< Jeremiah 3 >

1 He hath said, If a man send away his wife, and she go from him and become another man’s, will he return unto her, again? would not that land be, utterly defiled? And, thou, hast been unchaste with many neighbours, and yet [thinkest] to return unto me! Declareth Yahweh.
“Ne ŋutsu aɖe gbe srɔ̃a, eye nyɔnu la dzo ɖaɖe ŋutsu bubu ɖe, ɖe wòle be ŋutsu gbãtɔ nagatrɔ ayi ɖe nyɔnu la gbɔa? Ɖe womagblẽ kɔ ɖo na anyigba la keŋkeŋ oa? Ke wò la, ènɔ agbe abe gbolo ene kple lɔlɔ̃tɔ geɖewo. Ɖe nàtrɔ ava gbɔnye azɔa?” Yehowae gblɔe.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights and see—where thou hast not been unchastely embraced! beside the ways, hast thou sat to them, like the Arabian in the desert, —and hast defiled the land with thine unchastities, and with thy wickedness.
“Wu mo dzi ɖe to ƒuƒluwo ŋu eye nàkpɔ ɖa. Teƒe aɖe li si womedɔ kpli wò le oa? Ènɔ anyi ɖe mɔto henɔ ŋutsuwo lalam. Ènɔ anyi abe Arabiatɔwoe nɔ anyi ɖe gbegbe ene. Ètsɔ wò gbolowɔwɔ kple vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi do gu anyigba la.
3 Therefore have been withholden the showers, And, the latter rain, hath not come, —Yet the forehead of an unchaste woman, hast thou, Thou hast refused to be ashamed.
Eya ta woɖo asi tsidzadza dzi eye kelemetsi gɔ̃ hã medza o. Ke wò la, gbolo ƒe mo ŋanɛ li na wò eye ŋu gbe wò kpekpe.
4 Hast thou not from this time, cried unto me, My father! the friend of my youth, art, thou?
Menye fifi laa koe nèyɔm be, ‘Fofonye kple xɔ̃nye, tso nye ɖekakpuime ke’ oa?
5 Will he maintain his anger to times age-abiding? Will he keep it perpetually? Lo! thou hast spoken thus but hast done wicked things and had thy way!
‘Ɖe nàkpɔ dziku ɖaa? Ɖe wò dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ anɔ anyi tegbea?’ Aleae nèƒoa nu gake hewɔa nu tovo siwo katã nàte ŋui.”
6 And Yahweh said unto me, in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen what apostate Israel, did? She used to go upon every high mountain and beneath every green tree, and commit unchastity there.
Esi Fia Yosia nɔ fia ɖum la, Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Èkpɔ nu si Israel nuteƒemawɔla la wɔa? Eyi ɖe togbɛ kɔkɔ ɖe sia ɖe dzi eye wòyi ɖe ati dama ɖe sia ɖe te hewɔ ahasi le afi ma.
7 And I said, after she had been doing all these things, Unto me, shall thou return? and she returned not, —and her treacherous sister Judah saw it!
Mebui be esi wòwɔ esiawo katã vɔ la, atrɔ ava gbɔnye gake mewɔe o eye nɔvia nyɔnu godzela, Yuda hã kpɔe.
8 Though she saw that for all this, apostate Israel having committed adultery, I had sent her away, and had given a scroll of divorcement unto her, yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but, she also, went and committed unchastity.
Metsɔ srɔ̃gbegbalẽ na nuteƒemawɔla Israel henyae ɖe eƒe ahasiwɔwɔwo katã ta, gake mekpɔ be nɔvia godzela Yuda mevɔ̃ o; eya hã yi ɖawɔ ahasi.
9 Yea though it had come to pass that through the levity of her unchastity, she had defiled the land, —and committed adultery with Stone and with Tree,
Esi Israel ƒe ŋunyɔnuwɔwɔ nye nu tsɛ aɖe ko le eya gbɔ ta la, edo gu anyigba la eye wòwɔ ahasi kple ati kple kpe.
10 yet, in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah returned not unto me, with all her heart, —but, falsely, Declareth Yahweh.
Le esiawo katã megbe hã la, nɔvia nyɔnu, Yuda, godzela, metrɔ va gbɔnye kple eƒe dzi blibo o, ke boŋ ewɔ alakpanu.” Yehowae gblɔe.
11 Then said Yahweh unto me, —Apostate Israel, hath justified herself, —more than treacherous Judah.
Yehowa gblɔ nam be, “Nuteƒemawɔla Israel le dzɔdzɔe wu Yuda, godzela la.
12 Go, and proclaim these words, towards the North and say—Return! thou apostate—Israel, Urgeth Yahweh, I will not lower my face against you, —for full of lovingkindness, I am, Declareth Yahweh, I will not maintain [mine anger] unto times age-abiding.
Yi, nàɖe gbeƒã nya sia ɖo ɖe anyiehe gome. Yehowa be, “‘Xɔsemanɔsitɔ Israel trɔ gbɔ. Nyemagahe nya ɖe ŋuwò azɔ o elabena nublanuikpɔlae menye eye nyemado dziku tegbee o.’ Yehowae gblɔe.
13 Only, acknowledge thine iniquity, that against Yahweh thy God, hast thou transgressed, —and hast gone hither and thither unto foreigners under every green tree, and unto my voice, ye have not hearkened Declareth Yahweh.
