< Jeremiah 3 >

1 One could say, Behold, if a man send away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, can he return unto her again? would not that land be greatly polluted? and thou hast played the harlot with many companions, and wilt yet return to me, saith the Lord.
“Omusajja bw’agoba mukazi we, omukazi oyo n’agenda n’afuuka ow’omusajja omulala, omusajja we alimukomyawo nate? Ensi eba teyonoonekedde ddala nnyo? Naye obadde nga malaaya, ng’olina abasajja bangi; naye kaakano oyagala okukomawo gye ndi?” bw’ayogera Mukama.
2 Lift up thy eyes unto the mountain-tops, and see where thou hast not been lain with. On public roads hast thou sat for them, as the Arab in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy incests and with thy wickedness.
Yimusa amaaso go olabe ku ntikko y’obusozi. Waliwo ekifo we bateebakira naawe? Ku mabbali g’ekkubo we watulanga n’olinda abasajja ng’oli nga Omuwalabu mu ddungu; n’olyoka oyonoona ensi n’obwenzi bwo n’ekibi kyo.
3 And [though] the early showers were withholden, and the latter rain came not: yet hadst thou a forehead of an incestuous wife, thou refusedst to feel shame.
Noolwekyo enkuba kyevudde eziyizibwa, n’enkuba eya ttoggo n’etetonnya. Naye era otemya nga malaaya tokwatibwa nsonyi.
4 Wilt thou not from this time call out unto mem My father, the guide of my youth art thou?
Tewakaŋŋamba nti Kitange ggwe mukwano gwange okuva mu buto bwange,
5 Will he bear grudge for ever? will he keep it to eternity? Behold, thou hast spoken [this], and yet hast done the things that are evil as much as thou wast able.
onoonyiigira ddala emirembe gyonna, olisunguwala emirembe gyonna? Bw’otyo bw’oyogera, naye okoze ebibi byonna ebisoboka.
6 And the Lord said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and hath played the harlot there.
Mu nnaku z’obufuzi bwa kabaka Yosiya Mukama yayogera nange n’aŋŋamba nti, “Olabye Isirayiri etali neesigwa ky’ekoze? Agenze ku buli kasozi na buli wansi w’omuti oguyimiridde ne yeeyisa ng’omukazi omwenzi.
7 And I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return unto me. But she returned not. And this saw her treacherous sister Judah.
Nalowooza nti, Bw’alimala okukola bino byonna agenda kudda gye ndi naye teyadda, era muganda we atali mwesigwa Yuda n’akiraba.
8 And I saw, that, although because backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had sent her away, and given her bill of divorce unto her, still treacherous Judah her sister feared not, but went and played herself the harlot also.
Yalaba nti bwe namala okugoba Isirayiri eyanvaako, ne muwa n’ebbaluwa ey’okumugoba olw’obwenzi bwe. Naye ate ne ndaba muganda we atali mwesigwa Yuda nga taliimu kutya, naye n’agenda n’akola obwenzi.
9 And it came to pass through her giddy incest, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stone and with wood.
Awo obwenzi bwe bwatuuka ne bumwanguyira nnyo n’ayenda n’asinza amayinja n’ebikonge.
10 And yet with all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with all her heart, but with falsehood, saith the Lord.
Naye wadde nga byonna bimaze okubaawo, muganda we Yuda atali mwesigwa, teyakomawo gye ndi na mutima gwe gwonna, naye yali alimbalimba,” bw’ayogera Mukama.
11 And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself through the treacherous Judah.
Mukama n’aŋŋamba nti, Isirayiri asudde obwesigwa, mutukuvu okusinga Yuda atali mwesigwa.
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord: I will not cause my anger to fall upon you; for I am full of kindness, saith the Lord, I will not hear grudge for ever.
Genda obuulire abantu b’omu bukiikakkono obubaka buno, obagambe nti, “‘Komawo ggwe Isirayiri, eyanvaako,’ bw’ayogera Mukama. ‘Siribatunuuliza busungu kubanga ndi waakisa,’ bw’ayogera Mukama; ‘Sirisiba busungu ku mwoyo emirembe gyonna.
13 Only acknowledge thy iniquity, that against the Lord thy God thou hast rebelled, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and that unto my voice ye have not hearkened, saith the Lord.
Mukkirize bukkiriza ekibi kyammwe, mwajeemera Mukama Katonda wammwe, mwasinza bakatonda abalala, wansi wa buli muti oguyimiridde, era ne mutaŋŋondera,’” bw’ayogera Mukama.
