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,
Israel, if you want to come back, then come back to me, declares the Lord. If you get rid of these disgusting idols I see, and don't wander away,
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 when you make your vows, you do so only to me, sincerely, truly, and honestly, then the nations will be blessed by me, and they will praise me.
3 Atĩrĩrĩ, Jehova areera andũ a Juda, o na andũ a Jerusalemu ũũ: “Cimbai mĩgũnda yanyu ĩrĩa ĩrĩ ngamba, na mũtikahaande irio mĩigua-inĩ.
This is what the Lord is saying to the people of Judah and Jerusalem: Plow your unplowed ground, and don't 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.
Dedicate yourselves to the Lord; be totally committed to him, people of Judah and Jerusalem. Otherwise, my anger will blaze like fire, burning so hard that no one can put it out because of the evil you've done.
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 this warning throughout Judah and Jerusalem! Tell them: Blow the trumpet everywhere in the country! Shout out, “Hurry! Let's run to the fortified towns for protection!”
6 Haandai bendera mũthiĩ mwerekeire Zayuni! Mwĩtharei narua mwĩhonokie! Nĩgũkorwo nĩndĩrarehithia mwanangĩko uumĩte mwena wa gathigathini, o na kũniinanwo kũnene.”
Raise the danger flag; go to Zion! Find somewhere safe! Don't hesitate! I'm bringing enemies from the north who will cause 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 left his hiding place; a destroyer of nations has started out. He has left his den to come and turn your country into a wasteland. Your towns will be demolished, and no one will live there.
8 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, mwĩhumbei nguo cia makũnia, cakayai na mũrĩre, nĩ ũndũ tũtirĩ tũrehererwo nĩ mangʼũrĩ macio mahiũ ma Jehova.
Wear clothes made of sackcloth, weep and wail, crying out, “The Lord's furious anger against us hasn't stopped.”
9 Jehova ekuuga atĩrĩ, “Mũthenya ũcio-rĩ, mũthamaki na anene ake nĩmagakua ngoro, nao athĩnjĩri-Ngai nĩmakagegeara, nao anabii mamake.”
When that happens declares the Lord, the king and officials will lose heart, the priests will be devastated, and the prophets will be shocked.
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, “Oh, Lord God, you have completely fooled the people of Jerusalem by telling them, ‘You will have peace,’ while holding a sword to 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 the people of Jerusalem will be told, “A burning wind from the bare hills of the desert is blowing toward the Jerusalem, but not to blow away the chaff or the dust.
12 nĩ rũhuho rũrĩ na hinya kũrĩ rũu ruumĩte kũrĩ niĩ. Rĩu nĩngũmatuĩra matuĩro ma ciira.”
No, this wind is too strong for that, and it comes from me. Now I'm also going to tell them how I will punish 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.
Look, he's rushing in like stormclouds; his chariots are like a whirlwind. His horses fly faster than eagles. “What a disaster! We're ruined!”
14 Wee Jerusalemu-rĩ, theria ũũru kuuma ngoro-inĩ yaku nĩguo ũhonoke. Ũgũtũũra ũthugundaga ũũru meciiria-inĩ maku nginya-rĩ?
Clean the evil from your heart, Jerusalem, so that you can be saved. How long will you hold onto your evil thoughts?
15 Nĩ kũrĩ na mũgambo wa mũndũ ũranĩrĩra kũu Dani, ũkaanĩrĩra ũhoro wa mwanangĩko kũu irĩma-inĩ cia Efiraimu.
News is shouted out from Dan, announcing 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.
“Let the nations know! Look what's happening! Announce this to Jerusalem: An army is coming to besiege you from a distant country; shouting war-cries against the towns of Judah.
17 Marĩrigiicĩirie o ta andũ marangĩire mũgũnda, tondũ itũũra rĩu nĩrĩnemeire, rĩkanjũkĩrĩra,’” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
They encircle 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!”
You've brought this on yourself by your own attitudes and actions. This is your punishment, and it's so painful, it's like being stabbed in 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.
“I'm in agony, absolute agony! My heart is breaking! It's beating wildly in my chest! My heart pounds within me; I can't keep quiet because I've heard the trumpet, the signal for battle.
20 Mwanangĩko ũrarũmanĩrĩra na mwanangĩko; bũrũri wothe nĩwanangĩtwo. O rĩmwe hema ciakwa nĩthũkangie, o kahinda gatarĩ cooho kĩĩgitio gĩakwa gĩgathũkangio.
News of one disaster after another comes flooding in, for the whole country is in ruins. My own home is destroyed in a moment, and everything inside.
21 Nĩ nginya rĩ ngũtũũra nyonaga bendera ya mbaara, na ngaigua mũgambo wa karumbeta?
How long do I have to see the flags of war and hear the trumpets of battle?”
22 “Andũ akwa nĩ irimũ; matinjũũĩ. Nĩ ciana iteciiragia, na ikaaga ũmenyo. Ũũgĩ ũrĩa marĩ naguo no wa gwĩka ũũru; matiũĩ gwĩka wega.”
“My people are stupid; they don't know me. They are foolish children who just don't understand. They're experts at doing evil, but they don't know 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 empty; I looked to the heavens, and its light was gone.
24 Ndaacũthĩrĩria irĩma, ngĩona atĩ nĩgũthingitha ciathingithaga; natuo tũrĩma tuothe nĩ kwereera twereeraga.
I looked at the mountains, and saw that they were shaking; all the hills were swaying to and fro.
25 Ngĩcũthĩrĩria, ngĩona atĩ gũtiarĩ na andũ; nyoni ciothe cia rĩera-inĩ nĩciombũkĩte ikoora.
I looked, and nobody was left; all the birds had flown away.
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 productive fields were a desert. All the towns were demolished because of the Lord's furious anger.
27 Ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekuuga: “Bũrũri wothe nĩũkanangwo, o na gũtuĩka ndikaũniina biũ.
This is what the Lord says: “The whole country will be devastated, but I won't do so completely.
28 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio thĩ nĩĩgacakaya, narĩo igũrũ rĩgĩe nduma, tondũ ũguo nĩguo njugĩte, na ndingĩĩricũkwo. Nĩnduĩte itua na ndikũgarũrũka.”
The earth will mourn and the heavens above will go dark. I have spoken; this is what I have ordered. I'm not going to stop or change my mind.”
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.
People from every town: run away when they hear the enemy horsemen and archers coming. They hide in the forest and among the rocks. All the towns are abandoned; no one lives in them.
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.
You, Jerusalem, now desolate, what are you going to do? Even though you dress in scarlet clothes, and put on gold jewelry, and paint your eyes with make-up, all your dressing-up is pointless! Your lovers hate you; they want to kill you!
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.”
I hear the cries like a woman in labor, the agonizing moans of a woman giving birth to her first child. These are the cries of the Daughter of Zion gasping for air, holding out her hands, saying, “Please help me, I'm being murdered!”
