< Jeremia 2 >

1 Shoko raJehovha rakauya kwandiri richiti,
Yahweh gave me another message
2 “Enda unoparidza munzeve dzeJerusarema uchiti: “‘Ndinorangarira kunamata kwouduku hwako, kuti somwenga waindida sei uye uchinditevera nomukati merenje, uye nomunyika isina munhu anogaramo.
[to proclaim to everyone in Jerusalem. He said that I should tell them this] [MET]: “I, Yahweh, remember that you very much wanted to please me [long ago]. [You tried to please me like] a bride [tries to please her husband]; You loved me, and you followed me through the desert [DOU].
3 Israeri akanga ari mutsvene kuna Jehovha, ari chibereko chokutanga chokukohwa kwake; vose vakanga vachimudya vaipiwa mhosva, uye njodzi yakavawira,’” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
[At that time you] Israelis (were set apart/belonged only) to me; [you belonged to me like] the first part of the harvests belong to me [MET]. I promised to punish all those who harmed you, my people, and truly I did send disasters on them. [That happened because I], Yahweh, said [that it would happen].”
4 Inzwai shoko raJehovha imi imba yaJakobho, nemi mose vorudzi rweimba yaIsraeri.
So, you [descendants of] [MTY] Jacob, all you people of [MTY] Israel,
5 Zvanzi naJehovha: “Madzibaba enyu akawana mhosva yei kwandiri, zvavakaenda kure neni? Vakatevera zvifananidzo zvisina maturo ivo vakava vasina maturo pachavo.
listen to what Yahweh says: “(What sin did I commit [RHQ] that caused your ancestors to turn far away from me?/Though your ancestors found no fault in me, they turned far away from me.) They worshiped worthless idols, and they themselves became worthless.
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 did not say, ‘Yahweh brought us [safely] out of Egypt, and he led us through a desert where there were a lot of pits; he led us where there was no water and where it was very dangerous, through a land where no one lives, and no one even travels. (So where is Yahweh now?/So he should be helping us now!) [RHQ]’
7 Ndakakupinzai munyika yakaorera kuti mudye zvibereko zvayo nezvakanaka zvayo. Asi makasvika mukasvibisa nyika yangu, mukaita nhaka yangu kuti ive chinhu chinonyangadza.
And when I brought you into a very fertile land, in order that you could enjoy [all] the fruit and [other] good things that you would harvest, you caused the land that I promised to give to you to be unfit for me and to become disgusting/detestable 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 also did not say, ‘(Where is Yahweh now?/Yahweh should be helping us now!)’ [RHQ] Those who teach/explain my laws do not [want to] know me, and [your] leaders have rebelled against me. [Your] prophets gave you messages from [their god] Baal, and they worship worthless idols.”
9 “Naizvozvo ndinokupai mhosva zvakare,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha. “Ndichapazve mhosva vana vavana venyu.
“So, I will accuse you in court. [In future years], I will say what your children and your grandchildren have done that is wrong. [That will happen because I], Yahweh, have said [that it will happen].
10 Yambukirai kumiganhu yeKitimi muone, tumai vanhu kuKedhari mugonyatsocherechedza; muone kana pakambova nechimwe chinhu chakadai:
If you go [west] to the island of Cyprus, or if you go [east] to Kedar [land, ] and if you ask people in those places, they will tell you that no people [from their countries] have ever done the wicked things that you people have done!
11 Ko, rudzi rwakambotsinhanisa vamwari varwo here? Uye havasi vamwari zvachose. Asi vanhu vangu vakatsinhanisa kukudzwa kwavo nezvifananidzo zvisina maturo.
The people of no other nation have ever [RHQ] abandoned their gods that they thought were glorious and started to worship gods that are not really gods, but you people have abandoned me, your glorious God, and are worshiping gods that are useless.
12 Haiwa, imi matenga, shamiswai nechinhu ichi, uye mudedere nokutya kukuru,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
[It is as though everything in] the sky is surprised and dismayed/appalled [about what you have done]; [it is as though] they tremble because they are very horrified.
13 “Vanhu vangu vakaita zvakaipa zviviri: Vakandisiya ini, tsime remvura mhenyu, vakazvicherera zvirongo zvisingachengeti mvura.