14 Return, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am become your husband; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and bring you to Zion:
“Mukomeewo mmwe abaana abanvaako,” bw’ayogera Mukama; “kubanga nze bbammwe, era ndibalondamu omu ku omu okuva mu buli kibuga, babiri babiri okuva mu buli kika mbaleete ku lusozi Sayuuni.
15 And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and intelligence.
Era ndibawa abasumba abakola ng’omutima gwange bwe gwagala, abalibakulembera mu kumanya era ne mu kutegeera.
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye multiply and increase in the land, in those days, saith the Lord, that men shall not say any more, “The ark of the covenant of the Lord;” nor shall it come any more to mind; nor shall they remember it; nor shall they mention it; nor shall any thing be done any more [with it].
Ennaku bwe zirituuka nga mwaze era nga muli bangi nnyo mu nsi,” bw’ayogera Mukama, “abantu baliba tebakyayogera ku Ssanduuko y’Endagaano. Baliba tebakyagirowooza nako, okugijjukira; oba okulumwa emitima olw’obutaba nayo wadde okukola endala.
17 At that time shall they call Jerusalem, The throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: and they shall not walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Ebbanga lyonna Yerusaalemi kiriyitibwa Entebe ya Mukama ey’Obwakabaka, amawanga gonna mwe ganaakuŋŋaaniranga okumugulumiza Mukama mu Yerusaalemi era tebaliddayo kugoberera mitima gyabwe minyoomi.
18 In those days shall the house of Judah walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north unto the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.
Mu nnaku ezo ennyumba ya Yuda eryegatta ku nnyumba ya Isirayiri, era bombi awamu baliva mu nsi ey’omu bukiikakkono ne bajja mu nsi gye ndiwa bakitammwe okuba omugabo.
19 But I had thought, How shall I establish thee among the [other] sons [of man], and give thee a desirable land, a heritage of glory of the hosts of nations? and I thought, My father thou wouldst call me, and that from me thou wouldst not turn away.
“Nze kennyini nalowooza “nga nayagala okubayisanga nga batabani bange, era mbawe ensi eyeegombebwa, nga gwe mugabo ogusinga obulungi mu mawanga gonna. Nalowooza nti mulimpita ‘Kitammwe,’ ne mutanvaako ne mwongera okungoberera.
20 But truly as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord.
Naye ng’omukazi atali mwesigwa eri bba bw’abeera, bwe mutyo bwe mutabadde beesigwa gye ndi, mmwe ennyumba ya Isirayiri,” bw’ayogera Mukama.
21 A voice is now heard upon the mountain-tops, the supplicatory weeping of the children of Israel; for they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the Lord their God.
Okukaaba kw’Abaana ba Isirayiri kuwuliddwa ku ntikko z’ensozi ezitaliiko kantu, nga bakaaba n’okwegayirira, kubanga baatambulira mu kukola ebibi, ne beerabira Mukama Katonda waabwe.
22 Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. “Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.
“Mukomeewo mmwe abantu abatali beesigwa, nnaabawonya ne mbafuula abeesigwa.” Ne mugamba nti, “Weewaawo tujja kudda gy’oli, kubanga ggwe Mukama Katonda waffe.
23 Truly deceptive was [what we hoped for] from the hills, and the multitude on the mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel.
Ddala okusuubira obuyambi okuva mu nsozi gye twasinzizanga bakatonda abalala temuli kantu. Ddala mu Mukama Katonda waffe mwe muli obulokozi bwa Isirayiri.
24 And shame hath devoured the acquisition of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Naye okuva mu buto bwaffe bakatonda abo abalala abatagasa balidde ne bamalawo ebibala bakitaffe bye baamalirako amaanyi gaabwe, embuzi zaabwe, n’ente zaabwe, batabani baabwe ne bawala baabwe.
25 We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us; for against the Lord our God have we sinned, we and our fathers, from our youth even until this day; and we have not hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God.”
Leka tugalamire, ng’ensonyi zitutta, n’obuswavu bwaffe butuyitiridde kubanga twonoonye eri Mukama Katonda waffe, ffe ne bakadde baffe, okuva mu buto bwaffe n’okutuusa ku lunaku luno; kubanga tetugondedde ddoboozi lya Mukama Katonda waffe.”

< Jeremiah 3 >