Judah Will Serve Nebuchadnezzar
1A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It was shortly after Zedekiah became king of Judah. He was the son of Josiah. 2The Lord said, “Make a yoke out of ropes and wooden boards. Put it on your neck. 3Then write down a message for the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre and Sidon. Give it to their messengers who have come to Jerusalem. They have come to see Zedekiah, the king of Judah. 4Give them a message for the kings who sent them. It should say, ‘The Lord who rules over all is the God of Israel. He says, “Here is what I want you to tell your masters. 5I reached out my great and powerful arm. I made the earth. I made its people and animals. And I can give the earth to anyone I please. 6Now I will hand over all your countries to my servant Nebuchadnezzar. He is the king of Babylon. I will put even the wild animals under his control. 7All the nations will serve him and his son and grandson. After that, I will judge his land. Then many nations and great kings will make him serve them.
8“ ‘ “But suppose any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. And suppose it refuses to put its neck under his yoke. Then I will punish that nation with war, hunger and plague,” announces the Lord. “I will punish it until his powerful hand destroys it. 9So do not listen to your prophets. Do not listen to those who claim to have secret knowledge. Do not listen to those who try to explain your dreams. Do not listen to those who get messages from people who have died. Do not listen to those who practice evil magic. All of them will tell you, ‘You won’t serve the king of Babylon.’ 10But they prophesy lies to you. If you listen to them, you will be removed far away from your lands. I will drive you away from them. And you will die. 11But suppose any nation will put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. And suppose it serves him. Then I will let that nation remain in its own land. I will let its people plow the land and live there,” ’ ” announces the Lord.
12I gave the same message to Zedekiah, the king of Judah. I said, “Put your neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Obey him. Serve his people. Then you will live. 13Why should you and your people die? Why should you die of war, hunger and plague? That’s what the Lord said would happen to any nation that won’t serve the king of Babylon. 14Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who say to you, ‘You won’t serve the king of Babylon.’ They are prophesying lies to you. 15‘I have not sent them,’ announces the Lord. ‘They are prophesying lies in my name. So I will drive you away from your land. And you will die. So will the prophets who prophesy to you.’ ”
16Then I spoke to the priests and all these people. I said, “The Lord says, ‘Do not listen to the prophets who speak to you. They say, “Very soon the objects from the Lord’s house will be brought back from Babylon.” Those prophets are prophesying lies to you. 17Do not listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon. Then you will live. Why should this city be destroyed? 18If they are prophets and have received a message from me, let them pray to me. I am the Lord who rules over all. Those prophets should pray that what is still in Jerusalem will remain here. They should pray that the objects in my house and the king’s palace will not be taken to Babylon. 19I am the Lord who rules over all. Do you know what these objects are? They include the two pillars in front of the temple. They include the huge bronze bowl. They include the bronze stands that can be moved around. And they include the other things left in this city. 20Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did not take these things away at first. That was when he took King Jehoiachin from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jehoiachin is the son of Jehoiakim. Nebuchadnezzar also took all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem along with Jehoiachin. 21I am the Lord who rules over all. I am the God of Israel. Here is what will happen to the things that are left in my house, the king’s palace and Jerusalem. 22They will be taken to Babylon. They will remain there until the day I come for them,’ announces the Lord. ‘Then I will bring them back. I will return them to this place.’ ”
Yuda Bɛsom Nebukadnessar
1Yudahene Yosia babarima Sedekia adedi mfiase no, asɛm yi fi Awurade hɔ baa Yeremia nkyɛn se, 2Sɛɛ na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ me: “Fa mmeamdua ne nkyehama yɛ konnua sɛn wo kɔn mu. 3Fa nkra ma abɔfo a wɔaba Yudahene Sedekia nkyɛn wɔ Yerusalem na wɔmfa nkɔma ahemfo a wɔwɔ Edom, Moab, Amon, Tiro ne Sidon. 4Fa nkra kɔma wɔn wuranom se: Sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn se, ‘Ka eyi kyerɛ wo wuranom se: 5Mede me tumi kɛse ne me basa a mateɛ mu yɛɛ asase ne so nnipa ne mmoa a wɔwɔ so, na mede ma obiara a mepɛ. 6Afei mede mo aman nyinaa bɛhyɛ mʼakoa Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar nsa, na mede wuram mmoa mpo bɛhyɛ nʼase. 7Amanaman nyinaa bɛsom no ne ne babarima ne ne nenabarima kosi sɛ ne bere betwa mu; na afei aman bebree ne ahemfo akɛseakɛse bedi ne so.
