The Land Dries Up
1 When there had been no rain for a long time, the Lord told me to say to the people:
2 Judah and Jerusalem weep
as the land dries up.
3 Rulers send their servants
to the storage pits for water.
But there's none to be found;
they return in despair
with their jars still empty.
4 There has been no rain,
and farmers feel sick
as they watch cracks appear
in the dry ground.
5 A deer gives birth in a field,
then abandons her newborn fawn
and leaves in search of grass.
6 Wild donkeys go blind
from starvation.
So they stand on barren hilltops
and sniff the air,
hoping to smell green grass.
The Lord's People Pray
7 We rejected you and did evil,
so we deserve to be punished.
But if you rescue us, Lord,
everyone will see
how great you are.
8 You're our only hope;
you alone can save us now.
You help us one day,
but you're gone the next.
9 Did this disaster
take you by surprise?
Are you a warrior
with your hands tied?
You have chosen us,
and your temple is here.
Don't abandon us!
The Lord's Answer
10 My people,
you love to wander away;
you don't even try
to stay close to me.
So now I will reject you
and punish you for your sins.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Lying Prophets
11 The Lord said, “Jeremiah, don't ask me to help these people. 12 They may even go without eating and offer sacrifices to please me and to give thanks. But when they cry out for my help, I won't listen, and I won't accept their sacrifices. Instead, I'll send war, starvation, and disease to wipe them out.”
13 I replied, “The other prophets keep telling everyone that you won't send starvation or war, and that you're going to give us peace.”
14 The Lord answered:
They claim to speak for me, but they're lying! I didn't even speak to them, much less choose them to be my prophets. Their messages come from worthless dreams, useless fortunetelling, and their own imaginations.
15 Those lying prophets say there will be peace and plenty of food. But I say that those same prophets will die from war and hunger. 16 And everyone who listens to them will be killed, just as they deserve. Their dead bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, because their families will also be dead, and no one will be left to bury them.
17 Jeremiah, go and tell the people how you feel about all this.
So I told them:
“Tears will flood my eyes
both day and night,
because my nation suffers
from a deadly wound.
18 In the fields I see the bodies
of those killed in battle.
And in the towns I see crowds
dying of hunger.
But the prophets and priests
go about their business,
without understanding
what has happened.”
Jeremiah Prays to the Lord
19 Have you rejected Judah, Lord?
Do you hate Jerusalem?
Why did you strike down Judah
with a fatal wound?
We had hoped for peace
and a time of healing,
but all we got was terror.
20 We and our ancestors are guilty
of rebelling against you.
21 If you save us, it will show
how great you are.
Don't let our enemies
disgrace your temple,
your beautiful throne.
Don't forget that you promised
to rescue us.
22 Idols can't send rain,
and showers don't fall
by themselves.
Only you control the rain,
so we put our trust in you,
the Lord our God.
Jaa keta Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ
1 Yaawe* la ñiŋ kumakaŋo le naata nte Yeremiya kaŋ
jaa la kuwo to:
2 “Yahuuda bee be kumboo kaŋ,
a saatewolu moolu be koririŋ ne.
Jee moolu be laariŋ bankoo to niitooroo kono,
aduŋ Yerusalaamu lembakaŋo taata santo le.
3 A fankamaalu ye ì la dookuulaalu kii jiibiyo la,
ì taata koloŋolu to,
bari ì maŋ jii soto,
ì niŋ ì la keraŋ kenseŋolu muruta naŋ.
Ì maluta le fo ì keñaa bota ì kono,
ì ye ì kuŋolu biti.
4 Samaajiyo la kebaliyaa bankoo kaŋ,
a ye a tinna le bankoo jaata kawu,
senelaalu maluta katiri waatoo,
ì ye ì kuŋolu biti.
5 Hani wuloo kono,
minaŋo ye a koo dii a diŋ wuluukutoo la le,
kaatu ñaamoo maŋ soto.
6 Wulakono faloolu ka loo santo konko dapewolu to,
ì ka i niijii ko kunkuwuloolu,
ì ñaalu ka kori,
bari ì buka ñaama je.”
7 Yahuuda moolu ko,
“Ǹ na junuboolu ye jalayiroo laa ǹ kaŋ ñaa-wo-ñaa,
Yaawe, kuu ke i too la kuwo kamma la.
Ŋà ǹ koo dii i la le siiñaa jamaa,
aduŋ ŋà junube kuwo le ke i la.
8 Ite le mu Banisirayila jikoo ti,
ite le mu a Kiisandirilaa ti mantoora waatoo kono.
Muŋ ne ye a tinna i keta m̀ fee
komeŋ tumarankewo, ñiŋ bankoo kaŋ,
komeŋ luntaŋo meŋ jiyaata ka suutoo doroŋ laa?
9 Muŋ ne ye a tinna
i keta m̀ fee ko ì ye moo meŋ piwundi,
komeŋ kelejawaroo meŋ semboo banta,
a te tankandiri ke noo la?
Hani wo, ite Yaawe be sabatiriŋ ǹ kono le,
aduŋ i too le ka fo ǹ kunna.
