Jeremi 23
1 “Malè a bèje k ap detwi e gaye mouton patiraj Mwen yo!” deklare SENYÈ a.
Yahweh declares, “Terrible things will happen to [the leaders] [MET] [of my people—those who are like] shepherds of [the people who are like] my sheep—because they have scattered my people and sent them away, and have not taken care of them.
2 Akoz sa, pale SENYÈ Bondye Israël la konsènan bèje k ap fè gadyen pèp Mwen yo: “Nou fin gaye bann mouton Mwen, chase yo ale, e nou pa t okipe yo. Gade byen, Mwen prèt pou regle nou pou mechanste a zak nou yo,” deklare SENYÈ a.
So, this is what [I, ] Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli [people worship], say to those leaders: ‘Instead of taking care of my people and [leading them to places where they are safe, like a shepherd does for] his sheep, you have scattered them. So I will punish you for the evil things that you have done.
3 “Epi konsa, Mwen va rasanble retay bann mouton Mwen an soti nan tout peyi ke m te pouse yo ale yo, e mennen yo retounen nan pa yo. Yo va vin bay fwi e peple anpil.
But later I will gather those who are still alive, from the countries where I have forced them to go. I will bring them back to their own country, where they will have many children, and their number/population will increase.
4 Anplis, Mwen va leve bèje sou yo e yo va okipe yo. Konsa, yo p ap pè ankò, ni plen ak laperèz ni okenn moun p ap manke,” deklare SENYÈ a.
[Then] I will appoint [other] leaders for my people, leaders who will take care of them. And my people will never be afraid [DOU] of anything again, and none of them will be [like a] lost [sheep].’”
5 “Gade byen, jou yo ap vini”, deklare SENYÈ a: “lè Mwen va fè leve pou lakay David, yon branch plen ladwati. Li va renye kon wa, aji ak sajès e fè jistis ak ladwati nan peyi a.
Yahweh [also] says, “Some day I will appoint for you a righteous man who will be a descendant of King David. He will be a king who rules wisely. He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 Nan jou Li yo, Juda va sove, e Israël va rete ansekirite. Men non pa sila yo va rele Li a: ‘SENYÈ a, Ladwati Nou an.’”
At that time, all the Israeli people [DOU] will be saved [from their enemies], and they will be safe. And his name will be ‘Yahweh, the one who vindicates/defends us.’”
7 “Akoz sa, gade byen, jou yo ap vini”, deklare SENYÈ a: “lè yo p ap di ankò: ‘Kon SENYÈ a viv ki te mennen fè monte fis Israël yo soti nan peyi Égypte;’
Yahweh [also] says that at that time, people [who are solemnly promising to do something] will no longer say, “[I will do it as surely] as Yahweh lives, who rescued the Israeli people from Egypt.”
8 men: ‘Kon SENYÈ a viv, ki te mennen e fè retounen desandan lakay Israël yo soti nan peyi nò a e soti nan tout peyi kote mwen te chase yo ale yo.’ Konsa, yo va viv sou pwòp tèren pa yo.”
Instead, they will say, “[I will do it] as surely as Yahweh lives, who brought [us] Israeli people back to our own land, from the land to the northeast and from all the [other] countries to which he had exiled us.” And they will live in their own land [again].
9 Epi pou pwofèt yo: kè m fin kase anndan m. Tout zo m yo tranble; Mwen vin kon yon moun sou, menm yon moun ki soumèt anba gwòg, akoz SENYÈ a, e akoz pawòl sen Li yo.
I am very shocked because of the sacred message that Yahweh has spoken about [what will happen to] the [false] prophets; [it is as though] all my bones shake. I stagger like a man who is drunk after drinking a lot of wine.
10 “Paske peyi a plen ak adiltè; paske akoz madichon, peyi a ap kriye. Patiraj nan savann yo fin seche. Y ap kouri nan move chemen e pwisans yo pa pou sa ki dwat.
The land is full of [people who commit] adultery; and [Yahweh] has cursed the land. Even the pastures in the desert are all dried up, because the people do what is evil, and [the false prophets] use their power to do things that are not just/fair.
11 Ni pwofèt ni prèt yo vin pouri nèt. Menm anndan lakay Mwen an, Mwen jwenn mechanste yo”, deklare SENYÈ a.
Yahweh says, “[Yes, even] the priests and the prophets are ungodly; they do wicked things even in my temple.
12 Akoz sa, chemen pa yo va yon wout ki glise nan tenèb la; yo va vin chase jis rive nan fènwa e vin glise tonbe ladann; paske Mwen va mennen gwo kalamite sou yo nan ane règleman yo,” deklare SENYÈ a.
Therefore, [it will be as though] the paths that they walk on are slippery. [It will be as though] they are being chased in the darkness, and there they will fall down, because I will cause them to experience disasters at the time that I will punish them. [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
13 “Anplis, pami pwofèt Samarie yo, Mwen te wè yon betiz. Yo te pwofetize pa Baal e yo te egare pèp Mwen an, Israël.
