< Jeremiah 4 >

1 Yahweh says, “You Israeli [people], come back to me! If you get rid of those detestable idols and do not turn away from me [again],
Raha hiverina ianao, ry Isiraely, hoy Jehovah, dia ho amiko no hiverenanao, ary raha hanaisotra ny fahavetavetanao tsy ho eo imasoko ianao, dia tsy hivezivezy foana,
2 and if you declare, ‘Just as surely as Yahweh lives, what he says is true,’ and if you [start to] always say what is true and act justly/fairly and righteously, then the [people in the other] nations [of the world] will request that I bless them [as I have blessed you], and they will [all come and] honor/praise me.”
Fa hianiana amin’ ny hitsiny sy ny rariny ary ny fahamarinana hoe: Raha velona koa Jehovah, dia Izy no holazain’ ny firenena ho fahasambarany, ary Izy no ho reharehany.
3 This is what Yahweh says to the people of Jerusalem and [the other cities in] Judah: “[Prepare yourselves to receive my messages] like farmers plow up hard ground [in order that they can plant seed in it]. Just as farmers do not [waste good seed by] sowing seeds among thorny plants, [I do not want to waste my time telling you messages that you are not ready to receive].
Fa izao no lazain’ i Jehovah amin’ ny Joda sy Jerosalema: Hevoy ny tombamborakareo, fa aza mamafy amin’ ny tsilo.
4 Purify your inner beings and your minds for me. If you do not do that, my being angry with you [MTY] because of [all] the sins that you have committed will be like a fire that will be impossible to extinguish.”
Miforà ho an’ i Jehovah ianareo, eny, forao ny fonareo, ry Joda sy ry mponina any Jerosalema! Fandrao hiseho toy ny afo ny fahatezerako noho ny faharatsian’ ny ataonareo ka hirehitra, sady tsy hisy hamono azy.
5 “Declare this [DOU] to [all the people in] Jerusalem and [the rest of] Judea; blow the trumpets everywhere in the land [to warn the people]. Tell them that they should flee to the cities that have high walls around them.
Ambaraonareo ao amin’ ny Joda, ary torio ao Jerosalema, ka ataovy hoe: Tsofy ao amin’ ny tany ny anjomara; Miantsoantsoa mafy, ka ataovy hoe: Mivoria ianareo, ka andeha isika hiditra amin’ ny tanàna mimanda.
6 Shout to the people of Jerusalem, ‘Run away [now]! Do not delay, because I am about to cause you to experience a terrible disaster [DOU] that will come from the north.
Manangàna faneva manandrify an’ i Ziona; Mandosira faingana, aza mijanona; Fa Izaho hahatonga loza sy fandringanana be avy any avaratra.
7 [An army] that has destroyed [many] nations will attack you [like] [MET] a lion that comes out of its den [to attack other animals]. [The soldiers of that army] have taken down their tents and they are ready to march toward your land. They will destroy your cities and leave them without any people still living in them.’
Misy liona miakatra avy any anaty kirihitrala, ary ilay mpanimba ny firenena dia efa miainga, efa mivoaka avy amin’ ny fitoerany hahafoana ny taninao, ary hahalao ny tanànanao, ka tsy hisy mponina.
8 So, put on sackcloth/rough clothes and weep and beat your chests [to show that you are very sorry for what you have done], because Yahweh is still very angry with us.
Ary noho izany dia misikìna lamba fisaonana ianareo, ka mitomania sy midradradradrà; Fa ny firehetan’ ny fahatezeran’ i Jehovah tsy afaka amintsika.
9 Yahweh said that at the time [he punishes you], the King of Judah and [all his] officials will be very afraid. The priests and the prophets will be terrified.
Ary amin’ izany andro izany, hoy Jehovah, dia ho very hevitra ny mpanjaka sy ny lehibe, ary ho kepoka ny mpisorona, sy ho gaga ny mpaminany.
10 Then I replied, “Yahweh [my] God, you completely deceived the people by telling them that there would be peace in Jerusalem, but now [our enemies] [PRS] are ready to slaughter us with their swords!”
