Emọs 5
1 Nụrụnụ okwu ndị a, nke a ka m na-ekwu megide unu, ọ bụ mkpu akwa maka gị ezinaụlọ nke Izrel:
Listen, people of Israel, to this funeral lament that I sing about you!
2 “Izrel, nwaagbọghọ na-amaghị nwoke, a daala, ọ gaghị ebilite ọzọ, onye a gbahapụrụ nʼala nke aka ya, ọ dịkwaghị onye ga-ekulite ya.”
Virgin Israel has fallen, and will never rise again! She lies abandoned on the ground, and there is no one to help her up.
3 Otu a ka Onye kachasị ihe niile elu, bụ Onyenwe anyị na-asị Izrel, “Obodo unu nke na-ezipụ puku ndị ike, ka naanị narị ga-afọdụ, obodo unu na-ezipụ narị ndị ike ka naanị iri ga-afọdụrụ.”
This is what the Lord says: From a city that sends out a thousand soldiers, only a hundred will return; from a city that sends out a hundred soldiers, only ten will return.
4 Ihe ndị a bụ okwu Onyenwe anyị na-agwa ụlọ Izrel, “Chọọnụ m, ka unu dịrị ndụ.
This is what the Lord says to the people of Israel: Look to me so you may live!
5 Unu achọla Betel, unu abanyekwala na Gilgal, maọbụ ga ije ruo Bịasheba. Nʼihi na Gilgal aghaghị ije biri nʼala ọzọ, ebe Betel ga-aghọ ebe tọgbọrọ nʼefu.”
Do not look to the false gods of Bethel, do not go to the pagan shrines of Gilgal or travel to those of Beersheba. For Gilgal will go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
6 Chọọnụ Onyenwe anyị, ka unu dịrị ndụ, ka ọ gharakwa iji ike bịakwasị ụlọ Josef, dịka ire ọkụ, ọ ga-erepịa ha. Betel agaghị enwe onye ga-emenyụ.
Look to the Lord so you may live! Otherwise he will explode like fire against the descendants of Joseph and no one from Bethel will be able to quench it.
7 Unu ndị na-eme ikpe ziri ezi ka ọ ghọọ ihe ilu, na-ekpukwa ezi omume ihu nʼala.
You twist justice and make it bitter, you throw integrity to the ground.
8 Onye mere kpakpando pleiades na orion, onye na-emekwa ka oke ọchịchịrị ghọọ ụtụtụ, na-emekwa ka ụbọchị ghọọ abalị, onye na-akpọ mmiri nke osimiri oku, wụsa ha nʼelu ala akọrọ, Onyenwe anyị bụ aha ya.
The One who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns the darkness into morning, and daytime into night, who calls for the water of the seas, and pours it down as rain upon the earth—the Lord is his name!
9 Onye na-eme ka ịla nʼiyi bịakwasị ndị dị ike nʼotu ntabi anya, na-emekwa ka ịla nʼiyi bịakwasị ebe ahụ niile e wusiri ike.
In a flash he cuts down the strong and destroys the fortresses.
10 Ọ dị ndị na-akpọ onye na-edebe ikpe ziri ezi nʼụlọikpe asị, na-elelịkwa onye na-ekwu eziokwu anya.
You hate anyone who confronts injustice and loathe anyone who speaks honestly.
11 Unu na-azọpịa ndị ogbenye, na-anapụ ha ukwu ọka wiiti ha. Unu ewuolara onwe unu ụlọ nkume a wara awa, ma unu agaghị ebi nʼime ha. Unu akụọla ubi vaịnị mara mma, ma unu agaghị aṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ ọbụla sitere nʼime ha.
Because you trample down the poor and impose a tax on their grain, building for yourselves impressive houses, you will not live in them, and you will not drink wine from the fine vineyards you have planted.
12 Nʼihi na amaara m njehie unu niile, ka ha si baa ụba, matakwa ọtụtụ mmehie unu niile. Unu na-emegbu ndị ezi omume, na-erikwa ngarị. Ma na-achụpụkwa ndị ọ dịghị nke ha nwere nʼọnụ ụzọ ama.
For I know the extent of your wrongdoing and your numerous sins. You oppress good people by taking bribes, and you prevent the poor from getting justice in the courts.
13 Nʼihi ya, onye nwere uche na-ekpuchi ọnụ ya nʼoge ahụ, nʼihi na oge ndị ahụ dị njọ.
So smart people keep quiet in such evil times.
14 Chọsienụ ezi ihe ike, ọ bụghị ihe ọjọọ; ka unu dịrị ndụ. Mgbe ahụ ka Onyenwe anyị Chineke, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile ga-anọnyere unu, dịka unu si kwuo.
