Jeremiah 3
1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith Yhwh.
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 places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms 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 withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore’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 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide 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 reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.
Je, utaendelea kuwa na hasira zako?' Tazama! Umesema kuwa utatenda maovu, na kweli umetenda hivyo. kwa hiyo endelea kufanya hivyo!”
6 Yhwh said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath 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 had done all these things, Turn thou 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 for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
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 whoredom, that she defiled the land, and 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 turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith Yhwh.
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 And Yhwh said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more 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 Yhwh; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith Yhwh, and I will not keep anger 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 Yhwh thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Yhwh.
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 Turn, O backsliding children, saith Yhwh; for I am married 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 pastors according to mine heart, which 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 be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith Yhwh, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Yhwh: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done 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 Yhwh; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of Yhwh, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination 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 shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from 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 Yhwh.
Lakini kama mwanamke aliyemwasi mume wake, mmenisaliti, enyi nyumba ya Israeli - asema BWANA.”
21 A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten Yhwh 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, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art Yhwh our God.
“Rudini enyi watu mlioasi! Nami nitawaponya na uasi wenu!” “Tazama! tutakuja kwako, kwa kuwa wewe ni BWANA, Mungu wetu!
23 Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains: truly in Yhwh 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 For shame 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 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against Yhwh our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of Yhwh 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!”
