The Babylonians Will Attack Jerusalem
1The Lord says, “People of Benjamin, run for safety!
Run away from Jerusalem!
Blow trumpets in the city of Tekoa!
Warn everyone in Beth Hakkerem!
Horrible trouble is coming from the north.
The Babylonians will destroy everything with awful power.
2I will destroy the city of Zion,
even though it is very beautiful.
3Shepherds will come against it with their flocks.
They will set up their tents around it.
All of them will take care of their own sheep.”
4The Babylonians say, “Prepare for battle against Judah!
Get up! Let’s attack them at noon!
But the daylight is fading.
The shadows of evening are getting longer.
5So get up! Let’s attack them at night!
Let’s destroy their strongest forts!”
6The Lord who rules over all speaks to the Babylonians. He says,
“Cut down some trees.
Use the wood to build ramps against Jerusalem’s walls.
I must punish that city.
It is filled with people who treat others badly.
7Wells keep giving fresh water.
And Jerusalem keeps on sinning.
Its people are always fighting and causing trouble.
When I look at them,
I see nothing but sickness and wounds.
8Jerusalem, listen to my warning.
If you do not, I will turn away from you.
Your land will become a desert.
No one will be able to live there.”
9The Lord rules over all. He says to me,
“People gather the few grapes left on a vine.
So let Israel’s enemies gather the few people left alive in the land
Look carefully at the branches again.
Do this like someone who gathers the last few grapes.”
10Who can I speak to? Who can I warn?
Who will even listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so they can’t hear.
The Lord’s message displeases them.
They don’t take any delight in it.
11But the Lord’s anger burns inside me.
I can no longer hold it in.
The Lord says to me, “Pour out my anger on the children in the street.
Pour it out on the young men who are gathered together.
Husband and wife alike will be caught in it.
So will those who are very old.
12I will reach out my hand
against those who live in the land,”
announces the Lord.
“Then their houses will be turned over to others.
So will their fields and their wives.
13Everyone wants to get richer and richer,
from the least important of them to the most important.
Prophets and priests alike
try to fool everyone they can.
14They bandage the wounds of my people
as if they were not very deep.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say.
But there isn’t any peace.
15Are they ashamed of their hateful actions?
No. They do not feel any shame at all.
They do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall like others who have already fallen.
They will be brought down when I punish them,”
says the Lord.
16The Lord tells the people of Judah,
“Stand where the roads cross, and look around.
Ask where the old paths are.
Ask for the good path, and walk on it.
Then your hearts will find rest in me.
But you said, ‘We won’t walk on it.’
17I appointed prophets to warn you. I said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpets!’
But you said, ‘We won’t listen.’
18So pay attention, you nations.
You are witnesses for me.
Watch what will happen to my people.
19Earth, pay attention.
I am going to bring trouble on them.
I will punish them because of the evil things they have done.
They have not listened to my words.
They have said no to my law.
20What do I care about incense from the land of Sheba?
Why should I bother with sweet-smelling cane from a land far away?
I do not accept your burnt offerings.
Your sacrifices do not please me.”
21So the Lord says,
“I will bring an army against the people of Judah.
Parents and children alike will trip and fall.
Neighbors and friends will die.”
22The Lord says to Jerusalem,
“Look! An army is coming
from the land of the north.
I am stirring up a great nation.
Its army is coming from a land that is very far away.
23Its soldiers are armed with bows and spears.
They are mean. They do not show any mercy at all.
They come riding in on their horses.
They sound like the roaring ocean.
They are lined up for battle.
They are marching out
to attack you, city of Zion.”
24We have heard reports about them.
And our hands can’t help us.
We are suffering greatly.
It’s like the pain of a woman having a baby.
25Don’t go out to the fields.
Don’t walk on the roads.
Our enemies have swords.
And there is terror on every side.
26My people, put on the clothes of sadness.
Roll among the ashes.
Mourn with bitter weeping
just as you would mourn for an only son.
The one who is going to destroy us
will come suddenly.
27The Lord says to me, “I have made you like one who tests metals.
My people are the ore.
I want you to watch them
and test the way they live.
28All of them are used to disobeying me.
They go around telling lies about others.
