< Jeremia 5 >

1 “Ta ambatai na mũikũrũke barabara-inĩ ciothe cia Jerusalemu, mũrore na mũcarie, na mũtuĩrie ihaaro-inĩ ciakuo. Hihi mwahota kuona mũndũ o na ũmwe wĩkaga maũndũ ma kĩhooto kana akarũmbũiya ũhoro wa ma; muona mũndũ ta ũcio, nĩngarekera itũũra rĩa Jerusalemu.
Go everywhere through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and pay attention! Search all through her city squares to see if you can find even just one person who does what's right, anyone who is faithful, and I'll forgive the city.
2 O na gũtuĩka nĩmehĩtaga makoigaga atĩrĩ, ‘Ti-itherũ o ta ũrĩa Jehova atũũraga muoyo,’ kwĩhĩta kwao no kwa maheeni.”
They may make promises in my name, but they're not sincere.
3 Wee Jehova, githĩ maitho maku ti ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma macaragia? Wamaringire iringa, no matiigana kũigua ruo; wamahehenjire, no makĩrega ũtaarani ũcio. Momirie ithiithi ciao gũkĩra ihiga, makĩrega kwĩrira.
Lord, aren't you always looking for faithfulness? You beat them, but they didn't care. You just about destroyed them, but they refused to accept your discipline. They were stubborn, hard as rock, and they wouldn't repent.
4 Ngĩĩciiria atĩrĩ: “Aya nĩ andũ athĩĩni; nĩ andũ akĩĩgu, nĩgũkorwo matiũĩ njĩra ya Jehova, kana makamenya ũrĩa Ngai wao endaga.
Then I said to myself, “These people are only the poor—they're just fools who don't know any better. They certainly don't know what the Lord wants, God's right way of living.
5 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩngũthiĩ kũrĩ atongoria ngaaranĩrie nao; ti-itherũ acio nĩmoĩ njĩra ya Jehova, na makamenya ũrĩa Ngai wao endaga.” No rĩrĩ, othe marĩ hamwe, nĩmoinangĩte icooki rĩao rĩa ngingo, na magatua mĩkwa.
Let me go to and talk to the ones in charge. They would surely know what the Lord wants, God's right way of living.” But they had all broken off the yoke as well, and ripped off the chains.
6 Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo-rĩ, mũrũũthi nĩũkoima mũtitũ-inĩ ũmatharĩkĩre, na njũũi yume werũ-inĩ ĩmatambuurange, nayo ngarĩ ĩmooherie njĩra-inĩ cia matũũra mao, nĩguo ĩtambuurange mũndũ wothe ũrĩa ũngĩgeria kuuma nja, nĩ ũndũ ũremi ũcio wao nĩũingĩhĩte mũno, na ũhoro wao wa gũcooka na thuutha nĩ mũingĩ.
As a result a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will rip them apart. A leopard will lie in wait for them near their towns, ready to tear to pieces anyone who goes outside. For they keep on rebelling, and turn away from me so often.
7 “Ngũmũrekera nĩkĩ? Ciana cianyu nĩciindirikĩte, na ikeehĩta ikĩgwetaga marĩĩtwa ma ngai cia tũhũ. Niĩ ndaamaheaga o kĩrĩa gĩothe mabataragio nĩkĩo, no-o no gũtharia maatharagia, makahatĩkana nĩguo matoonye nyũmba cia maraya.
Why should I forgive you? Your children have abandoned me and believe in gods that are not gods. I gave them everything they need, yet they went and committed adultery, gathering together at prostitutes' houses.
8 Mahũũnĩte magatuĩka ta mbarathi cia njamba cikĩĩrirĩria cia mĩgoma, o ũmwe wao akeriragĩria mũtumia wa mũndũ ũrĩa ũngĩ.
They're like virile stallions wanting sex, each of them neighing with lust after his neighbor's wife.
9 Githĩ ndikĩagĩrĩirwo nĩkũmaherithia nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ macio?” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “Githĩ ndikĩagĩrĩirwo nĩ kwĩrĩhĩria harĩ rũrĩrĩ ta rũu?
Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?
