< Jeremiah 3 >

1 They say, If a man puts away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's, will he go back to her again? will not that land have been made unclean? but though you have been acting like a loose woman with a number of lovers, will you now come back to me? says the Lord.
“Mũndũ angĩtigana na mũtumia wake, nake mũtumia ũcio athiĩ ahikĩre mũndũ ũngĩ-rĩ, mũthuuri ũcio no amũcookerere? Githĩ bũrũri ũcio to ũthaahe biũ? No wee-rĩ, ũtũũrĩte ũhũũraga ũmaraya na endwa aku aingĩ mũno! Rĩu-rĩ, wee no ũnjookerere?” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
2 Let your eyes be lifted up to the open hilltops, and see; where have you not been taken by your lovers? You have been seated waiting for them by the wayside like an Arabian in the waste land; you have made the land unclean with your loose ways and your evil-doing.
“Ta tiira maitho ũcũthĩrĩrie tũcũmbĩrĩ twa irĩma kũrĩa gũtigĩtwo ũtheri. Nĩ kũrĩ handũ ũtarĩ wakomwo nawe? Mĩkĩra-inĩ ya njĩra-rĩ, nĩkuo wetagĩrĩra endwa aku, kũu nĩkuo waikaraga thĩ ũkameterera, o ta Mũarabu arĩ werũ-inĩ. Wee nĩũthaahĩtie bũrũri ũyũ na ũmaraya waku na waganu waku.
3 So the showers have been kept back, and there has been no spring rain; still your brow is the brow of a loose woman, you will not let yourself be shamed.
Tondũ wa ũguo-rĩ, mbura ya maguna-ngʼombe nĩĩgirĩtio yure, o na ĩrĩa ya gũkũria irio nayo ĩkaaga kuura. No rĩrĩ, wee nĩũmĩtie gĩthiithi ta kĩa mũmaraya, ũkaaga thoni o na hanini.
4 Will you not, from this time, make your prayer to me, crying, My father, you are the friend of my early years?
Githĩ to rĩu wanjĩta ũkiugaga: ‘Baba, wee mũrata wakwa kuuma ndĩ o mũnini,
5 Will he be angry for ever? will he keep his wrath to the end? These things you have said, and have done evil and have had your way.
kaĩ ũgũgĩtũũra ũrakarĩte? Mangʼũrĩ macio maku-rĩ, megũgĩthiĩ na mbere nginya tene?’ Ũguo nĩguo waragia, no ũgacooka ũgeeka ũũru wothe ũrĩa ũngĩhota.”
6 And the Lord said to me in the days of Josiah the king, Have you seen what Israel, turning away from me, has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every branching tree, acting like a loose woman there.
Matukũ-inĩ ma wathani wa Mũthamaki Josia, Jehova nĩanjũririe atĩrĩ: “Ĩĩ nĩwonete ũrĩa Isiraeli aahutatĩire? Nĩahaicĩte gĩthũngũri-inĩ gĩothe kĩrĩa kĩraihu na igũrũ, na agathiĩ rungu rwa mũtĩ o wothe ũrĩa mũruru na akahũũrĩra ũmaraya kuo.
7 And I said, After she has done all these things she will come back to me; but she did not. And her false sister Judah saw it.
Ndeciirĩtie atĩ nĩakanjookerera aarĩkia gwĩka maũndũ macio mothe, nowe ndaigana kũnjookerera, nake mwarĩ wa nyina, Juda, ũrĩa ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, agĩkĩĩonera maũndũ macio.
8 And though she saw that, because Israel, turning away from me, had been untrue to me, I had put her away and given her a statement in writing ending the relation between us, still Judah, her false sister, had no fear, but went and did the same.
Nĩndaheire Isiraeli ũcio wahutatĩire marũa ma gũtigana nake, ngĩmũingata nĩ ũndũ wa ũtharia ũcio wake wothe. No rĩrĩ, nĩndonire atĩ o na Juda, mwarĩ wa nyina ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, ndaarĩ na guoya; o nake nĩoimagarire, agĩthiĩ gũtharia.
9 So that through all her loose behaviour the land became unclean, and she was untrue, giving herself to stones and trees.
Tondũ wa ũrĩa Isiraeli oonaga ũmaraya wake ũtarĩ ũndũ mũnene harĩ we, nĩathaahirie bũrũri ũcio, agĩkĩrĩrĩria kũhũũra ũmaraya na ũndũ wa kũhooya mahiga na mĩtĩ.
10 But for all this, her false sister Judah has not come back to me with all her heart, but with deceit, says the Lord.
O na kũrĩ ũguo-rĩ, Juda, mwarĩ wa nyina ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, ndaanjookereire na ngoro yake yothe, no aanjookereire na ũhinga,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
11 And the Lord said to me, Israel in her turning away is seen to be more upright than false Judah.
Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ: “Isiraeli, ũrĩa waahuutatĩire-rĩ, nĩ mũthingu gũkĩra Juda, ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku.
12 Go, and give out these words to the north, and say, Come back, O Israel, though you have been turned away from me, says the Lord; my face will not be against you in wrath: for I am full of mercy, says the Lord, I will not be angry for ever.
Thiĩ ũkahunjanĩrie ndũmĩrĩri ĩno werekeire mwena wa gathigathini, uuge ũũ: “‘Njookerera, wee Isiraeli, o wee ũũhutatĩire,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga, ‘na niĩ ndigacooka gũkũhetera gĩthiithi na marakara, nĩ ũndũ njiyũrĩtwo nĩ tha,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. ‘Ndigũtũũra ndakarĩte nginya tene.
13 Only be conscious of your sin, the evil you have done against the Lord your God; you have gone with strange men under every branching tree, giving no attention to my voice, says the Lord.