[You], my people, have done two evil things: You have rejected me, the one who is [like] [MET] a fountain [where you can obtain] fresh water, and you [are worshiping gods that are like] [MET] pits in the ground that are cracked and which are not able to hold any water.
14 Ko, Israeri muranda here, kana nhapwa pakuberekwa? Nemhaka yeiko apambwa zvino?
You Israeli people, you were certainly not [RHQ] slaves when you were born; you were captured [by your enemies].
15 Shumba dzakaomba; dzikanguruma kwaari. Dzakaparadza nyika yake; maguta ake akapiswa uye haachina vanhu.
[Your enemies] [MET] roared [like] lions, and they destroyed your land. [Now] your towns have been burned, and no one lives in them.
16 Uyezve, vanhu veNofi neveTapanesi vakaveura musoro wako.
Soldiers from Memphis and Tahpenes, [cities in Egypt], have [defeated you] [and] shaved your heads [to show that you are their slaves].
17 Ko, hauna kuzvivigira izvozvo pachako here pawakasiya Jehovha Mwari wako paakanga achikutungamirira munzira?
But it is [RHQ] because you abandoned [me], Yahweh, that these disasters have happened to you.
18 Zvino, unoendereiko kuIjipiti kundonwa mvura inobva muShihori? Uye unodireiko kuenda kuAsiria kundonwa mvura inobva murwizi?
So (why are you trying to make an alliance with [MET] the rulers of Egypt?/it certainly will not help you to make an alliance with the rulers of Egypt) [RHQ]. Why are you trying to make an alliance with [MET] the rulers of Assyria who live near 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.
[It is because] you have been [very] wicked that I [PRS] will punish you. It is because you have turned away from me that I [PRS] will condemn you. [When I do that], you will realize that painful and evil [DOU] things will happen to you because you have forsaken [me], Yahweh, your God, and you no [longer] revere me. [That will certainly happen because] I, Yahweh, the Commander of the armies of angels in heaven, have said it.
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.
Long ago, you stopped obeying [me] [MET], and you would not allow [me] to lead you [MET]; you refused to worship [me]. Instead, you worship idols that are under trees on the top of every hill, and your young women have sex with [EUP] [men at those places].
21 Ndakanga ndakusima somuzambiringa wakanakisa, uri mbeu kwayo inovimbika. Ko, zvino wakazondishandukira sei ukava muzambiringa webundo wakaora?
[It is as though] [MET] you were a grapevine that I planted when it was a cutting from a very good vine. So now it is disgusting that [RHQ] you have become [like] a rotten worthless vine.
22 Kunyange ukazvishambidza nesoda uchishandisa sipo yakawanda, gwapa remhosva yako rinoramba riri mberi kwangu,” ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe Jehovha.
Your guilt from your sins is like [MET] very bad stains on a cloth, and you cannot get rid of those stains even by using very strong soap. [This is true because I], Yahweh, have said it.
23 “Unoreva sei, uchiti, ‘Handina kusvibiswa; handina kutevera Bhaari’? Tarisa zvawakaita mumupata; funga zvawakaita. Iwe uri ngamera yehadzi inomhanya apa nepapo,
You say that you have not sinned. You say ‘We have not become unacceptable to God; we have not worshiped Baal.’ But think about [the disgusting things that you do very eagerly] in [Hinnom] Valley [outside Jerusalem]. You are like desperate female camels, running here and there [to find male camels to have sex with].
24 uri mbizi yakarovedzwa mugwenga, inofembedza mhepo mukushuva kwayo; ndiani angaidzora pakupfumvura kwayo? Mukono upi noupi unoitevera haufaniri kuzvinetesa; panguva yokusangana uchaiwana.
You are [like] wild female donkeys in the desert. They sniff the air to find where the male donkeys are, and no one can [RHQ] restrain them. The male donkeys that want them do not become tired searching for them, because at mating time they find them [easily].
25 Usamhanya kusvikira tsoka dzako dzisisina shangu nehuro yako yava nenyota. Asi iwe wakati, ‘Hazvibatsiri! Ndinoda vamwari vokumwe, uye ndinofanira kuvatevera.’
