Judgment Against Wicked Kings
1This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: 2‘Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. 3This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. 4For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. 5But if you do not obey these commands, declares the Lord, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’ ”
6For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:
“Though you are like Gilead to me,
like the summit of Lebanon,
I will surely make you like a wasteland,
like towns not inhabited.
7I will send destroyers against you,
each man with his weapons,
and they will cut up your fine cedar beams
and throw them into the fire.
8“People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ 9And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’ ”
10Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss;
rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled,
because he will never return
nor see his native land again.
11For this is what the Lord says about Shallum22:11 Also called Jehoahaz son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. 12He will die in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”
13“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness,
his upper rooms by injustice,
making his own people work for nothing,
not paying them for their labor.
14He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace
with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
panels it with cedar
and decorates it in red.
15“Does it make you a king
to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
He did what was right and just,
so all went well with him.
16He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know me?”
declares the Lord.
17“But your eyes and your heart
are set only on dishonest gain,
on shedding innocent blood
and on oppression and extortion.”
18Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
“They will not mourn for him:
‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’
They will not mourn for him:
‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’
19He will have the burial of a donkey—
dragged away and thrown
outside the gates of Jerusalem.”
20“Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
let your voice be heard in Bashan,
cry out from Abarim,
for all your allies are crushed.
21I warned you when you felt secure,
but you said, ‘I will not listen!’
This has been your way from your youth;
you have not obeyed me.
22The wind will drive all your shepherds away,
and your allies will go into exile.
Then you will be ashamed and disgraced
because of all your wickedness.
23You who live in ‘Lebanon,22:23 That is, the palace in Jerusalem (see 1 Kings 7:2)’
who are nestled in cedar buildings,
how you will groan when pangs come upon you,
pain like that of a woman in labor!
24“As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin22:24 Hebrew Koniah, a variant of Jehoiachin; also in verse 28 son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off. 25I will deliver you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.22:25 Or Chaldeans 26I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. 27You will never come back to the land you long to return to.”
28Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot,
an object no one wants?
Why will he and his children be hurled out,
cast into a land they do not know?
29O land, land, land,
hear the word of the Lord!
30This is what the Lord says:
“Record this man as if childless,
a man who will not prosper in his lifetime,
for none of his offspring will prosper,
none will sit on the throne of David
or rule anymore in Judah.”
Chiweruzo kwa Mafumu Oyipa
1Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Pita ku nyumba ya mfumu ya ku Yuda ndipo ukayiwuze kuti, 2‘Imva mawu a Yehova, iwe mfumu ya ku Yuda, amene umakhala pa mpando waufumu wa Davide; iwe, nduna zako pamodzi ndi anthu ako amene amalowera pa zipata izi. 3Yehova akuti, uziweruza molungama ndi mosakondera. Uzipulumutsa munthu amene walandidwa katundu mʼdzanja la womuzunza. Usazunze kapena kupondereza mlendo, ana amasiye kapena akazi amasiye. Usaphe munthu wosalakwa pa malo pano. 4Pakuti ngati udzamvera malamulo awa, ndiye kuti mafumu onse okhala pa mpando waufumu wa Davide azidzalowabe pa zipata za nyumba yaufumu ino, atakwera magaleta ndi akavalo, iwowo pamodzi ndi nduna zawo ndi anthu awo. 5Koma ngati sumvera malamulo awa, akutero Yehova, ndikulumbira pali Ine ndemwe kuti nyumba ino yaufumu idzasanduka bwinja.’ ”
6Pakuti zimene Yehova akunena za nyumba yaufumu ya mfumu ya ku Yuda ndi izi:
“Ngakhale iwe uli ngati Giliyadi kwa Ine,
ngati msonga ya phiri la Lebanoni,
komabe ndidzakusandutsa chipululu,
ngati mizinda yopanda anthu.
7Ndidzatuma anthu oti adzakuwononge,
munthu aliyense ali ndi zida zake,
ndipo adzadula mikungudza yako yokongola
nadzayiponya pa moto.
8“Pamene anthu a mitundu ina adzadutsa pa mzinda umenewu adzafunsana kuti, ‘Chifukwa chiyani Yehova wachita chinthu chotere pa mzinda waukuluwu?’ 9Ndipo yankho lake lidzakhala lakuti, ‘Chifukwa anasiya pangano limene anapangana ndi Yehova Mulungu wawo ndipo anapembedza ndi kutumikira milungu ina.’ ”
10Musayilire mfumu Yosiya, musamuyimbire nyimbo womwalirayo;
mʼmalo mwake, mulire kwambiri chifukwa cha Yehowahazi amene wapita ku ukapolo,
chifukwa sadzabwereranso
kapena kuonanso dziko lake lobadwira.
