A Message for Zedekiah
1 The Lord spoke to me when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army, supported by troops from all the nations and races that were subject to him, were attacking Jerusalem and its nearby towns. 2 The Lord, the God of Israel, told me to go and say to King Zedekiah of Judah, “I, the Lord, will hand this city over to the king of Babylonia, and he will burn it down. 3 You will not escape; you will be captured and handed over to him. You will see him face-to-face and talk to him in person; then you will go to Babylonia. 4 Zedekiah, listen to what I say about you. You will not be killed in battle. 5 You will die in peace, and as people burned incense when they buried your ancestors, who were kings before you, in the same way they will burn incense for you. They will mourn over you and say, ‘Our king is dead!’ I, the Lord, have spoken.”
6 Then I gave this message to King Zedekiah in Jerusalem 7 while the army of the king of Babylonia was attacking the city. The army was also attacking Lachish and Azekah, the only other fortified cities left in Judah.
Deceitful Treatment of Slaves
8 King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem had made an agreement to set free 9 their Hebrew slaves, both male and female, so that no one would have an Israelite as a slave. 10 All the people and their leaders agreed to free their slaves and never to enslave them again. They did set them free, 11 but later they changed their minds, took them back, and forced them to become slaves again.
12 Then the Lord, 13 the God of Israel, told me to say to the people: “I made a covenant with your ancestors when I rescued them from Egypt and set them free from slavery. I told them that 14 every seven years they were to set free any Hebrew slave who had served them for six years. But your ancestors would not pay any attention to me or listen to what I said. 15 Just a few days ago you changed your minds and did what pleased me. All of you agreed to set all Israelites free, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple where I am worshiped. 16 But then you changed your minds again and dishonored me. All of you took back the slaves whom you had set free as they desired, and you forced them into slavery again. 17 So now, I, the Lord, say that you have disobeyed me; you have not given all Israelites their freedom. Very well, then, I will give you freedom: the freedom to die by war, disease, and starvation. I will make every nation in the world horrified at what I do to you. 18-19 The officials of Judah and of Jerusalem, together with the palace officials, the priests, and all the leaders, made a covenant with me by walking between the two halves of a bull that they had cut in two. But they broke the covenant and did not keep its terms. So I will do to these people what they did to the bull. 20 I will hand them over to their enemies, who want to kill them, and their corpses will be eaten by birds and wild animals. 21 I will also hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to those who want to kill them. I will hand them over to the Babylonian army, which has stopped its attack against you. 22 I will give the order, and they will return to this city. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it down. I will make the towns of Judah like a desert where no one lives. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Yeremiya ye kiilaariyaa kumoo fo Mansa Sedekiya ye
1 Babiloni mansakewo Nebukanesa ye kelediŋ kafu baa le soto, mennu bota bankoolu bee kaŋ mennu tarata a la mansamaraloo kono. A niŋ a la kelediŋolu naata le nuŋ ka Yerusalaamu boyinkaŋ keloo la, a niŋ a dandanna saatewolu bee. Wo waatoo le mu Yaawe* ko nte Yeremiya ye taa 2 a fo Yahuuda mansakewo Sedekiya ye ko: “Nte Yaawe Banisirayila la Alla ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: N ka naa ñiŋ saatewo duŋ Babiloni mansakewo bulu le, aduŋ a be dimbaa duŋ na a la le ka a jani. 3 Ite faŋo te kana la a ma, fo ì si i muta doroŋ ka i duŋ a bulu. I be Babiloni mansakewo je la le, i ñaa niŋ a ñaa, aduŋ i niŋ a be diyaamu la ñoo ye le. Aduŋ i be taa Babiloni le.
4 “Bari hani wo, i lamoyi nte Yaawe ye kumoo meŋ fo, ite Sedekiya Yahuuda mansakewo. Nte Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo i la kuwo to ko: Ite te faa la niŋ hawusaroo* la. 5 I be faa la kayira kono le. Ì be aada siisindiroolu ke la i ye le ka i horoma, ko ì ye a ke i la alifaa mansakee tambilaalu ye ñaameŋ. Ì saŋakumbootoo be a fo la le ko, ‘Ayiwaalii, m̀ maarii!’ Nte Yaawe le ye ñiŋ kumoo fo.”
6 Bituŋ nte Yeremiya naata ñiŋ kumoolu bee fo Yahuuda mansakewo Sedekiya ye, Yerusalaamu kono. 7 Wo ye a tara Babiloni mansakewo tarata Yerusalaamu kele kaŋ ne, aniŋ Yahuuda saatee doolu mennu tuta jee. Wolu le mu Lakisi niŋ Aseka ti. Ñinnu doroŋ ne mu saatee tatariŋolu ti, mennu tuta nuŋ Yahuuda.
