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],

‌ʻOku pehē mai ʻe Sihova, “Kapau te ke tafoki ʻE ʻIsileli, tafoki kiate au; pea kapau te ke tukuange ʻa hoʻo ngaahi meʻa fakalielia ʻi hoku ʻao, ʻe ʻikai ʻave koe.

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.”

Pea te ke fuakava, ‘ʻOku moʻui ʻa Sihova’ ʻi he moʻoni, mo e fakamaau, pea ʻi he angatonu; pea ʻoku meiate ia ʻae fakamonūʻia ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga pea te nau vikiviki ʻiate ia.”

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].

He ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova ki he kau tangata ʻo Siuta, mo Selūsalema, “Mou fakamolū ʻae kelekele foʻou, pea ʻoua naʻa tūtuuʻi ʻi he ngaahi ʻakau talatala.

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.”

‌ʻAe kau tangata ʻo Siuta mo e kakai ʻo Selūsalema, mou kamu homou loto kia Sihova, pea toʻo ʻae ʻufiʻufi ʻo homou loto, telia naʻa ʻalu atu ʻeku houhau ʻo hangē ko e afi, pea ʻe vela ia ʻo ʻikai faʻa tāmateʻi, koeʻuhi ko e kovi ʻo hoʻomou ngaahi faianga.”

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.

Mou fakahā ʻi Siuta, pea fakaʻilo ʻi Selūsalema; ʻo pehē, ‘Mou ifi ʻae meʻalea ʻi he fonua:’ fakahā, ʻi he potu kotoa pē, ʻo pehē, ‘Tau fakataha ʻakitautolu, pea ʻalu ki he ngaahi kolo kuo langa.’

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.

Fokotuʻu ʻae fuka ke hanga ki Saione: mou ʻalu, ʻoua ʻe tatali: he te u ʻomi ʻae kovi mei he tokelau, ʻio, ko e fakaʻauha lahi.

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.’

Kuo haʻu ʻae laione mei he fihi ʻoe vao, pea ʻoku haʻu ʻi hono hala ʻaia ʻe fakaʻauha ʻae ngaahi puleʻanga; kuo ʻalu atu ia mei hono potu ke fakaʻauha ʻae fonua: pea ʻe lala ʻae ngaahi kolo, ʻo ʻikai ha kakai.

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.

Koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ni, nonoʻo ʻaki ʻakimoutolu ʻae vala tauangaʻa, pea mamahi mo tangi: he ʻoku teʻeki ai foki meiate kitautolu ʻae houhau kakaha ʻo Sihova.

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.

‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE hoko ʻo pehē ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, ʻe vaivai ʻae loto ʻoe tuʻi, pea mo e loto ʻoe houʻeiki; pea ʻe ofo ʻae kau taulaʻeiki, pea ʻe fakatumutumu ʻae kau palōfita.”

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!”

Pea naʻaku toki pehē ai, “ʻOiauē, ʻE ʻEiki Sihova! Ko e moʻoni kuo ke tukuange ʻae kakai ni mo Selūsalema ki he kākā, ʻo pehē, ‘Te mou maʻu ʻae fiemālie;’ kae ʻosi kuo hoko ʻae heletā ki he laumālie.”

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].

Pea ʻe lea ki he kakai ni mo Selūsalema ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia; ʻo pehē, “ʻOku haʻu ʻae matangi vela mei he ngaahi potu māʻolunga ʻi he toafa ki he ʻofefine ʻo hoku kakai, ka ʻoku ʻikai ke tatafi pe fakamaʻa.

12 [They will be like] [MET] a strong blast that I will send. Now I am declaring that I will punish/destroy you.”

‌ʻE haʻu ʻae matangi lahi mei he ngaahi potu ko ia kiate au; pea te u fakamaau ni ʻakinautolu foki.

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!

Vakai, te ne haʻu ʻo hangē ko e ngaahi ʻao, pea ko ʻene ngaahi saliote ʻo hangē ko e ʻahiohio: ʻoku veʻe vave hake ʻene fanga hoosi ʻi he puna ʻae ʻikale. ʻOku tau malaʻia! He kuo fakaʻauha ʻakitautolu.

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?

‌ʻE Selūsalema, ke ke fakamaʻa ho loto mei he angahala, koeʻuhi ke ke moʻui. ʻE fēfē hono fuoloa ʻae nofo ʻa hoʻo ngaahi mahalo kovi ʻiate koe?

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.

He ʻoku ongoʻi ʻae leʻo mei Tani, pea ʻoku fakahā ʻae meʻa fakamamahi mei he moʻunga ʻo ʻIfalemi.

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.

