< Jeremia 3 >

1 “Mũndũ angĩtigana na mũtumia wake, nake mũtumia ũcio athiĩ ahikĩre mũndũ ũngĩ-rĩ, mũthuuri ũcio no amũcookerere? Githĩ bũrũri ũcio to ũthaahe biũ? No wee-rĩ, ũtũũrĩte ũhũũraga ũmaraya na endwa aku aingĩ mũno! Rĩu-rĩ, wee no ũnjookerere?” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
“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.
2 “Ta tiira maitho ũcũthĩrĩrie tũcũmbĩrĩ twa irĩma kũrĩa gũtigĩtwo ũtheri. Nĩ kũrĩ handũ ũtarĩ wakomwo nawe? Mĩkĩra-inĩ ya njĩra-rĩ, nĩkuo wetagĩrĩra endwa aku, kũu nĩkuo waikaraga thĩ ũkameterera, o ta Mũarabu arĩ werũ-inĩ. Wee nĩũthaahĩtie bũrũri ũyũ na ũmaraya waku na waganu waku.
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.
3 Tondũ wa ũguo-rĩ, mbura ya maguna-ngʼombe nĩĩgirĩtio yure, o na ĩrĩa ya gũkũria irio nayo ĩkaaga kuura. No rĩrĩ, wee nĩũmĩtie gĩthiithi ta kĩa mũmaraya, ũkaaga thoni o na hanini.
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.
4 Githĩ to rĩu wanjĩta ũkiugaga: ‘Baba, wee mũrata wakwa kuuma ndĩ o mũnini,
Have you not just now called to me: 'My father! My closest friend even from my youth!
5 kaĩ ũgũgĩtũũra ũrakarĩte? Mangʼũrĩ macio maku-rĩ, megũgĩthiĩ na mbere nginya tene?’ Ũguo nĩguo waragia, no ũgacooka ũgeeka ũũru wothe ũrĩa ũngĩhota.”
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!”
6 Matukũ-inĩ ma wathani wa Mũthamaki Josia, Jehova nĩanjũririe atĩrĩ: “Ĩĩ nĩwonete ũrĩa Isiraeli aahutatĩire? Nĩahaicĩte gĩthũngũri-inĩ gĩothe kĩrĩa kĩraihu na igũrũ, na agathiĩ rungu rwa mũtĩ o wothe ũrĩa mũruru na akahũũrĩra ũmaraya kuo.
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.
7 Ndeciirĩtie atĩ nĩakanjookerera aarĩkia gwĩka maũndũ macio mothe, nowe ndaigana kũnjookerera, nake mwarĩ wa nyina, Juda, ũrĩa ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, agĩkĩĩonera maũndũ macio.
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.
8 Nĩndaheire Isiraeli ũcio wahutatĩire marũa ma gũtigana nake, ngĩmũingata nĩ ũndũ wa ũtharia ũcio wake wothe. No rĩrĩ, nĩndonire atĩ o na Juda, mwarĩ wa nyina ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, ndaarĩ na guoya; o nake nĩoimagarire, agĩthiĩ gũtharia.
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.
9 Tondũ wa ũrĩa Isiraeli oonaga ũmaraya wake ũtarĩ ũndũ mũnene harĩ we, nĩathaahirie bũrũri ũcio, agĩkĩrĩrĩria kũhũũra ũmaraya na ũndũ wa kũhooya mahiga na mĩtĩ.
Her prostitution was nothing to her; she defiled the land, and she committed adultery with stones and trees.
10 O na kũrĩ ũguo-rĩ, Juda, mwarĩ wa nyina ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku, ndaanjookereire na ngoro yake yothe, no aanjookereire na ũhinga,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
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.”
11 Jehova akĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ: “Isiraeli, ũrĩa waahuutatĩire-rĩ, nĩ mũthingu gũkĩra Juda, ũcio ũtaarĩ mwĩhokeku.
Then Yahweh said to me, “Faithless Israel has been more righteous than faithless Judah!
12 Thiĩ ũkahunjanĩrie ndũmĩrĩri ĩno werekeire mwena wa gathigathini, uuge ũũ: “‘Njookerera, wee Isiraeli, o wee ũũhutatĩire,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga, ‘na niĩ ndigacooka gũkũhetera gĩthiithi na marakara, nĩ ũndũ njiyũrĩtwo nĩ tha,’ ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. ‘Ndigũtũũra ndakarĩte nginya tene.
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.
13 Wee ũndũ ũrĩa ũgwĩka-rĩ, no kuumbũra mahĩtia maku, nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa ũremeire Jehova Ngai waku, nĩ ũndũ wa ũrĩa waneitanga, ũkĩĩheanaga kũrĩ ngai cia kũngĩ, rungu rwa mũtĩ o wothe mũruru, na ũkaaga kũnjathĩkĩra,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
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.