Dia hoy izaho: Indrisy, Jehovah Tompo ô! Efa nofitahinao tokoa ity firenena ity sy Jerosalema tamin’ ny nanaovanao hoe: Hisy fiadanana ho anareo; Kanjo mihatra amin’ ny aina ny sabatra.
11 When that happens, [Yahweh] will say to the people of Jerusalem, [“A huge army will come to attack you]. They will not [be like a gentle breeze that] separates wheat from chaff. [They will be like] a very hot wind [that blows in] from the desert [MET].
Amin’ izany andro izany dia holazaina amin’ ity firenena ity sy Jerosalema hoe: Hisy rivo-mahamay avy any an-tendrombohitra mangadihady any an-efitra hankamin’ ny oloko zanakavavy, kanefa tsy hikororohana na hanadiovana.
12 [They will be like] [MET] a strong blast that I will send. Now I am declaring that I will punish/destroy you.”
Dia ho tonga avy amiko izay rivotra mahery noho ireny; Ary ankehitriny Izaho kosa hifandahatra aminy.
13 [Our enemies] are about to rush down on us; their chariots are like [SIM] whirlwinds. Their horses are faster than eagles. It will be terrible for us!
Indro, avy toy ny rahona izy, Ary tahaka ny tadio ny kalesiny, faingana noho ny voromahery ny soavaliny; Lozantsika! fa lany ringana isika.
14 [You people of] Jerusalem [APO], purify your hearts/inner beings, in order that Yahweh will rescue you. How long will you continue to think about [doing] evil things?
Ry Jerosalema, sasao ny fonao ho afaka amin’ ny ratsy, mba hovonjena ianao! Mandra-pahoviana no hitoeran’ ny hevi-dratsinao ao am-ponao?
15 From Dan [city in the far north] to the hills of Ephraim [a few miles/kilometers north of Jerusalem] messengers are proclaiming that disasters are coming.
Fa injany! misy feo manambara avy any Dana sy filazam-pahoriana avy amin’ ny tany havoan’ i Efraima,
16 Tell this to the [people in other] nations [but also] announce it in Jerusalem: [Yahweh says], “An army is coming to Jerusalem from far away; they will shout [a battle-cry] against the cities in Judah.
Lazaonareo amin’ ny firenena, torio amin’ i Jerosalema hoe: Misy mpanao fahirano avy any an-tany lavitra ka manakora hamely ny tanànan’ ny Joda.
17 They will set up tents around Jerusalem like people set up temporary shelters [SIM] around a field [at harvest time]. That will happen because the people of Judah have rebelled against me.
Manodidina azy ireo toy ny fanaon’ ny mpiandry saha, fa efa niodina tamiko izy, hoy Jehovah.
18 You will be punished very severely; it will [be as though a sword] has stabbed your inner beings. But you are causing those things to happen to you because of the evil things that you have done.”
Ny alehanao sy ny asanao no nahatonga izany taminao; Izany no faharatsianao, eny, mangidy izany sady mihatra amin’ ny ainao.
19 I am extremely anguished/sad; the pain in my inner being is very severe. My heart beats wildly. But I cannot remain silent because I have heard [our enemies] blowing their trumpets to announce that the battle [against Judah will start immediately].
Endrey ny kiboko! Endrey izany kiboko! Manaintaina aho; Endrey! mila ho triatra izany ny foko! Mitoloko ny foko, ka tsy mahay mangìna aho; Fa ny feon’ anjomara sy ny akoran’ ady dia renao, ry fanahiko.
20 Disasters will occur one after another until the whole land is ruined. Suddenly [all] our tents will be destroyed; [even] the curtains [inside the tents] will be ripped apart.
Fandravana mifanontona no ambara, rava ny tany rehetra; Rava tampoka ny laiko, eny, rava indray mipi-maso monja ny ambain-daiko.
21 How long will this battle continue? How long will I continue to see the enemy battle flags and hear the sound of their trumpets being blown?
