Jeremia 2
1 Shoko raJehovha rakauya kwandiri richiti,
The Lord's message came to me, saying,
2 “Enda unoparidza munzeve dzeJerusarema uchiti: “‘Ndinorangarira kunamata kwouduku hwako, kuti somwenga waindida sei uye uchinditevera nomukati merenje, uye nomunyika isina munhu anogaramo.
Go and announce to the people of Jerusalem that this is what the Lord says: I remember when you were young how devoted to me you were. I remember how you loved me when you were my bride. I remember how you followed me in the desert, in a land where nothing is grown.
3 Israeri akanga ari mutsvene kuna Jehovha, ari chibereko chokutanga chokukohwa kwake; vose vakanga vachimudya vaipiwa mhosva, uye njodzi yakavawira,’” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
Israel was holy to the Lord, the firstfruits of his harvest. Anyone who ate this harvest was guilty of sin, and they experienced the disastrous results, declares the Lord.
4 Inzwai shoko raJehovha imi imba yaJakobho, nemi mose vorudzi rweimba yaIsraeri.
Listen to the Lord's message, descendants of Jacob, all you Israelites.
5 Zvanzi naJehovha: “Madzibaba enyu akawana mhosva yei kwandiri, zvavakaenda kure neni? Vakatevera zvifananidzo zvisina maturo ivo vakava vasina maturo pachavo.
This is what the Lord says: What did your forefathers think was wrong with me that they went so far away from me? They went off to worship useless idols, and as a result became useless themselves!
6 Havana kubvunza kuti, ‘Jehovha aripiko, iye akatibudisa kubva munyika yeIjipiti akatitungamirira nomugwenga risina miti, nomunyika yamarenje namakoronga, iyo nyika yakaoma uye yerima, nyika isina munhu anofambamo uye isina munhu anogaramo?’
They didn't ask themselves, “Where is the Lord who led us from Egypt, who led us through the wasteland, through a land of deserts and ravines, a land of drought and darkness, a land that no one travels through and where no one lives?”
7 Ndakakupinzai munyika yakaorera kuti mudye zvibereko zvayo nezvakanaka zvayo. Asi makasvika mukasvibisa nyika yangu, mukaita nhaka yangu kuti ive chinhu chinonyangadza.
I led you into a productive land to eat all the good things that grow there. But you came and made my land unclean, making it offensive to me.
8 Vaprista havana kubvunza kuti, ‘Jehovha aripiko?’ Vakanga vachifambisa murayiro havana kundiziva; vatungamiri vakandimukira. Vaprofita vakaprofita naBhaari, vachitevera zvifananidzo zvisina maturo.
Your priests did not ask, “Where is the Lord?” Your teachers of the law no longer believed in me, and your leaders rebelled against me. Your prophets prophesied by calling on Baal and followed worthless idols.
9 “Naizvozvo ndinokupai mhosva zvakare,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha. “Ndichapazve mhosva vana vavana venyu.
So I'm going to confront you again, declares the Lord, and I will bring charges against your children's children.
10 Yambukirai kumiganhu yeKitimi muone, tumai vanhu kuKedhari mugonyatsocherechedza; muone kana pakambova nechimwe chinhu chakadai:
Travel over to the islands of Cyprus and take a look; go to the land of Kedar and examine carefully to see if anything like this has ever happened before.
11 Ko, rudzi rwakambotsinhanisa vamwari varwo here? Uye havasi vamwari zvachose. Asi vanhu vangu vakatsinhanisa kukudzwa kwavo nezvifananidzo zvisina maturo.
Has a nation ever changed its gods? —even though they're not gods at all! Yet my people have traded their glorious God for worthless idols.
12 Haiwa, imi matenga, shamiswai nechinhu ichi, uye mudedere nokutya kukuru,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
You heavens, you should be appalled, shocked and horrified! declares the Lord.
13 “Vanhu vangu vakaita zvakaipa zviviri: Vakandisiya ini, tsime remvura mhenyu, vakazvicherera zvirongo zvisingachengeti mvura.
