< Jeremia 13 >

1 Jehova aanjĩĩrire atĩrĩ: “Thiĩ wĩgũrĩre mũcibi wa gatani, wĩohe njohero, no ndũkareke ũhutanie na maaĩ.”
This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth and put it around your waist, but do not let it touch water.”
2 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩgũra mũcibi, o ta ũrĩa Jehova aanjathĩte njĩke, ngĩwĩoha njohero.
So I bought a loincloth as the LORD had instructed me, and I put it around my waist.
3 Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩkĩnginyĩrĩra hĩndĩ ya keerĩ ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ,
Then the word of the LORD came to me a second time:
4 “Oya mũcibi ũcio ũraagũrire, o ũcio wĩohete njohero, ũũkĩre o rĩu ũthiĩ ũkinye Rũũĩ rwa Farati, ũũhithe mwatũka-inĩ wa rwaro rwa ihiga.”
“Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go at once to Perath and hide it there in a crevice of the rocks.”
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩthiĩ ngĩũhitha kũu Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Farati, o ta ũrĩa Jehova anjĩĩrĩte njĩke.
So I went and hid it at Perath, as the LORD had commanded me.
6 Matukũ maingĩ maathira Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ũkĩra ũthiĩ ũkinye Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Farati, woe mũcibi ũrĩa ndakwĩrire ũkaũhithe kuo.”
Many days later the LORD said to me, “Arise, go to Perath, and get the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.”
7 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩthiĩ kũu rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Farati, ngĩthikũria mũcibi ũcio ngĩũruta harĩa ndaaũhithĩte, no rĩrĩ, nĩwabuthĩte ũkaaga kĩene biũ.
So I went to Perath and dug up the loincloth, and I took it from the place where I had hidden it. But now it was ruined—of no use at all.
8 Hĩndĩ ĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩkĩnginyĩrĩra, ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ,
Then the word of the LORD came to me:
9 “Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: ‘Ũguo nĩguo ngaaniina rũtũrĩko rwa Juda o na rũtũrĩko rũnene rwa Jerusalemu.
“This is what the LORD says: In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.
10 Andũ aya aaganu, aya maregete kũigua ũhoro wakwa, o aya marũmagĩrĩra ũremi wa ngoro ciao, makoima ngai ingĩ thuutha macitungatĩre na macihooye-rĩ, magaatuĩka ta mũcibi ũcio, mage kĩene biũ!
These evil people, who refuse to listen to My words, who follow the stubbornness of their own hearts, and who go after other gods to serve and worship them, they will be like this loincloth—of no use at all.
11 Nĩgũkorwo o ta ũrĩa mũcibi wĩohagwo njohero ya mũndũ, ũguo nĩguo ndeohire nyũmba yothe ya Isiraeli na nyũmba yothe ya Juda, nĩgeetha matuĩke andũ akwa kũna, nĩguo ndĩgĩĩre na ngumo, na ngumagio na ngaheagwo gĩtĩĩo. No rĩrĩ, matiigana gũthikĩrĩria,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
For just as a loincloth clings to a man’s waist, so I have made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to Me, declares the LORD, so that they might be My people for My renown and praise and glory. But they did not listen.
12 “Meere atĩrĩ: ‘Ũũ nĩguo Jehova, Ngai wa Isiraeli ekuuga: Mondo o yothe ya ndibei yagĩrĩire nĩkũiyũrio ndibei.’ Nao mangĩgaakũũria atĩrĩ, ‘Ithuĩ tũtiũĩ atĩ mondo o yothe ya ndibei nĩyagĩrĩire kũiyũrio ndibei?’
Therefore you are to tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Every wineskin shall be filled with wine.’ And when they reply, ‘Don’t we surely know that every wineskin should be filled with wine?’
13 Hĩndĩ ĩyo ũmeere atĩrĩ, ‘Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga: Nĩngũiyũria arĩa othe matũũraga bũrũri ũyũ na ũrĩĩu, o hamwe na athamaki acio maikaragĩra gĩtĩ kĩa ũthamaki kĩa Daudi, na athĩnjĩri-Ngai, na anabii, na arĩa othe matũũraga Jerusalemu.
then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am going to fill with drunkenness all who live in this land—the kings who sit on David’s throne, the priests, the prophets, and all the people of Jerusalem.
14 Nĩngamahũũrithania mũndũ na ũrĩa ũngĩ, hũũrithanie maithe na ciana o ũndũ ũmwe, ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. Ndikamaiguĩra tha, kana ndĩmacaaĩre o na kana ngĩe na kĩeha atĩ nĩguo njage kũmaniina.’”
I will smash them against one another, fathers and sons alike, declares the LORD. I will allow no mercy or pity or compassion to keep Me from destroying them.’”
