Jeremiah 3
1 It is said, if a man put away his wife, And she go from him, and become another man's, Shall he return to her again? Shall not that land be polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; And shalt thou return to me, saith Jehovah?
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 to the high places, and see! Where hast thou not been defiled? In the ways hast thou sat waiting, As the Arabian in the desert, And hast polluted the land by thy lewdness and 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 And although the showers have been withholden, And there hath been no latter rain, Yet thou hast had a harlot's forehead; Thou hast refused 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 to me, Thou art my father, Yea, the friend of my youth art thou?
Na sasa hutaniita mimi: 'Baba yangu, hata marafiki zangu wa tangu ujanani! Je, atakuwa na hasira dhidi yangu milele?
5 Will he retain his anger forever? Will he keep it forevermore? Behold, thus dost thou speak, But thou doest evil with all thy might.
Je, utaendelea kuwa na hasira zako?' Tazama! Umesema kuwa utatenda maovu, na kweli umetenda hivyo. kwa hiyo endelea kufanya hivyo!”
6 Jehovah said to me, in the time of King Josiah, Hast thou heard what rebellious Israel hath done? She hath gone 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, Return thou to me! But she returned not. And her faithless 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 adulteries which rebellious Israel had committed, I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce, that her faithless sister Judah was not afraid, but went and played the harlot also herself.
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 when by the fame of her lewdness she had polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and wood,
Hukusikitika kuwa ameinajisi nchi, kwa hiyo wakatengeneza sanamu za mti na za jiwe.
10 yet for all this did not her faithless sister Judah return to me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith Jehovah.
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 Then said Jehovah to me, Rebellious Israel is less guilty than faithless Judah.
Kisha BWANA akanena na mimi, “Israeli muasi amekuwa mwenye haki zaidi kuliko Yuda muasi!
12 Go and proclaim these words toward the north: —Return, O rebellious Israel, saith Jehovah! I will not turn a frowning face upon you; For I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I retain not anger forever.
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 rebelled against Jehovah thy God, And hast roved about to strangers Under every green tree, And hast not obeyed my voice, saith Jehovah.
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, ye rebellious children! saith Jehovah; Though I have rejected you, Yet will I receive you again, One from a city, and two from a nation, 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 after my own heart, Who shall feed you with wisdom and discretion.
Nitawapa wachungaji niwapendao, na watawachunga kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
16 And when ye shall have multiplied and increased in the land, saith Jehovah, Then shall ye no more speak of the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, Nor shall it come into your mind. None shall remember it; None shall care for it; It shall not 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 For then shall Jerusalem be called the throne of Jehovah, And all the nations shall resort to it; They shall resort to Jehovah, to Jerusalem, And shall no more walk after the perverseness of their evil hearts.
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 shall the house of Judah unite themselves with the house of Israel, And they shall come together from the north country, To the land which I caused your fathers to inherit.
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 Then I said, how will I place thee among my children, And give thee a pleasant land, A goodly inheritance among the hosts of nations! And I said, Thou wilt call me thy father; Thou wilt not turn aside 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 Yet as a woman is faithless to her husband, So have ye been faithless to me, O house of Israel! saith Jehovah.
Lakini kama mwanamke aliyemwasi mume wake, mmenisaliti, enyi nyumba ya Israeli - asema BWANA.”
21 A voice is heard upon the hills, The weeping and supplications of the children of Israel! For they have perverted their way; They have forgotten Jehovah their God.
Sauti ilisikika juu ya nyanda, kilio na kusihi kwa watu wa Israeli! kwa kuwa wamezibadili njia; wamemsahau BWANA, Mungu wao.
22 Return, O revolted children! I will heal your rebellion. Behold, we come to thee, For thou art Jehovah 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 from the hills, In vain from the mountains do we seek abundance; Only from Jehovah our God cometh salvation for Israel.
Uongo hutoka kwenye vilima, kutoka kwenye milima mingi. Kwa hakika wokovu wa Israeli unapatikana kwa BWANA, Mungu wetu.
24 For the things of shame have devoured the substance of our fathers from our youth, Their sheep and their oxen, 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 ignominy covereth us; For we have sinned against Jehovah our God, We and our fathers, from our youth even to this day, And have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah 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!”