For my people have done two evil things. They have abandoned me, the source of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that can't hold water.
14 Ko, Israeri muranda here, kana nhapwa pakuberekwa? Nemhaka yeiko apambwa zvino?
Are Israelites slaves? Were they born into slavery? So why have they become victims?
15 Shumba dzakaomba; dzikanguruma kwaari. Dzakaparadza nyika yake; maguta ake akapiswa uye haachina vanhu.
The young lions roared at you; they growled loudly. They have devastated your country; your towns lie in ruins. No one lives there.
16 Uyezve, vanhu veNofi neveTapanesi vakaveura musoro wako.
The men of Memphis and Tahpanhes have shaved your heads.
17 Ko, hauna kuzvivigira izvozvo pachako here pawakasiya Jehovha Mwari wako paakanga achikutungamirira munzira?
Didn't you bring this on yourself by abandoning the Lord your God when he was leading you in the right way?
18 Zvino, unoendereiko kuIjipiti kundonwa mvura inobva muShihori? Uye unodireiko kuenda kuAsiria kundonwa mvura inobva murwizi?
Now what will you benefit as you travel back to Egypt to drink the waters of Shihor River? What will you gain on your way to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates River?
19 Zvakaipa zvako zvichakuranga; kudzokera shure kwako kuchakutuka. Rangarira uye uyeuke zvino kuti zvakaipa sei uye zvinovava sei kwauri, ukange wasiya Jehovha Mwari wako, uye usingandityi,” ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe, Jehovha Wamasimba Ose.
Your own wickedness will discipline you; your own disobedience will teach you a lesson. Think about it and you'll recognize what a bitter evil it is for you to abandon the Lord your God and not to respect me, declares the Lord God Almighty.
20 “Wakavhuna joko rako kare kare uye wakadambura makashu ako; ukati, ‘Handidi kukushumirai!’ Zvirokwazvo, pamusoro pechikomo chirefu choga choga, uye pasi pomuti woga woga wakapfumvutira, wakarara pasi pawo sechifeve.
You broke off your yoke and ripped off your chains long ago. “I won't worship you!” you declared. On the contrary, you lay down like a prostitute on every high hill and under every green tree.
21 Ndakanga ndakusima somuzambiringa wakanakisa, uri mbeu kwayo inovimbika. Ko, zvino wakazondishandukira sei ukava muzambiringa webundo wakaora?
I was the one who planted you like the finest vine, grown from the very best seed. How could you degenerate into a useless wild vine?
22 Kunyange ukazvishambidza nesoda uchishandisa sipo yakawanda, gwapa remhosva yako rinoramba riri mberi kwangu,” ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe Jehovha.
Even bleach and plenty of soap can't get rid of your guilty stains. I still see them, declares the Lord God.
23 “Unoreva sei, uchiti, ‘Handina kusvibiswa; handina kutevera Bhaari’? Tarisa zvawakaita mumupata; funga zvawakaita. Iwe uri ngamera yehadzi inomhanya apa nepapo,
How dare you say, “I'm not unclean! I haven't gone to worship the Baals!” Look at what you've been doing down in the valley. Admit what you've done! You're a young female camel, racing around everywhere.
24 uri mbizi yakarovedzwa mugwenga, inofembedza mhepo mukushuva kwayo; ndiani angaidzora pakupfumvura kwayo? Mukono upi noupi unoitevera haufaniri kuzvinetesa; panguva yokusangana uchaiwana.
You're a female donkey living in the desert, sniffing the wind for a mate because she's in heat. No one can control her at mating time. All those who're looking for her won't have trouble finding her when she's in heat.
25 Usamhanya kusvikira tsoka dzako dzisisina shangu nehuro yako yava nenyota. Asi iwe wakati, ‘Hazvibatsiri! Ndinoda vamwari vokumwe, uye ndinofanira kuvatevera.’
You don't have to run around barefoot or have your throat go dry. But you reply, “No, it's impossible! I'm in love with foreign gods—I must go to them.”