11Pakuti zimene Yehova akunena za Yehowahazi mwana wa Yosiya, amene anatenga mpando waufumu wa Yuda mʼmalo mwa abambo ake koma nʼkuwusiya ndi izi: “Iye sadzabwereranso. 12Iyeyo adzafera ku ukapoloko. Sadzalionanso dziko lino.”
13“Tsoka kwa munthu womanga nyumba yake mopanda chilungamo,
womanga zipinda zake zosanja monyenga,
pogwiritsa ntchito abale ake mwathangata,
osawapatsa malipiro a ntchito yawo.
14Munthuyo amati, ‘Ndidzadzimangira nyumba yayikulu
ya zipinda zikuluzikulu zamʼmwamba.’
Kotero ndidzapanga mazenera akuluakulu,
ndi kukhomamo matabwa a mkungudza
ndi kukongoletsa ndi makaka ofiira.
15“Kodi kukhala ndi nyumba ya mkungudza wambiri
zingachititse iwe kukhala mfumu?
Ganiza za abambo ako. Suja anali ndi zonse zakudya ndi zakumwa.
Abambo ako ankaweruza molungama ndi mosakondera,
ndipo zonse zinkawayendera bwino.
16Iye ankateteza anthu osauka ndi osowa,
ndipo zonse zinkamuyendera bwino.
Kodi zimenezi sindiye tanthauzo la kudziwa Ine?”
akutero Yehova.
17“Koma maso ako ndi mtima sizili penanso,
koma zili pa phindu lachinyengo,
pa zopha anthu osalakwa
ndi pa kuzunza ndi pakulamulira mwankhanza.”
18Nʼchifukwa chake Yehova ponena za Yehoyakimu mwana wa Yosiya mfumu ya ku Yuda akuti,
“Anthu sadzamulira maliro kapena kunena kuti,
‘Kalanga ine, mʼbale wanga! Kalanga ine mlongo wanga!
Anthu ake sadzamulira maliro kuti,
Kalanga ine, mbuye wathu! Taonani ulemerero wake wapita!’
19Adzayikidwa ngati bulu,
kuchita kumuguguza ndi kukamutaya
kunja kwa zipata za Yerusalemu.”
20“Tsono inu anthu a ku Yerusalemu, pitani ku mapiri a Lebanoni kuti mukalire mofuwula kumeneko,
mawu anu akamveke mpaka ku Basani.
Mulire mofuwula muli ku Abarimu
chifukwa abwenzi ako onse awonongeka.
21Ndinakuchenjezani pamene munali pa mtendere.
Koma inu munati, ‘Sindidzamvera.’
Umu ndi mmene mwakhala mukuchitira kuyambira mukali aangʼono.
Simunandimvere Ine.
22Mphepo idzakuchotserani abusa anu onse,
ndipo abwenzi anu adzatengedwa ku ukapolo.
Pamenepo mudzachita manyazi ndi kunyozedwa
chifukwa cha zoyipa zanu zonse.
23Inu amene mumakhala mʼnyumba ya ku Lebanoni,
amene munamanga nyumba zanu pakati pa mikungudza,
mudzabuwula kwambiri pamene zowawa zidzakugwerani,
zonga za mkazi pa nthawi yake yochira!
24“Pali Ine wamoyo, akutero Yehova, ngakhale iwe, Yehoyakini mwana wa Yehoyakimu mfumu ya ku Yuda, ukanakhala ngati mphete ya ku dzanja langa lamanja, ndikanakuvula nʼkukutaya. 25Ndidzakupereka kwa amene akufuna kukupha, amene iwe umawaopa. Ndidzakupereka kwa Nebukadinezara, mfumu ya ku Babuloni ndi anthu ake. 26Iwe pamodzi ndi amayi ako amene anakubereka ndidzakupititsani ku dziko lachilendo. Ngakhale inu simunabadwire kumeneko, komabe mudzafera komweko. 27Simudzabwereranso ku dziko limene mudzafuna kubwerera.”
28Kodi Yehoyakini wakhala ngati mbiya yonyozeka,
yosweka imene anthu sakuyifunanso?
Kodi nʼchifukwa chake iye pamodzi ndi ana ake,
achotsedwa nʼkutayidwa ku dziko limene iwo sakulidziwa?
29Iwe dziko, dziko, dziko,
Imva mawu a Yehova!
30Yehova akuti,
“Munthu ameneyu mumutenge ngati wopanda ana,
munthu amene sadzakhala wochita bwino pamoyo wake wonse,
pakuti palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe mwa zidzukulu zake zomwe zidzachita bwino.
Palibe amene adzathe kukhala pa mpando waufumu wa Davide
ndi kulamulira Yuda.”