8“ ‘Nanso sɛ ɔman bi anaa ahenni bi rensom Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar anaa wɔremfa wɔn kɔn nhyɛ ne konnua ase a, mede afoa, ɔkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm bɛtwe saa ɔman no aso, kosi sɛ mede ne nsa bɛsɛe no, Awurade na ose. 9Ɛno nti munntie mo adiyifo, mo nkɔmhyɛfo, mo adae asekyerɛfo, mo samanfrɛfo anaa mo ntafowayifo a wɔka kyerɛ mo se, “Morensom Babiloniahene.” 10Wɔhyɛ mo atoro nkɔm a ɛbɛma wɔayi mo afi mo asase so akɔ akyirikyiri nko ara; mɛpam mo ama mo ase ayera. 11Nanso sɛ ɔman biara de ne kɔn bɛhyɛ Babiloniahene konnua no ase na wasom no a, mɛma saa ɔman no aka ɔno ara asase so na wadɔw so atena so, Awurade, na ose.’ ”
12Mede saa nkra koro no ara kɔmaa Yudahene Sedekia se, “Momfa mo kɔn nhyɛ Babiloniahene konnua ase na monsom ɔno ne ne nkurɔfo na mubenya nkwa. 13Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ wo ne wo nkurɔfo wuwu wɔ afoa, ɔkɔm ne ɔyaredɔm ano, sɛnea Awurade de ahunahuna ɔman biara a ɔmpɛ sɛ ɔsom Babiloniahene no? 14Munntie adiyifo no a wɔka kyerɛ mo se, ‘Morensom Babiloniahene,’ efisɛ wɔhyɛ mo atoro nkɔm. 15‘Mensomaa wɔn’ Awurade na ose. ‘Wɔhyɛ atoro nkɔm wɔ me din mu. Enti mɛpam mo na moayera, mo ne adiyifo a wɔhyɛ mo nkɔm no.’ ”
16Na meka kyerɛɛ asɔfo no ne saa nkurɔfo yi nyinaa se, “Sɛɛ na Awurade se: Munntie adiyifo no a wɔhyɛ mo nkɔm se, ‘Ɛrenkyɛ koraa wɔde Awurade fi nneɛma no befi Babilonia aba.’ Wɔhyɛ atoro nkɔm kyerɛ mo. 17Munntie wɔn. Monsom Babiloniahene na mubenya nkwa. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ saa kuropɔn yi sɛe? 18Sɛ wɔyɛ adiyifo na Awurade asɛm wɔ wɔn mu a, ma wɔn nkotow nsrɛ Asafo Awurade na nneɛma a wɔde siesie dan mu a aka wɔ Awurade fi ne Yudahene ahemfi ne Yerusalem no, wɔamfa ankɔ Babilonia. 19Na sɛɛ na Asafo Awurade ka fa kɔbere mfrafrae afadum, po, nnyinaso a wotumi pia ne nneɛma a wɔde siesie dan mu no a aka wɔ kuropɔn yi mu no ho. 20Nea Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar amfa ankɔ bere a ɔbɛfaa Yudahene Yehoiakim babarima Yehoiakyin ne Yuda ne Yerusalem mmapɔmma fii Yerusalem kɔɔ nkoasom mu wɔ Babilonia no. 21Yiw, nea Asafo Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, ka fa nneɛma a aka wɔ Awurade fi, Yudahene ahemfi ne Yerusalem no ho no ni: 22‘Wɔbɛfa akɔ Babilonia, na hɔ na ɛbɛka kosi da a mɛba abɛfa,’ Awurade na ose. ‘Afei mede nneɛma no bɛsan aba bio abesisi wɔn sibea wɔ ha.’ ”