10 “Tuĩkanĩriai mĩgũnda yao ya mĩthabibũ mũmĩharaganie, no mũtikamĩanange biũ. Hũrũrai honge ciayo, nĩgũkorwo andũ aya ti a Jehova.
Go through her vineyards and damage them, but don't destroy them completely. Rip off her branches, because they don't belong to the Lord.
11 Andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli na andũ a nyũmba ya Juda nĩmagĩte wĩhokeku harĩ niĩ biũ,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
The people of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me, declares the Lord.
12 Nĩmaheenanĩtie ũhoro wĩgiĩ Jehova; moigĩte atĩrĩ, “Ndarĩ ũndũ egwĩka! Gũtirĩ ũũru tũkuona; tũtikoona tũtharĩkĩirwo na rũhiũ rwa njora kana tuone ngʼaragu.
They have lied about the Lord, saying, “He won't do anything. Nothing bad will happen to us. We won't have war or famine.
13 Anabii nĩ a tũhũ ta rũhuho, nakĩo kiugo kĩa Jehova gĩtirĩ thĩinĩ wao; nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, ũguo moigĩte nĩguo mageekwo.”
The prophets are just like the wind. The Lord doesn't speak through them. What they predict can happen to them!”
14 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, Jehova Ngai Mwene-Hinya-Wothe ekuuga atĩrĩ: “Tondũ wa andũ acio kwaria ndeto ta icio, ndũmĩrĩri yakwa ĩrĩa ngwĩkĩra kanua-inĩ gaku ngaamĩtua ta mwaki, nao andũ aya ndĩmatue ta ngũ, mwaki ũcio ũmacine ũmaniine.
So this is the reply from the Lord God Almighty: Because of what you've said, I will make my words like a fire in your mouth and you people like the wood it burns up.
15 Atĩrĩrĩ, inyuĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Isiraeli,” ũũ nĩguo Jehova ekũmwĩra, “nĩngũtũma mũũkĩrĩrwo nĩ rũrĩrĩ ruumĩte kũndũ kũraya: naruo nĩ rũrĩrĩ rũtũũrĩte kuuma o tene, andũ mũtangĩmenya rũthiomi rwao, o na kana mũigue mwarĩrie wao.
Look! I am bringing a nation from far away to attack you, people of Israel, declares the Lord. It's a powerful nation that has existed for a long time; it's a nation whose language you don't know, and when they speak you can't understand them.
16 Mathiaka ma mĩguĩ yao matariĩ ta mbĩrĩra iria ĩtathikĩtwo; othe nĩ njamba irĩ hinya.
Their arrows bring death; they are all strong warriors.
17 Nao nĩmakaarĩa na maniine magetha manyu o na irio cianyu, na marĩe na maniine aanake na airĩtu anyu; nĩmakaarĩa ndũũru cianyu cia mbũri na cia ngʼombe maciniine, ningĩ marĩe mĩthabibũ na mĩkũyũ yanyu. Nĩmakananga matũũra marĩa mairigĩre na rũhiũ rwa njora, o macio mwĩhokaga.
They will consume your harvest and your food; they will destroy your sons and your daughters; they will eat your flocks and your herds; they will feed on your vines and your fig trees. They will attack and will destroy the fortified towns that you have so much confidence in.
18 “No rĩrĩ, o na matukũ-inĩ macio, ndigakwananga ngũniine biũ,” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga.
But even at that time I won't completely destroy you, declares the Lord.
19 “Na rĩrĩa andũ makooria atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩ kĩĩ gĩtũmĩte Jehova Ngai witũ atwĩke maũndũ maya mothe?’ Ũkamacookeria, ũmeere atĩrĩ: ‘O ta ũrĩa inyuĩ mwandirikire na mũgĩtungatĩra ngai cia kũngĩ mũrĩ bũrũri-inĩ wanyu-rĩ, ũguo noguo mũgaatungatagĩra andũ a kũngĩ mũrĩ bũrũri ũtarĩ wanyu.’
When people ask you Jeremiah, “Why did the Lord our God do all these things to us?” you are to tell them, “In the same way you have abandoned me and served foreign gods here in your country, so you will serve foreigners in a country that isn't your own.”