Mandra-pahoviana re no mbola hijereko ny faneva sy handrenesako ny feon’ anjomara?
22 [Yahweh says], “My people are [very] foolish! They do not have a relationship with me. They are [like] [MET] stupid children who do not understand [anything]. They very cleverly do what is wrong, but they do not know how to do what is good.”
Fa adala ny oloko, Izaho tsy mba fantany; Zaza tsy misy saina izy sady tsy manam-pahalalana; Raha ny hanao ratsy, dia hendry izy; Fa ny hanao soa kosa tsy fantany.
23 [God gave me a vision in which] I saw that the earth was barren and without form. I looked at the sky, and there was no light there.
Nojereko ny tany, ka, indro, tsy nisy endrika izy sady foana, ary ny lanitra koa, ka, indro, tsy nanam-pahazavana izy;
24 I looked at the mountains and hills, and they shook and moved from side to side.
Nojereko ny tendrombohitra, ka, indro, nihorohoro izy, ary ny havoana rehetra nihozongozona;
25 I looked and saw that there were no [more] people, and all the birds had flown away.
Nojereko, ka, indro, tsy nisy olona, ary ny voro-manidina rehetra efa nandositra;
26 I looked and saw that the fields that previously were fertile had become a desert. The cities were all ruined; they had all been destroyed by Yahweh because he was extremely angry.
Nojereko, ka, indro, ny saha mahavokatra aza efa tonga efitra, ary ny tanànany rehetra dia rava teo anatrehan’ i Jehovah, dia teo anoloan’ ny firehetan’ ny fahatezerany.
27 This is what Yahweh is saying: “The entire land [of Judah] will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.
Fa izao no lazain’ i Jehovah: Ho lao ny tany rehetra, nefa tsy dia holevoniko avokoa izy.
28 I will do to my people what I said that I would do, and I will not change my mind. So [when that happens, it will be as though] the earth will mourn and the sky will become very dark.”
Noho izany dia hisaona ny tany, ary ho tonga mainty ny lanitra ambony, satria efa niteny izany Aho, sady efa nikasa izany ka tsy hanenina na hanatsoaka izany.
29 [When the people hear] the sound of the [enemy] army marching, [they will be terrified as] they flee from their cities. Some of them will find places to hide in the bushes, and others will run toward the mountains/hills [to escape being killed by their enemies]. All the cities [in Judah] will be abandoned; not one person will remain in them.
Noho ny fihorakoraky ny mpitaingin-tsoavaly sy ny mpandefa tsipìka dia efa mandositra avokoa ny tanàna rehetra; Mitsofoka any anatin’ ny kirihitrala sy mananika ny vatolampy izy; Lao avokoa ny tanàna rehetra, ka tsy misy mponina intsony ao.
30 So you who will surely be destroyed, [why are you doing the things that you are doing now]? Why are you wearing beautiful clothes and jewelry? Why are you putting paint around your eyes? Doing those things will not help you, because the people [in other countries that you think] love you [actually] despise you, and they will try to kill you.
Ary hanao ahoana ianao, ry ilay rava? Na dia miakanjo jaky aza ianao, na dia miravaka volamena aza ianao, na dia hosoranao loko mainty aza ny masonao, foana ny itadiavanao hahatsara tarehy anao; Hanifika anao ireo lehilahy tia anao, ka ny ainao aza no hotadiaviny.
31 [It is as though] I already hear [the people in Jerusalem] crying very loudly, like [SIM] a woman cries when she is giving birth to her first child; she gasps for breath and pleads for someone to help her. [It is as though Jerusalem] is crying, “Something terrible is happening to me! They are about to murder me!”
Fa efa nandre feo Aho tahaka ny vehivavy raha miteraka sy fidridridridriana tahaka ny vehivavy izay vao miteraka ny matoany, dia ny feon’ i Ziona zanakavavy, izay misefosefo sady mamelatra ny tànany ka manao hoe: Lozako! Fa reraka ny aiko azon’ ireo mpamono olona.

< Jeremiah 4 >