They are like bronze mixed with iron.
All of them do very sinful things.
29The fire is made very hot
so the lead will burn away.
But it is impossible to make these people pure.
Those who are evil are not removed.
30They are like silver that is thrown away.
That is because I have not accepted them.”
Abeesigwa Bagambibwa Okudduka
16:1 a 2By 11:6 b Nek 3:14 c Yer 4:6Mwekuŋŋaanye mudduke mmwe abantu ba Benyamini!
Mmudduke muve mu Yerusaalemi.
Fuuwa ekkondeere mu Tekowa,
era yimusa ebbendera mu Besukakkeremu:
kubanga akacwano kasinzidde mu bukiikakkono,
okuzikirira okw’entiisa.
2Ndizikiriza omuwala wa Sayuuni,
omulungi oyo omubalagavu.
36:3 a Yer 12:10 b 2Bk 25:4; Luk 19:43Abasumba balimulumba n’ebisibo byabwe.
Balimwetoolooza weema zaabwe zimwolekere enjuuyi zonna,
buli omu yeezimbire w’ayagala.
46:4 Yer 15:8“Mwetegeke mumulwanyise!
Muyimuke, tumulumbe mu ttuntu!
Naye, nedda, omusana gugenda guggwaayo,
n’ebisiikirize by’akawungeezi biwanvuye!
5Tugende, tulumbe kiro
tuzikirize amayumba ge.”
66:6 a Ma 20:19-20 b Yer 32:24Bw’ati Mukama Katonda ow’Eggye bw’agamba nti,
“Muteme emiti mukole entuumo
muzingize Yerusaalemi.
Ekibuga kino kiteekwa okubonerezebwa kyonna,
kubanga kijjudde bujoozi bwerere.
76:7 a Zab 55:9; Ez 7:11, 23 b Yer 20:8Ng’oluzzi bwe lukulukusa amazzi, bwe kityo bwe kikulukusa ebibi byakyo,
entalo era n’okuzikirira biwulirwa munda waakyo.
Obulwadde n’ebiwundu
bye ndaba buli bbanga.
86:8 Ez 23:18; Kos 9:12Nkulabula,
ggwe Yerusaalemi,
emmeeme yange ereme okwawukana naawe,
si kulwa ng’ofuuka amatongo.”
9Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda ow’Eggye nti,
“Balisusumbulira ddala n’abo abatono
abaliba basigaddewo mu Isirayiri.
Ddamu oyise omukono mu matabi
ng’omunozi we zabbibu bw’akola.”
106:10 a Bik 7:51 b Yer 20:8Ndyogera eri ani gwe ndirabula?
Ani alimpuliriza?
Amatu gaabwe gagaddwa
ne batasobola kuwulira.
Ekigambo kya Mukama kiri nga kyakusesa gye bali,
tebakisanyukira n’akamu.
116:11 a Yer 7:20 b Yob 32:20; Yer 20:9 c Yer 9:21Kyenva nzijula ekiruyi
sikyasobola kukizibiikiriza.
“Kiyiwe ku baana abali mu luguudo,
ne ku bavubuka abakuŋŋaanye;
abaami awamu n’abakazi n’abakadde
abo abawezezza emyaka emingi baliwambibwa.
126:12 a Ma 28:30 b Yer 8:10; 38:22 c Is 5:25Enju zaabwe
ziritwalibwa abalala,
n’ennimiro zaabwe awamu ne bakazi baabwe;
kubanga ndigolola omukono gwange ku abo abali mu nsi,”
bw’ayogera Mukama.
136:13 a Is 56:11 b Yer 8:10“Kubanga okuva ku asembayo wansi okutuusa ku asingayo waggulu,
buli omu alulunkanira kufuna.
Nnabbi ne kabona bonna
boogera eby’obulimba.
146:14 Yer 4:10; 8:11; Ez 13:10Ekiwundu ky’abantu bange
bakijjanjaba ng’ekitali ky’amaanyi.
Boogera nti, ‘Mirembe, mirembe.’
So nga tewali mirembe.
156:15 Yer 3:3; 8:10-12Bakwatibwa ensonyi olw’ebikolwa byabwe eby’emizizo?
Nedda.
