Is Anyone Honest and Faithful?
The Lord said to me:
1 “Search Jerusalem
for honest people
who try to be faithful.
If you can find even one,
I'll forgive the whole city.
2 Everyone breaks promises
made in my name.”
3 I answered, “I know
that you look for truth.
You punished your people
for their lies,
but in spite of the pain,
they became more stubborn
and refused to turn back
to you.”
4 Then I thought to myself,
“These common people
act like fools,
and they have never learned
what the Lord their God
demands of them.
5 So I'll go and talk to the leaders.
They know what God demands.”
But even they had decided
not to obey the Lord.
6 The people have rebelled
and rejected the Lord
too many times.
So enemies will attack
like lions from the forest
or wolves from the desert.
Those enemies will watch
the towns of Judah,
and like leopards
they will tear to pieces
whoever goes outside.
Enemies Will Punish Judah
The Lord said:
7 People of Judah,
how can I forgive you?
I gave you everything,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped idols.
You men go to prostitutes
and are unfaithful
to your wives.
8 You are no better than animals,
and you always want sex
with someone else's wife.
9 Why shouldn't I punish
the people of Judah?
10 I will tell their enemies,
“Go through my vineyard.
Don't destroy the vines,
but cut off the branches,
because they are the people
who don't belong to me.”
11 In every way, Judah and Israel
have been unfaithful to me.
* 12 Their prophets lie and say,
“The Lord won't punish us.
We will have peace
and plenty of food.”
13 They tell these lies in my name,
so now they will be killed in war
or starve to death.
14 I am the Lord God All-Powerful.
Jeremiah, I will tell you
exactly what to say.
Your words will be a fire;
Israel and Judah
will be the fuel.
15 People of Israel,
I have made my decision.
An army from a distant country
will attack you.
I've chosen an ancient nation,
and you won't understand
their language.
16 All of them are warriors,
and their arrows bring death.
17 This nation will eat your crops
and livestock;
they will leave no fruit
on your vines or fig trees.
And although you feel safe
behind thick walls,
your towns will be destroyed
and your children killed.
Israel Refused To Worship the Lord
18 The Lord said:
Jeremiah, the enemy army won't kill everyone in Judah. 19 And the people who survive will ask, “Why did the Lord our God do such terrible things to us?” Then tell them:
I am the Lord,
but you abandoned me
and worshiped other gods
in your own land.
Now you will be slaves
in a foreign country.
20 Tell these things to each other,
you people of Judah,
you descendants of Jacob.
21 You fools! Why don't you listen
when I speak?
Why can't you understand
22 that you should worship me
with fear and trembling?
I'm the one who made the shore
to hold back the ocean.
Waves may crash on the beach,
but they can come no farther.
23 You stubborn people have rebelled
and turned your backs on me.
24 You refuse to say,
“Let's worship the Lord!
He's the one who sends rain
in spring and autumn
and gives us a good harvest.”
25 That's why I cannot bless you!
* 26 A hunter traps birds
and puts them in a cage,
but some of you trap humans
and make them your slaves.
27 You are evil, and you lie and cheat
to make yourselves rich.
You are powerful
28 and prosperous,
but you refuse to help the poor
get the justice they deserve.
29 You need to be punished,
and so I will take revenge.
30 Look at the terrible things
going on in this country.
I am shocked!
31 Prophets give their messages
in the name of a false god,
my priests don't want
to serve me,
and you—my own people—
like it this way!
But on the day of disaster,
where will you turn for help?
Alla la moolu la faratoo
1 Yaawe* ko:
“Ali Yerusalaamu mbeedoolu muruŋ-muruŋ baŋ,
ka juubeeroo ke, ali ye i miira.
Ali ñinindiroo ke a bantabaalu to,
fo ali be moo le je la
meŋ ka taama tiliŋo kono,
aniŋ ka foroyaa tooñaa kaŋ.
Niŋ wo sotota, n si yamfa saatewo ye.