[Previously] I saw that the prophets in Samaria were doing something that was wrong; they were prophesying, saying that Baal [gave them the messages that they were proclaiming], and they were deceiving my people.
14 Osi, pami pwofèt Jérusalem yo, Mwen te wè yon move bagay: Zak adiltè, e yo mache nan sa ki fo. Yo ranfòse men a malfektè yo, pou okenn moun pa vire kite mechanste li. Yo tout vin pou Mwen tankou Sodome e abitan li yo kon Gomorrhe.
And [now] I have seen the prophets in Jerusalem doing terrible things. They commit adultery and habitually tell lies. They encourage evil people to continue to do evil things, with the result that the people do not stop sinning. Those prophets are as wicked as the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were.
15 Akoz sa, pale SENYÈ dèzame yo konsènan pwofèt yo: “Gade byen, Mwen ap bay yo manje bwa lanmè e fè yo bwè dlo anpwazone; paske soti nan pwofèt Jérusalem yo, tout kalite pouriti gaye nan tout peyi a.”
So, this is what the Commander of the armies of angels says about those [false] prophets: “I will give those prophets bitter things to eat and poison to drink, because it is because of them that this land is filled with [people who do] wicked things.”
16 Konsa pale SENYÈ dèzame yo: “Pa koute pawòl a pwofèt k ap fè pwofesi devan nou yo. Y ap mennen nou nan bagay ki pou ryen. Yo pale yon vizyon ki sòti nan pwòp imajinasyon pa yo, men pa nan bouch SENYÈ a.
This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: “Do not pay any attention to what those [false] prophets say to you, because they are just deceiving you. They tell you about visions that they have thought/created [only] in their own minds, not about visions that I have given them.
17 Yo kontinye di a sila k ap meprize Mwen yo, ‘SENYÈ a te di: “Nou va gen lapè”’” e pou tout sila k ap mache nan pwòp tèt di yo, yo di: “Malè p ap rive nou.”
They habitually say to those who hate me, ‘[Yahweh says that] you will have peace.’ And they say to those who stubbornly do what they want to do, ‘Nothing bad will happen to you [because of your doing those things].’
18 Men se kilès ki te kanpe nan konsèy a SENYÈ a, pou l ta wè e tande pawòl li? Kilès ki te prete atansyon a pawòl Mwen, e te koute l?
But none of them has ever been in a council [meeting] in heaven in order to listen to a message from me. None of them has paid attention to anything that [I], Yahweh, have said.
19 Gade byen, tanpèt SENYÈ a deja sòti ak gwo kòlè li. Tankou yon toubiyon k ap vire touwon, li va vire desann sou tèt a mechan an.
So, listen to this: I will punish them; it will be [like] a great storm; it will come down [like] a whirlwind, swirling around the heads of those wicked people.
20 Kòlè SENYÈ a p ap vire fè bak jiskaske Li fin fèt pou l acheve tout volonte a kè li yo. Nan dènye jou yo, nou va konprann sa byen klè.
I will not stop being angry until I completely accomplish all that I have planned. In the future, you will understand [all of] this clearly.”
21 Mwen pa t voye pwofèt sila yo, men yo te kouri. Mwen pa t pale ak yo, men yo te fè pwofesi.
[Yahweh also says, ] “I have not appointed those prophets, but they run [around telling people their messages]. I did not speak to them, but they [continue to] prophesy.
22 Men si yo te konn kanpe nan konsèy Mwen an; alò, yo t ap anonse pawòl Mwen yo a pèp Mwen an pou fè yo vire fè bak kite wout mechan yo, ak mechanste a zak pa yo.
If they had been in my council [meetings], they would have been able to speak messages from me, and they would have caused people to turn away from committing evil things.”
23 “Èske Mwen se pa yon Bondye ki toupre?” deklare SENYÈ a: “E ki pa yon Bondye ki lwen?
Yahweh [also] says, “Am I a God who is only nearby? No, I am a God who is far away, also.
24 Èske yon nonm ka kache kò l yon kote kachèt pou M pa wè l?” deklare SENYÈ a? “Èske Mwen pa ranpli syèl yo ak tè a?” deklare SENYÈ a?”
So, no one can hide in some secret place with the result that I cannot see him. I am everywhere, in heaven and on the earth! [That is what I], Yahweh, say!
25 “Mwen te tande sa pwofèt ki fè fo pwofesi nan non Mwen yo te di. Y ap di: ‘Mwen te fè yon rèv, mwen te fè yon rèv!’
I have heard those prophets prophesy lies, saying that they are telling people messages from me. They say, ‘[Listen to me tell you] the dream that God gave me last night! I [really] had this dream!’
26 Pou konbyen de tan? Èske gen yon bagay nan kè pwofèt ki fè fo pwofesi yo, menm pwofèt sila ki twonpe pwòp kè yo?
How long will they continue to do this? How long will those lying prophets continue to prophesy things that come only from their own minds?
27 Yo gen entansyon fè pèp Mwen an bliye non Mwen ak rèv ke yo repete youn ak lòt yo, menm jan ke papa zansèt yo te bliye non M akoz Baal?
