< Jeremiah 18 >

1 This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:
Ĩno nĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ĩrĩa yakinyĩrĩire Jeremia yumĩte harĩ Jehova, akĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
2 Go down right away to the potter's house. I will give you my message there.
“Ikũrũka ũthiĩ nyũmba-inĩ ya mũũmbi wa nyũngũ, na wakinya kũu nĩkuo ngũkũheera ndũmĩrĩri yakwa.”
3 I went down to the potter's house and saw him working at his potter's wheel.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩikũrũka ngĩthiĩ kũu nyũmba-inĩ ya mũũmbi wa nyũngũ, ngĩkora akĩruta wĩra na ngaari yake ya kũũmba nyũngũ.
4 But the pot that he was making from the clay went wrong. So he made it into something different as he thought best.
No rĩrĩ, nyũngũ ĩrĩa ombaga na rĩũmba nĩyathũkire ĩrĩ o moko-inĩ make; nĩ ũndũ ũcio mũũmbi ũcio agĩcooka akĩũmba nyũngũ ĩngĩ na rĩũmba o rĩu, akĩmĩthondeka o ta ũrĩa onire yagĩrĩire gũthondekwo.
5 The Lord's message came to me, saying,
Hĩndĩ ĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩkĩnginyĩrĩra, ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ:
6 People of Israel, declares the Lord, can't I deal with you just like this potter does with his clay? I hold you in my hand just like clay in the potter's hand, people of Israel.
“Inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli, githĩ to njĩke na inyuĩ o ta ũrĩa mũũmbi ũyũ wa nyũngũ ekaga?” Ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “O ta rĩũmba rĩrĩ guoko-inĩ kwa mũũmbi-rĩ, ũguo nĩguo mũtariĩ mũrĩ guoko-inĩ gwakwa, inyuĩ andũ aya a nyũmba ya Isiraeli.
7 At one time it could happen that I announce that a nation or a kingdom is going to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed.
Hĩndĩ o yothe ingĩkaanĩrĩra, njuge rũrĩrĩ kana ũthamaki mũna ũmunyũrwo na mĩri, na unangwo, o na ũniinwo,
8 However, if that nation I warned gives up its evil ways, then I will change my mind regarding the disaster I was about to bring.
naruo rũrĩrĩ rũu ngaanĩtie rũngĩĩrira, rũtigane na ũũru waruo, nĩngaigua tha, njage kũrũĩka ũũru ũcio njiirĩire kũrũĩka.
9 At another time I could announce that I'm going to build up and give power to a nation or a kingdom.
Ningĩ ihinda rĩngĩ ingĩkaanĩrĩra njuge rũrĩrĩ kana ũthamaki mũna wakwo nĩguo wĩhaande,
10 But if it does evil in my sight and refuses to listen to my voice, then I will change my mind regarding the good I had planned for it.
naruo rũrĩrĩ rũu rũcooke rwĩke maũndũ marĩa nyonaga marĩ mooru na rwage kũnjathĩkĩra-rĩ, nĩngericũkwo, njage kũrũĩka wega ũcio njugĩte nĩngũrũĩka.
11 So tell the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: Watch out! I am preparing disaster for you, and working out a plan against you. All of you, give up your evil ways. Live right and act right!
“Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, rĩu ĩra andũ a Juda na arĩa matũũraga Jerusalemu atĩrĩ, ‘Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: Ta rorai muone! Nĩndĩrahaarĩria kũmũrehera mwanangĩko na ngathugunda njĩra ya kũmũũkĩrĩra. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, garũrũkai mũtigane na mĩthiĩre yanyu mĩũru, mũndũ o mũndũ wanyu, na mũgarũrĩre mĩthiĩre yanyu na ciĩko cianyu.’
12 But they'll say, “We just can't! We'll do whatever we want. Each of us will stubbornly follow our own evil thinking.”
No-o magaacookia moige atĩrĩ, ‘Hatirĩ bata wa gũtaarwo. Tũgũthiĩ na mbere na mĩbango iitũ; mũndũ o mũndũ witũ ekũrũmĩrĩra ũremi wa ngoro yake thũku.’”
13 Consequently this is what the Lord says: Ask around the nations—has anybody ever heard anything like this? Virgin Israel has acted really badly.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Tuĩriai harĩ ndũrĩrĩ: Nũũ ũrĩ waigua ũndũ ta ũyũ? Ũndũ ũrĩ magigi mũno nĩwĩkĩtwo nĩ Isiraeli, ũrĩa mũirĩtu gathirange!
14 Does the snow of Lebanon ever disappear from its rocky mountain-tops? Do its cool waters that flow from such distant sources ever dry up?