You constantly run here and there [to find idols to worship], with the result that your sandals are worn out, and your throats have become dry. [I told you to stop doing that], but you said, ‘We cannot stop, because we love foreign gods, and we must worship them.’”
26 “Sokunyadziswa kwembavha yabatwa, saizvozvo imba yaIsraeri yanyadziswa, ivo namadzimambo avo uye namachinda avo, vaprista vavo navaprofita vavo.
[Yahweh says this]: “A robber is disgraced when he is caught. And all of you, including your kings and priests and prophets, are similarly disgraced.
27 Vanoti kudanda, ‘Ndiwe baba vangu,’ uye kuibwe, ‘Ndiwe wakandibereka.’ Vakandifuratira ini asi zviso zvavo hazvina, nyamba pavanenge vava munhamo, vanoti kwandiri, ‘Uyai mutiponese!’
You say to [a piece of] wood [that is carved to become a sacred idol], ‘You are our father!’ And you say to a stone [that you have set up], ‘You are our mother!’ You have rejected [IDM] me, but when you experience troubles, you cry out to me to rescue you.
28 Ko, zvino vamwari vamakazviitira varipi? Ngavauye kana vachigona kukuponesai pamunenge mava munhamo! Nokuti muna vamwari vakawanda kupfuura maguta amunawo, imi Judha.
Why do you not [RHQ] cry out to the gods that you made? You have as many gods as you have cities [and towns] in Judah. So why do you not plead with them to rescue you when you experience disasters?
29 “Seiko muchindipa mhosva? Imi mose makandimukira,” ndizvo zvinotaura Jehovha.
You complain that it was wrong for me [not to have rescued you], but you have all rebelled against me.
30 “Ndakaranga vana venyu pasina; havana kuteerera kurangwa. Munondo wenyu wakamedza vaprofita, kufanana neshumba inoparadza.
I punished some of you, but you did not learn anything from my doing that. You have killed many of the prophets that I [sent to you], like [SIM] fierce lions kill [other animals].
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 Israel, pay attention to what I say. I have certainly [RHQ] never [abandoned you] in a desert; I have never [left you] in a land full of darkness. So, why do you, my people, say ‘We are free from God’s control; we will not return to [worship] God any more’?
32 Ko, murandakadzi angakanganwa zvishongo zvake here, nomwenga angakanganwa nguo dzake dzomuchato here? Asi vanhu vangu vakandikanganwa ini, mazuva asingaverengeki.
A young woman would certainly never [RHQ] forget [to wear] her jewelry, and a bride would never [RHQ] forget to wear her wedding dress, but you my people have forgotten me for many years.
33 Mune ruzivo rwakadii pakutevera rudo! Kunyange vakadzi vakaipisisa vangadzidza kubva panzira dzenyu.
You know how to easily find [gods from other countries] whom you can love. You can find them as easily as a prostitute [can find men to sleep with].
34 Panguo dzako vanhu vanowanapo ropa ravarombo vasina mhaka, kunyange usina kuvabata vachipaza. Asi kunyange zvakadaro
Although you have on your clothes the blood of poor people whom you have murdered, people who (were innocent/had not done things that are wrong),
35 unoti, ‘Handina mhosva; uye haana kunditsamwira.’ Asi ndichatema mutongo wangu pauri nokuti unoti, ‘Handina kutadza.’
you say ‘We have not done anything that is wrong; so surely [Yahweh] is not angry with us.’ But I will punish [MTY] you [severely] for saying ‘We have not sinned.’
36 Ko, unofambireiko pose pose zvakadai, uchishandura nzira dzako? Iwe uchagumburwa neIjipiti, sezvawakaitwa neAsiria.
Previously you requested [the army of] Assyria to help you, but they were not able to help you. Now you have requested [the army of] Egypt to help you, but they will not be able to help you, either.
37 Uchabvawo panzvimbo iyoyo wakaisa maoko ako pamusoro pako, nokuti Jehovha akaramba vose vaunovimba navo; iwe hauchazobatsirwi navo.
They will capture you, and you will be [their prisoners] [MTY], led to Egypt, [very ashamed] with your hands on your heads. That will happen because I, Yahweh, have rejected those [nations] that you are relying on, and they will not be able to help you at all.”

< Jeremia 2 >