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 round 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 that 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 that 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 practise 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;
neighbours 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 labour.
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.’
Kuzingidwa kwa Yerusalemu
1“Thawani, inu anthu a ku Benjamini!
Tulukani mu Yerusalemu!
Lizani lipenga ku Tekowa!
Kwezani mbendera ku Beti-Hakeremu!
Pakuti tsoka lalikulu likubwera kuchokera kumpoto,
ndipo chiwonongekocho nʼchachikulu.
2Kodi mzinda wa Ziyoni suli ngati msipu wokongola kwambiri,
kumene abusa amafikako ndi ziweto zawo?
3Abusa ndi nkhosa zawo adzabwera kudzalimbana nawo;
adzamanga matenti awo mowuzinga,
ndipo aliyense adzakhazika anthu ake pamalo pake.”
4Adzanena kuti, “Konzekani kuwuthira nkhondo mzindawo!
Nyamukani, kuti tiwuthire nkhondo mzindawu masana ano.
Koma tili ndi tsoka, dzuwa lapendeka,
ndipo zithunzithunzi za kumadzulo zikunka zitalika.
5Tsono nyamukani kuti tiwuthire nkhondo mzindawu usiku uno
ndi kuwononga malinga ake!”
6Yehova Wamphamvuzonse akuti,
“Dulani mitengo
ndipo mumange mitumbira yankhondo kulimbana ndi Yerusalemu.
Mzinda umenewu uyenera kulangidwa;
wadzaza ndi kuponderezana.
7Monga momwe chitsime chimatulutsira madzi
ndi mmenenso Yerusalemu amatulutsira zoyipa zake.
Chiwawa ndi chiwonongeko ndi zomwe zimamveka mu mzindamo;
nthenda yake ndi mabala ake ndimaziona nthawi zonse.
8Iwe Yerusalemu, tengapo phunziro,
kuopa kuti chikondi changa pa iwe chingakuchokere
ndi kusandutsa dziko lako kukhala bwinja
mopanda munthu wokhalamo.”
9Yehova Wamphamvuzonse anandiwuza kuti,
“Adani adzawakunkha ndithu anthu otsala a Israeli,
monga momwe amachitira populula mphesa.
Tsono iwe yesetsa kupulumutsa amene ungathe
monga mmene amachitira munthu wokolola mphesa.”
10Kodi ndiyankhule ndi yani ndi kumuchenjeza?
Ndinene mawu ochenjeza kwa yani kuti amve?
Makutu awo ndi otsekeka
kotero kuti sangathe kumva.
Mawu a Yehova ndi onyansa kwa iwo;
sasangalatsidwa nawo.
11Koma ine ndadzazidwa ndi mkwiyo wa Yehova,
ndipo ndatopa ndi kusunga mkwiyo wa Yehova.
Yehova anandiwuza kuti, “Tsono ndidzawutulutsira mkwiyo umenewu pa ana oyenda mʼmisewu
ndi pa achinyamata amene asonkhana pamodzi;
pakutinso mwamuna ndi mkazi wake adzatengedwa,
pamodzi ndi okalamba amene ali ndi zaka zochuluka.
12Nyumba zawo adzazipereka kwa ena,
pamodzi ndi minda yawo ndi akazi awo.
Ndidzatambasula dzanja langa kukantha
anthu okhala mʼdzikomo,”
akutero Yehova.
13“Kuyambira wamngʼono mpaka wamkulu,
onse ali ndi dyera lofuna kupeza phindu mwa kuba;
aneneri pamodzi ndi ansembe omwe,
onse amachita zachinyengo.
14Amapoletsa zilonda za anthu anga
pamwamba pokha.
Iwo amanena kuti, ‘Mtendere, mtendere,’
pamene palibe mtendere.
15Kodi amachita manyazi akamachita zonyansazo?
Ayi, sachita manyazi ndi pangʼono pomwe;
sadziwa ndi kugwetsa nkhope komwe.
Choncho iwo adzagwera pakati pa anzawo amene agwa kale;
adzagwa pansi tsiku limene ndidzawalange,”
akutero Yehova.
16Yehova akuti,
“Imani pa mphambano ndipo mupenye;
kumeneko ndiye kuli njira zakale,
funsani kumene kuli njira yabwino. Yendani mʼmenemo,
ndipo mudzapeza mpumulo wa miyoyo yanu.
Koma inu munati, ‘Ife sitidzayenda njira imeneyo.’
17Ine ndinakupatsani alonda oti akuyangʼanireni
ndipo ndinati, ‘Imvani kulira kwa lipenga!’
koma inu munati, ‘Sitidzamvera.’
18Nʼchifukwa chake imvani, inu anthu a mitundu ina;
yangʼanitsitsani, inu amene mwasonkhana pano,
chimene chidzawachitikire anthuwo.
19Imvani, inu anthu okhala pa dziko lapansi,
ndikubweretsa masautso pa anthu awa.
Zimenezi ndi mphotho ya ntchito zawo.
Iwowa sanamvere mawu anga
ndipo anakana lamulo langa.
20Kodi pali phindu lanji ngakhale mubwere ndi lubani kuchokera ku Seba,
kapena zonunkhira zina kuchokera ku dziko lakutali?
Nsembe zanu zopsereza Ine sindidzalandira;
nsembe zanu sizindikondweretsa.”
21Choncho Yehova akuti,
“Ndidzayika zokhumudwitsa pamaso pa anthu awa.
Abambo ndi ana awo aamuna onse adzapunthwa ndi kugwa;
anansi awo ndi abwenzi awo adzawonongeka.”
22Yehova akunena kuti,
“Taonani, gulu lankhondo likubwera
kuchokera kumpoto;
mtundu wa anthu amphamvu wanyamuka
kuchokera kumathero a dziko lapansi.
23Atenga mauta ndi mikondo;
ndi anthu ankhanza ndi opanda chifundo.
Phokoso lawo lili ngati mkokomo wa nyanja.
Akwera pa akavalo awo
ndipo akonzekera ngati anthu ankhondo,
kudzakuthirani nkhondo anthu a ku Ziyoni.”
24A ku Ziyoni akuti “Ife tamva mbiri yawo,
ndipo manja anthu alefukiratu.
Nkhawa yatigwira,
ndipo tikumva ululu ngati mayi pa nthawi yake yochira.
25Musapite ku minda
kapena kuyenda mʼmisewu,
pakuti mdani ali ndi lupanga,
ndipo ponseponse anthu akuchita mantha.
26Inu anthu anga, valani ziguduli
ndipo gubudukani pa phulusa;
lirani mwamphamvu
ngati munthu wolirira mwana wake mmodzi yekha,
pakuti mwadzidzidzi wowonongayo
adzabwera kudzatipha.
27“Iwe Yeremiya, ndakuyika kuti ukhale choyesera zitsulo.
Uwayese anthu anga
monga ungayesere chitsulo
kuti uwone makhalidwe awo.
28Onsewo ali ndi khalidwe lokanika ndi lowukira
ndipo akunka nanena zamiseche.
Iwo ndi olimba ngati mkuwa ndi chitsulo.
Onse amangochita zoyipa zokhazokha.
29Moto mu mvukuto ukuyaka kwambiri;
mtovu watha kusungunuka ndi moto.
Koma ntchito yosungunulayo sikupindula
chifukwa zoyipa sizikuchokapo.
30Iwo ali ngati siliva wotayidwa,
chifukwa Yehova wawakana.”
