< Jeremiah 4 >
1 “If you will return, Israel,” says the LORD, “if you will return to me, and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight; then you will not be removed;
“Atĩrĩrĩ wee Isiraeli, ũngĩkorwo nĩũgũcooka-rĩ, njookerera,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “Ũngĩeheria mĩhianano ĩyo yaku ĩrĩ magigi, na ũtige gũcooka kũũrũũra rĩngĩ,
2 and you will swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. The nations will bless themselves in him, and they will glory in him.”
ningĩ ũngĩrũmia ũhoro wa ma, na ũtuanĩri ciira wa kĩhooto, na wa ũthingu, na wĩhĩte ũkiugaga atĩrĩ, ‘Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo,’ hĩndĩ ĩyo ndũrĩrĩ nĩikarathimwo nĩwe, na thĩinĩ wake nĩikaagĩa na riiri.”
3 For the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow amongst thorns.
Atĩrĩrĩ, Jehova areera andũ a Juda, o na andũ a Jerusalemu ũũ: “Cimbai mĩgũnda yanyu ĩrĩa ĩrĩ ngamba, na mũtikahaande irio mĩigua-inĩ.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest my wrath go out like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Mwĩamũrĩrei Jehova, na ũndũ wa kũruithia ngoro cianyu inyuĩ andũ aya a Juda, na inyuĩ mũtũũraga Jerusalemu, nĩgeetha mangʼũrĩ makwa matigaakane ta mwaki, nĩ ũndũ wa ũũru ũrĩa mwĩkĩte, maakane mage mũndũ wa kũmahoria.
5 Declare in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, ‘Blow the shofar in the land!’ Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves! Let’s go into the fortified cities!’
“Anĩrĩrai kũu Juda, na mũhunjie ũhoro kũu Jerusalemu, muuge ũũ: ‘Huhai tũrumbeta bũrũri-inĩ guothe!’ Anĩrĩrai na kayũ muuge atĩrĩ: ‘Mwĩcookanĩrĩriei! Nĩtũũrĩrei matũũra-inĩ marĩa manene mairigĩre!’
6 Set up a standard towards Zion. Flee for safety! Don’t wait; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.”
Haandai bendera mũthiĩ mwerekeire Zayuni! Mwĩtharei narua mwĩhonokie! Nĩgũkorwo nĩndĩrarehithia mwanangĩko uumĩte mwena wa gathigathini, o na kũniinanwo kũnene.”
7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way. He has gone out from his place, to make your land desolate, that your cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
Mũrũũthi nĩumĩte kĩmamo-inĩ kĩaguo; mũniinani wa kũniina ndũrĩrĩ nĩoimagarĩte. Oimĩte gwake oke aanange bũrũri waku. Matũũra maku makaanangĩka, mage mũndũ wa gũtũũra kuo.
8 For this, clothe yourself with sackcloth, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the LORD hasn’t turned back from us.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, mwĩhumbei nguo cia makũnia, cakayai na mũrĩre, nĩ ũndũ tũtirĩ tũrehererwo nĩ mangʼũrĩ macio mahiũ ma Jehova.
9 “It will happen at that day,” says the LORD, “that the heart of the king will perish, along with the heart of the princes. The priests will be astonished, and the prophets will wonder.”
Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, mũthamaki na anene ake nĩmagakua ngoro, nao athĩnjĩri-Ngai nĩmakagegeara, nao anabii mamake.”
10 Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD! Surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, ‘You will have peace;’ whereas the sword reaches to the heart.”
Hĩndĩ ĩyo ngiuga atĩrĩ: “Hĩ! Mwathani Jehova, ti-itherũ nĩ ta ũkĩheenetie andũ aya biũ, o na ũkaheenia Jerusalemu, nĩ ũndũ wa kũmeera atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩmũkaagĩa na thayũ,’ o rĩrĩa tũigĩrĩirwo rũhiũ rwa njora mĩmero.”
11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A hot wind blows from the bare heights in the wilderness towards the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse.
Ihinda rĩu andũ aya o hamwe na Jerusalemu nĩmakeerwo atĩrĩ, “Rũhuho rũhiũ ruumĩte kũndũ kũrĩa gũtarĩ kĩndũ kũu gũtũũgĩru werũ-inĩ nĩrũkahurutana rwerekeire kũrĩ andũ akwa, no rĩrĩ, ti ta rũrĩa rwa kũhuha irio kana rwa gũcitheria;
12 A full wind from these will come for me. Now I will also utter judgements against them.”
nĩ rũhuho rũrĩ na hinya kũrĩ rũu ruumĩte kũrĩ niĩ. Rĩu nĩngũmatuĩra matuĩro ma ciira.”
13 Behold, he will come up as clouds, and his chariots will be as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.
Ta rorai muone! Mũndũ ũcio aroka ta matu, ngaari ciake cia ita irooka ta kĩhuhũkanio, nacio mbarathi ciake ihanyũkaga gũkĩra nderi. Ĩiya witũ-ĩ! Tũrĩ aniine biũ.
14 Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?
Wee Jerusalemu-rĩ, theria ũũru kuuma ngoro-inĩ yaku nĩguo ũhonoke. Ũgũtũũra ũthugundaga ũũru meciiria-inĩ maku nginya-rĩ?
15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:
Nĩ kũrĩ na mũgambo wa mũndũ ũranĩrĩra kũu Dani, ũkaanĩrĩra ũhoro wa mwanangĩko kũu irĩma-inĩ cia Efiraimu.
16 “Tell the nations, behold, publish against Jerusalem, ‘Watchers come from a far country, and raise their voice against the cities of Judah.