Mutañaa jawoo meŋ keta joŋolu la
8 Yaawe la kumoo naata nte Yeremiya kaŋ ne. Wo keta le, waati meŋ koolaa Mansa Sedekiya niŋ Yerusalaamu moolu bee ye kambeŋo siti ka joŋolu la fansotoo kankulaa ì ye. 9 Wo mu ñiŋ ne ti ko, moo-wo-moo ñanta le ka a la joŋolu firiŋ, mennu mu Hiburunkoolu* ti, kee mu wo, musu mu wo. Moo maŋ ñaŋ na a ñoŋ Yahuuda moo muta la joŋyaa kono. 10 Bituŋ maralilaalu niŋ ì la moolu bee, mennu ye dunta wo kambeŋo kono, sonta ko ì be ì la joŋolu firiŋ na le, kee mu wo, musu mu wo. Aduŋ ì te ke la joŋolu ti kotenke. Wo to le ì ye ì firiŋ. 11 Bari kuwolu koolaa, ì yelemata ka muru ka kewolu niŋ musoolu taa kotenke, ì ye mennu firiŋ ka bo joŋyaa kono, ì ye ì murundi joŋyaa kono kotenke.
12 Wo to le Yaawe la kumoo naata nte Yeremiya kaŋ ko: 13 “Nte Yaawe, Banisirayila la Alla ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: Nte ye kambeŋo siti n niŋ ali mumuñolu teema le, kabiriŋ ŋa ì bondi naŋ Misira bankoo kaŋ, ka bo joŋyaa kono. Ŋa ñiŋ ne fo ko: 14 Sanji woorowulanjaŋ-wo-sanji woorowulanjaŋ ì ñanta le ka ì ñoŋ Hiburunkoo* meŋ-wo-meŋ firiŋ, meŋ ye a faŋo waafi ì ma joŋo ti. Niŋ a ye dookuwo ke a maarii ye fo sanji wooro, a ñanta le a ye a firiŋ. Bari ali mumuñolu maŋ i lamoyi n na, sako ì tuloo si i moyi n na. 15 Kunuŋ-kunuŋ jaŋ ne mu, alitolu yelemata ka kuu tilindiŋ ke n ñaa koto. Ali meŋ-wo-meŋ ye fansotoo kankulaa ali ñoŋ Banisirayilankoo ye le, aduŋ ali ye kambeŋo siti n ñaatiliŋo la buŋo to le, n too be meŋ kunna. 16 Bari silaŋ, ali naata yelema ka jutu n too la, ka ali la jonkewolu niŋ jommusoolu taa kotenke. Ali ye ì bula le fokabaŋ, ka tara ì faŋ sawoo to, ali naata ì murundi diyaakuyaa, ka ì ke ali la joŋolu ti kotenke.”
17 Wo kamma la, Yaawe ye ñiŋ ne fo ko: “Ali maŋ soŋ m ma. Ali maŋ soŋ na fansotoo dii la ali baadiŋ Banisirayilankoolu la. Wo to silaŋ, nte si fansotoo dii alitolu la, fansotoo meŋ be ke la ñiŋ ti: Ka ali faa niŋ hawusaroo la, alibalaa kuuraŋo, aniŋ konkoo. M be ali la kuwo ke la duniyaa bankoolu bee ye masilaŋo le ti. 18 M be wo moolu duŋ na ì jawoolu bulu le mennu ye n na kambeŋo tiñaa, ì maŋ n na saratoolu muta, ì ye mennu taa n ñaatiliŋo la. Ì ye tuuraariŋo le taa ka a kuntu fula ti, ì taamata ka tambi niŋ a kuntu fuloo teema la, ka wo kambeŋo londi n niŋ ì teema. 19 Wolu le mu Yahuuda maralilaalu ti, Yerusalaamu maralilaalu, mansakundaa alifaalu, piriisoolu*, aniŋ bankoo moolu bee, mennu taamata ka tambi niŋ tuuraariŋo kuntu fuloo teema la. 20 M be ì duŋ na ì jawoolu bulu le mennu be ì niyolu nooma. Ì furewolu be ke la duwoolu niŋ suluwolu le ye domoroo ti. 21 Aduŋ Yahuuda mansakewo Sedekiya wo, aniŋ a la maralilaalu, m be ì duŋ na ì jawoolu bulu le mennu be ì niyolu nooma. M be ì duŋ na Babiloni mansakewo la kelediŋolu bulu le, hani niŋ ì ye keloo baayi fo waatindiŋ. 22 M be yaamaroo dii la le ka ì murundi naŋ ñiŋ saatewo kamma. Ì be a kele la le, ì ye a muta, ì ye dimbaa duŋ a la ka a jani. M be Yahuuda saatewolu ke la tumbuŋo le ti, moo te tara la siiriŋ jee.”
