< Jeremiah 3 >

1 “[Moses wrote that] if a man divorces his wife and then she marries another man, her first husband certainly must not [RHQ] take her back again [to be his wife], because that would certainly [RHQ] cause the whole nation to become unacceptable to me. But you have more [idols than] prostitutes have men whom they have slept with! So, [why should I accept you if] you return to me?” [RHQ] says Yahweh.
“Ọ bụrụ na nwoke agbaara nwunye ya alụkwaghị m, nwanyị ahụ ahapụ ya pụọ ga lụrụ nwoke ọzọ, di mbụ ya ahụ, o kwesiri ịlaghachi ka ọ lụọkwa ya ọzọ? Ọ bụ na agaghị emerụ ala ahụ nke ukwuu? Ma unu ebiela ndụ dịka ndị akwụna nwere ọtụtụ ndị iko, ọ bụ ugbu a ka unu ga-alaghachikwute m?” otu ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
2 “Look up at the barren hilltops. On every hilltop there are [RHQ] [idols that you have worshiped]. [It is as though] they are all lovers with whom you have had sex. [It is as though] you have sat along the roadsides like an Arab, waiting [to attack and steal things from] those who pass by. Because of worshiping idols and all the other wicked things that you have done, you have caused the [entire] land to become unacceptable to me.
“Welie anya gị abụọ ma lee ebe niile nke dị elu nke ọhịa na-adịghị nʼala a, olee ebe gị na ndị ikom na-edinakọbeghị nʼịkwa iko? Ị na-anọ nʼakụkụ ụzọ niile na-eche ndị iko, na-anọkwa dịka onye Arebịa nʼọzara. Ị werela ịkwa iko gị niile na ihe ọjọọ gị merụọ ala a.
3 That is why I have not sent you any rain at the times of the year when you needed it. But you are like prostitutes [MET] who are not at all ashamed [for what they have done].
Ọ bụ nke a mere mmiri ji kwụsị izokwara unu, ọbụla dị mmiri nke na-ezo nʼoge ọkọchị. Nʼihi na unu bụ ndị akwụna, ndị ihere na-adịghị eme.
4 Now each of you says to me, ‘You are my father! You have loved me ever since I was young!
Ọ dịbeghị anya mgbe unu kpọrọ m, sị m, ‘Nna m, ị bụ enyi m kemgbe m dị na nwantakịrị.
5 So surely you will not [RHQ] be angry with me forever!’ But you will not quit sinning!”
Iwe gị ọ ga-adịgide mgbe niile? Iwe gị dị ọkụ ọ ga-adịgide ebighị ebi?’ Otu a ka unu si ekwu okwu, ma unu nọgidesịrị ike na-eme ihe ọjọọ niile unu nwere ike ime.”
6 [One day] when Josiah was the king of Judah, Yahweh said to me, “Have you seen what the people of Israel have done? They have turned away from me, like a woman who has abandoned her husband and sleeps with other men. They have gone up on every hilltop and under every big tree and worshiped idols there [MET].
Ozi a, nke si nʼọnụ Onyenwe anyị pụta, rutere m aka nʼoge eze Josaya na-achị. Lee ihe ọ gwara m. “Ị hụla ihe Izrel na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi na-eme? Ọ gaala nʼelu ugwu ọbụla dị elu nakwa nʼokpuru osisi ndụ ọbụla, na-akwa iko nʼebe ahụ.
7 I thought that they would return to me, so I said to them, ‘Come back to me!’ But they refused. So I sent them away [to other countries, like a man] writes a note saying that he is divorcing his wife and then sends his wife away because she has committed adultery [MET].
Echere m na mgbe o mesịrị ihe ndị a niile na ọ ga-alọghachikwute m, ma ọ lọtaghị. Nwanne ya nwanyị bụ Juda, onye na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi hụkwara ya.
8 The people of Judah saw what I did to them. But they are just like the people of Israel. They are not afraid [of what I will do to them]. They also [have turned away from me and are worshiping idols like] women who abandon their husbands and go to other men [MET].
