< 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 the LORD.
“ʻOku nau pehē, ‘Kapau ʻe tukuange ʻe ha tangata ʻa hono uaifi, pea te ne ʻalu ʻiate ia, pea mali mo e tangata kehe, te ne toe haʻu kiate ia?’ ʻIkai ʻoku ʻuli lahi ai ʻae fonua ko ia? Ka kuo ke fai angahala mo e mamana tokolahi: ka ʻoku kei pehē, ʻe Sihova, Tafoki mai kiate au.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights, 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 whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
“Hanga hake ho mata ki he ngaahi potu māʻolunga, pea vakai ha potu naʻe ʻikai te ke angahala ai. Kuo ke tatali kiate kinautolu ʻi he ngaahi hala, ʻo hangē ko e ʻAlepea ʻi he toafa; kuo ke fakaʻuliʻi ʻae fonua ʻi hoʻo angahala, mo hoʻo fai kovi.
3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
Ko ia kuo taʻofi ai ʻae ʻuha tuʻu mo tō, pea naʻe ʻikai ai ʻae ʻuha mui; kuo ke maʻu ʻae foʻi laʻē ʻoe fefine angahala, pea ko ia ʻoku ʻikai te ke mā ai.
4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
‌ʻE ʻikai te ke tangi pehē mai kiate au ʻo fai mei he ʻaho ni, ‘Ko ʻeku tamai koe, ko hoku fakahinohino ʻi heʻeku siʻi?’
5 Will he retain [his anger] for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
“‘Pea ʻe maʻu ʻa hono houhau ʻo taʻengata?’ Te ne kuku maʻu ia ʻo aʻu ki he ngataʻanga? Vakai, kuo ke lea mo fai ʻae ngaahi meʻa kovi ʻo hangē ko hoʻo faʻa fai.”
6 Moreover the LORD said 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.
Pea naʻe pehē foki ʻe Sihova kiate au ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo Siosaia ko e tuʻi, “Kuo ke mamata ʻaia kuo fai ʻe ʻIsileli fakaholomui? kuo ne ʻalu hake ki he ngaahi moʻunga māʻolunga kotoa pē, pea fai angahala, ʻi he lolo ʻakau mata kotoa pē.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Pea hili ʻene fai ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni kotoa pē, naʻaku pehē, ‘Ke ke tafoki kiate au.’ Ka naʻe ʻikai te ne tafoki. Pea naʻe mamata ki ai ʻa hono tokoua kākā ko Siuta.
8 And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.
Pe ne u mamata, ʻi heʻeku tukuange ʻa ʻIsileli fakaholomui pea u ʻatu kiate ia ʻae tohi fakamavae, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻene ngaahi fai hala, ka naʻe ʻikai ke manavahē ai ʻa hono tokoua kākā ko Siuta, ka naʻa ne toe ʻalu mo ia ʻo fai angahala foki.
9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Pea ko e meʻa ʻi he ongoongo ʻo ʻene feʻauaki naʻe ʻuliʻi ai ʻae fonua, ʻo ne fai angahala mo e ngaahi maka, pea mo e ngaahi ʻakau.
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
Ka ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito tafoki kiate au ʻaki hono loto kotoa ʻa hono tokoua kākā ko Siuta, ka naʻa ne kākā ai pe.”
11 And the LORD said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
Pea naʻe pehē ʻe Sihova kiate au, “Ko ʻIsileli fakaholomui kuo ne fakatonuhia ʻe ia ia ʻo lahi hake ʻia Siuta kākā.”
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; I will not look in anger upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, I will not keep [anger] for ever.
ʻAlu ʻo fakahā ʻae ngaahi lea ni ki he potu tokelau, ʻo pehē, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, ‘Tafoki mai, ʻa koe ko ʻIsileli fakaholomui; pea te u fakaafe ʻeku houhau meiate kimoutolu:’ he, ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, ‘ʻOku ou ʻaloʻofa, pea ʻe ʻikai te u fakatolonga taʻengata hoku houhau.
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Ke vete pe hoʻo hia, ʻaia kuo ke fai kia Sihova ko ho ʻOtua, pea mo e fakaʻuli ʻa hoʻo ʻulungāanga mo e kau muli ʻi he lolo ʻakau mata kotoa pē,’ pea ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, naʻe ʻikai te mou talangofua ki hoku leʻo.”
