1 I wish that my eyes
were fountains of tears,
so I could cry day and night
for my people
who were killed.
2 I wish I could go into the desert
and find a hiding place
from all who are treacherous
and unfaithful to God.
The Lord Answers Jeremiah
3 The Lord replied:
Lies come from the mouths
of my people,
like arrows from a bow.
With each dishonest deed
their power increases,
and not one of them will admit
that I am God.
4 Jeremiah, all your friends
and relatives
tell lies about you,
so don't trust them.
5 They wear themselves out,
always looking for a new way
to cheat their friends.
6 Everyone takes advantage
of everyone else,
and no one will admit
that I am God.
7 And so I will purify
the hearts of my people
just as gold is purified
in a furnace.
I have no other choice.
8 They say they want peace,
but this lie is deadly,
like an arrow that strikes
when you least expect it.
9 Give me one good reason
not to punish them
as they deserve.
I, the Lord All-Powerful,
have spoken.
Jeremiah Weeps for His People
10 I weep for the pastureland
in the hill country.
It's so barren and scorched
that no one travels there.
No cattle can be found there,
and birds and wild animals
have all disappeared.
11 I heard the Lord reply,
“When I am finished,
Jerusalem and the towns of Judah
will be piles of ruins
where only jackals live.”
Why the Land Was Destroyed
12 I said to the Lord, “None of us can understand why the land has become like an uncrossable desert. Won't you explain why?”
13 The Lord said:
I destroyed the land because the people disobeyed me and rejected my laws and teachings. 14 They were stubborn and worshiped Baal, just as their ancestors did. 15 So I, the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel, promise them poison to eat and drink. 16 I'll scatter them in foreign countries that they and their ancestors have never even heard of. Finally, I will send enemy soldiers to kill every last one of them.
The Women Who Are Paid To Weep
17 The Lord All-Powerful said,
“Make arrangements now
for the women who are paid
to weep at funerals,
especially the women
who can cry the loudest.”
18 The people answered,
“Let them come quickly
and cry for us,
until our own eyes
are flooded with tears.
19 Now those of us on Zion cry,
‘We are ruined!
We can't stand the shame.
Our homes have been destroyed,
and we must leave our land.’
20 “We ask you women
to pay attention
to what the Lord says.
We will teach you a funeral song
that you can teach
your daughters and friends:
21 ‘We were in our fortress,
but death sneaked in
through our windows.
It even struck down
children at play
and our strongest young men.’
22 “The Lord has told us
the ground will be covered
with dead bodies,
like ungathered stalks of grain
or manure in a field.”
What the Lord Likes Best
23 The Lord says:
Don't brag about your wisdom
or strength or wealth.
24 If you feel you must brag,
then have enough sense
to brag about worshiping me,
the Lord.
What I like best
is showing kindness,
justice, and mercy
to everyone on earth.
25-26 Someday I will punish the nations of Egypt, Edom, Ammon, and Moab, and the tribes of the desert. The men of these nations are circumcised, but they don't worship me. And it's the same with you people of Judah. Your bodies are circumcised, but your hearts are unchanged.
1 Aba drî maro a'do gwo koro gyi ro
ago mi maro a'do gwo miendre be amba,
tana miliyi robe kitu ndi ŋgäkyi cini be si.
Ta lidri maro se utufube kwoi rota.
2 Aba ma'do gwo vo aza be oriza vo rriri se siŋwa ro ya,
'dooko me'bena lidri maro go
ago ma'dona gwo pere ni ànya resi.
Tana ànya cini orivoya ta'diriako,
ago gboko driozo'bai ro.
3 Ànya kayi ladra ànyaro ede nja oso kusu ronye kowe ogaza;
ta'diriako teni ndra taŋgye risi wari ono ya.
OPI ka ata ekye:
“Lidri maro kayi takozi oye azivo azivo,
ago niyi ma kote Lu ànyaro ro.”
4 Beṛo 'dicini ri a'done miomba be ni bereazi ndaro ri,
ago ko taoyine ädrupi ndaro ya;
tana vo ädrupii cini ro orivoya 'diodo'bai ro.
Ago 'dicini ka bereazi ndaro kyerena.
5 Vo ànya cini ro kayi bereazii ànyaro odona,
ago 'diaza iti taŋgye kote;
Ànya embayi ladra ànyaro te kowe ogane
ànya kayi takozi oye
ago niyi kote drietane.
6 Ànya kayi siomba oye azivo azivo,
ago kayi ŋgaodo oye azivo azivo.
OPI ka ata ekye lidri ndaro gayi nda zo.
7 Tana ta'doro OPI Mbaraekye ka ata ekye:
“Mäwäṛina lidri maro 'da ago mojona ta ànyaro 'da.
Tana mayena e'di, ta ànyaro ta ya?
8 Ladra ànyaro orivoya oso ätu se äṛi be iyi ronye;
kayi alo koweoga ayani.
