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.
U'diako 'Bu ro
1 OPI atate ma Yeremaya ri ta u'diako 'bu ro rota ekye:
2 “Yuda ka ugu kukuo'be;
'bakicii anyaro kate ugu rupere,
lidri anyaro kate ugu u'du vurusi likyii be,
ago Yerusalema kate totre ndra ta ŋgaopa rota.
3 Lidri se ŋgaamba be iyi kayi ruindu'bai ànyaro ozona gyi ta;
ànya kayi oyi koroŋwai ya,
caoko usuyi gyi kote;
ànya kayi ego lakazà ànyaro be ya awi ro.
Ànya orivoya driupiro ago wiriwiriro
ago ànya kayi mi ànyaro da'dona
4 Tana 'bu i'do
ago gyini wite ṛatara.
Ämvuoso'bai te tusuro;
ànya kayite mi ànyaro da'dona da'do.
5 Ca kaliŋga endre ka ŋgwa giṛiŋwa anyaro
se kutibe luruŋwa ro 'do e'bena te vo awi ya
tana käyi te i'do.
6 Doŋgyii vocowa ro kayite edre lutui awiro drisi,
kayite lawa shye shye shye oso kobai ronye;
mi ànyaro nite
tana ŋgaonya te i'do ànyari.
7 Lidri maro kayi driayo märi ekye:
‘Takozi amaro kikicu ama gica oko,
OPI mipa ama, oso mi'ba tao'ba be ronye.
Màlapa teni miresi perena amba;
màye takozi te miri.
8 Mi se toto ni mio'ba Yisaraele ro;
ago opa'bana yi tu rriti rosi ono.
Tana e'di nya'do gwo 'diatra ronye wari amaro ya,
oso aba'ba se kabe ori toto ŋgäkyi raa alo 'do ronye ni ya?
9 Tana e'di nya'do gwo oso 'dise wiriwiri ro,
oso kyila'ba se mbaraako ni ko 'di opane 'do ronye niya?
Caoko endaro, OPI mi orivoya tro ama yibe!
Ama orivoya lidri miro;
nye'be ama ko.’ ”
10 OPI ka ata ta lidri kwoi rota nonye ekye: “Ànya leyi oyine lozo ni maresi, ago ritayi andivo ànyaro kote. Ta'dota ma OPI male ànya kote. Ŋgakozi se ànya koyeyibe koziro 'do mayina tana ndi ago mezana ànya 'da ta takozi ànyaro rota.”
11 OPI atate märi ekye: “Nyämätu ko takado ri a'done lidri kwoi ri. 12 Ondro ka'do ànya kakpayi gica, märi liyi ànyaro ta ŋgaopa rota erine i'do; ago ondro ka'do ànya kozoyi ŋgapäṛi ozaro ago ŋgapäṛi inya ro gica märi, märi tadrina olene i'do. Mago, mutufuna ànya ṛo kyila ya ago mä'bu si ndi adravo kozipara be.”
13 'Dooko matate makye: “OPI Mbarapara, minite anjioko nebii kayi taiti lidri ri ekye mi'ba tao'ba te kyila ndi mä'bu be unina ko a'done, oko mi'bana toto taliatokpe ayani a'done wari ono ya.”
14 Oko OPI logotate ekye: “Nebii kayi ugu koweoga ävuru maro si; tana mazo ànya koni, mozo ota aza kpa ko ago mata ta aza alodina kpa ko ànyari. Rulofo se ànya kayibe tana atana iyi orivoya kowe yi, taäŋgu takaciako yi ago ŋgase takado ako ànya kayibe tana usuna iyi owo. 15 Ma, OPI, ma taiti miri ta nebii se mazo ànya koni oko kayi ta ata ävuru maro si ekye, kyila ndi mä'bu be unina ko a'done wari ono ya iyi, mutufuna ànya 'da kyila ya ago mä'bu si. 16 Lidri se ànya katayi tase kwoi be rigye iyi utufuna ànya kpa kyila si ago mä'bu si. Olovona avo ànyaro 'da litiŋwai Yerusalema ro drisi, ago 'diaza a'dona i'do ànya osene. Ànya ndi tro 'ditoko ànyaro, ŋgwàagoro ànyaro, ndi ndiriŋwa ànyaro yibe. Ma'bana takozi ànyaro 'da ànya dri.”
17 OPI ta mate taitine lidri ri ekye:
“Mi'ba miendre maro kidi vuru kitu zwi ago ŋgäkyi raa,
mi'ba kedre ko liyiako alona,
tana ä'di lidri maro te ägyu laza 'desi be;
u'di kozipara si.
18 Ondro moyibe tesi lowo ya, mandre avo lidri se utufube kyila ya iyi rote;
ondro macibe 'ba'desii ya, mandre lidri ka rueza ni mä'bu ri.
Kohanii ndi nebii be kayi ugu aba losi ànyaro oyena wari yasi,
caoko ànya niyi tase ànya kayibe oyena ana kote.”
Lidri ka Rulo'ba OPI ri
19 OPI, inye'do miga Yuda tezo kpeye ya?
Inye'do ya miro osoro lidri Zaiona ro lomvo ya?
Tana e'di miga ama gwo laza be 'ba ede ama kote niya?
Mà voondre taliatokpe ta, caoko takado
aza a'do kote;
mà mio'ba ŋgaede ta, caoko turi go ikyi ṛoni vona ro.
20 OPI, mä̀nite màye takozi te;
ago zutui amaro yeyi takozi te,
Endaro maye takozi te miri.
21 Ta mi modo rota, miga ama kozo;
nyezi driupi ko Yerusalema gyiti liŋgyiekye miro dri,
Nyepere tao'baro miro se mi'babe ama be ono ko.
22 Inye'do lui awi tu'dei ro aza gibe 'bu o'bane u'dine ya?
Kode inye'do vokuru andivona unina ko 'bu o'bane logyine ya?
Inye'do mi OPI ko ni Lu amaro owo ya?
Mà'ba mi amaro midri,
tana mi ni se kabe ŋgase cini kwoi oyena owo.