Jeremiah 3
1 “If a man divorces his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man's wife, will he return to her again? Would that land not be greatly polluted? You have lived as a prostitute who has many lovers; and would you return to me?—this is Yahweh's declaration.
“Kama mtu akimpa talaka mkewe, naye akamwacha na akaolewa na mtu mwingine, je, huyo mume aweza kumrudia tena? Je, hiyo nchi haitanajisika kabisa? Lakini umeishi kama kahaba na wapenzi wengi: je, sasa utanirudia tena?” asema Bwana.
2 Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and look! Is there any place where you have not had illicit sex? By the roadsides you sat waiting for your lovers, as an Arab in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
“Inua macho utazame miinuko iliyo kame na uone. Je, pana mahali ambapo hawajalala nawe? Uliketi kando ya barabara ukiwasubiri wapenzi, ukakaa kama yeye ahamahamaye jangwani. Umeinajisi nchi kwa ukahaba wako na uovu wako.
3 So the showers have been withheld and the spring rains have not come; yet you have the forehead of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
Kwa hiyo mvua imezuiliwa, nazo mvua za vuli hazikunyesha. Hata hivyo, una uso usio na haya kama wa kahaba; unakataa kutahayari kwa aibu.
4 Have you not just now called to me: 'My father! My closest friend even from my youth!
Je, wewe hujaniita hivi punde tu: ‘Baba yangu, rafiki yangu tangu ujana wangu,
5 Will he always be angry? Will he always keep his wrath to the end?' Look! This is what you have said, but you do all the evil you can!”
je, utakasirika siku zote? Je, ghadhabu yako itaendelea milele?’ Hivi ndivyo unavyozungumza, lakini unafanya maovu yote uwezayo.”
6 Then Yahweh said to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Do you see what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up every high hill and under every leafy tree, and there she has acted like a prostitute.
Wakati wa utawala wa Mfalme Yosia, Bwana aliniambia, “Umeona kile Israeli asiye mwaminifu amekifanya? Amepanda juu ya kila kilima kirefu, na chini ya kila mti uliotanda na amefanya uzinzi huko.
7 I said, 'After she does all these things, she will return to me,' but she did not return. Then her faithless sister Judah saw these things.
Mimi nilifikiri kuwa baada ya kuyafanya yote haya angelinirudia, lakini hakurudi, naye dada yake Yuda mdanganyifu aliona hili.
8 So I saw that, in the same way that faithless Israel had committed adultery and I had sent her away and had given a bill of divorce against her, her faithless sister Judah did not fear; she also went out and acted like a prostitute.
Nilimpa Israeli asiye mwaminifu hati yake ya talaka, na kumfukuza kwa ajili ya uzinzi wake wote. Hata hivyo nikaona kuwa Yuda dada yake mdanganyifu hakuogopa. Yeye pia alitoka na kufanya uzinzi.
9 Her prostitution was nothing to her; she defiled the land, and she committed adultery with stones and trees.
Kwa sababu uasherati wa Israeli haukuwa kitu kwake, Yuda aliinajisi nchi kwa kuzini na mawe na miti.
10 Then after all of this, her faithless sister Judah returned to me, not with all her heart, but with a lie—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
Pamoja na hayo yote, Yuda dada yake mdanganyifu hakunirudia kwa moyo wake wote, bali kwa kujifanya tu,” asema Bwana.
11 Then Yahweh said to me, “Faithless Israel has been more righteous than faithless Judah!
Bwana akaniambia, “Israeli asiye mwaminifu ana haki kuliko Yuda mdanganyifu.
12 Go and proclaim these words to the north. Say, 'Return, faithless Israel!—this is Yahweh's declaration—I will not always be angry with you. Since I am faithful—this is Yahweh's declaration—I will not stay angry forever.
Nenda, ukatangaze ujumbe huu kuelekea kaskazini: “‘Rudi, Israeli usiye mwaminifu,’ asema Bwana, ‘sitakutazama tena kwa uso uliokunjamana, kwa kuwa mimi ni mwenye huruma,’ asema Bwana, ‘Sitashika hasira yangu milele.
13 Acknowledge your iniquity, for you have transgressed against Yahweh your God; you have shared your ways with strangers under every leafy tree! For you have not listened to my voice!—this is Yahweh's declaration.