‘Wò ya, dze si wò vodada elabena èdze aglã ɖe Yehowa, wò Mawu la ŋu; ètsɔ wò nunyonamewo ma na dzromawuwo le ati dama ɖe sia ɖe te eye mèɖo tom o.’” Yehowae gblɔe.
14 Return, ye apostate sons, Urgeth Yahweh, for, I, am become your husband, —therefore will I take you one of a city, and two of a family, and will bring you to Zion;
Yehowa be, “Mi xɔsemanɔsitɔwo, mitrɔ gbɔ, elabena nyee nye mia srɔ̃. Matia mi, ame ɖeka tso du ɖe sia ɖe me, ame eve tso to ɖe sia ɖe me ahaƒo ƒu mi ɖe Zion.
15 and will give you shepherds according to mine own heart, —who will feed you with knowledge and discretion.
Ekema mana kplɔlawo mi ɖe nye dzi ƒe didi nu, ame siwo akplɔ mi le nunya kple nugɔmesese me.
16 And it shall come to pass when ye shall be multiplied and become fruitful in the land, in those days, Declareth Yahweh, They shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of Yahweh, Neither shall it come up on the heart, Neither shall they remember it, Neither shall they miss it, Neither shall it be made any more.
Le ŋkeke mawo me, ne miedzi ɖe edzi fũu le anyigba dzi la, amewo magagblɔ azɔ be, ‘Yehowa ƒe nubablaɖaka o. Mage ɖe woƒe susu me alo woaɖo ŋku edzi o; womagabia eta ase alo awɔ bubu o.’ Yehowae gblɔe.
17 At that time, shall they call Jerusalem, The throne of Yahweh, and there shall be gathered unto her all the nations—to the Name of Yahweh, to Jerusalem; and they shall walk no more after the stubbornness of their own wicked heart.
Le ɣe ma ɣi la, woayɔ Yerusalem be, Yehowa Ƒe Fiazikpui eye dukɔwo katã aƒo ƒu ɖe Yerusalem be woade bubu Yehowa ƒe ŋkɔ ŋu. Womagadze woƒe dzi vɔ̃ɖiwo ƒe tamesesẽ yome o.
18 In those days, shall the house of Judah go unto the house of Israel, —that they may enter together out of the land of the North, upon the land which I gave as an inheritance unto your fathers.
Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Yuda ƒe aƒe awɔ ɖeka kple Israel ƒe aƒe la eye wo kple eve la woatso dzigbemenyigba aɖe dzi ava, anyigba si metsɔ na mia fofowo be wòanye woƒe domenyinu.”
19 Though, I myself, had said, —How can I put thee among the sons, And give thee a land to be coveted, An inheritance of beauty, of the hosts of nations? Yet I said, My father, shalt thou call me, And away from me, shalt thou not turn.
Yehowa be, “Nye ŋutɔe gblɔ be, “‘Matsɔ dzidzɔ alé be na mi abe viŋutsuwo ene eye matsɔ anyigba nyui aɖe ana mi, domenyinu nyuitɔ kekeake si dukɔ aɖe ate ŋu akpɔ.’ Mebu be miayɔm be, ‘Fofonye’ eye miatrɔ le yonyeme o.
20 But indeed [as] a wife goeth treacherously from her husband, so, have ye acted treacherously with me, O house of Israel, Declareth Yahweh.
Gake, abe nyɔnu si meto nyateƒe na srɔ̃a o ene la, nenemae miawo hã mieto nyateƒe nam o, O Israel ƒe aƒe.”
21 A voice on the bare heights, is heard, The weeping of the supplications of the sons of Israel, —Because they have perverted their way, Have forgotten Yahweh their God.
Wose avi le to ƒuƒluwo dzi, Israelviwo ƒe avifafa kple kokoƒoƒoe elabena woglɔ̃ woƒe mɔwo eye woŋlɔ Yehowa, woƒe Mawu la be.
22 Return ye apostate sons, I will heal your apostasies! Behold us! we have come unto thee, For thou, art Yahweh our God.
“Mitrɔ gbɔ, mi megbedelawo, mayɔ dɔ mi tso miaƒe megbedede me.” “Ɛ̃, míava gbɔwò, elabena wòe nye Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu.
23 Surely, to falsehood, pertain the hills The noisy throng on the mountains, —Surely, in Yahweh our God, is the salvation of Israel!
Vavãe, legbasubɔsubɔ ƒe hoowɔwɔ le togbɛwo dzi kple towo tame nye beble sɔŋ ko. Enye nyateƒe be Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu lae nye Israel ƒe xɔnametɔ.
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.
Tso míaƒe ɖekakpuime ke, ŋukpenamawuwo ɖu mía fofowo ƒe agbagbadzedze ƒe kutsetsewo, woƒe alẽhawo, woƒe nyihawo, wo viŋutsuwo kple wo vinyɔnuwo.
25 We must lie down in our shame And our reproach, be our covering, For, against Yahweh our God, have we sinned, We and our fathers, from our youth even until this day, —Neither have we hearkened unto the voice of Yahweh our God.
Mina míamlɔ míaƒe ŋukpe me eye míaƒe vlododo netsyɔ mía dzi. Míewɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la ŋu, míawo kple mía fofowo siaa, tso míaƒe ɖekakpuime va se ɖe egbe sia, míeɖo to Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la o.”

< Jeremiah 3 >