Jerusalem Under Siege
1“Flee for safety, people of Benjamin!
Flee from Jerusalem!
Sound the trumpet in Tekoa!
Raise the signal over Beth Hakkerem!
For disaster looms out of the north,
even terrible destruction.
2I will destroy Daughter Zion,
so beautiful and delicate.
3Shepherds with their flocks will come against her;
they will pitch their tents around her,
each tending his own portion.”
4“Prepare for battle against her!
Arise, let us attack at noon!
But, alas, the daylight is fading,
and the shadows of evening grow long.
5So arise, let us attack at night
and destroy her fortresses!”
6This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Cut down the trees
and build siege ramps against Jerusalem.
This city must be punished;
it is filled with oppression.
7As a well pours out its water,
so she pours out her wickedness.
Violence and destruction resound in her;
her sickness and wounds are ever before me.
8Take warning, Jerusalem,
or I will turn away from you
and make your land desolate
so no one can live in it.”
9This is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Let them glean the remnant of Israel
as thoroughly as a vine;
pass your hand over the branches again,
like one gathering grapes.”
10To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed6:10 Hebrew uncircumcised
so they cannot hear.
The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
11But I am full of the wrath of the Lord,
and I cannot hold it in.
“Pour it out on the children in the street
and on the young men gathered together;
both husband and wife will be caught in it,
and the old, those weighed down with years.
12Their houses will be turned over to others,
together with their fields and their wives,
when I stretch out my hand
against those who live in the land,”
declares the Lord.
13“From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
14They dress the wound of my people
as though it were not serious.
‘Peace, peace,’ they say,
when there is no peace.
15Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct?
No, they have no shame at all;
they do not even know how to blush.
So they will fall among the fallen;
they will be brought down when I punish them,”
says the Lord.
16This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls.
But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17I appointed watchmen over you and said,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But you said, ‘We will not listen.’
18Therefore hear, you nations;
you who are witnesses,
observe what will happen to them.
19Hear, you earth:
I am bringing disaster on this people,
the fruit of their schemes,
because they have not listened to my words
and have rejected my law.
20What do I care about incense from Sheba
or sweet calamus from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable;
your sacrifices do not please me.”
21Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“I will put obstacles before this people.
Parents and children alike will stumble over them;
neighbors and friends will perish.”
22This is what the Lord says:
“Look, an army is coming
from the land of the north;
a great nation is being stirred up
from the ends of the earth.
23They are armed with bow and spear;
they are cruel and show no mercy.
They sound like the roaring sea
as they ride on their horses;
they come like men in battle formation
to attack you, Daughter Zion.”
24We have heard reports about them,
and our hands hang limp.
Anguish has gripped us,
pain like that of a woman in labor.
25Do not go out to the fields
or walk on the roads,
for the enemy has a sword,
and there is terror on every side.
26Put on sackcloth, my people,
and roll in ashes;
mourn with bitter wailing
as for an only son,
for suddenly the destroyer
will come upon us.
27“I have made you a tester of metals
and my people the ore,
that you may observe
and test their ways.
28They are all hardened rebels,
going about to slander.
They are bronze and iron;
they all act corruptly.
29The bellows blow fiercely
to burn away the lead with fire,
but the refining goes on in vain;
the wicked are not purged out.
30They are called rejected silver,
because the Lord has rejected 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.”