14 Return, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am a husband unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
‌ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE fānau fakaholomui tafoki mai; he kuo u fakamaau mo kimoutolu: pea te u toʻo ʻakimoutolu ko e taki tokotaha ʻi ha kolo, pea mo e toko ua ʻi ha faʻahinga, pea te u ʻomi ʻakimoutolu ki Saione.
15 and I will give you shepherds according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Pea te u foaki kiate kimoutolu ʻae kau tauhi ʻo hangē ko hoku loto, pea te nau fafanga ʻaki ʻakimoutolu ʻae poto mo e ʻilo.
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be 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 remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall [that] be done any more.
Pea ʻe hoko ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia, ʻoka mou ka tupu ʻo tokolahi ʻi he fonua,” ʻoku pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE ʻikai te nau toe pehē, ‘Ko e puha ʻoe fuakava ʻo Sihova;’ pea ʻe ʻikai hoko ia ki honau loto: pea ʻe ʻikai te nau manatu ki ai pe ʻaʻahi ki ai; pea ʻe ʻikai toe ngaohi ia.
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.
Pea ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia te nau ui ʻa Selūsalema ‘Ko e ʻafioʻanga ʻo Sihova;’ pea ʻe fakataha ʻae kakai kotoa pē ki ai, ki Selūsalema, ki he huafa ʻo Sihova: pea ʻe ʻikai te nau toe muimui ki he fakakaukau kovi ʻa honau loto.
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 gave for an inheritance unto your fathers.
‌ʻE haʻu ʻae fale ʻo Siuta ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia ʻo ʻaʻeva mo e fale ʻo ʻIsileli, pea te na omi fakataha mei he fonua ʻi he tokelau ki he fonua ʻaia kuo u foaki ko e tofiʻa ki hoʻomou ngaahi tamai.
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 the nations? and I said, Ye shall call me My father; and shall not turn away from following me.
“Pea naʻaku pehē, ‘ʻE fēfē ʻeku fakataha koe mo e fonua, pea foaki kiate koe ʻae fonua lelei, mo e tofiʻa lelei ʻoe kakai tokolahi?’ Pea naʻaku pehē, Ke ke ui au, “Ko hoʻo Tamai;” pea ʻe ʻikai te ke tafoki meiate au.”
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
ʻOku pehē ʻe Sihova, “ʻE fale ʻo ʻIsileli, ko e moʻoni kuo mou fai kākā kiate au, ʻo hangē ko e fefine kākā kuo liʻaki hono husepāniti.”
21 A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping [and] the supplications of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.
Naʻe ongoʻi ʻae leʻo ʻi he ngaahi potu māʻolunga, ko e tangi mo e tangilāulau ʻae fānau ʻa ʻIsileli: he kuo nau fakakoviʻi honau hala, pea kuo nau fakangalongaloʻi ʻa Sihova ko honau ʻOtua.
22 Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings, Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
‌ʻAe fānau fakaholomui, mou tafoki, pea te u fakamoʻui hoʻomou fakaholomui. “Vakai, ʻoku mau haʻu kiate koe; he ko koe ko Sihova ko homau ʻOtua.
23 Truly in vain is [the help that is looked for] from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
“Ko e moʻoni ʻoku taʻeʻaonga [ke ʻamanaki ʻae fakamoʻui ]mei he ngaahi potu māʻolunga, pea mei he ngaahi moʻunga: ko e moʻoni ʻoku ʻia Sihova ko hotau ʻOtua ʻae fakamoʻui ʻo ʻIsileli.
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.
He kuo fakaʻauha ʻi he tamapua fakamā ʻae ngāue ʻa ʻetau ngaahi tamai talu ʻemau tupu; ko ʻenau fanga sipi mo e fanga manu, ko honau ngaahi foha, pea mo e ʻofefine.
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 obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
‌ʻOku tau tokoto ʻi he mā, pea ʻoku ʻufiʻufi ʻakitautolu ʻe he fakamā: koeʻuhi kuo tau fai kovi kia Sihova ko hotau ʻOtua, ko kitautolu mo ʻetau ngaahi tamai, talu ʻetau kei siʻi ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni, pea naʻe ʻikai te tau talangofua ki he leʻo ʻo Sihova ko hotau ʻOtua.”

< Jeremiah 3 >