2 Ì ka ñiŋ meŋ fo ko,
‘A be koyiriŋ ñaameŋ ko Yaawe be baluuriŋ ne,’
hani wo ì ka kali faniyaa kaŋ.”
3 Hee Yaawe, fo ite ñaa buka lafi tooñaa le je la baŋ?
I ye ì busa le, bari a dimoo maŋ duŋ ì la.
I ye ì kasaara le,
hani wo ì balanta i la kuluuroo la.
Ì ye ì sondomoolu jandi le ko beroo,
ì balanta ka tuubiseyi.
4 Bituŋ n kumata m faŋ ma ko,
“Ñinnu mu fuwaaroolu doroŋ ne ti,
ì maŋ hakili soto,
bayiri ì maŋ Yaawe la siloo loŋ,
tiliŋo, ì la Alla ye meŋ kaniŋ.
5 Wo to m be taa ñaatonkoolu le yaa,
ŋa diyaamu ì ye,
bayiri itolu le ye Yaawe la siloo loŋ,
tiliŋo, ì la Alla ye meŋ kaniŋ.”
Bari ì bee le kafuriŋo ye a la yookoo* kati
ka balaŋ a ma,
ì ye i kuntu a la pat.
6 Wo kamma la jatoolu be bo la sutoo kono le
ka ñapi ì kaŋ,
suluwolu ye bo naŋ keñewuloo* kono
ka ì kasaara.
Soloolu be bitiriŋ ì la saatewolu kamma le,
moo-wo-moo fintita banta, ì ye a faraŋ-faraŋ,
kaatu ì la balaŋo warata le,
ì la badali maañaalu siyaata.
7 Yaawe ko:
“Nte si yamfa noo ite Yerusalaamu ma ñaadii?
I diŋolu ye ì koo dii n na le,
ì ka kali alloolu la
mennu maŋ ke Alla ti.
Nte le ye ì daañini fo ì konoo faata tep,
ì naata jeenoo ke,
ì ka jurumi caka buŋolu to taariŋ.
8 Ì mu suukee nunku jarabiriŋolu le ti,
ì meŋ-wo-meŋ ka tara suu kuma la
a siiñoo musu nooma.
9 Fo m maŋ ñaŋ na ì jarabi la ñiŋ kuwolu la baŋ?
Fo m maŋ ñaŋ na juloo joo la ñiŋ banku siifaa to baŋ?”
Yaawe le ye a fo.
10 A ko:
“Ali i seyiŋ a wayini* yiri kankaŋolu kono
ka ì kuntu,
bari ali kana ì bee kasaara kewu.
Ali a buloolu jasi,
bayiri wo moolu maŋ ke nte Yaawe taa ti.
11 Banisirayila niŋ Yahuuda
jenketa n na karoo la le fereŋ.”
Yaawe le ye a fo.
12 “Ì ka nte Yaawe soosoo le.
Ì ye ñiŋ ne fo ko,
n te hani feŋ ne ke la.
Kuu jawu te ke la ì la,
sako ì si hawusaroo* je, waraŋ ka konko.
13 Annabiyomoolu la kumoo mu foño kenseŋ ne ti,
n na kuma te ì daa.
Wo to ì fokumoo be ke la ì faŋolu le la.”
14 Wo kamma la Yaawe Alihawaa Maariyo* ye ñiŋ ne fo ko:
“Bayiri ì ka ñiŋ kumoo le fo,
wo to m be n na kumoo ke la
ite Yeremiya daa kono dimbaa le ti,
ñiŋ moolu ye ke loo ti,
a dimbaa ye ì domo.”
15 Yaawe ko:
“Alitolu Banisirayilankoolu,
m be jamfajaŋ banku le naati la ka ali boyinkaŋ,
banku sembemaa, banku meeriŋ,
ali maŋ banku meŋ na kaŋo moyi,
sako ali si ì la diyaamoo fahaamu noo.
16 Ì la kalabeñe kufoolu mu kaburu dinkoo le ti,
ì bee mu kelejawaroolu le ti.