14 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Njookererai, inyuĩ andũ aya mũũhutatĩire, nĩgũkorwo nĩ niĩ mũthuuri wanyu; nĩngamũcookanĩrĩria, ndute mũndũ ũmwe itũũra-inĩ rĩmwe, na angĩ eerĩ ndĩmarute mũhĩrĩga ũmwe, ndĩmũtware Zayuni.
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!
15 Nĩngacooka ndĩmũhe arĩithi arĩa ndĩthuurĩire na ngoro yakwa, arĩa makaamũtongoragia marĩ na ũũgĩ o na ũmenyo.”
I will give you shepherds after my heart, and they will shepherd you with knowledge and insight.
16 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Matukũ-inĩ macio, rĩrĩa mũgaakorwo mũingĩhĩte mũno gũkũ bũrũri ũyũ-rĩ, andũ matigacooka kuuga, ‘Ithandũkũ rĩa kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa Jehova.’ Ũhoro ũcio ndũgatoonya meciiria-inĩ mao kana ũririkanwo; rĩtigeciirio ũhoro warĩo o na kana rĩthondekwo rĩngĩ.
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.'
17 Hĩndĩ ĩyo mageetaga itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu Gĩtĩ kĩa Ũthamaki kĩa Jehova, nacio ndũrĩrĩ ciothe nĩikongana kũu itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu nĩ ũndũ wa gũtĩĩa rĩĩtwa rĩa Jehova. Matigacooka kũrũmĩrĩra ũremi wa ũũru wa ngoro ciao.
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.
18 Matukũ-inĩ macio nyũmba ya Juda nĩĩkanyiitana na nyũmba ya Isiraeli, na o eerĩ nĩmagooka moimĩte bũrũri wa mwena wa gathigathini, makinye bũrũri ũrĩa ndaaheire maithe manyu ũtuĩke igai rĩao.
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.
19 “Niĩ mwene ngiuga atĩrĩ, “‘Ingĩakenire atĩa ngĩmũtua ta ariũ akwa, na ndĩmũhe bũrũri mwega, igai rĩrĩa rĩega rĩkĩrĩte magai ma ndũrĩrĩ ciothe.’ Ndeciiragia mũrĩnjĩtaga ‘Baba’ na mwage kũũhutatĩra nĩguo mũtige kũnũmĩrĩra.
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.
20 No rĩrĩ, o ta mũtumia ũtarĩ mwĩhokeku harĩ mũthuuriwe, ũguo noguo mũkoretwo mũtarĩ ehokeku harĩ niĩ, inyuĩ nyũmba ya Isiraeli,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
But like a woman faithless to her husband, you have betrayed me, house of Israel—this is Yahweh's declaration.”
21 Kĩrĩro nĩkĩiguĩtwo kũndũ kũrĩa gũtũũgĩru gũtarĩ kĩndũ, kũgirĩka na gũthaithana kwa andũ a Isiraeli, nĩ ũndũ nĩmogometie njĩra ciao, na makariganĩrwo nĩ Jehova Ngai wao.
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.
22 “Njookererai, inyuĩ andũ aya mũũhutatĩire; nĩngũmũhonia nĩguo mũtigacooke gũcooka na thuutha.” Magĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Ĩĩ nĩguo, nĩtũgũũka harĩwe, nĩgũkorwo wee nĩwe Jehova Ngai witũ.
“Return, faithless people! I will heal you of treachery!” “Behold! We will come to you, for you are Yahweh our God!
23 Ti-itherũ inegene rĩa ũhooi mĩhianano kũu tũrĩma-inĩ o na kũu irĩma-inĩ nĩ rĩa maheeni; ti-itherũ, ũhonokio wa Isiraeli ũrĩ na Jehova Ngai witũ.
Surely lies come from the hills, a confusing noise from the mountains; surely Yahweh our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 Kuuma o ũnini-inĩ witũ, ngai icio cia mĩhianano cia thoni nĩcio ciananiina maciaro ma mawĩra ma maithe maitũ: ndũũru ciao cia mbũri na cia ngʼombe, aanake ao na airĩtu ao.
Yet shameful idols have consumed what our ancestors have worked for— their flocks and cattle, their sons and daughters!
25 Nĩtwĩgũithiei thĩ tũconokete, nacio njono ciitũ itũhumbĩre. Nĩ twĩhĩirie Jehova Ngai witũ, ithuĩ o hamwe na maithe maitũ; kuuma rĩrĩa twarĩ anini nginya ũmũthĩ ũyũ-rĩ, tũtũũrĩte tũtarĩ twathĩkĩra Jehova Ngai witũ.”
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!”

< Jeremia 3 >