Jeremiah 14

14 ¹Na dis be di word wey come from our Papa reach Jeremiah about di dry season wey rain no dey: ²Judah dey mourn, and her gates don empty; her people sidon for ground dey mourn, and cry dey rise go up from Jerusalem.

³"Di big-big people dey send dia servants go find water; dem go for di water-well but dem no see water. Dem come back with dia pots empty; shame catch dem, dem disgrace, and dem cover dia head. ⁴Because di ground don crack open, because rain no fall for di land, shame catch di farmers; dem cover dia head. ⁵Even di mother-deer for di field comot leave her new-born pikin because grass no dey. ⁶Di wild donkeys stand for di bare high-place; dem dey pant for air like jackal; dia eyes dey grow dim because grass no dey. ⁷'Even as our sins dey testify against us, do somtin, our Papa, for di sake of your name; because we don turn comot from you again and again—we don sin against you. ⁸Hope of Israel, Israel Savior for time of trouble, why you dey be like stranger for di land, like traveler wey stop only for di night? ⁹Why you dey be like person wey somtin take by surprise, like warrior wey no fit save? But you, our Papa, dey for our midst, and dem dey call us by your name; no leave us abandon!'

¹⁰"Na dis be wetin our Papa talk about dis people: 'Dem love to waka-waka comot too much; dem no hold dia leg. So I no dey take any joy for dem; now I go remember dia guilt and punish dia sins.'

¹¹"Den our Papa tell me, 'No pray for di well-being of dis people. ¹²Wen dem fast, I no go hear dia cry; wen dem bring burnt offering and grain offering, I no go accept dem. I go finish dem with sword, hunger, and plague.'"

Prophets Wey Dey Lie for our Papa Name

¹³Den I talk, "Ah, Oga Papa, look—di prophets dey tell dem, 'You no go face sword, and hunger no go come on you, but I go give you peace wey go last for here.'"

¹⁴Den our Papa tell me, "Di prophets dey prophesy lies for my name. I no send dem, I no command dem, I no talk to dem. Dem dey prophesy to you false vision, useless fortune-telling, and di deceit of dia own mind. ¹⁵Na dis be wetin our Papa talk about di prophets wey dey prophesy for my name, even doh I no send dem, dem wey dey talk say, 'No sword or hunger go touch dis land': Na by sword and hunger dem prophets go die. ¹⁶Di people wey dem dey prophesy to, hunger and sword go throway dem for Jerusalem streets, and nobody go bury dem—dem, dia wives, sons, and daughters. I go pour dia own evil back on dem.

¹⁷Tell dem dis: 'Make my eyes dey shed tears night and day witout stopping, because di virgin daughter of my people don break by heavy blow, wound wey pass healing. ^a a v17 For here our Papa give Jeremiah words wey carry im own tears — di grief of a Papa over pikin dem wey wound pass healing, dey cry night and day for dem.

¹⁸If I comot go di field, dem wey sword kill dey lie down der; if I enter di city, na di wahala of hunger dey der. Because prophet and priest sef dey do dia trade for land wey dem no even know.'"

¹⁹You don totally reject Judah? Your heart dey hate Zion? Why you don beat us down sotay healing no dey for us? We hope for peace, but no good come; we hope for time of healing, but na terror come instead. ²⁰We agree say we do wickedness, our Papa, and di guilt of our forefathers; we don sin against you. ²¹For di sake of your name, no despise us; no bring shame on your throne wey full of glory. Remember your Covenant with us, and no break am. ²²Any of di useless idols of di nations fit bring rain? Di sky itself fit send shower? No be you be di one, our Papa? We put our hope for you, because na you be di one wey dey do all dis things.