They think that because of the dreams that they tell to each other, people will forget me, like their ancestors forgot about me when they started to worship Baal.
28 Pwofèt ki fè rèv la, kite li repete rèv li a. Epi sila ki gen pawòl pa M, kite l pale pawòl pa M nan ak verite. Kisa gen nan pay ki sanble ak sereyal?
Allow those [false] prophets to tell people their dreams, but those who have messages that [really] come from me should proclaim those messages faithfully. I, Yahweh, say [that like] straw and grain are certainly very different, [my messages and the messages from those false prophets are certainly very different].
29 Èske pawòl Mwen pa tankou yon dife?” deklare SENYÈ a: “Èske li pa tankou yon mato ki kraze fann wòch?”
[It is as though] my messages [burn] like a fire; they [strike people’s inner beings like] someone strikes a rock with a hammer and smashes it into pieces.
30 Pou sa, gade byen, “Mwen kont pwofèt yo,” deklare SENYÈ a: “Ki vòlè pawòl Mwen yo soti nan youn lòt.”
Therefore, [I, ] Yahweh say, 'I oppose all those prophets who steal messages from each other and claim that those messages came from me.
31 “Gade byen, Mwen kont pwofèt yo”, deklare SENYÈ a: “Ki sèvi lang yo pou deklare, ‘SENYÈ a deklare’.
I oppose those prophets who speak their own messages but claim that those messages came from me.
32 Gade byen, Mwen kont sila ki te fè pwofesi fo rèv” deklare SENYÈ a: “E ki te repete yo pou egare pèp Mwen yo ak manti yo, ak ògèy san kontwòl yo, malgre se pa Mwen ki te voye yo, ni kòmande yo. Ni yo pa founi okenn benefis pou pèp sa a,” deklare SENYÈ a.
I oppose those prophets who falsely say that I told them something in a vision, but they are [only] telling lies that cause my people to sin. I did not send those prophets. I did not even appoint them [to be prophets]. And they have no messages that will benefit my people at all.' [That is what I, ] Yahweh, declare.”
33 “Alò, lè pèp sa a, pwofèt la oswa prèt la mande ou pou di: ‘Se kilès ki pòt pawòl SENYÈ a?’ Alò, ou va reponn yo: ‘Ki pòt pawòl sa a?’ “Mwen va retire jete nou” deklare SENYÈ a’.
[Yahweh said to me], “If one of those prophets or priests or one of the [other] people asks you, ‘What problem has Yahweh told you about [now]?’, you must reply, ‘You are the problem! And Yahweh says that he will abandon you!’
34 Epi pou pwofèt la, prèt la oswa pèp la ki di: ‘Pòt pawòl SENYÈ a’, Mwen va mennen pinisyon sou moun sila a ak lakay li.
And if any prophet or priest or anyone [else falsely] says, ‘[I have] a prophecy from Yahweh,’ I will punish that person and his family.
35 Konsa nou chak va di a vwazen li, ak frè li: ‘Se ki repons SENYÈ a te bay’, oswa ‘se ak kilès SENYÈ a te pale?’
What you should continually ask each other is, ‘[When you spoke to Yahweh, ] what did he reply? What is he saying [to us]?’
36 Paske nou p ap sonje pwofesi SENYÈ a ankò, akoz pawòl a chak moun va devni pwop mesaj li. Konsa nou fin tòde pawòl a SENYÈ dèzame yo, Bondye nou an.
But stop saying ‘[I have] a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ because those who say that are doing it only because they want people to accept their ideas, and by doing that they distort/change the messages that are from our God, the Commander of the armies of angels.
37 Pou sa a, nou va di a pwofèt sa a: ‘Ki repons SENYÈ a te bannou?’ epi ‘Kisa SENYÈ a te di’?
This is what you should ask each prophet: ‘What did Yahweh reply [when you talked to him]? What is he saying [to us]?’
38 Akoz nou di: ‘Pwofesi SENYÈ a,’ anverite, konsa pale SENYÈ a: ‘Akoz nou sèvi pawòl sila a, “pwofesi SENYÈ a,” Mwen ap voye kote nou pou di: “Nou pa pou di ‘Pwofesi SENYÈ a!”’
If he replies, ‘[What I told you] is a prophecy/message from Yahweh,’ you should say to him, ‘You have continued to say, “[I received] a prophecy/message from Yahweh” even though I told you to not claim that you have received prophecies/messages from Yahweh.’
39 Akoz sa, gade byen, Mwen va, anverite, bliye nou e jete nou lwen prezans Mwen, ansanm ak vil ke M te bannou ak papa zansèt nou yo.
So I [, Yahweh, ] will get rid of you [false prophets]. I will expel you from my presence. And I will get rid of this city that I gave to you and to your ancestors.
40 Mwen va fè poze yon repwòch ki p ap janm sòti sou nou, ak yon imilyasyon ki p ap janm bliye.”
I will cause people to make fun of you forever. People will never forget that you were disgraced.”
