Di Papa Dey Call Kings to Do Justice
Our Papa send Jeremiah go di palace itself. Josiah defend di poor and e go well for am; im sons build with cedar and work wey dem no pay for. Shallum no go ever see home again, Jehoiakim go get donkey burial, and dem go pull Coniah comot like signet ring.
22 1Na dis one our Papa talk: Go down go di house of Judah im king, and talk dis word for dia,
2and talk say: Hear our Papa im word, king of Judah, wey siddon for David im throne—you, your servants, and your people wey dey enter dis gates. 3Na dis one our Papa talk: Do justice and wetin correct; rescue di person wey dem tief from am, comot am from di hand of di person wey dey oppress am. No do bad to any foreigner, or pikin wey no get papa, or widow, no do dem any violence, and no shed innocent blood for dis place. 4If you truly do dis one, kings wey dey siddon for David im throne go enter dis gates, dey ride chariots and horses—di king, im servants, and im people. 5But if you no go hear dis words, I swear by myself, na so our Papa talk: dis house go turn to rubbish wey don scatter.
6Na dis one our Papa talk about di royal house of Judah: You be Gilead to me, di top of Lebanon—but I go make you turn desert, towns wey nobody dey live. 7I go set apart destroyers against you, each one with im weapons; dem go cut down your best-best cedar trees and throw dem inside fire.
8Plenty nations go pass dis city and ask each other, “Why Oga do dis kind ting to dis great city?”
9Dem go answer, “Na because dem abandon di Covenant of dia Papa, worship oda gods, and serve dem.”
Di Papa Talk About Shallum
10No cry for di one wey don die or mourn for am; instead cry well-well for di one wey dey comot go, because e no go ever return to see di land wey dem born am.
11Na dis one our Papa talk about Shallum pikin of Josiah, king of Judah, wey take over from im papa as king and don comot dis place: E no go ever return. 12E go die for di place wey dem carry am go as captive and e no go ever see dis land again.
13Trouble dey for di person wey dey build im house with wetin no correct-and-holy and im upper rooms with injustice, wey dey make im neighbour work for nothing and no dey pay am im wages, 14wey dey talk say, “I go build myself one big house with wide upper rooms,” and e cut wide windows put for am, cover am with cedar, and paint am bright red.
15Na because you get plenty cedar pass odas na im make you dey reign? Your papa chop and drink, but e still do justice and correct-and-holy way, and den e go well with am.
16E defend di matter of di poor and di needy, and na so e go well. No be dis one mean say person sabi me? Na so our Papa talk. 17But na only your dishonest gain your eyes and your heart dey face, na to shed innocent blood, and na to dey do oppression and violence.
18So our Papa talk about Jehoiakim pikin of Josiah, king of Judah: Nobody go mourn am: “Ah, my broda!” or “Ah, my sista!” Nobody go mourn am: “Ah, oga!” or “Ah, im majesty!” 19Dem go bury am like how dem dey bury donkey— dem go drag am comot and throw am go outside di gates of Jerusalem. 20Go up go Lebanon and cry out; make your voice loud for Bashan; cry out from Abarim, because all your lovers don scatter. a a v20 Abarim na mountain range for di east side of Jordan River, near di plains of Moab. 21I talk to you for di time wey everything dey fine for you, but you talk say, “I no go hear.” Na so your way don be since you small—you no obey my voice. 22“Di wind go shepherd comot all your shepherds, and your lovers go go into captivity; den shame go catch you and dem go disgrace you because of all your wickedness. 23You wey dey live for Lebanon, wey build nest among di cedar trees, see how you go groan when labour pain catch you, pain wey be like woman wey dey born pikin!”
24As I dey alive, na so our Papa talk, even if Coniah pikin of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, na signet ring for my right hand, I for still pull you comot. 25“I go hand you over to di people wey dey find your life, dose wey you dey fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and di Babylon people. 26I go throw you and your mama wey born you go anoda land, wey none of una born—na for dia una go die. 27As for di land wey dem dey long to return to, dem no go ever return dia.”
28Dis man Coniah, na despised, broken pot? Na vessel wey nobody want? Why dem throw am and im children comot and cast dem into land wey dem no know? 29Land, land, land, hear di word of our Papa!
30Na dis one our Papa talk: Write dis man down as person wey no get pikin, man wey no go prosper for im lifetime; because none of im offspring go prosper, none go siddon for David im throne or rule again for Judah.