20 “Anĩrĩra ũhoro ũyũ kũrĩ andũ a nyũmba ya Jakubu, na ũũhunjie kũu Juda, uuge atĩrĩ:
Announce this to the people of Jacob and Judah:
21 Ta thikĩrĩriai inyuĩ andũ aya akĩĩgu na mũtarĩ mbuguĩro, o inyuĩ mũrĩ na maitho na mũtionaga, na mũrĩ na matũ na mũtiiguaga:
Listen to this, you foolish, stupid people, who have eyes but don't see, who have ears but don't hear.
22 Githĩ inyuĩ mũtiagĩrĩirwo nĩkũnjĩtigĩra?” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “Githĩ inyuĩ mũtiagĩrĩirwo nĩkũinaina mũrĩ mbere yakwa? Ndaatũmire mũthanga ũtuĩke mũhaka wa iria rĩrĩa inene, ngĩũtua rũirigo rwa gũtũũra, rũtangĩagararwo nĩ iria rĩu. Makũmbĩ ma maaĩ no moyane, no matingĩrũtooria, no mahũyũke, no matingĩrwagarara.
Aren't you afraid of what I can do? declares the Lord. Don't you think you should tremble in my presence? I am the one who set up the shore as the sea's boundary, an everlasting limit that it can't cross. The waves crash against it, but they can't defeat it. They roar, but they can't cross the barrier.
23 No andũ aya-rĩ, marĩ ngoro cia rũngʼathio na nemi; nĩmahĩtĩtie njĩra na makoora.
But you people have a stubborn and rebellious attitude. You have left me and gone your own way.
24 Nao matingĩĩra atĩrĩ, ‘Nĩtwĩtigĩrei Jehova Ngai witũ, ũrĩa ũheanaga mbura ya kũmeria hĩĩra, na ya gũkũria irio o kĩmera gĩakinya, o we ũrĩa ũtũheaga mwĩhoko wa kũgetha mahinda maakinya.’
You didn't think to say, “We should appreciate the Lord our God, who sends the autumn and spring rains at the right time, who makes sure we can have a harvest every year.”
25 Mahĩtia manyu nĩmo matũmĩte mũraihĩrĩrio nĩ maũndũ macio; mehia manyu matũmĩte mwage maũndũ marĩa mega.
Your wrong actions have taken these benefits from you; your sins have deprived you of my blessings.
26 “Thĩinĩ wa andũ akwa-rĩ, nĩ kũrĩ andũ aaganu arĩa maikaraga moheirie ta andũ arĩa mategaga nyoni, na ta andũ arĩa mambaga mĩtego ya kũgwatia andũ.
For there are wicked men among my people. They're like bird-trappers, secretly watching and waiting to catch people in their snare.
27 O ta ũrĩa gĩkerenge kĩiyũraga nyoni, ũguo nĩguo nyũmba ciao ciyũrĩte ũheenania; matongete na makagĩa na hinya,
Their homes are full of their ill-gotten gains, like cages full of birds. That's why they've become powerful and rich.
28 ningĩ manorete na makanyoroka mwĩrĩ. Waganu wao nĩũingĩhĩte mũno; maticiiragĩrĩra mwana wa ndigwa nĩguo ahootane ciira-inĩ, na matirũagĩrĩra kĩhooto kĩa mũndũ mũkĩa.
They've grown fat and smooth, and have become experts in evil. They deny justice to orphans, and they don't defend the rights of those in need.
29 Githĩ ndikĩagĩrĩirwo nĩkũmaherithia nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ macio?” ũguo nĩguo Jehova ekuuga. “Githĩ ndikĩagĩrĩirwo nĩ kwĩrĩhĩria harĩ rũrĩrĩ ta rũrũ?
Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?
30 “Ũndũ mũũru mũno na wa kũmakania nĩwĩkĩkĩte bũrũri-inĩ ũyũ:
Something horrible, something terrible has happened here in this country.
31 Anabii marathaga mohoro ma maheeni, nao athĩnjĩri-Ngai magaathana ũrĩa mekwenda, nao andũ akwa ũguo nĩguo mendaga. No inyuĩ-rĩ, kĩrĩkĩrĩro-inĩ kĩa maũndũ macio mũgeeka atĩa?
The prophets give false prophecies; the priests rule as they please. My people love it like this, but what will you do when it all falls apart?

< Jeremia 5 >