Jeremia 4
1 “Atĩrĩrĩ wee Isiraeli, ũngĩkorwo nĩũgũcooka-rĩ, njookerera,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “Ũngĩeheria mĩhianano ĩyo yaku ĩrĩ magigi, na ũtige gũcooka kũũrũũra rĩngĩ,
“If you will return, O Israel, return to Me,” declares the LORD. “If you will remove your detestable idols from My sight and no longer waver,
2 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.”
and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
3 Atĩrĩrĩ, Jehova areera andũ a Juda, o na andũ a Jerusalemu ũũ: “Cimbai mĩgũnda yanyu ĩrĩa ĩrĩ ngamba, na mũtikahaande irio mĩigua-inĩ.
For this is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: “Break up your unplowed ground, and do not sow among the thorns.
4 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.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and remove the foreskins of your hearts, O men of Judah and people of Jerusalem. Otherwise, My wrath will break out like fire and burn with no one to extinguish it, because of your evil deeds.”
5 “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!’
Announce in Judah, proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow the ram’s horn throughout the land. Cry aloud and say, ‘Assemble yourselves and let us flee to the fortified cities.’
6 Haandai bendera mũthiĩ mwerekeire Zayuni! Mwĩtharei narua mwĩhonokie! Nĩgũkorwo nĩndĩrarehithia mwanangĩko uumĩte mwena wa gathigathini, o na kũniinanwo kũnene.”
Raise a signal flag toward Zion. Seek refuge! Do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and terrible destruction.
7 Mũrũũthi nĩumĩte kĩmamo-inĩ kĩaguo; mũniinani wa kũniina ndũrĩrĩ nĩoimagarĩte. Oimĩte gwake oke aanange bũrũri waku. Matũũra maku makaanangĩka, mage mũndũ wa gũtũũra kuo.
A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited.
8 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, mwĩhumbei nguo cia makũnia, cakayai na mũrĩre, nĩ ũndũ tũtirĩ tũrehererwo nĩ mangʼũrĩ macio mahiũ ma Jehova.
So put on sackcloth, mourn and wail, for the fierce anger of the LORD has not turned away from us.”
9 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, mũthamaki na anene ake nĩmagakua ngoro, nao athĩnjĩri-Ngai nĩmakagegeara, nao anabii mamake.”
“In that day,” declares the LORD, “the king and officials will lose their courage. The priests will tremble in fear, and the prophets will be astounded.”
10 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.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, how completely You have deceived this people and Jerusalem by saying, ‘You will have peace,’ while a sword is at our throats.”
11 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;
At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem, “A searing wind from the barren heights in the desert blows toward the daughter of My people, but not to winnow or to sift;
12 nĩ rũhuho rũrĩ na hinya kũrĩ rũu ruumĩte kũrĩ niĩ. Rĩu nĩngũmatuĩra matuĩro ma ciira.”
a wind too strong for that comes from Me. Now I also pronounce judgments against them.”
13 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.
Behold, he advances like the clouds, his chariots like the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us, for we are ruined!
14 Wee Jerusalemu-rĩ, theria ũũru kuuma ngoro-inĩ yaku nĩguo ũhonoke. Ũgũtũũra ũthugundaga ũũru meciiria-inĩ maku nginya-rĩ?
Wash the evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. How long will you harbor wicked thoughts within you?
15 Nĩ kũrĩ na mũgambo wa mũndũ ũranĩrĩra kũu Dani, ũkaanĩrĩra ũhoro wa mwanangĩko kũu irĩma-inĩ cia Efiraimu.
For a voice resounds from Dan, proclaiming disaster from the hills of Ephraim.
16 “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.
Warn the nations now! Proclaim to Jerusalem: “A besieging army comes from a distant land; they raise their voices against the cities of Judah.
17 Marĩrigiicĩirie o ta andũ marangĩire mũgũnda, tondũ itũũra rĩu nĩrĩnemeire, rĩkanjũkĩrĩra,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
They surround her like men guarding a field, because she has rebelled against Me,” declares the LORD.
18 “Mĩthiĩre yaku mwene na ciĩko ciaku nĩcio ikũreheire maũndũ macio. Rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo iherithia rĩaku. Na kaĩ nĩ irũrũ-ĩ! Kaĩ nĩrĩgũtheeca ngoro-ĩ!”
“Your ways and deeds have brought this upon you. This is your punishment; how bitter it is, because it pierces to the heart!”
19 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.
My anguish, my anguish! I writhe in pain! Oh, the pain in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I cannot be silent. For I have heard the sound of the horn, the alarm of battle.
20 Mwanangĩko ũrarũmanĩrĩra na mwanangĩko; bũrũri wothe nĩwanangĩtwo. O rĩmwe hema ciakwa nĩthũkangie, o kahinda gatarĩ cooho kĩĩgitio gĩakwa gĩgathũkangio.
Disaster after disaster is proclaimed, for the whole land is laid waste. My tents are destroyed in an instant, my curtains in a moment.
21 Nĩ nginya rĩ ngũtũũra nyonaga bendera ya mbaara, na ngaigua mũgambo wa karumbeta?
How long must I see the signal flag and hear the sound of the horn?
22 “Andũ akwa nĩ irimũ; matinjũũĩ. Nĩ ciana iteciiragia, na ikaaga ũmenyo. Ũũgĩ ũrĩa marĩ naguo no wa gwĩka ũũru; matiũĩ gwĩka wega.”
“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”
23 Ndaacũthĩrĩirie thĩ, ngĩkĩona atĩ ndĩarĩ ũrĩa yatariĩ na ndĩarĩ na kĩndũ; ningĩ ngĩcũthĩrĩria matu-inĩ, ngĩona atĩ gũtiarĩ na ũtheri.
I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light.
24 Ndaacũthĩrĩria irĩma, ngĩona atĩ nĩgũthingitha ciathingithaga; natuo tũrĩma tuothe nĩ kwereera twereeraga.
I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying.
25 Ngĩcũthĩrĩria, ngĩona atĩ gũtiarĩ na andũ; nyoni ciothe cia rĩera-inĩ nĩciombũkĩte ikoora.
I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled.
26 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.
I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert. All its cities were torn down before the LORD, before His fierce anger.
27 Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga: “Bũrũri wothe nĩũkanangwo, o na gũtuĩka ndikaũniina biũ.
For this is what the LORD says: “The whole land will be desolate, but I will not finish its destruction.
28 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio thĩ nĩĩgacakaya, narĩo igũrũ rĩgĩe nduma, tondũ ũguo nĩguo njugĩte, na ndingĩĩricũkwo. Nĩnduĩte itua na ndikũgarũrũka.”
Therefore the earth will mourn and the heavens above will grow dark. I have spoken, I have planned, and I will not relent or turn back.”
29 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.
Every city flees at the sound of the horseman and archer. They enter the thickets and climb among the rocks. Every city is abandoned; no inhabitant is left.
30 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.
And you, O devastated one, what will you do, though you dress yourself in scarlet, though you adorn yourself with gold jewelry, though you enlarge your eyes with paint? You adorn yourself in vain; your lovers despise you; they want to take your life.
31 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.”
For I hear a cry like a woman in labor, a cry of anguish like one bearing her first child— the cry of the Daughter of Zion gasping for breath, stretching out her hands to say, “Woe is me, for my soul faints before the murderers!”