Ungama dhambi zako tu: kwamba umemwasi Bwana Mungu wako, umetapanya wema wako kwa miungu ya kigeni chini ya kila mti unaotanda, nawe hukunitii mimi,’” asema Bwana.
14 Return, faithless people!—this is Yawheh's declaration—I am your husband! I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion!
“Rudini, enyi watu msio waaminifu, kwa kuwa mimi ni mume wenu,” asema Bwana. “Nitawachagua ninyi, mmoja kutoka kwenye mji, na wawili kutoka kwenye ukoo, nami nitawaleta Sayuni.
15 I will give you shepherds after my heart, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and insight.
Kisha nitawapeni wachungaji wanipendezao moyo wangu, ambao watawaongoza kwa maarifa na ufahamu.
16 Then it will happen that you will increase and bear fruit in the land in those days—this is Yahweh's declaration-they will no longer say, “The ark of the covenant of Yahweh!” This matter will no longer come up in their hearts or be remembered; it will not be missed, and another one will not be made.'
Katika siku hizo, idadi yenu itakapokuwa imeongezeka sana katika nchi, watu hawatasema tena, ‘Sanduku la Agano la Bwana,’” asema Bwana. “Halitaingia tena kwenye mawazo yao wala kukumbukwa, hawatalihitaji wala halitatengenezwa jingine.
17 In that time they will proclaim about Jerusalem, 'This is Yahweh's throne,' and all the other nations will gather at Jerusalem in Yahweh's name. They will no longer walk in the stubbornness of their wicked hearts.
Wakati huo, wataita Yerusalemu kuwa Kiti cha Enzi cha Bwana, nayo mataifa yote watakusanyika Yerusalemu kuliheshimu jina la Bwana. Hawatafuata tena ukaidi wa mioyo yao miovu.
18 In those days, the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel. They will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your ancestors as an inheritance.
Katika siku hizo, nyumba ya Yuda itaungana na nyumba ya Israeli, wao kwa pamoja watakuja kutoka nchi ya kaskazini hadi nchi niliyowapa baba zenu kama urithi.
19 As for me, I said, 'How I want to treat you as my son and give you a pleasant land, an inheritance more beautiful than what is in any other nation!' I would have said, 'You will call me “my father”.' I would have said that you would not turn from following me.
“Mimi mwenyewe nilisema, “‘Tazama jinsi nitakavyowatunza kwa furaha kama wana na kuwapa nchi nzuri, urithi ulio mzuri kuliko wa taifa jingine lolote.’ Nilidhani mngeniita ‘Baba,’ na msingegeuka, mkaacha kunifuata.
20 But like a woman faithless to her husband, you have betrayed me, house of Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
Lakini kama mwanamke asiye mwaminifu kwa mumewe, vivyo hivyo mmekosa uaminifu kwangu pia, ee nyumba ya Israeli,” asema Bwana.
21 A voice is heard on the plains, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel! For they have changed their ways; they have forgotten Yahweh their God.
Kilio kinasikika juu ya miinuko iliyo kame, kulia na kuomboleza kwa watu wa Israeli, kwa sababu wamepotoka katika njia zao na wamemsahau Bwana Mungu wao.
22 “Return, faithless people! I will heal you of treachery!” “Behold! We will come to you, for you are Yahweh our God!
“Rudini, enyi watu msio waaminifu, nami nitawaponya ukengeufu wenu.” “Naam, tutakuja kwako, kwa maana wewe ni Bwana Mungu wetu.
23 Surely lies come from the hills, a confusing noise from the mountains; surely Yahweh our God is the salvation of Israel.
Hakika zile ghasia za kuabudu sanamu kwenye vilima na milimani ni udanganyifu; hakika katika Bwana, Mungu wetu, uko wokovu wa Israeli.
24 Yet shameful idols have consumed what our ancestors have worked for— their flocks and cattle, their sons and daughters!
Tangu ujana wetu miungu ya aibu imeyala matunda ya kazi za baba zetu: makundi yao ya kondoo na ngʼombe, wana wao na binti zao.
25 Let us lie down in shame. May our shame cover us, for we have sinned against Yahweh our God! We ourselves and our ancestors, from the time of our youthfulness to this present day, have not listened to the voice of Yahweh our God!”
Sisi na tulale chini katika aibu yetu, na fedheha yetu itufunike. Tumetenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wetu, sisi na mababa zetu; tangu ujana wetu hadi leo hatukumtii Bwana Mungu wetu.”
