< 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.
“Mũndũ angĩtigana na mũtumia wake, nake mũtumia ũcio athiĩ ahikĩre mũndũ ũngĩ-rĩ, mũthuuri ũcio no amũcookerere? Githĩ bũrũri ũcio to ũthaahe biũ? No wee-rĩ, ũtũũrĩte ũhũũraga ũmaraya na endwa aku aingĩ mũno! Rĩu-rĩ, wee no ũnjookerere?” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
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.
“Ta tiira maitho ũcũthĩrĩrie tũcũmbĩrĩ twa irĩma kũrĩa gũtigĩtwo ũtheri. Nĩ kũrĩ handũ ũtarĩ wakomwo nawe? Mĩkĩra-inĩ ya njĩra-rĩ, nĩkuo wetagĩrĩra endwa aku, kũu nĩkuo waikaraga thĩ ũkameterera, o ta Mũarabu arĩ werũ-inĩ. Wee nĩũthaahĩtie bũrũri ũyũ na ũmaraya waku na waganu waku.
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.
Tondũ wa ũguo-rĩ, mbura ya maguna-ngʼombe nĩĩgirĩtio yure, o na ĩrĩa ya gũkũria irio nayo ĩkaaga kuura. No rĩrĩ, wee nĩũmĩtie gĩthiithi ta kĩa mũmaraya, ũkaaga thoni o na hanini.
4 Hast thou not from this time, cried unto me, My father! the friend of my youth, art, thou?
Githĩ to rĩu wanjĩta ũkiugaga: ‘Baba, wee mũrata wakwa kuuma ndĩ o mũnini,
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!
kaĩ ũgũgĩtũũra ũrakarĩte? Mangʼũrĩ macio maku-rĩ, megũgĩthiĩ na mbere nginya tene?’ Ũguo nĩguo waragia, no ũgacooka ũgeeka ũũru wothe ũrĩa ũngĩhota.”
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.
Matukũ-inĩ ma wathani wa Mũthamaki Josia, Jehova nĩanjũririe atĩrĩ: “Ĩĩ nĩwonete ũrĩa Isiraeli aahutatĩire? Nĩahaicĩte gĩthũngũri-inĩ gĩothe kĩrĩa kĩraihu na igũrũ, na agathiĩ rungu rwa mũtĩ o wothe ũrĩa mũruru na akahũũrĩra ũmaraya kuo.
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!
Ndeciirĩtie atĩ nĩakanjookerera aarĩkia gwĩka maũndũ macio mothe, nowe ndaigana kũnjookerera, nake mwarĩ wa nyina, Juda, ũrĩa ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, agĩkĩĩonera maũndũ macio.
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.
Nĩndaheire Isiraeli ũcio wahutatĩire marũa ma gũtigana nake, ngĩmũingata nĩ ũndũ wa ũtharia ũcio wake wothe. No rĩrĩ, nĩndonire atĩ o na Juda, mwarĩ wa nyina ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, ndaarĩ na guoya; o nake nĩoimagarire, agĩthiĩ gũtharia.
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,
Tondũ wa ũrĩa Isiraeli oonaga ũmaraya wake ũtarĩ ũndũ mũnene harĩ we, nĩathaahirie bũrũri ũcio, agĩkĩrĩrĩria kũhũũra ũmaraya na ũndũ wa kũhooya mahiga na mĩtĩ.
10 yet, in spite of all this, her treacherous sister Judah returned not unto me, with all her heart, —but, falsely, Declareth Yahweh.
O na kũrĩ ũguo-rĩ, Juda, mwarĩ wa nyina ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, ndaanjookereire na ngoro yake yothe, no aanjookereire na ũhinga,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
11 Then said Yahweh unto me, —Apostate Israel, hath justified herself, —more than treacherous Judah.
Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ: “Isiraeli, ũrĩa waahuutatĩire-rĩ, nĩ mũthingu gũkĩra Juda, ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku.
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.
Thiĩ ũkahunjanĩrie ndũmĩrĩri ĩno werekeire mwena wa gathigathini, uuge ũũ: “‘Njookerera, wee Isiraeli, o wee ũũhutatĩire,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga, ‘na niĩ ndigacooka gũkũhetera gĩthiithi na marakara, nĩ ũndũ njiyũrĩtwo nĩ tha,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. ‘Ndigũtũũra ndakarĩte nginya tene.
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.
