< Jeremiah 2 >

1 The Lord's message came to me, saying,
Yehova anandiwuza kuti,
2 Go and announce to the people of Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: I remember when you were young how devoted to me you were. I remember how you loved me when you were my bride. I remember how you followed me in the desert, in a land where nothing is grown.
“Pita ukalengeze kwa anthu a ku Yerusalemu kuti Yehova akuti, “‘Ine ndikukumbukira mmene umakhulupirikira pa unyamata wako, mmene unkandikondera ngati momwe amachitira mkwatibwi, mmene unkanditsata mʼchipululu muja; mʼdziko losadzalamo kanthu.
3 Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. Anyone who ate this harvest was guilty of sin, and they experienced the disastrous results, declares the Lord.
Israeli anali wopatulika wa Yehova, anali ngati zipatso zake zoyamba kucha pa nthawi yokolola; onse amene anamuzunza anapezeka kuti ndi olakwa ndipo mavuto anawagwera,’” akutero Yehova.
4 Listen to the Lord's message, descendants of Jacob, all you Israelites.
Imvani mawu a Yehova, inu zidzukulu za Yakobo, inu mafuko onse a Israeli.
5 This is what the Lord says: What did your forefathers think was wrong with me that they went so far away from me? They went off to worship useless idols, and as a result became useless themselves!
Yehova akuti, “Kodi makolo anu anandipeza nʼcholakwa chanji, kuti andithawe? Iwo anatsata milungu yachabechabe, nawonso nʼkusanduka achabechabe.
6 They didn't ask themselves, “Where is the Lord who led us from Egypt, who led us through the wasteland, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and darkness, a land that no one travels through and where no one lives?”
Iwo sanafunse nʼkomwe kuti, ‘Kodi Yehova ali kuti, amene anatitulutsa mʼdziko la Igupto natitsogolera mʼchipululu mʼdziko lowuma ndi lokumbikakumbika, mʼdziko lopanda mvula ndi la mdima, dziko limene munthu sadutsamo ndipo simukhala munthu aliyense?’
7 I led you into a productive land to eat all the good things that grow there. But you came and made my land unclean, making it offensive to me.
Ndinakufikitsani ku dziko lachonde kuti mudye zipatso zake ndi zabwino zake zina. Koma inu mutafika munaliyipitsa dziko langa ndi kusandutsa cholowa changa kukhala chonyansa.
8 Your priests did not ask, “Where is the Lord?” Your teachers of the law no longer believed in me, and your leaders rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied by calling on Baal and followed worthless idols.
Ansembe nawonso sanafunse kuti, ‘Yehova ali kuti?’ Iwo amene amaphunzitsa malamulo sanandidziwe; atsogoleri anandiwukira. Aneneri ankanenera mʼdzina la Baala, ndi kutsatira mafano achabechabe.
9 So I'm going to confront you again, declares the Lord, and I will bring charges against your children's children.
“Chifukwa chake Ine ndidzakuyimbaninso mlandu,” akutero Yehova. “Ndipo ndidzayimbanso mlandu zidzukulu zanu.
10 Travel over to the islands of Cyprus and take a look; go to the land of Kedar and examine carefully to see if anything like this has ever happened before.
Pitani kumadzulo ku chilumba cha Kitimu, ndipo mukaone, tumizani anthu ku Kedara kuti akafufuze bwino; ndipo muona kuti zinthu zoterezi sizinachitikepo nʼkale lomwe:
11 Has a nation ever changed its gods? —even though they're not gods at all! Yet my people have traded their glorious God for worthless idols.
Kodi ulipo mtundu wa anthu uliwonse umene unasinthapo milungu yake? (Ngakhale kuti si milungu nʼkomwe). Koma anthu anga asinthitsa Mulungu wawo waulemerero ndi mafano achabechabe.
12 You heavens, you should be appalled, shocked and horrified! declares the Lord.
Inu mayiko akumwamba, dabwani ndi zimenezi, ndipo njenjemerani ndi mantha aakulu,” akutero Yehova.
13 For my people have done two evil things. They have abandoned me, the source of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that can't hold water.
“Popeza anthu anga achita machimo awiri: Andisiya Ine kasupe wa madzi a moyo, ndi kukadzikumbira zitsime zawo, zitsime zongʼaluka, zomwe sizingathe kusunga madzi.
