Jeremiah 18

1 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:

Ko e folofola ʻaia naʻe hoko mai meia Sihova, kia Selemaia, ʻo pehē,

2 Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.

“Tuʻu hake pea ke ʻalu hifo ki he fale ʻoe tufunga ngaohi ipu, pea te u pule ke ke fanongo ki heʻeku ngaahi lea ʻi ai.”

3 I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.

Pea naʻaku toki ʻalu hifo ki he fale ʻoe tufunga ngaohi ipu, pea vakai, naʻa ne ngāueʻaki ʻae meʻa tākai.

4 But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.

Pea ko e ipu ʻaia naʻe ngaohi ʻaki ʻae ʻumea, naʻe maumauʻi ia ʻi he nima ʻoe tufunga: ko ia naʻe toe ngaohi ia ko e ipu kehe, ʻo hangē ko e loto ʻoe tufunga ki ai.

5 The Lord's message came to me, saying,

Pea naʻe toki hoko kiate au ʻae folofola ʻa Sihova, ʻo pehē.

6 People of Israel, declares the Lord, can't I deal with you just like this potter does with his clay? I hold you in my hand just like clay in the potter's hand, people of Israel.

‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE fale ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻikai te u fai kiate kimoutolu ʻo hangē ko e tufunga ngaohi ipu ni? Vakai, ʻE fale ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻoku mou ʻi hoku nima, ʻo hangē ko e ʻumea ʻi he nima ʻoe tangata tufunga ngaohi ipu.

7 At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.

‌ʻO kau ka lea ki ha kakai, pe ha puleʻanga, ke taʻaki, pe lī ki lalo, pe fakaʻauha ia;

8 However, if that nation I warned gives up its evil ways, then I will change my mind regarding the disaster I was about to bring.

Kapau ʻe tafoki ʻae kakai, ʻaia kuo u lea ki ai, mei heʻenau kovi, te u fakatomala ʻi he kovi ʻaia naʻaku loto ke ʻomi kiate kinautolu.

9 At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom.

Pea kau ka lea ki ha kakai, pea ki ha puleʻanga, ke langa mo fokotuʻu ia;

10 But if it does evil in my sight and refuses to listen to my voice, then I will change my mind regarding the good I had planned for it.

Kapau ʻe fai kovi ia ʻi hoku ʻao, pea ʻikai talangofua ki hoku leʻo, pea te u toki fakatomala ʻi he lelei, ʻaia naʻaku pehē te u fai ke nau lelei ai.

11 So tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: Watch out! I am preparing disaster for you, and working out a plan against you. All of you, give up your evil ways. Live right and act right!

“Pea ko eni, ke ke ʻalu, pea ke lea ki he kau tangata ʻo Siuta, pea ki he kakai ʻo Selūsalema, ʻo pehē, ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova; vakai, ʻoku ou teuteu ha kovi kiate kimoutolu, pea tuʻutuʻuni ha tauhele kiate kimoutolu: mou taki taha tafoki leva mei hono hala kovi, pea ngaohi ke lelei homou ngaahi hala, mo hoʻomou ngaahi faianga.

12 But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”

Pea naʻa nau pehē, ‘ʻOku ʻikai ha ʻamanaki lelei; ka te mau taki taha muimui ki heʻene filioʻi, pea taki taha fai ʻo hangē ko e holi ʻa hono loto kovi.’”

13 Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.

Ko ia ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova; “Mou fehuʻi eni ki he hiteni, pe ko hai kuo fanongo ki he ngaahi meʻa pehē: kuo fai ʻae meʻa fakalielia ʻaupito ʻaupito ʻe he taʻahine ʻo ʻIsileli.

14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever disappear from its rocky mountain-tops? Do its cool waters that flow from such distant sources ever dry up?

‌ʻE liʻaki koā ʻae ʻuha hinehina ʻo Lepanoni, ʻaia ʻoku tafe mei he makatuʻu ki he ngoue? Pe ʻe liʻaki ʻae vaitafe momoko ʻoku tafe mai, maʻae vai kehe ʻoku keli pe?