Wee ũndũ ũrĩa ũgwĩka-rĩ, no kuumbũra mahĩtia maku, nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ũremeire Jehova Ngai waku, nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa waneitanga, ũkĩĩheanaga kũrĩ ngai cia kũngĩ, rungu rwa mũtĩ o wothe mũruru, na ũkaaga kũnjathĩkĩra,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
14 Come back, O children who are turned away, says the Lord; for I am a husband to you, and I will take you, one from a town and two from a family, and will make you come to Zion;
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Njookererai, inyuĩ andũ aya mũũhutatĩire, nĩgũkorwo nĩ niĩ mũthuuri wanyu; nĩngamũcookanĩrĩria, ndute mũndũ ũmwe itũũra-inĩ rĩmwe, na angĩ eerĩ ndĩmarute mũhĩrĩga ũmwe, ndĩmũtware Zayuni.
15 And I will give you keepers, pleasing to my heart, who will give you your food with knowledge and wisdom.
Nĩngacooka ndĩmũhe arĩithi arĩa ndĩthuurĩire na ngoro yakwa, arĩa makaamũtongoragia marĩ na ũũgĩ o na ũmenyo.”
16 And it will come about, when your numbers are increased in the land, in those days, says the Lord, that they will no longer say, The ark of the agreement of the Lord: it will not come into their minds, they will not have any memory of it, or be conscious of the loss of it, and it will not be made again.
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Matukũ-inĩ macio, rĩrĩa mũgaakorwo mũingĩhĩte mũno gũkũ bũrũri ũyũ-rĩ, andũ matigacooka kuuga, ‘Ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova.’ Ũhoro ũcio ndũgatoonya meciiria-inĩ mao kana ũririkanwo; rĩtigeciirio ũhoro warĩo o na kana rĩthondekwo rĩngĩ.
17 At that time Jerusalem will be named the seat of the Lord's kingdom; and all the nations will come together to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: and no longer will their steps be guided by the purposes of their evil hearts.
Hĩndĩ ĩyo mageetaga itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu Gĩtĩ kĩa Ũthamaki kĩa Jehova, nacio ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩikongana kũu itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu nĩ ũndũ wa gũtĩĩa rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova. Matigacooka kũrũmĩrĩra ũremi wa ũũru wa ngoro ciao.
18 In those days the family of Judah will go with the family of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north into the land which I gave for a heritage to your fathers.
Matukũ-inĩ macio nyũmba ya Juda nĩĩkanyiitana na nyũmba ya Isiraeli, na o eerĩ nĩmagooka moimĩte bũrũri wa mwena wa gathigathini, makinye bũrũri ũrĩa ndaaheire maithe manyu ũtuĩke igai rĩao.
19 But I said, How am I to put you among the children, and give you a desired land, a heritage of glory among the armies of the nations? and I said, You are to say to me, My father; and not be turned away from me.
“Niĩ mwene ngiuga atĩrĩ, “‘Ingĩakenire atĩa ngĩmũtua ta ariũ akwa, na ndĩmũhe bũrũri mwega, igai rĩrĩa rĩega rĩkĩrĩte magai ma ndũrĩrĩ ciothe.’ Ndeciiragia mũrĩnjĩtaga ‘Baba’ na mwage kũũhutatĩra nĩguo mũtige kũnũmĩrĩra.
20 Truly, as a wife is false to her husband, so have you been false to me, O Israel, says the Lord.
No rĩrĩ, o ta mũtumia ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ mũthuuriwe, ũguo noguo mũkoretwo mũtarĩ ehokeku harĩ niĩ, inyuĩ nyũmba ya Isiraeli,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
21 A voice is sounding on the open hilltops, the weeping and the prayers of the children of Israel; because their way is twisted, they have not kept the Lord their God in mind.
Kĩrĩro nĩkĩiguĩtwo kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru gũtarĩ kĩndũ, kũgirĩka na gũthaithana kwa andũ a Isiraeli, nĩ ũndũ nĩmogometie njĩra ciao, na makariganĩrwo nĩ Jehova Ngai wao.
22 Come back, you children who have been turned away, and I will take away your desire for wandering. See, we have come to you, for you are the Lord our God.
“Njookererai, inyuĩ andũ aya mũũhutatĩire; nĩngũmũhonia nĩguo mũtigacooke gũcooka na thuutha.” Magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ nĩguo, nĩtũgũũka harĩwe, nĩgũkorwo wee nĩwe Jehova Ngai witũ.
23 Truly, the hills, and the noise of an army on the mountains, are a false hope: truly, in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
Ti-itherũ inegene rĩa ũhooi mĩhianano kũu tũrĩma-inĩ o na kũu irĩma-inĩ nĩ rĩa maheeni; ti-itherũ, ũhonokio wa Isiraeli ũrĩ na Jehova Ngai witũ.
24 But the Baal has taken all the work of our fathers from our earliest days; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Kuuma o ũnini-inĩ witũ, ngai icio cia mĩhianano cia thoni nĩcio ciananiina maciaro ma mawĩra ma maithe maitũ: ndũũru ciao cia mbũri na cia ngʼombe, aanake ao na airĩtu ao.
25 Let us be stretched on the earth in our downfall, covering ourselves with our shame: for we have been sinners against the Lord our God, we and our fathers, from our earliest years even till this day: and we have not given ear to the voice of the Lord our God.
Nĩtwĩgũithiei thĩ tũconokete, nacio njono ciitũ itũhumbĩre. Nĩ twĩhĩirie Jehova Ngai witũ, ithuĩ o hamwe na maithe maitũ; kuuma rĩrĩa twarĩ anini nginya ũmũthĩ ũyũ-rĩ, tũtũũrĩte tũtarĩ twathĩkĩra Jehova Ngai witũ.”

< Jeremiah 3 >