The covenant is broken
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and tell them to the people of Judah and to those who live in Jerusalem. 3Tell them that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Cursed is the one who does not obey the terms of this covenant – 4the terms I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the iron-smelting furnace.” I said, “Obey me and do everything I command you, and you will be my people, and I will be your God. 5Then I will fulfil the oath I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey” – the land you possess today.’
I answered, ‘Amen, Lord.’
6The Lord said to me, ‘Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: “Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey me.’ 8But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.” ’
9Then the Lord said to me, ‘There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11Therefore this is what the Lord says: “I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes. 13You, Judah, have as many gods as you have towns; and the altars you have set up to burn incense to that shameful god Baal are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.”
14‘Do not pray for this people or offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress.
15‘What is my beloved doing in my temple
as she, with many others, works out her evil schemes?
Can consecrated meat avert your punishment?
When you engage in your wickedness,
then you rejoice.11:15 Or Could consecrated meat avert your punishment? / Then you would rejoice’
16The Lord called you a thriving olive tree
with fruit beautiful in form.
But with the roar of a mighty storm
he will set it on fire,
and its branches will be broken.
17The Lord Almighty, who planted you, has decreed disaster for you, because the people of both Israel and Judah have done evil and aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal.
Plot against Jeremiah
18Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. 19I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realise that they had plotted against me, saying,
‘Let us destroy the tree and its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
that his name be remembered no more.’
20But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously
and test the heart and mind,
let me see your vengeance on them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
21‘Therefore this is what the Lord says about the people of Anathoth who are threatening to kill you, saying, “Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord or you will die by our hands” – 22therefore this is what the Lord Almighty says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine. 23Not even a remnant will be left to them, because I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.” ’
Pangano Liphwanyidwa
1Yehova anayankhula ndi Yeremiya kuti, 2“Imvani mawu a pangano ili, ndipo uwawuze anthu a ku Yuda ndi a ku Yerusalemu. 3Awuze kuti Yehova, Mulungu wa Israeli akuti ‘adzakhala wotembereredwa munthu amene samvera mawu a pangano ili. 4Awa anali mawu amene ndinalamulira makolo anu nditawatulutsa mu Igupto, kuchoka mʼngʼanjo yamoto.’ Ine ndinati, ‘Mverani Ine ndi kuchita chilichonse chimene ndakulamulirani. Mukatero mudzakhala anthu anga ndi Ine ndidzakhala Mulungu wanu. 5Tsono Ine ndidzakwaniritsa lumbiro lomwe ndinalumbira kwa makolo anu kuti ndidzawapatsa dziko loyenda mkaka ndi uchi,’ dziko lomwe inu lero mukukhalamo.”
Tsono Ine ndinayankha kuti, “Ameni, Yehova.”
6Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Lengeza mawu onsewa mʼmizinda yonse ya ku Yuda ndi mʼmisewu ya mu Yerusalemu: ‘Mverani mawu a pangano ili ndi kuzitsatira. 7Kuyambira nthawi imene ndinatulutsa makolo anu ku Igupto mpaka lero, ndakhala ndi kuwachenjeza kawirikawiri kuti, ‘Mverani Ine.’ 8Koma sanamvere kapena kulabadirako. Aliyense anawumirira kuchita zoyipa za mʼmitima yawo. Ngakhale ndinawalamulira kuti asunge pangano langa koma iwo sanasunge. Choncho ndinawalanga monga ndinaneneramo.’ ”
9Kenaka Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Anthu a ku Yuda ndi ku Yerusalemu andiwukira. 10Abwereranso ku machimo a makolo awo, amene anakana kumvera mawu anga. Akutsata milungu ina ndi kumayitumikira. Aisraeli ndi Ayuda aphwanya pangano limene ndinachita ndi makolo awo. 11Choncho Yehova akuti, ‘Ndidzawagwetsera mavuto amene sadzatha kuwalewa. Ngakhale adzandilirire, sindidzawamvera. 12Anthu a mʼmizinda ya Yuda ndi anthu a ku Yerusalemu adzapita ndi kukalirira milungu imene ankayifukizira lubani, koma milunguyo sidzawathandiza ndi pangʼono pomwe mavuto akadzafika. 13Iwe Yuda, uli ndi milungu yochuluka ngati chiwerengero cha mizinda yako; chiwerengero cha maguwa ansembe amene umafukizirapo lubani kwa Baala chili ngati misewu ya mu Yerusalemu.’
14“Tsono iwe Yeremiya usawapempherere anthu amenewa ngakhale kuwadandaulira kapena kuwapepesera, chifukwa sindidzawamvera akadzandiyitana pa nthawi ya mavuto awo.
15“Kodi anthu anga okondedwa akudzachita chiyani mʼNyumba yanga?
Kodi suja iwowa amachita zoyipa zambiri?
Kodi mungathe kupulumuka,
tsoka osakugwerani
chifukwa cha nsembe zanuzo?”
16Kale Yehova ankakutchani mtengo wa olivi wa masamba obiriwira,
wokhala ndi zipatso zokongola.
Koma tsopano adzawutentha
ndi mkuntho wamkokomo
ndipo nthambi zake zidzapserera.
17Yehova Wamphamvuzonse, amene anakudzalani, walamula kuti mavuto akugwereni. Inu a banja la Yuda ndi a banja la Israeli munachitira Yehova zoyipa ndi kumukwiyitsa pamene munkapereka nsembe zanu kwa Baala.
Amuchitira Chiwembu Yeremiya
18Yehova anandiwululira ndipo ndinadziwa. Iye anatsekula maso anga kuti ndione chiwembu chawocho. 19Ndinali ngati mwana wankhosa wofatsa amene akupita naye kukamupha; sindinkadziwa kuti chiwembu chimene ankakonzekeracho chinkaloza ine. Iwo amati:
“Tiyeni timuphe
munthu ameneyu
kuti dzina lake lisadzakumbukiridwenso.”
20Koma, Inu Yehova Wamphamvuzonse, Inu amene mumaweruza molungama
ndi kuyesa mitima ndi maganizo,
lolani kuti ine ndione kuti mwawalipsira,
pakuti mlandu wanga ndawupereka mʼmanja mwanu.
21“Nʼchifukwa chake Yehova akunena za anthu a ku Anatoti amene akufuna kuwononga moyo wako namanena kuti, ‘Usanenere mʼdzina la Yehova, ukatero ife tidzakupha ndi manja athu,’ 22koma Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti, ‘Ine ndidzawalanga. Achinyamata awo adzaphedwa ndi lupanga, ana awo aamuna ndi aakazi adzafa ndi njala. 23Sipadzakhala otsala ndi mmodzi yemwe, chifukwa ndidzalanga anthu a ku Anatoti chikadzafika chaka chawo cha chilango.’ ”