15 But my people have rejected me! They burn incense to useless idols which trip them up, making them leave the old roads in order to walk down unmade paths instead of the highway.

Koeʻuhi kuo fakangalongaloʻi au ʻe hoku kakai, kuo nau tutu ʻae meʻa namu kakala ki he meʻa vaʻinga, pea kuo nau fakahinga ʻakinautolu ʻi honau ngaahi hala mei he ngaahi hala motuʻa, ka nau ʻeveʻeva ʻi he hala, mo e ʻalunga naʻe ʻikai tanu hake;

16 They have turned their country into a horrific wasteland, a place that will always be treated with contempt. People passing by will be shocked, shaking their heads in disbelief.

Ke fakalala honau fonua, pea ngaohi ia ko e manukiʻanga; pea ʻe ofo ai ʻakinautolu kotoa pē ʻoku ʻalu ki ai, pea kalokalo honau ʻulu.

17 Like a strong wind from the east I will scatter them before the enemy. I will turn my back on them and not look at them when their time of trouble comes.

Te u fakamovetevete ʻakinautolu ʻi he ʻao ʻoe fili ʻo hangē ko e matangi hahake; pea ʻe ʻikai te u fakahā hoku ʻao, ka te u fulituʻa kiate kinautolu ʻi he ʻaho ʻo ʻenau tuʻutāmaki.”

18 Some people decided, “We need a plan to deal with Jeremiah. There'll still be priests to explain the law, there'll still be wise people to give advice, and there'll still be prophets to give prophecies. Let's organize a smear campaign against him so we don't have to listen to a word he says.”

Pea naʻa nau toki pehē, “Ko eni ke tau fakakaukau ha meʻa kia Selemaia; koeʻuhi ʻe ʻikai mole ʻae fono mei he taulaʻeiki, pe ko e fakakaukau mei he tangata poto, pe ko e lea mei he palōfita. Mou haʻu, ke tau tā ia ʻi hono ʻelelo, pea ʻoua naʻa tau tokanga ki heʻene ngaahi lea.”

19 Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying!

“Tokanga mai kiate au, ʻE Sihova, pea fanongo ki he leʻo ʻonautolu ʻoku fakamamahiʻi au.

20 Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they have dug a pit to trap me! Remember how I stood before you to plead on their behalf, to stop you being angry with them?

‌ʻE totongi koā ʻaki ʻae kovi ki he lelei? He kuo nau keli ʻae luo ki hoku laumālie. Ke ke manatu naʻaku tuʻu ʻi ho ʻao, ke hūfia ʻakinautolu, pea ke fakaafe ho houhau meiate kinautolu.

21 But now may their children starve; may they be killed by the sword. May their wives lose their children and their husbands; may their husbands die from disease; may their young men be killed in battle.

Ko ia tukuange ʻenau fānau ki he honge, pea lilingi honau [toto ]ʻi he mālohi ʻoe heletā; pea tuku ke mole ʻae fānau ʻa honau ngaahi fefine, pea mate honau husepāniti; pea tuku ke tāmateʻi honau kau tangata: pea ke ke tāmateʻi ʻaki honau kau talavou ʻae heletā ʻi he tau.

22 May cries of agony be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders to attack them, because they dug a pit to capture me and hid traps to catch me as I walk along.

Tuku ke ongo mai ʻae kaila mei honau ngaahi fale, ʻoka ke ka ʻomi fakafokifā pe ha kau tau kiate kinautolu; he kuo nau keli ha luo ke maʻu ai au, pea ʻai fakafufū ha tauhele ki hoku vaʻe.

23 But Lord, you know about all their plots to try and kill me. Don't forgive their wickedness; don't wipe away their sin. Bring them down! Deal with them when you're angry!

Ka ko koe, ʻE Sihova, ʻoku ke ʻafioʻi ʻenau fakakaukau kotoa pē kiate au ke tāmateʻi au: ʻoua naʻa fakamolemole ʻenau hia, pea ʻoua naʻa tāmateʻi ʻenau angahala mei ho ʻao, kae tuku ke ʻauha ʻakinautolu ʻi ho ʻao; ke ke fai pehē kiate kinautolu ʻi he ʻaho ʻo ho houhau.”