< Jeremiah 3 >

1 “They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she goes from him, and becomes another man’s, should he return to her again?’ Wouldn’t that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the prostitute with many lovers; yet return again to me,” says 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 your eyes to the bare heights, and see! Where have you not been lain with? You have sat waiting for them by the road, as an Arabian in the wilderness. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and with your 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 withheld and there has been no latter rain; yet you have had a prostitute’s forehead and you refused 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 Will you not from this time cry to me, ‘My Father, you are 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 forever? Will he keep it to the end?’ Behold, you have spoken and have done evil things, and have had your 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 to me in the days of Josiah the king, “Have you seen that which backsliding Israel has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and has played the prostitute there.
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 I said after she had done all these things, ‘She will return to me;’ but she didn’t return, 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 I saw when, for this very cause, that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce, yet treacherous Judah, her sister, had no fear, but she also went and played the prostitute.
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 Because she took her prostitution lightly, the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with wood.
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 Yet for all this her treacherous sister, Judah, has not returned to me with her whole heart, but only in pretence,” says 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 The LORD said to me, “Backsliding Israel has shown 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 towards the north, and say, ‘Return, you backsliding Israel,’ says the LORD; ‘I will not look in anger on you, for I am merciful,’ says the LORD. ‘I will not keep anger forever.
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 your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the LORD your God, and have scattered your ways to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed my voice,’” says 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, backsliding children,” says the LORD, “for I am a husband to you. I will take one of you from a city, and two from 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 I will give you shepherds according to my heart, who will 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 It will come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,” says the LORD, “they will no longer say, ‘the ark of the LORD’s covenant!’ It will not come to mind. They won’t remember it. They won’t miss it, nor will another be made.
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 will call Jerusalem ‘The LORD’s Throne;’ and all the nations will be gathered to it, to the LORD’s name, to Jerusalem. They will no longer walk 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 will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance to 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 I desire to put you amongst the children, and give you a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the armies of the nations!’ and I said, ‘You 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 departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, house of Israel,” says 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 on the bare heights, the weeping and the petitions of the children of Israel; because 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, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backsliding. “Behold, we have come to you; for you are 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 help from the hills, the tumult on the mountains, is in vain. Truly the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
“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 has 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 to this day. We have not obeyed the LORD our God’s voice.”
‌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 >