'Dicini ka takado ata ayani oriazi ndaro ri kala si,
oko ya ndaro nda ka abari o'be ayani anyari.
9 Inye'do ma OPI märi ànya ezane ta ŋgase kwoi rota te i'do ya?
Inye'do märi votaro logone tu'de anya oso nonye ono rri i'do ya?
Ma, OPI, matani.”
10 Matate makye: “Ma'bena kuku 'da ta 'bereŋwai rota
ago miliyina 'da ta lowoi rota,
tana ànya te awi,
ago 'diaza aba kote ànya yasi.
Eri kporo ti ro kote tona;
arii ndi koronyai cowa robe muyite ago oyiyite.”
11 OPI ka ata ekye: “Ma'bana Yerusalema 'da a'done tandro ro ago turu'du ro,
orivo ro kobai ri;
ago ma'bana 'bakicii Yuda ro a'dona 'da tandroro
'diaza ri orine kigye i'do.”
12 Mejitate makye: “OPI, a'di ni tavouni be ndra ta ono tazevona unine ya? Nyedre tazevona a'di ri tana nda kiti tana robe azii riya? Tana e'di wari ono a'do gwo awi ago rriro oso vocowa ronye, se 'ba 'diaza aba kote kigyesi niya?”
13 OPI zatadrite ekye: “Tase ono ko'debe a'done tana lidri maro e'beyi ŋgaemba se mozobe ànyari ono te. Ànya royi ma kote ago yeyi tase matabe ànyari ono kote. 14 Ànya go a'doyi ro taeriako, ago mätuyi lui awi Bala ro te oso täpii ànyaro kembayi ànya be ronye. 15 Ka'do inye, nyeri ta tase Ma, OPI Mbaraekye, Lu Yisaraele ro ma oye be oyene ono: Mozona ŋgaluru osoekye 'da lidri maro ri onyane ndi gyi äṛi ro be umvune. 16 Meperena ànya 'da tu'dei se ca ànya ca zutui ànyaro keriyi tana ko iyi lakosi, ago mazona kyila'bai 'da ànya dri madale mutufuna ànya lutu kpeye.”
Lidri Yerusalema ro ka Driayo ta Ŋgaopa rota
17 OPI Mbaraekye ka atani nonye ekye:
“Nyùsuta, ago mìzi ruṛuo'be'bai ikyine!
mìzo lazo 'ditoko se kayibe ṛoni ruṛuo'be iyi vo.”
18 Lidri atate ekye:
“Mi'ba ànyari ikyine ndrindri ago ruṛu avo ro o'bane ämäri,
tana miendre koga robe twi mi amaro yasi,
ago mikyiri amaro kudu robe ni liyi ri.”
19 Eri kporo liyi ro te Zaiona ya se ekye:
“Epere vo amaro te tandro ro!
Ama te cu driupiro! Me'be wari amaro te;
tana epere 'ba amaro te riya.”
20 Matate makye:
“Nyèri ta OPI ro, ami 'ditoko,
ago mìga bi ata ndaro erine.
Nyèmba ndiriŋwa amiro ruṛu o'bene,
ago nyèmba bereazii amiro cirionya si.
21 Tana odra kate eci piṛi zo amaro ro yasi
ago ecite zo'desi amaro miri roya;
kate ŋgàga toga litiŋwai drisi
ago kate agoànji toga vo ŋgalogyero yasi.
22 Avo lidri ro lo'dete vo cini yasi
oso tamo se avobe ämvu yasi 'do ronye,
oso inya olo'bai kolo inya te oko kayibe e'bena kovole 'do ronye,
se 'diaza ni kote kotone 'do.
Ono ni tase OPI katabe märi itine owo.”
23 OPI ka atani nonye ekye:
“Ko lidri se tavouni be iyi ri driuŋgyine ta tavouni ànyaro rota,
ca lidri se mbara be iyi ko driuŋgyine ta mbara ànyaro rota,
ca lidri se ŋgadriamba be iyi ko driuŋgyine ta ŋgaamba ànyaro rota.
24 Oko 'diaza kolete driuŋgyine,
ndäri driuŋgyine ondro ka'do nda ni tazevo maro te ago ni ma te,
anjioko ma ni OPI se ŋgalu 'duro,
ta'diri ndi taŋgye be oyena 'bädri ya owo.
Kwoi ni ŋgase tana kabe ma usi owo.
Ma, OPI, matani.”
25 OPI ka ata ekye: “Tu ka oye esane se mezana lidri se cini alote ŋbiṛiro oko oso aloko ŋbiṛiro iyi, 26 Ezipeto, Yuda, Edoma, Amona, Moaba ndi lidri se koribe vorriro siŋgwa ro ya iyi be 'da, se otolo drikyiri ànyaro drina te iyi. Tana tu'dei se cini kwoi alo kote ŋgiṛiro, ago lidri cini Yisaraele ro ätiyi tao'ba maro kote.”