< Jeremia 13 >

1 Jehova aanjĩĩrire atĩrĩ: “Thiĩ wĩgũrĩre mũcibi wa gatani, wĩohe njohero, no ndũkareke ũhutanie na maaĩ.”
[One day] Yahweh said to me, “Go and buy a linen waistcloth. Put it on, but do not wash it.”
2 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩgũra mũcibi, o ta ũrĩa Jehova aanjathĩte njĩke, ngĩwĩoha njohero.
So I bought a [very nice] waistcloth, which is what Yahweh told me to do, and I put it on.
3 Ningĩ ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩkĩnginyĩrĩra hĩndĩ ya keerĩ ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ,
Then [later] Yahweh gave me another message.
4 “Oya mũcibi ũcio ũraagũrire, o ũcio wĩohete njohero, ũũkĩre o rĩu ũthiĩ ũkinye Rũũĩ rwa Farati, ũũhithe mwatũka-inĩ wa rwaro rwa ihiga.”
He said, “Go to the small Perath Stream [near Jerusalem] and hide your waistcloth in a crevice/hole in the rocks.”
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩthiĩ ngĩũhitha kũu Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Farati, o ta ũrĩa Jehova anjĩĩrĩte njĩke.
So I went to the stream and did what Yahweh told me to do.
6 Matukũ maingĩ maathira Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Rĩu ũkĩra ũthiĩ ũkinye Rũũĩ-inĩ rwa Farati, woe mũcibi ũrĩa ndakwĩrire ũkaũhithe kuo.”
A long time later, Yahweh said to me, “Go [back] to that stream and get the waistcloth that I told 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 the Perath Stream and dug out the waistcloth from the crevice/hole in which I had hidden it. But it was ruined, and useless.
8 Hĩndĩ ĩyo ndũmĩrĩri ya Jehova ĩkĩnginyĩrĩra, ngĩĩrwo atĩrĩ,
Then Yahweh gave me this message:
9 “Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: ‘Ũguo nĩguo ngaaniina rũtũrĩko rwa Juda o na rũtũrĩko rũnene rwa Jerusalemu.
“[What happened to your waistcloth] shows that I will destroy the things that [the people of] Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah are very proud of.
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!
Those wicked people refuse to pay attention to what I say. They stubbornly do just what they desire to do; they worship other gods. Therefore, they will become completely useless, like your waistcloth.
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.
Just like a waistcloth clings closely/tightly to a man’s waist, I wanted the people [MTY] of Israel and Judah to cling closely to me. I wanted them to be my people, people who would praise me and honor me. But they would not pay attention [to me]. “
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?’
“[So], tell this to them: ‘Yahweh, the God whom you Israeli [people worship], says that every leather wineskin should be filled with wine.’ And [when you tell that to them], they will reply, ‘(Of course/Certainly) we know [RHQ] that all wineskins 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.
And then you must tell them, ‘No, that is not what Yahweh means. What he said means that he will cause this land to be filled with people who are drunk. [That will include all of you]—the king who sits on the throne that King David previously sat on, the priests and the prophets, and even the common 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.’”
[He is saying], ‘I will cause you to bash each other. [Even] parents will bash their children. I will not pity you or act mercifully toward you at all; pitying you will not prevent me from getting rid of you.’”
15 Thikĩrĩriai na mũtege matũ, tigai gwĩtĩĩa, nĩgũkorwo Jehova nĩarĩtie.
[You people of Judah], pay very careful attention [DOU]. Do not be proud, because Yahweh has spoken to you.
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.
[It is as though] he is ready to bring darkness on you and to cause you to stumble and fall [as you walk] on the hills when it is becoming dark. [So] praise/honor Yahweh your God before that happens. If you do not do that, you will look for light, but all you will see is darkness and gloom.
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.
And if you [still] refuse to heed what he says, [what will happen to you because of] your being proud will cause me to cry when I am alone. My eyes will be filled with tears because [you], Yahweh’s people, [whom he takes care of like a shepherd takes care of] [MET] his flock, will [all] be [captured by your enemies and] taken to other countries.
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.”
[You people of Judah], say to the king and to his mother, “Come down from sitting on your thrones and [humbly] sit in the dust, because [your enemies] will soon snatch from your heads your glorious crowns.”
19 Matũũra manene ma kũu Negevu nĩmakahingwo, na gũtikagĩa mũndũ ũkaamahingũra. Andũ othe a Juda nĩmagatahwo matwarwo bũrũri ũngĩ, magaatahwo matwarwo othe biũ.
The towns in the southern part of Judah will be surrounded by your enemies, and no one will be able to get through their lines [to rescue the people in those towns]. [You people of] Judah will be captured and taken away; you will all be (exiled/taken [to foreign countries)].
20 Tiirai maitho muone andũ acio marooka moimĩte mwena wa gathigathini. Rũũru rũrĩa wehokeirwo rwa ngʼondu rũrĩa ũretĩĩaga naruo-rĩ, rũkĩrĩ ha?
[You leaders of Jerusalem], open your eyes and look: [The enemy armies are ready to] march down from the north. [When that happens], what will happen to [RHQ] the [people of Judah who are like] a beautiful flock of sheep, people that he gave to you to take care of?
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 [RHQ] when Yahweh appoints people from other countries to rule over you, people who you [mistakenly] thought were your friends? You will [RHQ] suffer very much pain, like a woman who is about to give birth to a baby.
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.
You will ask yourselves, “Why is this happening to us?” [I will reply that] it is because of your many sins. That is why [soldiers of the invading armies] will lift up the skirts [of your women] and rape them.
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.
A man from Ethiopia certainly cannot [RHQ] change the color of his [black] skin, and a leopard certainly cannot [RHQ] change its spots. Similarly, you cannot start doing what is good, because you have always done what is evil.
24 “Niĩ ngaakũhurunja o ta ũrĩa mũũngũ ũmbũragwo nĩ rũhuho rwa werũ-inĩ.
[Yahweh says], “I will scatter you like chaff that is blown away by the wind from the desert.
25 Rĩu nĩrĩo igai rĩaku, rũgai rũrĩa ngũtuĩrĩire,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga, “tondũ nĩũriganĩirwo nĩ niĩ, ũkehoka ngai cia maheeni.
That is what is certainly going to happen to you; the things that I have determined will happen to you, because you have forgotten me, and you are trusting in false [gods].
26 Nĩngakũguũria nguo ikũhumbĩre ũthiũ nĩguo njaga yaku yoneke:
[It is as though] I myself will pull your skirts up over your faces and cause you to be very ashamed because everyone will be able to see your sex organs.
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?”
I have seen that you [act like men who are eager to commit adultery]; you are like male horses that whinny when they desire [to have sex with] a female horse. I have seen that you worship disgusting idols in the fields and on the hills. [You people of] Jerusalem, terrible things will happen to you! How long will it be [RHQ] until you are acceptable to me [again]?”

< Jeremia 13 >