< Jeremiah 3 >

1 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?”
“Ne ŋutsu aɖe gbe srɔ̃a, eye nyɔnu la dzo ɖaɖe ŋutsu bubu ɖe, ɖe wòle be ŋutsu gbãtɔ nagatrɔ ayi ɖe nyɔnu la gbɔa? Ɖe womagblẽ kɔ ɖo na anyigba la keŋkeŋ oa? Ke wò la, ènɔ agbe abe gbolo ene kple lɔlɔ̃tɔ geɖewo. Ɖe nàtrɔ ava gbɔnye azɔa?” Yehowae gblɔe.
2 “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
“Wu mo dzi ɖe to ƒuƒluwo ŋu eye nàkpɔ ɖa. Teƒe aɖe li si womedɔ kpli wò le oa? Ènɔ anyi ɖe mɔto henɔ ŋutsuwo lalam. Ènɔ anyi abe Arabiatɔwoe nɔ anyi ɖe gbegbe ene. Ètsɔ wò gbolowɔwɔ kple vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi do gu anyigba la.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
Eya ta woɖo asi tsidzadza dzi eye kelemetsi gɔ̃ hã medza o. Ke wò la, gbolo ƒe mo ŋanɛ li na wò eye ŋu gbe wò kpekpe.
4 Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth.
Menye fifi laa koe nèyɔm be, ‘Fofonye kple xɔ̃nye, tso nye ɖekakpuime ke’ oa?
5 Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can.”
‘Ɖe nàkpɔ dziku ɖaa? Ɖe wò dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ anɔ anyi tegbea?’ Aleae nèƒoa nu gake hewɔa nu tovo siwo katã nàte ŋui.”
6 Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.
Esi Fia Yosia nɔ fia ɖum la, Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Èkpɔ nu si Israel nuteƒemawɔla la wɔa? Eyi ɖe togbɛ kɔkɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzi eye wòyi ɖe ati dama ɖe sia ɖe te hewɔ ahasi le afi ma.
7 I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
Mebui be esi wòwɔ esiawo katã vɔ la, atrɔ ava gbɔnye gake mewɔe o eye nɔvia nyɔnu godzela, Yuda hã kpɔe.
8 She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
Metsɔ srɔ̃gbegbalẽ na nuteƒemawɔla Israel henyae ɖe eƒe ahasiwɔwɔwo katã ta, gake mekpɔ be nɔvia godzela Yuda mevɔ̃ o; eya hã yi ɖawɔ ahasi.
9 Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
Esi Israel ƒe ŋunyɔnuwɔwɔ nye nu tsɛ aɖe ko le eya gbɔ ta la, edo gu anyigba la eye wòwɔ ahasi kple ati kple kpe.
10 Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
Le esiawo katã megbe hã la, nɔvia nyɔnu, Yuda, godzela, metrɔ va gbɔnye kple eƒe dzi blibo o, ke boŋ ewɔ alakpanu.” Yehowae gblɔe.
11 And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Nuteƒemawɔla Israel le dzɔdzɔe wu Yuda, godzela la.
12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be angry forever.
Yi, nàɖe gbeƒã nya sia ɖo ɖe anyiehe gome. Yehowa be, “‘Xɔsemanɔsitɔ Israel trɔ gbɔ. Nyemagahe nya ɖe ŋuwò azɔ o elabena nublanuikpɔlae menye eye nyemado dziku tegbee o.’ Yehowae gblɔe.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’”
‘Wò ya, dze si wò vodada elabena èdze aglã ɖe Yehowa, wò Mawu la ŋu; ètsɔ wò nunyonamewo ma na dzromawuwo le ati dama ɖe sia ɖe te eye mèɖo tom o.’” Yehowae gblɔe.
14 “Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion.
Yehowa be, “Mi xɔsemanɔsitɔwo, mitrɔ gbɔ, elabena nyee nye mia srɔ̃. Matia mi, ame ɖeka tso du ɖe sia ɖe me, ame eve tso to ɖe sia ɖe me ahaƒo ƒu mi ɖe Zion.
15 Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
Ekema mana kplɔlawo mi ɖe nye dzi ƒe didi nu, ame siwo akplɔ mi le nunya kple nugɔmesese me.
16 “In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made.
Le ŋkeke mawo me, ne miedzi ɖe edzi fũu le anyigba dzi la, amewo magagblɔ azɔ be, ‘Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka o. Mage ɖe woƒe susu me alo woaɖo ŋku edzi o; womagabia eta ase alo awɔ bubu o.’ Yehowae gblɔe.
17 At that time Jerusalem will be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
Le ɣe ma ɣi la, woayɔ Yerusalem be, Yehowa Ƒe Fiazikpui eye dukɔwo katã aƒo ƒu ɖe Yerusalem be woade bubu Yehowa ƒe ŋkɔ ŋu. Womagadze woƒe dzi vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe tamesesẽ yome o.
18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.
Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Yuda ƒe aƒe awɔ ɖeka kple Israel ƒe aƒe la eye wo kple eve la woatso dzigbemenyigba aɖe dzi ava, anyigba si metsɔ na mia fofowo be wòanye woƒe domenyinu.”
19 Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
Yehowa be, “Nye ŋutɔe gblɔ be, “‘Matsɔ dzidzɔ alé be na mi abe viŋutsuwo ene eye matsɔ anyigba nyui aɖe ana mi, domenyinu nyuitɔ kekeake si dukɔ aɖe ate ŋu akpɔ.’ Mebu be miayɔm be, ‘Fofonye’ eye miatrɔ le yonyeme o.
20 But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,”
Gake, abe nyɔnu si meto nyateƒe na srɔ̃a o ene la, nenemae miawo hã mieto nyateƒe nam o, O Israel ƒe aƒe.”
21 A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God.
Wose avi le to ƒuƒluwo dzi, Israelviwo ƒe avifafa kple kokoƒoƒoe elabena woglɔ̃ woƒe mɔwo eye woŋlɔ Yehowa, woƒe Mawu la be.
22 “Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
“Mitrɔ gbɔ, mi megbedelawo, mayɔ dɔ mi tso miaƒe megbedede me.” “Ɛ̃, míava gbɔwò, elabena wòe nye Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu.
23 Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
Vavãe, legbasubɔsubɔ ƒe hoowɔwɔ le togbɛwo dzi kple towo tame nye beble sɔŋ ko. Enye nyateƒe be Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu lae nye Israel ƒe xɔnametɔ.
24 From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
Tso míaƒe ɖekakpuime ke, ŋukpenamawuwo ɖu mía fofowo ƒe agbagbadzedze ƒe kutsetsewo, woƒe alẽhawo, woƒe nyihawo, wo viŋutsuwo kple wo vinyɔnuwo.
25 Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
Mina míamlɔ míaƒe ŋukpe me eye míaƒe vlododo netsyɔ mía dzi. Míewɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la ŋu, míawo kple mía fofowo siaa, tso míaƒe ɖekakpuime va se ɖe egbe sia, míeɖo to Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la o.”

< Jeremiah 3 >