17 Ì be i baluu la ali la siimaŋ katiriŋolu niŋ ali la domoroo le la,
ì ye i baluu ali dinkewolu niŋ ali dimmusoolu la.
Ì be i baluu la ali la saajiyolu, baalu, aniŋ ninsoolu le la,
ì ye i baluu ali la wayini* yiroolu niŋ ali la sooto suŋolu la.
Ali be jikiriŋ ali la saatee tatariŋolu mennu la,
ì be ì kasaara la niŋ hawusaroo le la.”
18 Yaawe ko, “Bari hani wo luŋolu la, n te ì muumewo kasaara la. 19 Itolu moolu be i ñininkaa la le ko, ‘Muŋ ne ye a tinna Yaawe ǹ na Alla ye ñiŋ bee ke ǹ na?’ Bituŋ i si ì jaabi ko, bayiri ì ye ì koo dii nte la le ka bantala bankoolu* la alloolu batu ì faŋolu la bankoo kaŋ jaŋ, wo to ì be taa luntaŋolu le batu la banku kaŋ meŋ maŋ ke ì taa ti.”
20 Yaawe ko:
“Ñiŋ kibaari Yaakuba koomalankoolu ye,
i ye a kankulaa Yahuuda kono ko:
21 Ali ali tuloo tu ñiŋ to, alitolu toolee hakilintaŋolu.
Ñaa be ali la le, bari ali buka i je,
tuloo be ali la, bari ali buka i moyi.
22 Muŋ ne ye a tinna ali buka sila n na?
Muŋ ne ye a tinna ali buka jarajara n ñaatiliŋo la?”
Yaawe le ye a fo.
“Ŋa keñoo ke naanewo ti fankaasoo ye le,
badaa-badaa kuntuntewo,
a te tambi noo la meŋ na muk.
Hani jii baliŋolu si busa,
ì te kuu noo la,
hani ì si bumbuŋ,
ì te a salaŋ noo la.
23 Bari ñiŋ moolu,
ì mu balannaa jusu jaaroolu le ti.
Ì yelemata le ka taa taariŋ.
24 Ì buka ñiŋ miira ì sondomoolu kono ko,
‘M̀ batu ŋà sila Yaawe ǹ na Alla la,
ate meŋ ka samaajiyo dii a waatoo la,
samaa foloo jiyo, samaa labaŋ jiyo,
ka katiri sanjaanoolu jikoo dii ǹ na.’ ”
25 Yaawe tententa ka a fo ko:
“Ali la kuu kuruŋ kewo le ye ali bali ñinnu la,
ali la junuboolu, wolu le ye ñiŋ kuu kendoolu baayi ali ye.
26 “Kuruŋolu sotota n na moolu kono le,
ì ka biti le ko kunu mutalaa,
ka jaloo laa ka moolu muta.
27 Kunu mutalaa la keesoo ka faa kunoolu la ñaameŋ,
ì ye ì la buŋolu fandi nakaroo kaŋ wo le ñaama,
wo le ye ì ke fankamaalu ti ka naafulutiiyaa.
28 Ì nunkuta le ka malamala,
ì maŋ naanee loŋ kuu kuruŋ kewo to.
Ì buka kiitiyo teyi aliyatiimoolu ye,
ka ì la kuwo yiriwandi,
sako ka loo fentaŋolu boloo ye.
29 Fo m maŋ ñaŋ na ì jarabi la ñiŋ na baŋ?
Fo m maŋ ñaŋ na juloo joo la ñiŋ banku siifaa to baŋ?”
Yaawe le ye a fo.
30 “Jaakali kuwo, aniŋ kuu saŋaroo,
wo le keta bankoo kaŋ.
31 Annabiyomoolu ka faniyaa kumoolu le fo,
piriisoolu* ka ì fansuŋ kaŋo le taamandi,
aduŋ n na moolu ye wo le kanu.
Bari ali be ke la ñaadii le kuwo labandulaa to?”