26 “Sokunyadziswa kwembavha yabatwa, saizvozvo imba yaIsraeri yanyadziswa, ivo namadzimambo avo uye namachinda avo, vaprista vavo navaprofita vavo.
In the same way that a thief feels guilty when they're caught, so the people of Israel have been shamed. All of them—their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets.
27 Vanoti kudanda, ‘Ndiwe baba vangu,’ uye kuibwe, ‘Ndiwe wakandibereka.’ Vakandifuratira ini asi zviso zvavo hazvina, nyamba pavanenge vava munhamo, vanoti kwandiri, ‘Uyai mutiponese!’
They say to an idol made of wood, “You are my father,” and one made of stone, “You gave birth to me.” They turn their backs on me, and hide their faces from me. But when they're in trouble they come begging to me, saying, “Please come and save us!”
28 Ko, zvino vamwari vamakazviitira varipi? Ngavauye kana vachigona kukuponesai pamunenge mava munhamo! Nokuti muna vamwari vakawanda kupfuura maguta amunawo, imi Judha.
So where are these “gods” of yours that you made for yourselves? Let them come and help you when you're in trouble! Let them save you if they can, because you Israelites have as many gods as you have towns.
29 “Seiko muchindipa mhosva? Imi mose makandimukira,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
Why are you complaining to me? It's all of you who have all rebelled against me! declares the Lord.
30 “Ndakaranga vana venyu pasina; havana kuteerera kurangwa. Munondo wenyu wakamedza vaprofita, kufanana neshumba inoparadza.
It was pointless of me to punish your children because they refused to accept any discipline. You used your own swords to kill your prophets, destroying them like a ferocious lion.
31 “Haiwa, imi vechizvarwa ichi, rangarirai Shoko raJehovha rinoti: “Ndanga ndiri renje kuna Israeri here kana nyika yerima guru? Ko, vanhu vangu vanotaurireiko vachiti, ‘Takasununguka kuenda kwatada; hatichazouyizve kwamuri?’
You people of today, think about what the Lord is saying: Israel, have I treated you like an empty desert, or a land of thick darkness? Why are my people saying, “We can go where we like! We don't have to come and worship you any more”?
32 Ko, murandakadzi angakanganwa zvishongo zvake here, nomwenga angakanganwa nguo dzake dzomuchato here? Asi vanhu vangu vakandikanganwa ini, mazuva asingaverengeki.
Does a girl forget her jewelry or a bride her wedding dress? Yet my people have forgotten me for too many years to count.
33 Mune ruzivo rwakadii pakutevera rudo! Kunyange vakadzi vakaipisisa vangadzidza kubva panzira dzenyu.
How cleverly you look for your lovers! Even prostitutes could learn something from you!
34 Panguo dzako vanhu vanowanapo ropa ravarombo vasina mhaka, kunyange usina kuvabata vachipaza. Asi kunyange zvakadaro
On top of that, your clothes are stained with the blood of the poor and the innocent. It's not like you killed them breaking into your homes. Despite all this,
35 unoti, ‘Handina mhosva; uye haana kunditsamwira.’ Asi ndichatema mutongo wangu pauri nokuti unoti, ‘Handina kutadza.’
you go on saying, “I'm innocent! Surely he can't still be upset with me!” Watch out! I'm going to punish you because you go on saying, “I haven't sinned.”
36 Ko, unofambireiko pose pose zvakadai, uchishandura nzira dzako? Iwe uchagumburwa neIjipiti, sezvawakaitwa neAsiria.
You're just so fickle—you keep on changing your mind! You will end up just as disappointed by your alliance with Egypt as you were with Assyria.
37 Uchabvawo panzvimbo iyoyo wakaisa maoko ako pamusoro pako, nokuti Jehovha akaramba vose vaunovimba navo; iwe hauchazobatsirwi navo.
In fact you will go into exile with your hands on your head as prisoners, because the Lord will have nothing to do with those you trust; they will be no help to you.