Enyere m Izrel na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi akwụkwọ alụkwaghị m, chụpụ ya nʼihi ndụ ịkwa iko ya, ma lee na nwanne ya nwanyị onye na-ekwesịkwaghị ntụkwasị obi bụ Juda atụghị egwu. Ọ gakwara nʼihu ịkwa iko.
9 They thought that worshiping idols did not matter to me, so they have made the [entire] land unacceptable to me by worshiping idols of wood and stone.
Ma nke a emeghị ka ihere mee ya. O merụọla ala, ọ na-akwakwa iko site nʼife nkume na osisi.
10 The people of Judah have pretended to return to me, but they have not really done that. [This is true because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
Nʼagbanyeghị nke a, nwanne ya nwanyị nke na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi, bụ Juda ejighị obi ya lọghachikwute m, maọbụ naanị nlọghachi aghụghọ,” otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “The people of Israel have turned away from me, but what the people of Judah have done is worse.
Mgbe ahụ, Onyenwe anyị sịrị m, “Izrel na-adaghachi azụ na-egosi onwe ya nʼonye ezi omume karịa Juda onye na-aghọ aghụghọ.
12 So go and tell this to the people of Israel: ‘Yahweh says this to you Israeli people who have turned away from him: I am merciful. I will not continue to be angry with you forever. So return to me.
Gaa, kwusaa ozi a nʼụzọ ugwu, na-asị, “‘Lọta, gị Izrel nke na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi,’ otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, ‘Agaghị m ewesokwa gị iwe ọzọ, nʼihi na abụ m onye obi ebere,’ otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, ‘Agaghị m ewe iwe ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.
13 But you must admit/say that you are guilty, and that you have rebelled against me, Yahweh, your God, that you have worshiped idols under big trees everywhere, and you have not obeyed me. You have turned away from me.
Naanị nabata na ị bụ onye ikpe mara, na i nupula isi megide Onyenwe anyị, bụ Chineke gị. Kwupụta na i werela onwe gị kesara ndị mba ọzọ dị iche iche nʼokpuru osisi ndụ niile, na ị jụkwara irubere m isi.’” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
14 But you belong to me. So I will take you, one from [each] city and two from [each] clan, and bring you [back] to Jerusalem [from the countries to which you were exiled].
“Lọghachinụ unu ndị na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi,” ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara, sị, “nʼihi abụ m di unu. M ga-ahọrọ unu, otu onye site nʼotu obodo na mmadụ abụọ site nʼotu agbụrụ. M ga-akpọghachi unu Zayọn.
15 [If you do that], I will appoint for you leaders with whom I am pleased, leaders who will guide you [well] because they will know and understand [what pleases me].
Mgbe ahụ, aga m enye unu ndị ọzụzụ atụrụ masịrị m, ndị ga-eji amamihe na nghọta duo unu.
16 And when you become very numerous [DOU] in your land, you will not need to talk about the Sacred Chest that contained the Ten Commandments. You will not think about it, and you will not want to make a new one.
Nʼụbọchị ahụ, mgbe ọnụọgụgụ unu mụbara dị ukwuu nʼala ahụ,” otu ka Onyenwe anyị kwubiri ya, “ndị mmadụ agaghị asịkwa ọzọ, ‘igbe ọgbụgba ndụ nke Onyenwe anyị.’ Ọ gaghị abakwa ha nʼobi maọbụ ha echeta ya; ọ gaghị adịkwa ha mkpa maọbụ emepụtakwa ọzọ.
17 At that time people will say, “Jerusalem is [the place where] Yahweh’s throne is.” [People from] all nations will come there to worship me. And they will no longer stubbornly do the evil things that they desire.
Mgbe oge ahụ ruru, aha a ga-akpọ Jerusalem bụ Ocheeze Onyenwe anyị. Mba niile kwa ga-ezukọta nʼebe ahụ ife m ofufe. Ha agakwaghị agbaso echiche obi ọjọọ ha.
