Jeremiah 21

1 Yahweh gave me another message when King Zedekiah [of Judah] sent [a man who was also named] Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, and a priest named Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, [to talk to me. They pleaded with me], saying,

Pawòl ki te vini kote Jérémie soti nan SENYÈ a, lè Wa Sédécias te voye Paschhur, fis a Malkija a, ak Sophonie, fis a Maaséja a, prèt la, pou di l:

2 “[The army of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon is attacking Judah. Please speak to Yahweh for us. [Ask him if he will help us]. Perhaps he will force Nebuchadnezzar’s [army] to leave by performing a miracle for us, like the miracles he performed [previously].”

Souple, mande a SENYÈ a pou nou menm, paske Nebucadnetsar, wa Babylone nan ap fè lagè kont nou. Petèt SENYÈ a va aji avèk nou selon zèv mèvèy Li yo, pou lènmi an rete kò l sou nou.

3 I replied to them, “[Go back to King] Zedekiah. Tell him,

Alò, Jérémie te di yo: “Nou va di Sédécias konsa:

4 ‘This is what Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: “I will cause your weapons to be useless in fighting against the king of Babylon and his army that is outside the walls of Jerusalem, attacking. I will enable them to enter into the center of this city.

‘Konsa pale SENYÈ Bondye Israël la: “Gade byen, Mwen prèt pou vire zam lagè ki nan men nou yo, zam ak sila n ap batay kont wa Babylone nan, ak Kaldeyen k ap fè syèj nou deyò miray la. Konsa, Mwen va rasanble yo nan mitan vil sa a.

5 I myself will fight against your [army] with my very great power, [MTY, DOU] because I am very angry with you.

Mwen menm, Mwen va fè lagè kont nou ak yon men lonje, ak yon bra pwisan, menm ak kòlè, gwo kòlè, ak gwo endiyasyon.

6 I will send a very (terrible plague/big sickness) on the people of this city, and on their domestic animals, and [many of] them will die.”

Anplis, Mwen va frape tout sa ki rete nan vil sa a, ni lòm, ni bèt. Yo va mouri akoz yon gwo epidemi.

7 And Yahweh says there are many people in this city who want to kill you. So, he will enable [the army of] King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and other people in this city to capture [you], King Zedekiah, and your officials, and [all the other] people who do not die from the plague. His army will slaughter your soldiers; they will not act mercifully toward you(pl) or pity you at all. [DOU]’

Lè l fini”, deklare SENYÈ a: “Mwen va livre Sédécias, wa Juda a ak sèvitè li yo ak pèp la, sila yo ki chape nan vil sa a de epidemi, nepe, ak gwo grangou, pou fè yo antre nan men a wa Nebucadnetsar, wa Babylone nan, nan men a lènmi pa yo ak nan men a sila k ap chache lavi yo. Epi li va frape yo ak kout nepe. Li p ap lese yo, ni gen okenn pitye, ni konpasyon pou yo.”’

8 And tell this to [all] the people: ‘Yahweh says that you must decide whether you want to die or to remain alive.

“Anplis, Ou va di a pèp sa a: ‘Konsa pale SENYÈ a: “Gade byen, Mwen mete devan nou chemen lavi ak chemen lanmò.

9 Everyone who remains in Jerusalem will die. They will be killed in battles or die from being hungry or from diseases. But those who surrender to the army of Babylon that is surrounding your city will remain alive. They will escape dying.

Sila ki rete nan vil sa a va mouri pa nepe ak gwo grangou, ak epidemi, men sila ki soti e desann kote Kaldeyen k ap fè syèj kont nou yo, va sove lavi li. Li va chape ak lavi li.

10 [That will happen] because I, Yahweh, have decided to cause this city to experience disasters, not to experience something good. The army of the king of Babylon will capture this city and will destroy it [completely] by fire.’”

Paske Mwen te ranje figi M kont vil sa a pou mal, e pa pou byen,” deklare SENYÈ a. “Li va livre nan men a wa Babylone nan e li va brile li ak dife.”’

11 [Yahweh also told me to] say this to the family of the king of Judah: “Listen to this message from Yahweh!

“Konsa, di a lakay wa Juda a: ‘Tande pawòl SENYÈ a.

12 This is what he says to you descendants of King David: ‘Every day, make fair decisions for the people whom you judge. Help those who have been robbed. Rescue/Save them from those [SYN] who (oppress them/treat them cruelly). If you do not do that, I will be angry and punish [MTY] you with a fire that will be impossible to extinguish, because of [all] the sins that you have committed.

O lakay David, konsa pale SENYÈ a: ‘Aji ak jistis chak maten. Delivre moun ki te vòlè devan pouvwa a sila ki te oprime l la, pou gwo kòlè Mwen pa sòti deyò kon dife e brile yon jan pou okenn pa ka etenn, akoz mechanste a zak yo.

13 I will fight against you people [of Jerusalem], you who live on top of a rocky hill above the valley. [I will fight against] you people who boast, saying, “No one can attack us and break through [our defenses].”

Gade byen, Mwen kontra ou, O sila ki rete nan ba plèn nan,’ deklare SENYÈ a. ‘Nou menm k ap di: “Se kilès k ap desann kont nou?” Oswa, “Se kilès k ap antre nan abitasyon nou yo?”

14 I will punish you for your wicked deeds like you deserve to be punished; [It will be as though] I will light a fire in your forests that will burn up everything around you!’”

Mwen va pini nou selon rezilta zak nou yo, deklare SENYÈ a: “Epi Mwen va limen yon dife nan forè li ki va devore tout ozanviwon li.’”