“Vakai, mou tala ki he ngaahi kakai; fakahā ki Selūsalema, ‘Kuo haʻu ʻae kau leʻo mei he potu mamaʻo, pea te nau kalanga ki he ngaahi kolo ʻo Siuta.’”

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.

‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻOku nau takatakai ia ʻo hangē ko e kau tauhi ngoue koeʻuhi kuo ne angatuʻu kiate au.

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.”

Kuo hoko ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni kiate koe ko e meʻa ʻi hoʻo anga mo hoʻo ngaahi faianga; ko eni hoʻo mamahi ʻoku kakaha ia, koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻasi ia ki ho loto.”

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].

ʻA hoku fatu, ʻa hoku fatu! ʻOku ou mamahi ʻo aʻu ki hoku loto: ʻoku ueʻi hoku loto ʻiate au; ʻoku ʻikai te u faʻa fakalongo pe, koeʻuhi kuo u fanongo ki he meʻalea, kuo fanongo ʻa hoku laumālie ki he teu tau.

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.

Kuo hoko ʻae fakaʻauha ki he fakaʻauha, he kuo lala ʻae fonua kotoa pē; kuo maumauʻi fakafokifā ʻa hoku fale fehikitaki; pea mo hoku ngaahi puipui.

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?

‌ʻE fēfē hono fuoloa ʻo ʻeku mamata ki he fuka, pea fanongo ki he leʻo ʻoe meʻalea?

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.”

“He ʻoku vale ʻa hoku kakai, ʻoku teʻeki ai te nau ʻilo au: ko e fānau faha ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻikai hanau poto; ʻoku nau poto ki he fai kovi, ka ʻoku ʻikai te nau maʻu ʻae ʻiloʻi ki he fai lelei.”

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.

Pea naʻaku mamata ki he fonua, pea vakai, kuo maveuveu mo ngeʻesi pe ia; pea ki he ngaahi langi foki, pea naʻe ʻikai ha maama.

24 I looked at the mountains and hills, and they shook and moved from side to side.

Ne u mamata ki he ngaahi moʻunga, pea vakai, kuo nau tetetete, pea naʻe ueʻi ʻae ngaahi tafungofunga kotoa pē, ʻo hangē ko e meʻa maʻamaʻa.

25 I looked and saw that there were no [more] people, and all the birds had flown away.

Naʻaku mamata, pea vakai, naʻe ʻikai ha tangata, pea kuo mole kotoa pē ʻae fanga manupuna ʻoe langi.

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.

Ne u mamata, pea vakai, kuo toafa ʻae potu fua lelei, pea kuo maumauʻi hifo ʻae ngaahi kolo kotoa pē ʻi he ʻao ʻo Sihova, ʻi hono houhau kakaha.

27 This is what Yahweh is saying: “The entire land [of Judah] will be ruined, but I will not destroy it completely.

He kuo pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE lala ʻae fonua kotoa pē; ka ʻe ʻikai te u fakaʻosi ʻaupito.

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.”

‌ʻE mamahi ʻa māmani koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ni, pea ʻe ʻuliʻuli ai ʻae ngaahi langi ʻi ʻolunga: koeʻuhi kuo u lea ʻaki ia, pea ʻe ʻikai te u fakatomala; kuo u tuʻutuʻuni ia, pea ʻe ʻikai te u tafoki mei ai.”

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.

‌ʻE hola ʻae kolo kotoa pē koeʻuhi ko e patū ʻae kau tangata heka hoosi, mo e kau tangata fakakaufana; te nau ʻalu ki he vao fihi pea kaka ki he ngaahi maka: pea ʻe liʻaki ʻae kolo kotoa pē, pea ʻe ʻikai nofo ha tangata ʻi ai.

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.

Pea ʻoka maumauʻi koe, ko e hā te ke fai? Kapau te ke fakakofuʻaki koe ʻae kulokula, pea kapau te ke teuteu ʻaki koe ʻae ngaahi meʻa teunga, pea kapau te ke loa ho mata ʻaki ʻae vali, ʻoku taʻeʻaonga ho fakahoihoifua koe; ʻe fehiʻa kiate koe ʻakinautolu naʻe ʻofa, pea te nau kumi hoʻo moʻui.

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!”

He kuo u fanongo ki he leʻo ʻo hangē ko e fefine ʻoku langā, pea mo e mamahi ʻo hangē ko ia kuo ne fāʻeleʻi ʻene ʻuluaki tama, ko e leʻo ʻoe ʻofefine ʻo Saione, ʻaia ʻoku toʻe pea mafao hono nima, ʻo pehē, “ʻOiauē au! He ʻoku vaivai hoku laumālie koeʻuhi ko e kau fakapō.”