Wee ũndũ ũrĩa ũgwĩka-rĩ, no kuumbũra mahĩtia maku, nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ũremeire Jehova Ngai waku, nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa waneitanga, ũkĩĩheanaga kũrĩ ngai cia kũngĩ, rungu rwa mũtĩ o wothe mũruru, na ũkaaga kũnjathĩkĩra,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
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;
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Njookererai, inyuĩ andũ aya mũũhutatĩire, nĩgũkorwo nĩ niĩ mũthuuri wanyu; nĩngamũcookanĩrĩria, ndute mũndũ ũmwe itũũra-inĩ rĩmwe, na angĩ eerĩ ndĩmarute mũhĩrĩga ũmwe, ndĩmũtware Zayuni.
15 and will give you shepherds according to mine own heart, —who will feed you with knowledge and discretion.
Nĩngacooka ndĩmũhe arĩithi arĩa ndĩthuurĩire na ngoro yakwa, arĩa makaamũtongoragia marĩ na ũũgĩ o na ũmenyo.”
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.
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Matukũ-inĩ macio, rĩrĩa mũgaakorwo mũingĩhĩte mũno gũkũ bũrũri ũyũ-rĩ, andũ matigacooka kuuga, ‘Ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova.’ Ũhoro ũcio ndũgatoonya meciiria-inĩ mao kana ũririkanwo; rĩtigeciirio ũhoro warĩo o na kana rĩthondekwo rĩngĩ.
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.
Hĩndĩ ĩyo mageetaga itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu Gĩtĩ kĩa Ũthamaki kĩa Jehova, nacio ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩikongana kũu itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu nĩ ũndũ wa gũtĩĩa rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova. Matigacooka kũrũmĩrĩra ũremi wa ũũru wa ngoro ciao.
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.
Matukũ-inĩ macio nyũmba ya Juda nĩĩkanyiitana na nyũmba ya Isiraeli, na o eerĩ nĩmagooka moimĩte bũrũri wa mwena wa gathigathini, makinye bũrũri ũrĩa ndaaheire maithe manyu ũtuĩke igai rĩao.
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.
“Niĩ mwene ngiuga atĩrĩ, “‘Ingĩakenire atĩa ngĩmũtua ta ariũ akwa, na ndĩmũhe bũrũri mwega, igai rĩrĩa rĩega rĩkĩrĩte magai ma ndũrĩrĩ ciothe.’ Ndeciiragia mũrĩnjĩtaga ‘Baba’ na mwage kũũhutatĩra nĩguo mũtige kũnũmĩrĩra.
20 But indeed [as] a wife goeth treacherously from her husband, so, have ye acted treacherously with me, O house of Israel, Declareth Yahweh.
No rĩrĩ, o ta mũtumia ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ mũthuuriwe, ũguo noguo mũkoretwo mũtarĩ ehokeku harĩ niĩ, inyuĩ nyũmba ya Isiraeli,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
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.
Kĩrĩro nĩkĩiguĩtwo kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru gũtarĩ kĩndũ, kũgirĩka na gũthaithana kwa andũ a Isiraeli, nĩ ũndũ nĩmogometie njĩra ciao, na makariganĩrwo nĩ Jehova Ngai wao.
22 Return ye apostate sons, I will heal your apostasies! Behold us! we have come unto thee, For thou, art Yahweh our God.
“Njookererai, inyuĩ andũ aya mũũhutatĩire; nĩngũmũhonia nĩguo mũtigacooke gũcooka na thuutha.” Magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ nĩguo, nĩtũgũũka harĩwe, nĩgũkorwo wee nĩwe Jehova Ngai witũ.
23 Surely, to falsehood, pertain the hills The noisy throng on the mountains, —Surely, in Yahweh our God, is the salvation of Israel!
Ti-itherũ inegene rĩa ũhooi mĩhianano kũu tũrĩma-inĩ o na kũu irĩma-inĩ nĩ rĩa maheeni; ti-itherũ, ũhonokio wa Isiraeli ũrĩ na Jehova Ngai witũ.
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.
Kuuma o ũnini-inĩ witũ, ngai icio cia mĩhianano cia thoni nĩcio ciananiina maciaro ma mawĩra ma maithe maitũ: ndũũru ciao cia mbũri na cia ngʼombe, aanake ao na airĩtu ao.
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.
Nĩtwĩgũithiei thĩ tũconokete, nacio njono ciitũ itũhumbĩre. Nĩ twĩhĩirie Jehova Ngai witũ, ithuĩ o hamwe na maithe maitũ; kuuma rĩrĩa twarĩ anini nginya ũmũthĩ ũyũ-rĩ, tũtũũrĩte tũtarĩ twathĩkĩra Jehova Ngai witũ.”

< Jeremiah 3 >