Tebakwatibwa nsonyi n’akatono.
Noolwekyo baligwira wamu n’abo abaligwa;
balisuulibwa wansi bwe ndibabonereza,”
bw’ayogera Mukama.
166:16 a Yer 18:15 b Zab 119:3 c Mat 11:29Kino Mukama ky’agamba nti,
“Yimirira mu masaŋŋanzira otunule.
Buuza amakubo ag’edda, buuza ekkubo eddungi gye liri,
era otambulire omwo,
emmeeme yammwe erifuna ekiwummulo.
Naye ne mugamba nti, ‘Tetujja kulitambuliramu.’
176:17 a Ez 3:17 b Yer 11:7-8; 25:4Nabateerawo abakuumi babategeeze nti,
Muwulirize eddoboozi ly’ekkondeere,
naye ne mugamba nti, ‘Tetujja kuwuliriza.’
18Kale muwulire,
mmwe amawanga
era mulabe mmwe ab’ekkuŋŋaaniro ekyo ekiribatuukako.
196:19 a Is 1:2; Yer 22:29 b Nge 1:31 c Yer 8:9Wuliriza, ggwe ensi:
laba, ndeeta akabi ku bantu bano,
by’ebibala by’enkwe zaabwe,
kubanga tebafuddeeyo ku bigambo byange
n’etteeka lyange baligaanye.
206:20 a Kuv 30:23 b Am 5:22 c Zab 50:8-10; Yer 7:21; Mi 6:7-8 d Is 1:11Omugavu oguva e Seeba bampa gwa ki?
Oba zino emmuli ezakaloosa eziva mu nsi ey’ewala?
Ebiweebwayo byammwe ebyokebwa sijja kubikkiriza,
n’essaddaaka zammwe tezinsanyusa.”
216:21 Is 8:14Noolwekyo bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama nti,
“Laba nditeeka enkonge mu maaso g’abantu bano;
bakitaabwe ne batabani baabwe bonna bazesittaleko.
Muliraanwa we ne mukwano gwe balizikirira.”
226:22 Yer 1:15; 10:22Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama, nti,
“Laba, eggye lijja
eriva mu nsi ey’omu bukiikakkono,
eggwanga ery’amaanyi
liyimusibwa okuva ku nkomerero z’ensi.
236:23 a Is 13:18 b Yer 4:29Bakutte omutego n’effumu,
abakambwe abatalina kusaasira.
Bawulikika ng’ennyanja ewuuma,
nga beebagadde embalaasi zaabwe:
bajja ng’abalwanyi mu byambalo by’olutalo
okulumba ggwe Muwala wa Sayuuni!”
246:24 a Yer 4:19 b Yer 4:31; 50:41-43Tuwulidde ettutumu lyabwe;
era emikono gyaffe giweddemu amaanyi
okulumwa okunene kutukutte
n’okulumwa ng’okw’omukazi alumwa okuzaala.
256:25 Yer 49:29Togeza kugenda mu nnimiro
newaakubadde okutambulira mu kkubo;
kubanga omulabe abunye wonna wonna
n’entiisa ejjudde mu bantu.
266:26 a Yer 4:8 b Yer 25:34; Mi 1:10 c Zek 12:10Kale nno mmwe abantu,
mwambale ebibukutu era mwevulunge mu vvu;
mukungubage ng’abakaabira
omwana owoobulenzi omu yekka.
Kubanga oyo agenda okuzikiriza
ajja kutugwako mavumbavumba.
276:27 Yer 9:7“Nkufudde ekigezesa
abantu bange n’ekyuma,
osobole okulaba n’okugezesa
amakubo gaabwe.
286:28 a Yer 5:23 b Yer 9:4 c Ez 22:18Bonna bakyewaggula
abakakanyavu abagenda bawaayiriza,
bikomo era kyuma,
bonna boonoonefu.
29Emivubo bagifukuta n’amaanyi,
omuliro gumalawo essasi,
naye balongoosereza bwereere
kubanga ababi tebaggyibwamu.
306:30 Zab 119:119; Yer 7:29; Kos 9:17Baliyitibwa masengere ga ffeeza,
kubanga Mukama abalese.”