Do what is right, and not evil, so you may live. Then the Lord God of power will be with you, as you claim he is.
15 Kpọọnụ ihe ọjọọ asị, ma hụnụ ezi ihe nʼanya. Meenụ ka ikpe ziri ezi guzosie ike nʼụlọikpe unu. O nwere ike bụrụ na Onyenwe anyị Chineke Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile ga-enwe amara nʼahụ ndị fọdụụrụ Josef.
Hate evil and love good—and make sure justice wins out in your courts. Maybe the Lord God of power will have mercy on those who are left of Jacob's people.
16 Nʼihi ya, nke a ka Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile, bụ Onyenwe anyị na-asị, “Oke iti mkpu akwa aghaghị ịdị nʼokporoụzọ niile; ọ bụkwa nʼama niile ka ha ga-asị, azịgbakwa, azịgbakwa. A ga-akpọ ndị ọrụ ubi ka ha bịa kwaa akwa, kpọọkwa ndị na-eru ụjụ ka ha bịa tie mkpu akwa.
For this is what the Lord, the Lord God of power says: There will be weeping in the city squares and wailing in the streets. They will call even the farmers to grieve, as well as the professional mourners.
17 A ga-enwe iti mkpu akwa nʼime ubi vaịnị niile, nʼihi na aga m esi nʼetiti unu gafee,” ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru.
There will be wailing in every vineyard, for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord.
18 Ahụhụ dịrị unu, ndị ahụ na-achọsi ụbọchị Onyenwe anyị ike. Gịnị mere unu ji achọ ụbọchị nke Onyenwe anyị ahụ? Ụbọchị ahụ ga-abụ ọchịchịrị, ọ bụghị ìhè.
How disastrous it will be for those of you who long for the day of the Lord. Why would you want the day of the Lord to come? It will bring darkness, not light.
19 Ọ ga-adị ka onye si nʼihu ọdụm na-agbapụ ma zute anụ ọhịa bịa, maọbụ onye gbabara nʼụlọ ya izuike ma tụkwasị aka ya nʼaja ụlọ, agwọ ataa ya.
It will be like a man running away from a lion only to meet a bear; or a man who goes home and leans his hand on a wall, only to be bitten by a snake.
20 Ụbọchị Onyenwe anyị ọ gaghị abụ ụbọchị ọchịchịrị, na-abụghị ìhè, nke oke ọchịchịrị, a na-agaghị enwe ìhè ọbụla na ya?
Isn't the day of the Lord darkness without light? Yes, pitch dark without a glimmer of light.
21 “Akpọrọ m mmemme oriri na ọṅụṅụ unu asị, ajụla m ya. Nnọkọ nke oke nzukọ unu adịghị atọkwa m ụtọ.
I hate, I despise your festivals and take no delight in your religious assemblies.
22 A sịkwarị na unu bunyere m aja nsure ọkụ unu na aja mkpụrụ ọka unu, agaghị m anabata ha. Aja udo nke anụ unu gbara abụba abụrụghị m ihe ọbụla.
Even though you present me with burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. As for your peace offerings of fattened cattle—I will not even look at them.
23 Sitenụ nʼebe m nọ wezuga ụzụ ịbụ abụ unu. Agaghị m ege ntị nʼabụ ụbọ akwara unu.
Stop your noisy worship songs. I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 Kama meenụ ka ikpe ziri ezi na-asọgharị dịka mmiri, ka ezi omume na-asọgharịbiga oke dịka iyi nke na-adịghị ata ata.
Rather let justice flow like a river, and doing right like an ever-flowing stream.
25 “Iri afọ anọ ndị ahụ unu nọ nʼọzara, unu chụụrụ m aja, unu o wetara m onyinye, unu ụlọ Izrel?
Did you bring me sacrifices during those forty years in the desert, people of Israel?
26 Unu ga-ebuli eze unu Sakut elu, na arụsị Kayiwan, chi kpakpando unu, bụ onyinyo unu, na chi niile a kpụrụ akpụ, nke unu kpụrụ nye onwe unu.
But now you carry idols of Sakkuth your king and Kaiwan your star god that you made for yourselves.
27 Ya mere, aghaghị m ime ka e buru unu gaa nʼala ndị ọzọ, nʼofe Damaskọs,” ka Onyenwe anyị, Onye ahụ aha ya bụ Chineke, Onye pụrụ ime ihe niile kwuru.
So I will send you into exile in a land beyond Damascus, says the Lord, whose name is the God of power.
