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.
“Kama mtu akimpa talaka mkewe, naye akamwacha na akaolewa na mtu mwingine, je, huyo mume aweza kumrudia tena? Je, hiyo nchi haitanajisika kabisa? Lakini umeishi kama kahaba na wapenzi wengi: je, sasa utanirudia tena?” asema Bwana.
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.
“Inua macho utazame miinuko iliyo kame na uone. Je, pana mahali ambapo hawajalala nawe? Uliketi kando ya barabara ukiwasubiri wapenzi, ukakaa kama yeye ahamahamaye jangwani. Umeinajisi nchi kwa ukahaba wako na uovu wako.
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.
Kwa hiyo mvua imezuiliwa, nazo mvua za vuli hazikunyesha. Hata hivyo, una uso usio na haya kama wa kahaba; unakataa kutahayari kwa aibu.
4 Wilt thou not from this time call out unto mem My father, the guide of my youth art thou?
Je, wewe hujaniita hivi punde tu: ‘Baba yangu, rafiki yangu tangu ujana wangu,
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.
je, utakasirika siku zote? Je, ghadhabu yako itaendelea milele?’ Hivi ndivyo unavyozungumza, lakini unafanya maovu yote uwezayo.”
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.
Wakati wa utawala wa Mfalme Yosia, Bwana aliniambia, “Umeona kile Israeli asiye mwaminifu amekifanya? Amepanda juu ya kila kilima kirefu, na chini ya kila mti uliotanda na amefanya uzinzi huko.
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.
Mimi nilifikiri kuwa baada ya kuyafanya yote haya angelinirudia, lakini hakurudi, naye dada yake Yuda mdanganyifu aliona hili.
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.
Nilimpa Israeli asiye mwaminifu hati yake ya talaka, na kumfukuza kwa ajili ya uzinzi wake wote. Hata hivyo nikaona kuwa Yuda dada yake mdanganyifu hakuogopa. Yeye pia alitoka na kufanya uzinzi.
9 And it came to pass through her giddy incest, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stone and with wood.
Kwa sababu uasherati wa Israeli haukuwa kitu kwake, Yuda aliinajisi nchi kwa kuzini na mawe na miti.
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.
Pamoja na hayo yote, Yuda dada yake mdanganyifu hakunirudia kwa moyo wake wote, bali kwa kujifanya tu,” asema Bwana.
11 And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself through the treacherous Judah.
Bwana akaniambia, “Israeli asiye mwaminifu ana haki kuliko Yuda mdanganyifu.
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.
Nenda, ukatangaze ujumbe huu kuelekea kaskazini: “‘Rudi, Israeli usiye mwaminifu,’ asema Bwana, ‘sitakutazama tena kwa uso uliokunjamana, kwa kuwa mimi ni mwenye huruma,’ asema Bwana, ‘Sitashika hasira yangu milele.
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.
Ungama dhambi zako tu: kwamba umemwasi Bwana Mungu wako, umetapanya wema wako kwa miungu ya kigeni chini ya kila mti unaotanda, nawe hukunitii mimi,’” asema Bwana.
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:
“Rudini, enyi watu msio waaminifu, kwa kuwa mimi ni mume wenu,” asema Bwana. “Nitawachagua ninyi, mmoja kutoka kwenye mji, na wawili kutoka kwenye ukoo, nami nitawaleta Sayuni.
15 And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and intelligence.
Kisha nitawapeni wachungaji wanipendezao moyo wangu, ambao watawaongoza kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
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].
Katika siku hizo, idadi yenu itakapokuwa imeongezeka sana katika nchi, watu hawatasema tena, ‘Sanduku la Agano la Bwana,’” asema Bwana. “Halitaingia tena kwenye mawazo yao wala kukumbukwa, hawatalihitaji wala halitatengenezwa jingine.
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.
Wakati huo, wataita Yerusalemu kuwa Kiti cha Enzi cha Bwana, nayo mataifa yote watakusanyika Yerusalemu kuliheshimu jina la Bwana. Hawatafuata tena ukaidi wa mioyo yao miovu.
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.
Katika siku hizo, nyumba ya Yuda itaungana na nyumba ya Israeli, wao kwa pamoja watakuja kutoka nchi ya kaskazini hadi nchi niliyowapa baba zenu kama urithi.
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.
“Mimi mwenyewe nilisema, “‘Tazama jinsi nitakavyowatunza kwa furaha kama wana na kuwapa nchi nzuri, urithi ulio mzuri kuliko wa taifa jingine lolote.’ Nilidhani mngeniita ‘Baba,’ na msingegeuka, mkaacha kunifuata.
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.
Lakini kama mwanamke asiye mwaminifu kwa mumewe, vivyo hivyo mmekosa uaminifu kwangu pia, ee nyumba ya Israeli,” asema Bwana.
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.
Kilio kinasikika juu ya miinuko iliyo kame, kulia na kuomboleza kwa watu wa Israeli, kwa sababu wamepotoka katika njia zao na wamemsahau Bwana Mungu wao.
22 Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. “Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God.
“Rudini, enyi watu msio waaminifu, nami nitawaponya ukengeufu wenu.” “Naam, tutakuja kwako, kwa maana wewe ni Bwana Mungu wetu.
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.
Hakika zile ghasia za kuabudu sanamu kwenye vilima na milimani ni udanganyifu; hakika katika Bwana, Mungu wetu, uko wokovu wa Israeli.
24 And shame hath devoured the acquisition of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Tangu ujana wetu miungu ya aibu imeyala matunda ya kazi za baba zetu: makundi yao ya kondoo na ngʼombe, wana wao na binti zao.
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.”
Sisi na tulale chini katika aibu yetu, na fedheha yetu itufunike. Tumetenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wetu, sisi na mababa zetu; tangu ujana wetu hadi leo hatukumtii Bwana Mungu wetu.”