15 Thikĩrĩriai na mũtege matũ, tigai gwĩtĩĩa, nĩgũkorwo Jehova nĩarĩtie.
Listen and give heed. Do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken.
16 Goocai Jehova Ngai wanyu atanarehe nduma, na mbere ya magũrũ manyu mahĩngwo kũu irĩma-inĩ kũragĩa nduma. Inyuĩ mwĩrĩgĩrĩire ũtheri, nowe-rĩ, nĩakaũgarũra ũtuĩke nduma ndumanu, aũgarũre ũtuĩke ta kĩeha kĩnene.
Give glory to the LORD your God before He brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the dusky mountains. You wait for light, but He turns it into deep gloom and thick darkness.
17 No rĩrĩ, mũngĩaga kũigua, ndĩrĩĩrĩragĩra hitho-inĩ nĩ ũndũ wa mwĩtĩĩo wanyu; maitho makwa makaarĩra na ruo, ngĩitaga maithori, nĩ ũndũ rũũru rwa Jehova nĩrũgũtahwo.
But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride. My eyes will overflow with tears, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive.
18 Ĩra mũthamaki o na nyina wa mũthamaki atĩrĩ, “Harũrũkai mume itĩ-inĩ cianyu cia ũthamaki, nĩgũkorwo tanji icio cianyu irĩ riiri nĩcikũgũa kuuma mĩtwe-inĩ yanyu.”
Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.”
19 Matũũra manene ma kũu Negevu nĩmakahingwo, na gũtikagĩa mũndũ ũkaamahingũra. Andũ othe a Juda nĩmagatahwo matwarwo bũrũri ũngĩ, magaatahwo matwarwo othe biũ.
The cities of the Negev have been shut tight, and no one can open them. All Judah has been carried into exile, wholly taken captive.
20 Tiirai maitho muone andũ acio marooka moimĩte mwena wa gathigathini. Rũũru rũrĩa wehokeirwo rwa ngʼondu rũrĩa ũretĩĩaga naruo-rĩ, rũkĩrĩ ha?
Lift up your eyes and see those coming from the north. Where is the flock entrusted to you, the sheep that were your pride?
21 Ũkoiga atĩa rĩrĩa Jehova akaanenehia andũ arĩa watuĩte athiritũ aku nĩguo matuĩke a gũgwathaga? Githĩ ndũkanyiitwo nĩ ruo rũnene, ta rwa mũndũ-wa-nja akĩrũmwo?
What will you say when He sets over you close allies whom you yourself trained? Will not pangs of anguish grip you, as they do a woman in labor?
22 Nawe ũngĩkeyũria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte maũndũ macio mangore?” Nĩũkamenya atĩ magũkorete nĩ ũndũ wa mehia maku maingĩ, na nĩkĩo ũtarũrĩirwo nguo ciaku, naguo mwĩrĩ waku ũgathũkio.
And if you ask yourself, “Why has this happened to me?” It is because of the magnitude of your iniquity that your skirts have been stripped off and your body has been exposed.
23 Mũkushi ahota kũgarũra gĩkonde kĩa mwĩrĩ wake, o na kana ngarĩ ĩgarũre maroro mayo? O na inyuĩ mũtingĩhota gwĩka wega, nĩ ũndũ nĩ mwamenyerire gwĩka ũũru.
Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Neither are you able to do good— you who are accustomed to doing evil.
24 “Niĩ ngaakũhurunja o ta ũrĩa mũũngũ ũmbũragwo nĩ rũhuho rwa werũ-inĩ.
“I will scatter you like chaff driven by the desert wind.
25 Rĩu nĩrĩo igai rĩaku, rũgai rũrĩa ngũtuĩrĩire,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga, “tondũ nĩũriganĩirwo nĩ niĩ, ũkehoka ngai cia maheeni.
This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.
26 Nĩngakũguũria nguo ikũhumbĩre ũthiũ nĩguo njaga yaku yoneke:
So I will pull your skirts up over your face, that your shame may be seen.
27 ũtharia waku o na mĩĩto ĩrĩa wanagĩria, o na ũmaraya waku ũrĩa ũtarĩ thoni! Nĩndĩĩoneire ciĩko ciaku cia ũũra-thoni kũu tũrĩma-inĩ na mĩgũnda-inĩ. Kaĩ ũrĩ na haaro, wee Jerusalemu-ĩ! Ũgũtũũra wĩthaahĩtie nginya-rĩ?”
Your adulteries and lustful neighings, your shameless prostitution on the hills and in the fields— I have seen your detestable acts. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! How long will you remain unclean?”

< Jeremia 13 >