14 Are Israelites slaves? Were they born into slavery? So why have they become victims?
Israeli si wantchito kapena kapolo wobadwira mʼnyumba, ayi. Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani amuwononga chotere?
15 The young lions roared at you; they growled loudly. They have devastated your country; your towns lie in ruins. No one lives there.
Adani ake abangulira ndi kumuopseza ngati mikango. Dziko lake analisandutsa bwinja; mizinda yake anayitentha popanda wokhalamo.
16 The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads.
Ndiponso Aigupto a ku Mefisi ndi a ku Tapanesi akuphwanyani mitu.
17 Didn't you bring this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your God when he was leading you in the right way?
Zimenezitu zakuchitikirani chifukwa munasiya Yehova Mulungu wanu pamene Iye ankakutsogolerani pa njira yanu?
18 Now what will you benefit as you travel back to Egypt to drink the waters of Shihor River? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
Tsopano mudzapindula chiyani mukapita ku Igupto, kukamwa madzi a mu Sihori? Ndipo mudzapindulanji mukapita ku Asiriya, kukamwa madzi a mu mtsinje wa Yufurate?
19 Your own wickedness will discipline you; your own disobedience will teach you a lesson. Think about it and you'll recognize what a bitter evil it is for you to abandon the Lord your God and not to respect me, declares the Lord God Almighty.
Kuyipa kwanuko kudzakulangani; kubwerera mʼmbuyo kwanuko kudzakutsutsani. Tsono ganizirani bwino, popeza ndi chinthu choyipa kundisiya Ine Yehova Mulungu wanu; ndi chinthu chowawa ndithu kusandiopa Ine Mulungu wanu. Akutero Ambuye Yehova Wamphamvuzonse.
20 You broke off your yoke and ripped off your chains long ago. “I won't worship you!” you declared. On the contrary, you lay down like a prostitute on every high hill and under every green tree.
“Kuyambira kalekale inu munathyola goli lanu ndi kudula msinga zanu; munanena kuti, ‘Sitidzakutumikirani!’ Ndithudi, inu mwakhala ngati mkazi wachiwerewere. Mukupembedza milungu ina pa phiri lililonse lalitali ndiponso pansi pa mtengo uliwonse wa masamba ambiri.
21 I was the one who planted you like the finest vine, grown from the very best seed. How could you degenerate into a useless wild vine?
Ine ndinakudzala iwe ngati mtengo wampesa wosankhika; unali mpesa wabwino kwambiri ndi wodalirika. Nanga nʼchifukwa chiyani wasanduka mpesa wachabechabe wonga wa kutchire?
22 Even bleach and plenty of soap can't get rid of your guilty stains. I still see them, declares the Lord God.
Ngakhale utasamba ndi soda kapena kusambira sopo wambiri, kuthimbirira kwa machimo ako kumaonekabe pamaso panga,” akutero Ambuye Yehova.
23 How dare you say, “I'm not unclean! I haven't gone to worship the Baals!” Look at what you've been doing down in the valley. Admit what you've done! You're a young female camel, racing around everywhere.
“Iwe ukunena bwanji kuti, ‘Ine sindinadziyipitse; sindinatsatire Abaala’? Takumbukira mmene unkandichimwira mʼchigwa muja; zindikira bwino zomwe wachita. Iwe uli ngati ngamira yayikazi yaliwiro yomangothamanga uku ndi uku,
24 You're a female donkey living in the desert, sniffing the wind for a mate because she's in heat. No one can control her at mating time. All those who're looking for her won't have trouble finding her when she's in heat.
wakhala ngati mbidzi yozolowera mʼchipululu, yonka ninunkhiza pa nthawi yachisika. Ndani angayiretse chilakolako chakecho? Mphongo iliyonse yoyikhumba sidzavutika. Pa nthawi yachisika chakecho mphongoyo idzayipeza.
25 You don't have to run around barefoot or have your throat go dry. But you reply, “No, it's impossible! I'm in love with foreign gods—I must go to them.”
Iwe usathamange, nsapato zingakuthere kuphazi ndi kukhosi kwako kuwuma ndi ludzu. Koma unati, ‘Zamkutu! Ine ndimakonda milungu yachilendo, ndipo ndidzayitsatira.’