“Ĩrai ndũrĩrĩ ũhoro ũcio, hunjĩriai Jerusalemu muuge atĩrĩ: ‘Ita inene rĩa gũgũũkĩrĩra nĩrĩroka riumĩte bũrũri wa kũraya, na rĩroka na mbugĩrĩrio ya mbaara ya gũũkĩrĩra matũũra mothe manene ma Juda.
17 As keepers of a field, they are against her all around, because she has been rebellious against me,’” says the LORD.
Marĩrigiicĩirie o ta andũ marangĩire mũgũnda, tondũ itũũra rĩu nĩrĩnemeire, rĩkanjũkĩrĩra,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
18 “Your way and your doings have brought these things to you. This is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to your heart.”
“Mĩthiĩre yaku mwene na ciĩko ciaku nĩcio ikũreheire maũndũ macio. Rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo iherithia rĩaku. Na kaĩ nĩ irũrũ-ĩ! Kaĩ nĩrĩgũtheeca ngoro-ĩ!”
19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart! My heart trembles within me. I can’t hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the shofar, the alarm of war.
Wũi, ruo-ĩ, wũi ruo-ĩ! Ndĩrenyogonda nĩ ruo. Wũi, ruo rũnene ngoro-inĩ yakwa-ĩ! Ngoro yakwa nĩĩratumatuuma, ndingĩhota gũkirĩrĩria. Nĩgũkorwo nĩnjiguĩte mũgambo wa karumbeta; nĩnjiguĩte mbugĩrĩrio ya mbaara.
20 Destruction on destruction is decreed, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains gone in a moment.
Mwanangĩko ũrarũmanĩrĩra na mwanangĩko; bũrũri wothe nĩwanangĩtwo. O rĩmwe hema ciakwa nĩthũkangie, o kahinda gatarĩ cooho kĩĩgitio gĩakwa gĩgathũkangio.
21 How long will I see the standard and hear the sound of the shofar?
Nĩ nginya rĩ ngũtũũra nyonaga bendera ya mbaara, na ngaigua mũgambo wa karumbeta?
22 “For my people are foolish. They don’t know me. They are foolish children, and they have no understanding. They are skilful in doing evil, but they don’t know how to do good.”
“Andũ akwa nĩ irimũ; matinjũũĩ. Nĩ ciana iteciiragia, na ikaaga ũmenyo. Ũũgĩ ũrĩa marĩ naguo no wa gwĩka ũũru; matiũĩ gwĩka wega.”
23 I saw the earth and, behold, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.
Ndaacũthĩrĩirie thĩ, ngĩkĩona atĩ ndĩarĩ ũrĩa yatariĩ na ndĩarĩ na kĩndũ; ningĩ ngĩcũthĩrĩria matu-inĩ, ngĩona atĩ gũtiarĩ na ũtheri.
24 I saw the mountains, and behold, they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth.
Ndaacũthĩrĩria irĩma, ngĩona atĩ nĩgũthingitha ciathingithaga; natuo tũrĩma tuothe nĩ kwereera twereeraga.
25 I saw, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky had fled.
Ngĩcũthĩrĩria, ngĩona atĩ gũtiarĩ na andũ; nyoni ciothe cia rĩera-inĩ nĩciombũkĩte ikoora.
26 I saw, and behold, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all its cities were broken down at the presence of the LORD, before his fierce anger.
Ngĩcũthĩrĩria, ngĩona bũrũri ũrĩa waciaraga maciaro maingĩ, watuĩkĩte o werũ mũtheri, matũũra makuo mothe nĩmamomokeire hau mbere ya Jehova, makagũa thĩ nĩ ũndũ wa marakara make mahiũ.
27 For the LORD says, “The whole land will be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga: “Bũrũri wothe nĩũkanangwo, o na gũtuĩka ndikaũniina biũ.
28 For this the earth will mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it. I have planned it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.”
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio thĩ nĩĩgacakaya, narĩo igũrũ rĩgĩe nduma, tondũ ũguo nĩguo njugĩte, na ndingĩĩricũkwo. Nĩnduĩte itua na ndikũgarũrũka.”
29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and archers. They go into the thickets and climb up on the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells therein.
Rĩrĩa kwaiguuo mũrurumo wa andũ arĩa mathiiaga mahaicĩte mbarathi na wa andũ arĩa maikagia mĩguĩ-rĩ, andũ a matũũra mothe no makoora. Amwe ao makoorĩra ihinga-inĩ, nao amwe ao makahaica ndwaro-inĩ cia mahiga. Matũũra macio mothe nĩmathaamĩtwo; gũtirĩ mũndũ ũikaraga kuo.
30 You, when you are made desolate, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, though you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, though you enlarge your eyes with makeup, you make yourself beautiful in vain. Your lovers despise you. They seek your life.
Ũreka atĩa, wee ũnũhĩtwo? Ũkwĩhumba nguo ndune na ũkegemia na mathaga ma thahabu nĩkĩ? Ũrahaka mbutu ciaku cia maitho rangi nĩkĩ? Atĩrĩrĩ, kwĩgemia gwaku no gwa tũhũ. Endwa aku nĩmakwagĩire bata; rĩu maracaria ũrĩa mangĩkũruta muoyo.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who gives birth to her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, “Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.”
Nĩndĩraigua kĩrĩro ta kĩa mũndũ-wa-nja akĩrũmwo, arĩ na mũcaayo ta wa mũtumia agĩciara mwana wake wa irigithathi: nĩ kĩrĩro kĩa Mwarĩ wa Zayuni agĩteeha, atambũrũkĩtie moko make, akiugaga atĩrĩ, “Wũi-ĩ-iya-wakwa-ĩ! Nĩndĩraringĩka; muoyo wakwa nĩmũneane kũrĩ oragani.”