Selemaia 40

1 Ko e folofola naʻe hoko meia Sihova kia Selemaia, hili hono tukuange ia mei Lama ʻe Nepusaatani ko e ʻeiki ʻoe kau leʻo, he naʻe haʻisia ʻaki ia ʻae maea ukamea fihifihi fakataha mo e kau pōpula kotoa pē ʻo Selūsalema mo Siuta, ʻaia naʻe ʻave fakapōpula ki Papilone.

[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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe he ʻeiki ʻoe kau leʻo kia Selemaia, “Kuo fakahā ʻe Sihova ko ho ʻOtua ʻae kovi ni, ki he potu ni.

[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 Pea ko eni, kuo fakahoko ia ʻe Sihova, pea kuo fai ʻo hangē ko ʻene folofola: koeʻuhi kuo mou fai angahala kia Sihova, pea ʻikai talangofua ki hono leʻo, ko ia kuo hoko ai ʻae meʻa ni kiate kimoutolu.

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 Pea ko eni, vakai, kuo u vete mei ho nima he ʻaho ni ʻae maea ukamea fihifihi. Pea kapau ʻoku lelei kiate koe ke tā ʻo mo au ki Papilone, haʻu; pea te u fai lelei kiate koe: pea kapau ʻoku kovi kiate koe ke tā ʻo mo au ki Papilone, tuku: vakai ʻoku ʻi ho ʻao ʻae fonua kotoa pē: pea ko e potu ʻoku lelei mo ʻaonga kiate koe ke ʻalu ki ai, ke ke ʻalu ki ai.”

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 Pea ʻi he teʻeki ai te ne liliu atu, naʻa ne pehē, “Ko ia ke ke nofo mo Ketalia ko e foha ʻo ʻAhikami ko e foha ʻo Safani, ʻaia naʻe fakanofo ʻe he tuʻi ʻo Papilone ke pule ki he ngaahi kolo ʻo Siuta, pea ke ke nofo mo ia mo e kakai: pe te ke ʻalu ki ha potu ʻoku lelei kiate koe ke ʻalu ki ai,” Pea naʻe foaki kiate ia ʻe he ʻeiki ʻoe kau leʻo ʻae ʻoho mo e totongi, pea tukuange ia.

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 Pea naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Selemaia kia Ketalia ko e foha ʻo ʻAhikami ʻi Misipa; ʻo nofo mo ia pea mo e kakai naʻe toe ʻi he fonua.

I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.

7 Pea ʻi he fanongo ʻae ʻeikitau kotoa pē ʻaia naʻe ʻi he ngaahi ngoue, ʻakinautolu mo honau kakai, kuo fakanofo ʻe he tuʻi ʻo Papilone ʻa Ketalia ko e foha ʻo ʻAhikami ke pule ʻi he fonua, pea kuo tukuange kiate ia ʻae kau tangata, mo e kau fefine, mo e fānau, pea mo e kakai masiva ʻoe fonua, ʻakinautolu naʻe ʻikai fetuku fakapōpula ki Papilone;

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 Naʻa nau haʻu kia Ketalia ʻi Misipa, ʻio, ko ʻIsimeʻeli ko e foha ʻo Natania, pea ko Sohanani mo Sonatani ko e ongo foha ʻo Kalia, pea ko Selaia ko e foha ʻo Tanumeti, pea ko e ngaahi foha ʻo ʻIfai ko e tangata Nitofa, pea mo Seasania ko e foha ʻoe tangata mei Meaka, ʻakinautolu mo honau kau tangata.

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 Pea naʻe fuakava kiate kinautolu mo ʻenau kakai ʻe Ketalia ko e foha ʻo ʻAhikami ko e foha ʻo Safani, ʻo pehē, “ʻOua naʻa mou manavahē ke tauhi ki he kau Kalitia: mou nofo ʻi he fonua, pea tauhi ʻae tuʻi ʻo Papilone, pea ʻe lelei ia kiate kimoutolu.

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 Pea ko eni, vakai, te u nofo ʻi Misipa, ke tauhi ʻae kau Kalitia, ʻakinautolu ʻe haʻu kiate kitautolu: ka ko kimoutolu, ke mou tānaki ʻae uaine, mo e ngaahi fua momoho, mo e lolo, pea tuku ia ki he ngaahi puha, pea nonofo ʻi homou ngaahi kolo ʻaia kuo mou maʻu.”

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 Pea kuo fanongo foki ʻae kau Siu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi Moape, pea ʻi he kau ʻAmoni, pea ʻi ʻItomi, pea mo kinautolu kotoa pē naʻe ʻi he ngaahi potu, kuo tuku ʻe he tuʻi ʻo Papilone ʻae toenga kakai ʻi Siuta, pea kuo fakanofo ke pule kiate kinautolu ʻa Ketalia ko e foha ʻo ʻAhikami ko e foha ʻo Safani;

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 Naʻe liliu mai ʻae kau Siu kotoa pē mei he ngaahi potu kotoa pē naʻe kapusi ʻakinautolu ki ai, ʻonau haʻu ki he fonua ʻo Siuta, kia Ketalia ʻi Misipa: pea naʻa nau tānaki ʻae uaine mo e ngaahi fua momoho ʻo lahi ʻaupito.

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 Pea naʻe haʻu kia Ketalia ʻi Misipa, ʻa Sohanani ko e foha ʻo Kalia, pea mo e houʻeiki kotoa pē ʻoe kau tau naʻe ʻi he ngoue.

[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 Pea nau pehē kiate ia, “ʻOku ke ʻilo pau kuo fekau ʻe Pelisi ko e tuʻi ʻoe kau ʻAmoni ʻa ʻIsimeʻeli ko e foha ʻo Natania ke tāmateʻi koe?” Ka naʻe ʻikai tui kiate kinautolu ʻe Ketalia ko e foha ʻo ʻAhikami.

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 Pea naʻe lea fakafufū ʻa Sohanani ko e foha ʻo Kalia kia Ketalia ʻi Misipa, ʻo pehē, “ʻOku ou kole kiate koe, tuku ke u ʻalu, pea te u tāmateʻi ʻa ʻIsimeʻeli ko e foha ʻo Natania, pea ʻe ʻikai ʻilo ia ʻe ha tangata ʻe tokotaha: te ne tāmateʻi koe, koeʻumaʻā; ke fakamovetevete ʻae kau Siu kotoa pē kuo fakataha kiate koe, pea ʻauha ʻae toenga kakai ʻi Siuta?”

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 Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Ketalia ko e foha ʻo ʻAhikami kia Sohanani ko e foha ʻo Kalia, “ʻE ʻikai te ke fai ʻae meʻa ni: he ʻoku ke lohiakiʻi ʻa ʻIsimeʻeli.”

But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”