26 In the same way that a thief feels guilty when they're caught, so the people of Israel have been shamed. All of them—their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets.
“Monga momwe mbala imachitira manyazi pamene yagwidwa, moteronso nyumba ya Israeli idzachita manyazi; Aisraeliwo, mafumu ndi akuluakulu awo, ansembe ndi aneneri awo.
27 They say to an idol made of wood, “You are my father,” and one made of stone, “You gave birth to me.” They turn their backs on me, and hide their faces from me. But when they're in trouble they come begging to me, saying, “Please come and save us!”
Iwo amawuza mtengo kuti, ‘Iwe ndiwe abambo athu,’ ndipo amawuza mwala kuti, ‘Iwe ndiye amene unatibala.’ Iwo andifulatira Ine, ndipo safuna kundiyangʼana; Koma akakhala pa mavuto amati, ‘Bwerani mudzatipulumutse!’
28 So where are these “gods” of yours that you made for yourselves? Let them come and help you when you're in trouble! Let them save you if they can, because you Israelites have as many gods as you have towns.
Nanga ili kuti milungu yanu imene munadzipangira nokha? Ibweretu ngati ingathe kukupulumutsani pamene muli pamavuto! Inu anthu a ku Yuda, milungu yanu ndi yambiri kuchuluka kwake ngati mizinda yanu.
29 Why are you complaining to me? It's all of you who have all rebelled against me! declares the Lord.
“Kodi mukundizengeranji mlandu? Nonse mwandiwukira,” akutero Yehova.
30 It was pointless of me to punish your children because they refused to accept any discipline. You used your own swords to kill your prophets, destroying them like a ferocious lion.
“Ine ndinalanga anthu ako popanda phindu; iwo sanaphunzirepo kanthu. Monga mkango wolusa, lupanga lanu lapha aneneri anu.
31 You people of today, think about what the Lord is saying: Israel, have I treated you like an empty desert, or a land of thick darkness? Why are my people saying, “We can go where we like! We don't have to come and worship you any more”?
“Inu anthu a mʼbado uno, ganizirani bwino mawu a Yehova: “Kodi Ine ndinakhalapo ngati chipululu kwa Israeli kapena ngati dziko la mdima wandiweyani? Chifukwa chiyani anthu anga akunena kuti, ‘Ife tili ndi ufulu omayendayenda; sitidzabweranso kwa Inu’?
32 Does a girl forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding dress? Yet my people have forgotten me for too many years to count.
Kodi namwali amayiwala zokongoletsera zake, kapena kuyiwala zovala zake za ukwati? Komatu anthu anga andiyiwala masiku osawerengeka.
33 How cleverly you look for your lovers! Even prostitutes could learn something from you!
Mumadziwa bwino njira zopezera zibwenzi! Choncho ngakhale akazi oyipa omwe mumawaphunzitsa njira zanu.
34 On top of that, your clothes are stained with the blood of the poor and the innocent. It's not like you killed them breaking into your homes. Despite all this,
Ngakhale pa zovala zako anthu amapezapo magazi a anthu osauka osalakwa. Anthuwo simunawapeze akuthyola nyumba. Komabe ngakhale zinthu zili chomwechi,
35 you go on saying, “I'm innocent! Surely he can't still be upset with me!” Watch out! I'm going to punish you because you go on saying, “I haven't sinned.”
inu mukunena kuti, ‘Ndife osalakwa, sadzatikwiyira.’ Ndidzakuyimbani mlandu chifukwa mukunena kuti, ‘Ife sitinachimwe.’
36 You're just so fickle—you keep on changing your mind! You will end up just as disappointed by your alliance with Egypt as you were with Assyria.
Chifukwa chiyani mukunkabe nimusinthasintha njira zanu? Aigupto adzakukhumudwitsani monga momwe Asiriya anakuchititsani manyazi.
37 In fact you will go into exile with your hands on your head as prisoners, because the Lord will have nothing to do with those you trust; they will be no help to you.
Mudzachokanso kumeneko manja ali kunkhongo. Popeza Ine Yehova ndawakana anthu amene munkawadalira, choncho sadzakuthandizani konse.

< Jeremiah 2 >