< Maika 3 >

1 Mgbe ahụ ekwuru m sị, “Geenụ ntị unu ndịisi ụlọ Jekọb, na unu ndị na-achị ezinaụlọ Izrel. Ọ bụ na unu ekwesighị ịmata ikpe ziri ezi
And I said, Give ear, now, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the people of Israel: is it not for you to have knowledge of what is right?
2 unu bụ ndị kpọrọ ezi ihe asị ma na-ahụ ajọ ọrụ nʼanya. Unu na-agba ndị m akpụkpọ na ndụ na-agbapụkwa anụ ahụ kpuchiri ọkpụkpụ ha.
You who are haters of good and lovers of evil, pulling off their skin from them and their flesh from their bones;
3 Unu na-erida anụ ahụ ndị nke m, na-agba ha akpụkpọ, na-etijisi ọkpụkpụ ha, na-egburi anụ ahụ ha, dịka anụ a na-esinye nʼite.”
Like meat they take the flesh of my people for their food, skinning them and crushing their bones, yes, cutting them up as if for the pot, like flesh inside the cooking-pot.
4 Mgbe ahụ ha ga-akpọku Onyenwe anyị, ma ọ gaghị aza ha! Mgbe oge ahụ bịaruru, ọ ga-ezo ihu ha site nʼebe ha nọ nʼihi ihe ọjọọ nke ha mere.
Then they will be crying to the Lord for help, but he will not give them an answer: yes, he will keep his face veiled from them at that time, because their acts have been evil.
5 Ihe a ka Onyenwe anyị kwuru: “Banyere ndị amụma bụ ndị na-eduhie ndị m, mgbe ha nwere ihe ha ga-eri, ha na-ekwusa ‘Udo’ ma ọ bụrụ na mmadụ enyeghị ha nri, ha na-ebili buo agha megide onye dị otu a.
This is what the Lord has said about the prophets by whom my people have been turned from the right way; who, biting with their teeth, say, Peace; and if anyone puts nothing in their mouths they make ready for war against him.
6 Ya mere nʼabalị ga-abịakwasị ha, napụ ha ike ịhụ ọhụ; ọchịchịrị ga-ekpuchi ha, ka ha ghara ịjụta ase ọbụla. Anwụ ga-ada nʼebe ndị amụma ahụ nọ, ụbọchị ga-agbakwa ọchịchịrị nye ha.
For this cause it will be night for you, without a vision; and it will be dark for you, without knowledge of the future; the sun will go down over the prophets, and the day will be black over them.
7 Ndị ọhụ ụzọ ka ihere ga-eme, ndị na-ajụ ase ka a ga-emebọ. Ha ga-ekpuchi ihu ha, nʼihi na ọsịsa ọbụla agaghị esite nʼebe Chineke nọ bịara ha.”
And the seers will be shamed, and the readers of the future will be at a loss, all of them covering their lips; for there is no answer from God.
8 Ma mụ onwe m, ejupụtara m nʼike, ejupụtara m na Mmụọ nke Onyenwe anyị, jupụtakwa na mmụọ nke ikpe ziri ezi, na nke ịdị ike ikwupụta nye Jekọb njehie ya, na nye Izrel mmehie ya.
But I truly am full of the spirit of the Lord, with power of judging and with strength to make clear to Jacob his wrongdoing and to Israel his sin.
9 Geenụ ntị unu ndị na-achị ezinaụlọ Jekọb, na unu ndịisi ezinaụlọ Izrel. Ndị kpọrọ ikpe ziri ezi asị, ma na-ewere ihe niile na-ezighị ezi nʼọnọdụ ihe ziri ezi.
Then give ear to this, you heads of the children of Jacob, you rulers of the children of Israel, hating what is right, twisting what is straight.
10 Ndị ji ọbara wuo Zayọn, werekwa ajọ omume wuo Jerusalem.
They are building up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with evil-doing.
11 Ndịisi ya na-ekpe ikpe nʼihi ngarị, ndị nchụaja ya na-akụzi ihe nʼihi ụgwọ, ebe ndị amụma ya na-ajụta ase nʼihi ego. Ma ha dabere na Onyenwe anyị na-asị, “Onyenwe anyị ọ nọnyeereghị anyị? O nweghị ihe ọjọọ ga-abịakwasị anyị.”
Its heads take rewards for judging, and the priests take payment for teaching, and the prophets get silver for reading the future: but still, supporting themselves on the Lord, they say, Is not the Lord among us? no evil will overtake us.
12 Ọ bụ nʼihi gị ka a ga-akọgharị Zayọn dịka ala ubi, Jerusalem ga-aghọ ebe e kpokọtara nkume na ngwongwo ụlọ dakpọrọ adakpọ, ugwu nke ụlọnsọ ukwu ahụ ga-aghọ ebe dị elu nke oke ọhịa tochiri.
For this reason, Zion will be ploughed like a field because of you, and Jerusalem will become a mass of broken walls, and the mountain of the house like a high place in the woods.

< Maika 3 >