe pehē mai ʻe Sihova kiate au, “Kuo ke mamata totonu: he te u fakavave ʻeku lea ke fakahoko ia.”
Yahweh said, “That is correct. And [because the word for ‘almond’ resembles the word for ‘watching’], it means that I am watching [what will happen], and I will make certain that what I have said to you [about destroying nations] will happen.”
13 Pea naʻe hoko mai ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova ʻo liunga ua kiate au, ʻo pehē, “Ko e hā ʻoku ke mamata ki ai?” Pea naʻaku pehē, “ʻOku ou mamata ki he kulo vela; ʻoku hanga mai hono ngutu mei he tokelau.”
[Then] Yahweh spoke to me again and said, “What do you see [now]?” I replied, “I see a pot full of boiling [water] [MTY]. It is tipping [toward me] from the north.”
14 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate au, “ʻE tupu mei he tokelau ʻae kovi ki he kakai kotoa pē ʻoe fonua.
Yahweh replied, “[Yes! It means that] from the north great trouble/destruction will [spread] [MET] over this land, [like boiling water] [MET] pouring [from a pot].
15 He, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, Vakai, te u ui ki he faʻahinga kotoa pē ʻoe ngaahi puleʻanga ʻi he tokelau; “pea te nau haʻu, pea te nau taki taha nofo ʻi hono nofoʻanga ʻi he hūʻanga ki he ngaahi matapā ʻo Selūsalema, pea ki hono ngaahi ʻā kotoa pē ʻo takatakai, pea ki he ngaahi kolo kotoa pē ʻo Siuta.
Listen to what I say: I am summoning [the armies of] kingdoms that will come from the north [of Judah] to Jerusalem. Their kings will set up their thrones at the gates of this city [to indicate that they are now the kings of Judah]. [Their armies] will attack [and break down] the walls of this city, and [they will do the same thing to] all the [other] towns in Judah.
16 Pea te u fakahā ʻeku ngaahi tautea kiate kinautolu, koeʻuhi ko ʻenau angahala kotoa pē, he kuo nau liʻaki au, pea tutu ʻae meʻa namu kakala ki he ngaahi ʻotua kehe, pea tauhi ki he ngaahi ngāue ʻa honau nima.
I will punish [MTY] my people because of all the evil things that they have done; they have abandoned me and they worship gods/idols. They worship idols that they have made with their own hands!
17 “Ko ia ke ke nonoʻo hoʻo noʻotanga vala, pea tuʻu hake, pea lea ʻaki kiate kinautolu ʻaia kotoa pē ʻoku ou fekau kiate koe: pea ʻoua naʻa ke manavahē ki honau mata, telia naʻaku fakamaaʻi koe ʻi honau ʻao.
So, get up and put on your clothes [to get ready for action]! Then go to the people of Judah and tell them everything that I tell you to say. Do not be afraid of them, because [if you are afraid of them], I will cause you to be truly terrified in front of them!
18 He vakai, kuo u ngaohi koe he ʻaho ni ko e kolo kuo teu ki he tau, ko e pou ukamea, ko e ngaahi ʻā palasa, ki he fonua kotoa pē, ki he ngaahi tuʻi ʻo Siuta, mo hono houʻeiki, pea ki hono kau taulaʻeiki, pea mo e kakai kotoa pē ʻoe fonua.
But listen! I will cause you to be [strong, like] [MET] a city that has strong walls around it. You will be [as strong as] [MET] an iron pillar or a bronze wall. None of the kings or officials or priests will be able to defeat you.
19 Pea te nau tauʻi koe; ka ʻe ʻikai te nau mālohi kiate koe;” he ʻoku pehē mai ʻe Sihova, “ʻOku ou ʻiate koe, ke fakamoʻui koe.”
They will oppose you, but they will not be able to defeat you, because I will be with you and will protect you. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it!”