Tharunji ya Lebanoni-rĩ, ĩrĩ yaaga hurũrũka-inĩ ciakĩo cia mahiga? Maaĩ mahehu makĩo marĩa moimaga matherũkĩro-inĩ ma kũraya-rĩ, marĩ maga gũtherera?
15 But my people have rejected me! They burn incense to useless idols which trip them up, making them leave the old roads in order to walk down unmade paths instead of the highway.
No rĩrĩ, andũ akwa nĩmariganĩirwo nĩ niĩ; macinagĩra mĩhianano ĩtarĩ kĩene ũbumba, ĩrĩa yatũmire mahĩngwo mĩthiĩre-inĩ yao, makĩaga kũrũmĩrĩra mĩthiĩre ĩrĩa ya tene. Yatũmire magerere tũcĩra twa mĩkĩra, o na barabara iria itarĩ thondeke.
16 They have turned their country into a horrific wasteland, a place that will always be treated with contempt. People passing by will be shocked, shaking their heads in disbelief.
Bũrũri wao ũgaatigwo ũrĩ mwanangĩku, ũgaatuĩka kũndũ gwa kũnyararwo nginya tene; arĩa othe makaahĩtũkĩra kuo-rĩ, nĩmakagega makĩinagia mĩtwe.
17 Like a strong wind from the east I will scatter them before the enemy. I will turn my back on them and not look at them when their time of trouble comes.
O ta rũhuho rũkĩhurutana kuuma mwena wa irathĩro, noguo ngaamahurunja mbere ya thũ ciao; ngaamahutatĩra na njage kũmoonia ũthiũ wakwa mũthenya ũrĩa magaakorwo nĩ mwanangĩko.”
18 Some people decided, “We need a plan to deal with Jeremiah. There'll still be priests to explain the law, there'll still be wise people to give advice, and there'll still be prophets to give prophecies. Let's organize a smear campaign against him so we don't have to listen to a word he says.”
Nao makiuga atĩrĩ, “Ũkai tũciirĩre ũrĩa tũgũũkĩrĩra Jeremia; nĩ ũndũ ũrutani wa watho ũrĩa athĩnjĩri-Ngai marutanaga ndũkoora, kana kĩrĩra kĩa andũ arĩa oogĩ kĩũre, o na kana ndũmĩrĩri ya anabii yũre. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ũkai, tũmũtharĩkĩre na nĩmĩ ciitũ, na tũtikarũmbũiye ũndũ o wothe ekuuga.”
19 Lord, please pay attention to what's happening to me! Listen to what my accusers are saying!
Ta thikĩrĩria, Wee Jehova; igua ũrĩa aya aathitangi maroiga!
20 Should good be paid back with evil? Yet they have dug a pit to trap me! Remember how I stood before you to plead on their behalf, to stop you being angry with them?
Wega-rĩ, no ũrĩhwo na ũũru? No rĩrĩ, andũ acio nĩmanyenjeire irima. Ta ririkana ũrĩa ndaarũgamire mbere yaku, na ngĩmarĩrĩria, nĩguo ngirĩrĩrie marakara maku matikamakore.
21 But now may their children starve; may they be killed by the sword. May their wives lose their children and their husbands; may their husbands die from disease; may their young men be killed in battle.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio rekereria ciana ciao ngʼaragu; cineane, iniinwo na rũhiũ rwa njora. Reke atumia ao matigwo matarĩ ciana, na marĩ a ndigwa; rekereria arũme ao mooragwo, o nao aanake ao mooragĩrwo mbaara-inĩ na rũhiũ rwa njora.
22 May cries of agony be heard from their houses when you suddenly bring invaders to attack them, because they dug a pit to capture me and hid traps to catch me as I walk along.
Kĩrĩro kĩroiguuo kuuma nyũmba-inĩ ciao rĩrĩa ũkaarehe andũ a kũmatharĩkĩra hi na hi, nĩ ũndũ nĩmanyenjeire irima nĩguo maanyite, na makanyumbĩkĩra mĩtego ya kũnyiita magũrũ makwa.
23 But Lord, you know about all their plots to try and kill me. Don't forgive their wickedness; don't wipe away their sin. Bring them down! Deal with them when you're angry!
No wee nĩũũĩ, Wee Jehova, ũrĩa wothe manjiirĩire nĩguo manjũrage. Tiga kũmarekera mahĩtia mao, kana kũhuura mehia macio mao mehere ũthiũ-inĩ waku. No marongʼaũranĩrio thĩ mbere yaku; meeke maũndũ macio rĩrĩa ũgaakorwo ũrakarĩte.

< Jeremiah 18 >