Jeremiah 3
1 ...saying: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, may he return unto her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; and wouldest thou yet return to Me? saith the LORD.
Wanaema, 'Mwanamume akimfukuza mke wake, naye akaondoka kwake na kuwa mke wa mwanamume mwingine. Je, anaweza kumrudia tena? Je huyo si najisi kabisa?' Huyo mwanamke ndiyo hii nchi! Mmetenda kama kama Kahaba aliye na wapenzi wengi, na sasa mnapenda kurudi kwangu tena? - asema BWANA wa majeshi.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the high hills, and see: Where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy harlotries and with thy wickedness.
Inua macho yako uvitazame vielele tasa! Je kuna mahali ambapo hukufanya ukahaba? Pembeni mwa barabara ulikaa ukisubiri wapenzi wako, kama vile Mwarabu jangwani. Uneiharibu nchi kwa ukahaba na uovu wako.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
Kwa hiyo chemichemi za mvua zilizuiliwa na mvua za vuli hazikunyesha. Lakini uso wako una kiburi, kama uso wa mwanamke kahaba. Unakataa kuona aibu.
4 Didst thou not just now cry unto Me: 'My father, Thou art the friend of my youth.
Na sasa hutaniita mimi: 'Baba yangu, hata marafiki zangu wa tangu ujanani! Je, atakuwa na hasira dhidi yangu milele?
5 Will He bear grudge for ever? Will He keep it to the end?' Behold, thou hast spoken, but hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
Je, utaendelea kuwa na hasira zako?' Tazama! Umesema kuwa utatenda maovu, na kweli umetenda hivyo. kwa hiyo endelea kufanya hivyo!”
6 And the LORD said unto me in the days of Josiah the king: 'Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel did? she went up upon every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and there played the harlot.
Kisha BWANA akanena nami katika siku za mfalme Yosia, “Je, unaona jinsi Israeli alivyoniasi? Yeye anaenda kwenye kila kilima na katika kila mti wenye majani mabichi, na kule anafanya kama mwanamke kahaba.
7 And I said: After she hath done all these things, she will return unto me; but she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Nikisema, 'Baada ya kuwa amefanya mambo haya yote, atanirudia,' lakini hakurudi. Kisha dada yake Yuda ambaye ni mwasi pia aliona alichokifanya.
8 And I saw, when, forasmuch as backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, that yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot;
Kwa hiyo nami nikaona kuwa kwa sababu amefanya uzinzi huu wote. Huyo Israeli aliyeasi! Nilimfukuza na kumpatia talaka ya ndoa. Lakini dada yake Yuda mwenye hiana hakuwa na hofu, na yeye akaenda kuafanya kama mwanamke kahaba!
9 and it came to pass through the lightness of her harlotry, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks;
Hukusikitika kuwa ameinajisi nchi, kwa hiyo wakatengeneza sanamu za mti na za jiwe.
10 and yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD —
Kisha baada ya haya yote, wala Yuda dada yake muasi hakurudi kwangu na moyo wake wote, bali alikuja na uongo! -asema BWANA wa majeshi,”
11 even the LORD said unto me — backsliding Israel hath proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
Kisha BWANA akanena na mimi, “Israeli muasi amekuwa mwenye haki zaidi kuliko Yuda muasi!
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; I will not frown upon you; for I am merciful, saith the LORD, I will not bear grudge for ever.
Nenda ukaseme maneno haya huko kaskazini. Uwaambie, 'Rudi wewe Israeli uliyeasi! - asema BWANA - sitakuwa na hasira dhidi yako. Kwa kuwa mimi ni mwaminifu - asema BWANA - sitakuwa na hasira milele.
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every leafy tree, and ye have not hearkened to My voice, saith the LORD.
Kiri uovu wako, kwa kuwa umefanya dhambi dhidi ya BWANA, Mungu wako; umemshirikisha njia zako mgeni chini ya kila mti wenye majani mabichi! wala hukuisikiliza sauti yangu! - asema BWANA.
14 Return, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am a lord unto you, and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion;
Rudini, enyi watu waasi! - asema BWANA - kwa kuwa mimi nimekuoa wewe! Nitakurudisha wewe mmoja katika mji, wawili katika ukoo mmoja, na nitawarudisha Sayuni!
15 and I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Nitawapa wachungaji niwapendao, na watawachunga kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more: The ark of the covenant of the LORD; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they make mention of it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
Ndipo itakapotokea kuwa utaongezeka na kuzaa matunda katika nchi hiyo siku hizo-asema BWANA. Hawataweza kusema kuwa, “Sanduku la agano la BWANA! Jambo hili hawatalikumbuka tena katika mioyo yao, kwa kuwa hawataliwaza tena wala kulijali tena. Usemi huu hawatausema tena.'
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem The throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Katiak wakati huo watasema juu ya Yerusalemu, 'Hii ndiyo enzi ya BWANA,' na mataifa mengine yote yatakusanyika Yerusalemu katika jna la BWANA. Hawataishi katika taabu ya uovu wa mioyo yao.
18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.'
Katika siku hizo, nyumba ya Yuda itaishi na nyumba ya Israeli. Watarudi pamoja kutoka katika nchi ya kaskazini katika nchi niliyowapa mababu wao kuwa urithi.
19 But I said: 'How would I put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the nations!' And I said: 'Thou shalt call Me, My father; and shalt not turn away from following Me.'
Lakini mimi, Nilisema, 'Jinsi nipendavyo kukuheshimu kama mwanangu na kukupa nchi ipendezayo, kuwa urithi mzuri kuliko ulio katika taifa lolote!' Nami nikasema, ''mtaniita baba yangu''.'Nami nitasema kwamba hamtageuka na kuacha kunifuata.
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Lakini kama mwanamke aliyemwasi mume wake, mmenisaliti, enyi nyumba ya Israeli - asema BWANA.”
21 Hark! upon the high hills is heard the suppliant weeping of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.
Sauti ilisikika juu ya nyanda, kilio na kusihi kwa watu wa Israeli! kwa kuwa wamezibadili njia; wamemsahau BWANA, Mungu wao.
22 Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. — 'Here we are, we are come unto Thee; for Thou art the LORD our God.
“Rudini enyi watu mlioasi! Nami nitawaponya na uasi wenu!” “Tazama! tutakuja kwako, kwa kuwa wewe ni BWANA, Mungu wetu!
23 Truly vain have proved the hills, the uproar on the mountains; truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
Uongo hutoka kwenye vilima, kutoka kwenye milima mingi. Kwa hakika wokovu wa Israeli unapatikana kwa BWANA, Mungu wetu.
24 But the shameful thing hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Lakini miungu ya aibu imeramba kazi ambayo mababu zetu waliifanya - makundi yao ya kondoo na ng'ombe, wana wao na binti zao!
25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not hearkened to the voice of the LORD our God.'
Na tulale chini kwa aibu. Aibu yetu na itufunike, kwa kuwa tumefanya dhambi dhidi ya BWANA, Mungu wetu! Sisi wenyewe na mababu zetu, kutoka wakati wa ujana wetu hadi leo, hatujaisikiliza sauti ya BWANA, Mungu wetu!”