18 At that time you people [MTY] of Israel and the people of Judah will return from [being (exiled/forced to live) in] lands to the northeast. You will return to the land that I gave to your ancestors to belong to them [forever].
Nʼụbọchị ahụ ndị Juda ga-adịnyere ndị Izrel, ha abụọ ga-ejikọta aka site nʼala ahụ dị nʼugwu bịa nʼala nke m nyere nna nna unu dịka ihe nketa.”
19 You people of Israel, I wanted to accept you to be my children. I wanted to give you [this] delightful land. It is a land more desirable/pleasant than the land of any other nation! I wanted you to call me ‘father’, and I wanted you to never turn away from me.
“Mụ onwe m kwuru sị, “‘Lee ka ọ ga-esi masị m imeso unu mmeso dịka unu bụ ụmụ m ndị ikom, nye unu ala dị mma nke ga-ewetara unu ọṅụ, nke bụ ihe nketa kachasị mma na mba niile.’ Ana m eche na unu ga-akpọ m ‘Nna’ ma hapụ iwezuga onwe unu site nʼịgbaso m.
20 But you have abandoned me like wives who have abandoned their husbands.’” [That is what] Yahweh said, and [I told it] to the people of Israel.
Ma dịka nwunye na-ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi, i gosila onwe gị, O Izrel na ị bụ onye a na-ekwesighị ịtụkwasị obi” Otu a ka Onyenwe anyị kwupụtara.
21 People will hear a noise on the barren hilltops. It will be the noise made by people weeping and pleading [for God to be merciful to them]. They will be admitting/saying that they have forgotten Yahweh their God, and that they turned away from behaving as God wanted them to.
A na-anụ ụzụ mkpu akwa nʼelu ugwu. Ọ bụ ụzụ akwa ụmụ Izrel ndị na-arịọ arịrịọ nʼihi na ha ebiela ndụ mmehie; ha echefuokwala Onyenwe anyị bụ Chineke ha.
22 Yahweh will say to them, “You Israeli people, come back to me! [If you do that], I will cause you to never turn away from me again.” [The people will reply], “We are returning to you, because you are Yahweh, our God.
“Lọghachinụ, unu bụ ndị na-adaghachi azụ. Mụ onwe m ga-agwọ unu ndaghachi azụ unu.” Ma unu na-aza sị, “E, anyị na-alọghachikwute gị nʼihi na gị onwe gị bụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị.
23 We did not get any help from [the idols that we worshiped on] the hilltops; we did not get any help from making all that noise up there.
Nʼezie, aghụghọ, ka mkpọtụ ofufe nke arụsị niile, nʼelu ugwu nta dị iche iche na nʼelu ugwu niile bụ, nʼezie, nʼime Onyenwe anyị, bụ Chineke anyị ka nzọpụta Izrel dị.
24 From the time when we were young, the shameful [god Baal] has taken away [from us] everything that our ancestors worked hard to acquire. He has taken away their flocks [of sheep] and herds [of cattle], their sons and their daughters.
Ma site mgbe anyị dị na nwantakịrị, ihe ihere ahụ eripịala mkpụrụ sitere na ndọgbu nʼọrụ nke nna nna anyị ha igwe anụ ụlọ na ehi ha, ụmụ ha ndị ikom na ụmụ ha ndị inyom.
25 So, now we should lie down feeling very ashamed [DOU], because we and our ancestors have sinned against Yahweh our God, and we have never obeyed him.”
Ka anyị dinara ala nʼihere anyị, ka ọnọdụ oke ihere dịrị anyị kpuchikwa anyị. Anyị na nna nna anyị ha emehiela megide Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị; site mgbe anyị dị na nwantakịrị ruo taa o nwebeghị mgbe anyị ji rube isi ime ihe Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị nyere nʼiwu.”

< Jeremiah 3 >