Selemaia 21

1 Ko e folofola naʻe hoko kia Selemaia meia Sihova, ʻi he fekau kiate ia ʻe he tuʻi ko Setikia ʻa Pasuli ko e foha ʻo Malikia, mo Sefania ko e foha ʻo Māseia ko e taulaʻeiki, ʻo pehē,

This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord when King Zedekiah sent Pashhur, son of Malchijah, and the priest Zephaniah, son of Maaseiah to talk with him. They said,

2 “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, ke ke hūfia ʻakimautolu kia Sihova; he ʻoku teu tau kiate kimautolu ʻa Nepukanesa ko e tuʻi ʻo Papilone; heiʻilo ʻe fai ʻe Sihova kiate kitautolu ʻo hangē ko ʻene ngaahi ngāue fakaofo kotoa pē, koeʻuhi ke ne ʻalu atu ʻiate kitautolu.”

“Please speak with Lord on our behalf because Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon is attacking us. Perhaps the Lord will do some miracle for us like all those miracles he used to do, so that Nebuchadnezzar will retreat from us.”

3 Pea naʻe toki lea ʻa Selemaia kiate kinautolu, Te mou lea pehē kia Setikia:

But Jeremiah replied, “Tell Zedekiah this:

4 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli; “Vakai, te u fakatafoki ʻae ngaahi meʻa tau ʻoku ʻi homou nima, ʻaia ʻoku mou tau ʻaki ki he tuʻi ʻo Papilone, mo e kau Kalitia, ʻakinautolu ʻoku tauʻi ʻakimoutolu mei tuaʻā, pea te u fakataha ʻakinautolu ki loto kolo ni.

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I'm going to turn the weapons you're holding against you, the weapons you're using to fight the king of Babylon and the Babylonian army outside the wall besieging you. I'm going to bring them right into the center of this city.

5 Pea ko au te u tauʻi kimoutolu ʻaki ʻae nima mafao atu pea mo e nima mālohi, ʻio, ʻi he ʻita, pea mo e houhau kakaha, pea mo e tuputāmaki lahi.

I myself will fight against you with all my power and might, with the full force of my furious anger.

6 Pea te u taaʻi ʻae kakai ʻoe kolo ni, ko e tangata mo e manu: pea te nau mate ʻi he mahaki fakaʻauha.

I will kill those living in this city, human beings and animals. They will die from a terrible plague.

7 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, Hili ia te u tukuange ʻa Setikia ko e tuʻi ʻo Siuta, mo ʻene kau tamaioʻeiki, pea mo e kakai, pea mo kinautolu ʻi he kolo kuo hao mei he mahaki fakaʻauha, mo e heletā, pea mo e honge, ki he nima ʻo Nepukanesa ko e tuʻi ʻo Papilone, pea ki he nima ʻo honau ngaahi fili, pea ki honau nima ʻoku kumi ʻenau moʻui: pea te nau taaʻi ʻakinautolu ʻaki ʻae mata ʻoe heletā: ʻe ʻikai te ne ʻofa kiate kinautolu, pea ʻe ʻikai te ne fakamoʻui, pea ʻe ʻikai te ne fai ʻaloʻofa.”

After that, declares the Lord, I'm going to hand you over, Zedekiah king of Judah, as well as your officers and the people who are left in this city after the plague and war and famine, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to your enemies who want you dead. He will attack you; he won't spare you or show you any pity or mercy.

8 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, ke ke pehē ki he kakai ni, “Vakai ʻoku tuku ʻi homou ʻao ʻae hala ki he moʻui, pea mo e hala ki he mate.

Tell the people this as well: This is what the Lord says: Look, I'm placing before you the path of life and the path of death.

9 Ko ia ʻoku nofo ʻi he kolo ni te ne mate ʻi he heletā, pea ʻi he honge, pea ʻi he mahaki fakaʻauha: ka ko ia ʻoku ʻalu kituʻa ʻā ʻo hola ki he kau Kalitia, ʻakinautolu ʻoku kāpui ʻakimoutolu, te ne moʻui, pea ʻe ʻiate ia ʻene moʻui ʻo hangē ko e koloa.

If you stay in this city you'll die either by sword and famine and plague, but if you leave and surrender to the Babylonians who are besieging you, you will live. In fact it will be like gaining your life as plunder from a war.

10 He ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, kuo u hanga ki he kolo ni, ke fakahoko ki ai ʻae kovi, kae ʻikai ko e lelei: ʻe tukuange ia ki he nima ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Papilone, pea te ne tutu ia ʻaki ʻae afi.”

For I am determined to bring disaster on this city, and not blessings, declares the Lord. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, who will destroy it with fire.

11 Pea ko e meʻa ʻoku kau ki he fale ʻoe tuʻi ʻo Siuta, Mou fanongo ki he folofola ʻa Sihova.

In addition tell the royal family of the king of Judah to listen to the Lord's message:

12 ‌ʻE fale ʻo Tevita, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova; Fai fakatoʻotoʻo ʻae fakamaau, pea fakamoʻui ia kuo fakamālohia mei he nima ʻoe fakamālohi, telia naʻa ʻalu atu ʻa ʻeku houhau kakaha ʻo hangē ko e afi ʻo vela, pea ʻe ʻikai ha taha ʻe faʻa fuʻifuʻi ia, koeʻuhi ko e kovi ʻo hoʻomou ngaahi faianga.

Descendants of David, this is what the Lord says: Make sure you judge fairly every day. Protect those who are being unjustly treated from those corrupt people, otherwise because of their evil actions my anger will blaze out like fire that can't be put out.

13 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “Vakai, ʻoku ou fai mo koe, ʻa koe ʻoku ke nofo ʻi he teleʻa, pea mo e maka ʻi he toafa; ʻakimoutolu ʻoku pehē, ko hai ʻe tauʻi ʻakimautolu? Pe ko hai ʻe hū ki homau nofoʻanga?”

Watch out, because I'm going to fight against you people who live above the valley on top of a flat rock, declares the Lord. You say, ‘Who can attack us? Who can break down our defenses?’

14 ‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “Te u tautea kiate kimoutolu ʻo tatau mo e fua ʻo hoʻomou ngaahi faianga; pea te u tutu ʻae afi ʻi hono vao ʻakau, pea te ne fakaʻauha ʻae ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē ʻoku takatakai ia.”

I'm going to punish you as you deserve for what you've done, declares the Lord. I will set your forest on fire and it will burn up everything around you.”