Kana i koo dii ǹ na.”
10 Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo Yahuuda moolu ma ko:
“Ñiŋ moolu ye ñiŋ ne kanu baake,
ka jenke ka bo siloo kaŋ,
ì buka ì siŋo sabatindi.
Wo le ye a tinna
nte Yaawe maŋ ì la kuwo muta kotenke.
Silaŋ n hakiloo be muru la ì la kuu jawoolu kaŋ ne,
ŋa ì kuluu ì la junuboolu la.”
11 Yaawe ko n ye ko, “Kana kayiroo duwaa ñiŋ moolu ye. 12 Hani ì si suŋ ka woosii n ye, n te ì lamoyi la. Hani ì si jani sadaalu* niŋ siimaŋ sadaalu bondi n ye, n te ì muta la ì ye. Bari m be meŋ ke la, wo le mu ka ì kasaara niŋ hawusaroo* la, konkoo, aniŋ alibalaa kuuraŋo.”
13 Bari nte ye ñiŋ ne fo ko, “Hee Yaawe Alla, annabiyomoolu le ka ñiŋ kiilaariyaa kumoolu fo ì ye ko, ì ñaa te hani hawusari kele je la, waraŋ ka konko, kaatu Yaawe be a je la le ko, ì ye tu kayiroo kono jaŋ.”
14 Bituŋ Yaawe ko n ye ko: “Annabiyomoolu ka faniyaalu le fo n tooyaa la. Nte maŋ ì kii, sako n si ì yaamari, waraŋ ka diyaamu ì ye. Ì ka kiilaariyaa kumoolu mennu fo ko, wolu le naata ì ye jeroo kono, faniyaa le mu, aniŋ ì la bitaari kenseŋolu, mennu mu ì faŋolu sondomoolu kono neeneeri kuwolu ti.
15 “Wo kamma la nte Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo annabiyomoolu ma, mennu ka kiilaariyaa kumoolu fo n tooyaa la: Nte maŋ ì kii, hani wo, ì ka a fo ko hawusari kele te naa ñiŋ bankoo kaŋ. Ì ka a fo ko, konkoo te boyi la ñiŋ bankoo kaŋ. Wo to konkoo niŋ hawusaroo le be wo annabiyomoolu faŋolu faa la. 16 Ì ka kiilaariyaa kumoolu fo moolu mennu ye, wolu furewolu le be tara la fayiriŋ Yerusalaamu mbeedoolu kaŋ, ka bo niŋ konkoo la, aniŋ hawusari keloo. Moo te soto la meŋ be ì baadee la, ì niŋ ì la musoolu, ì dinkewolu, aniŋ ì dimmusoolu. M be ì la kuu kuruŋolu denkuŋ na ì faŋolu kaŋ ne.”
Yeremiya la niikuyaa suukuwo
17 Yaawe ko:
“Ñiŋ kumoo fo ì ye ko:
N ñaa be faa la ñaajiyo la le,
suuto tili, meŋ te dandulaa soto la,
n na kanu dimmusuriŋo, n na moolu la kuwo kamma la,
barama jawoo meŋ keta ì la,
aniŋ busari baa.
18 Niŋ m fintita kenoo kono,
n ka furewolu le je, ì ye mennu faa hawusaroo la.
Niŋ n dunta saatewo kono,
n ka konkoo maasiiboo le je.
Annabiyomoolu niŋ piriisoolu* ka tara ì la dookuwo la
bankoo kaŋ ne taariŋ,
bari ì maŋ a loŋ ì ka meŋ ke.”
Yahuuda moolu ye Yaawe daani ka yamfa ì ye
19 Yahuuda moolu ko,
“Yaawe, fo i ye i koo dii Yahuuda la le fereŋ?
Fo ite ñewunta Siyoni* la le baŋ?
Muŋ ne ye a tinna i ye m̀ busa jawuke,
fo a ye a tinna ǹ te kendeyaa noo la?
Ǹ tarata n yillaariŋ kayiroo le la,
bari a fele, maasiiboo doroŋ,
ŋà n yillaa jaaraloo la,
bari kuu kende maŋ naa ǹ ye.
20 Hee Yaawe, ǹ sonta ǹ na kuu jawu kewo la le,
aniŋ ǹ na alifaa foloolu la kuu kuruŋo.
Ŋà junube kuwo le ke i la.
21 I too la kuwo kamma la,
kana m̀ muta jutunna moolu ti.
Kana maloo naati ñiŋ dulaa kaŋ,
daameŋ to mu i la mansasiiraŋ buuñaariŋo ti.
I hakili murundi kambeŋo kaŋ
i ye meŋ siti ǹ niŋ i teema,
i kana a tiñaa.
22 Banku koteŋ moolu la jalaŋ kenseŋ jumaa le si samaajiyo ke noo?
Waraŋ fo saŋ fatoolu
si jiyo ke noo ì faŋ ye baŋ?
Fo a maŋ ke ite Yaawe, ǹ na Alla le ti?
Ŋà ǹ jikoo loo ite le kaŋ,
kaatu ite le ka ñiŋ kuwolu bee ke.”
