Jeremiah 34

34 ¹Di word wey come to Jeremiah from our Papa wen Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all im army, and all di kingdoms wey e dey rule and all di people fight against Jerusalem and all im cities:

²our Papa of Israel tok say: Go, tok to Zedekiah king of Judah, tell am: our Papa tok say: I dey hand dis city give di king of Babylon; e go burn am with fire. ³You no go escape from im hand but dem go surely catch you and hand you give am. Your eyes go see di eyes of di king of Babylon, im mouth go tok to your own, and you go go Babylon.

⁴But hear di word of your Papa, Zedekiah, king of Judah: our Papa tok say you no go die by sword.

⁵You go die for peace. As dem burn spice for your fathers, di kings wey dey before you, na so dem go burn dem for you and dem go cry for you, ‘Ah, oga!’ Na me tok dis one, na so your Papa tok.

⁶Den Jeremiah di prophet tok all dis words to Zedekiah king of Judah for Jerusalem, ⁷wen di army of di king of Babylon dey fight Jerusalem and all di cities of Judah wey remain—Lachish and Azekah, di last strong cities wey remain for Judah.

Di Papa Judge Covenant wey Don Break

⁸Di word wey come to Jeremiah from our Papa afta King Zedekiah make Covenant with all di people for Jerusalem, to announce freedom give dem: ⁹make each person free im Hebrew male and female slave, so dat nobody go make im fellow Judah person, im brother, be slave. ¹⁰All di officials and di people wey don enter di Covenant obey, each person free im male and female slave, e no dey hold dem again for bondage; dem obey and dem free dem. ¹¹But afta dat dem turn back and take back di male and female slave wey dem don free, and dem force dem back into slavery.

¹²Den di word of our Papa come to Jeremiah, e tok say:

¹³Na dis one our Papa of Israel tok: “Na me myself make Covenant with your fathers di day wey I bring dem comot from di land of Egypt, comot from di house of slavery, I tok say: ¹⁴For di end of seven years, each person must free im Hebrew brother wey dem sell give you and wey don serve six years; set am free. But your fathers no listen or hear me. ¹⁵You just recently turn and do wetin correct for my eyes, each person dey announce freedom give im neighbour, dey make Covenant before me for di house wey carry my name. ¹⁶But you turn back and spoil my name: each of una take back di male and female slave wey una don free make dem go free, dey force dem into slavery again.”

¹⁷So our Papa tok say: “Una no obey me by announcing freedom, each person to im brother and neighbour. So I dey announce freedom give una—na so your Papa tok—give sword, sickness, and hunger; I go make una become someting wey go dey shock every kingdom for di earth. ¹⁸I go hand over di men wey break my Covenant, wey no keep di terms wey dem make before me—like di calf wey dem cut into two and pass between di parts. ^a a v18 For di covenant ceremony of di olden days, di people wey dey make di covenant go waka between di two half of animal wey dem don kill, dey call dat same fate on demsef if dem break di agreement. ¹⁹Di officials of Judah and Jerusalem, di officials of di court, di priests, and all di people of di land wey pass between di pieces of di calf. ²⁰I go hand dem give dia enemies, give dem wey dey find dia life. Dia dead bodi go be food for di birds of di sky and di animals of di earth. ²¹Zedekiah king of Judah and im officials I go hand give dia enemies, give dem wey dey find dia life, and give di army of di king of Babylon wey don comot from una. ²²I dey give order, na so your Papa tok, to bring dem back to dis city; dem go fight am, catch am, and burn am. And I go make di cities of Judah become empty place wey nobody dey live.”